The International Day of Peace (IDP, or Peace Day), is designated by the United Nations on September 21 as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. Peace Day 2021's theme is: Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World. "Celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic, and as we recover."
See photos and stories of how the global URI community celebrated the International Day of Peace this year.
Use these links to skip directly to celebrations from URI members, regional offices, and Cooperation Circles (CCs) in:
AFRICA
URI Cooperation Circle: Association Régionale de Dévéloppement Cooperation circle
Location: Djibouti
Living together in peace means accepting our differences, listening to one another, collaborating, respecting and recognizing others, and living in a spirit of peace and harmony.
URI Horn of Africa and local partners, in particular, the Association Régionale de Dévéloppement, initiated the Peace Cup in the Ali-Addeh refugee camp to the International Day of Peace.
URI Cooperation Circle: Nthola Cooperation Circle
Location: Malawi
In line with this year's theme "ACTION FOR PEACE; OUR AMBITION FOR THE GLOBAL GOALS", Nthola Cooperation Circle organized a youth get-together sports day, with the aim of sharing peace practices and how best we can enhance peace in the community.
On this day youth from Nthola CC Art and Drama group performed and disseminated a message of peace through drama performances, and later participated in netball and football matches.
ASIA
URI Cooperation Circle: Smiles4Millions
Location: India
Smiles4millions CC and Bitiya, Saahas CCs celebrated IDP in Bihar, Bharat (India). This day was marked with food distribution to those affected by floods.
URI East India
Location: India
United Religions Initiative - East India Cooperation Circles collaborated to mark the International Day of Peace with a special focus on environmental protection and world peace.
Location: India
DR. Yogi at Peace Service Center
Each year International Day of Peace is celebrated on the guidance of Guru Dr. Chintamani Nath Yogi, with the children of Peace Service Center, Hindu Vidyapeeth School and Children’s Peace Home in Nepal. Children from age 7-16 participate in different activities and projects like art and craft, drawing, poem writing, friendly games and group discussion. This gives our children an opportunity to express their views and at the same time learn from the teachers and their friends the importance and values of peace, service and non-violence.
As the theme of this year was ‘Action for Peace’, our goal for this day was to involve a large number of children in peace actions/activities at all levels with the objective of creating massive awareness on the roles they can play as students leading to positive changes in their school and their homes.
The children from Hind Vidyapeeth School, Kathmandu: Around 60 students participated in this program. The children were very happy to learn the importance of peace building by doing group activities and playing friendly games. Few of the students also have expressed their feelings and views through art, painting, poem writing etc.
The Children from Children’s Peace Home, Dang: 25 children in Children’s Peace Home participated in this event. These orphan children live in hostel where they grew up together. These children already have scene of responsibility, importance of sharing and community living. These children are full of life and are very peaceful and friendly. Our effort is to support them create a peaceful society they live in and make them able to handle any circumstance they will face in future days. We did many activities like plantation, helping each other chores, friendly games and art-craft etc.
Dr. Yogi gave a special presentation in a program organized by ‘Peace Education Network Nepal’. Similarly, he gave talks in colleges and television programs about peace and spirituality.
We thank our friends from different organization - national and international for their support, love and care. We also thank our teachers and students for making this program a success. We hope to continue doing such events with children so that they get an opportunity to learn the ‘Value of Life’.
URI Cooperation Circle: Indian Pluralism Foundation
Location: Kolkata
Indian Pluralism Foundation of Kolkata an organization and cooperation circle led by Mr. Ovais Aslam organized, conducted, and facilitated a workshop on "Peace Practice" with students of George Telegraph College at Gayatri Chetna Foundation Campus to celebrate International Day of Peace.
URI Cooperation Circle: Peace4Dalits CC
Location: India
Peace4dalits cooperation circle working towards ending untouchability and caste-based discrimination. Provide children with education, leadership, and community capacity building. They have observed the IDP with a peace march and children drawing.
Regional Coordinator Biswadeb Chakraborty and members from Smiles4Millions, Sarv Dharm Vichar Manch, and Satyem Sports Trust CC were present. More than 300 children participated in a two-day program in three villages of Nepal.
EUROPE
URI Cooperation Circle: Bridges CC
Location: Europe
On September 21, BRIDGES CC celebrated The International Day of Peace with a one-day training, in which students and teachers from"St. Kliment Ohridski" school in Plovdiv took an active part. The initiative was implemented with the financial support of the Olga Lengyel Institute (TOLI) TOLI - The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights.
With a group of 40 children (16-17 years old) from the 10th, 11th and 12th grades (from different religious backgrounds), accompanied by their teachers Mrs. Maria Konstantinova, Mrs. Nikolinka Abrasheva and Mrs. Yulia Kireva, we visited the Bachkovo Monastery "Assumption" and the Synagogue "Zion".
Petar Gramatikov, member of the Board of BRIDGES, chief expert on religious issues for the Plovdiv Municipality, and former URI Europe Global trustee, introduced the young people to the structure of the Orthodox Church in a fascinating and vivid way, drew attention to the contribution of the Bulgarian hierarchs and the entire Bulgarian people for the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews. We bowed in front of the graves of two "Righteous of the Jewish people" - hierarchs of the Bulgarian Church - Exarch Stefan and Patriarch Kirill, located in the church of the monastery. Petar Gramatikov paid special attention to the topic of the Holocaust, which was also the main focus of our training.
Bishop Sioninii, abbot of the Bachkovo monastery, despite not being able to meet us in person due to a commitment in the Troyan monastery, welcomed us as special guests and allowed us to enter and look at the old refectory, covered with frescoes from the beginning of the 17th century. And to make us feel at home, he had prepared a welcome treat for us in the new dining room of the monastery.
We then headed back to Plovdiv and the Zion Jewish Synagogue, where we were received and warmly welcomed by Mr. Albert Behar.
Here, in addition to the structure of the synagogue and the peculiarities of the Jewish diaspora and holidays, we had time to pay special attention to the topic of the Holocaust.
Apart from the expert Petar Gramatikov, students also took part. The two girls, Ivayla Haikova and Lili Alexova, from the 11th grade, had prepared with great care on the topic and introduced the group to the Holocaust and the role of Bulgaria in saving the Bulgarian Jews.