In addition to ‘Walk to Work’ Day, Friday, September 21, is also International Peace Day. This day provides an opportunity for indi-viduals, organizations, and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. International Peace Day was established by a UN resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in 1982. During the discussion of the UN Resolution that established this day, it was suggested that:

“Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among nations and peoples. This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organi-zation as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace. “

Friday September 21st is the UN’s International Day of Peace. The first Peace Day was celebrated in 1982; this year marks the 30th anniversary. The theme for 2012 is ‘Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future’.

From the UN web site:  There can be no sustainable future without a sustainable peace. Sustainable peace must be built on sustainable development.

The message from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reads:

Armed conflicts attack the very pillars of sustainable development.

Natural resources must be used for the benefit of society, not to finance wars.

Children should be in school, not recruited into armies.

National budgets should focus on building human capacity, not deadly weapons.

On the International Day of Peace, I call on combatants around the world to find peaceful solutions to their conflicts.

Let us all work together for a safe, just and prosperous future for all.

Source: http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/