International Day of Peace (21 September 2007)

21 September 2007 is the seventh International Day of Peace. The United Nations General Assembly decided (in resolution 55/282) on 7 September 2001 that, beginning in 2002, the International Day of Peace should be observed on 21 September each year. The Assembly declared that the Day be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the International Day of Peace. It invited all UN member states, organisations of the United Nations system, regional and non-governmental organisations and individuals to commemorate the Day in an appropriate manner, including through education and public awareness, and to cooperate with the United Nations in establishing a global ceasefire.

This year, the UN will use the International Day of Peace to note the many ways it works for peace and to encourage individuals, groups and communities around the world to contemplate and communicate thoughts and activities on how to achieve peace.

(Source: UN Department of Public Information)

News

From bell ringing in New York to battle scarred Afghanistan, UN marks Peace Day(21.09.07)
Darfur peace talks to begin next month(7.09.07)
Ban Ki-moon to visit Sudan next week to 'lock in' progress towards Darfur peace(29.08.07)
Darfur's rebels vow to work together towards peace during UN-chaired talks(6.08.07)
Côte d'Ivoire: Peace process fails to address sexual violence(2.08.07)
Security Council authorizes hybrid UN-African Union operation in Darfur(1.08.07)
UN's Darfur envoy arrives in Sudan to help spur peace negotiations(6.07.07)
Sudan accepts hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur(13.06.07)
Sudan backs deployment of hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur(12.01.07)
Sudan: Extension of AU peacekeeping mission only first step(22.09.06)

Selected learning materials

For teachers
Opening the Door to Nonviolence. Peace Education Manual for Primary School Children
This comprehensive teacher manual was designed by the Croation NGO Mali Korak ("Small Step"). The manual was used with children in schools and refugee camps in multiethnic settings, at the end of the conflict.

Tolerance: the threshold of peace. A teaching/learning guide for peace, human rights and democracy (UNESCO)
This is a resource document with exemplary programmes, lesson plans and teaching units that can be used by classroom teachers, teacher educators, community leaders, parents, youth and social workers.

For health professionals
Psychology-humanrights-l Forum is the International Peace Practitioners Network Internet discussion group on Psychology and Human Rights--a joint project of Psychologists for Social Responsibility and the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence: Peace Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association.

Useful links

United Nations International Day of Peace 2006 site

International Day of Peace Vigil

International Day of Peace 2006 (Pathway to Peace)

United Network of Young Peacebuilders

International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence (2001-2010)

Courses and trainings on peace, peace building

Other International Days