The International Peace Day is also known as Peace Day and the day is observed on September 21, every year, at the international level. The day is dedicated to world peace and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.
To start the day, the “Peace Bell” is rung at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York.
International Peace Day 2021: Theme
Every year the day is observed under a particular theme and the theme suggested for International Peace Day 2021 is – “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.”
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The UN stated that “In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier. The pandemic is known for hitting the underprivileged and marginalized groups the hardest.”
This year the UN has invited support from across the globe to join the effects and to support world peace. The official website of UN read, “We invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations family as we focus on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful 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.”
International Peace Day 2021: History
The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1981, to promote world peace. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of “non-violence” and “cease-fire” and in the same the date “September 21” was selected.
In 2013 the day was dedicated to peace education, the key preventive means to reduce war sustainably by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
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International Peace Day 2021: Quotes
In India, Mahatma Gandhi is considered as the statue of non-violence, peace, harmony and brotherhood. So, on the occasion of Peace Day, here are some quotes by the father of the nation:
- “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
- “Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.”
- “Indeed a civilian resister offers resistance only when peace becomes impossible”
- “The one condition for fighting for peace and liberty is to acquire self-restraint”
- “Poverty is the worst form of violence”
- “There is no path to peace, as peace is the path”
- “Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds”