Int’l Day of Peace today

The International Day of Peace will be observed today (Sunday) across the globe, with calls for an end to war and conflict, humanitarian assistance to war-torn regions and stronger commitments to ceasefires and peaceful coexistence.

This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace�"For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” highlights peace as an ongoing process requiring sustained efforts, dialogue, fairness, respect, understanding and cooperation.
It stresses that building peace is a shared responsibility of individuals, institutions and governments.

The observance traditionally begins at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York with the ringing of the “Peace Bell”. 

Cast from coins donated by children from around the world and presented to the UN by its association in Japan, the bell symbolises the devastating human cost of war and carries a message of lasting peace.
The UN General Assembly first established the International Day of Peace in 1981, initially designating the third Tuesday of September.

In 2001, it adopted a resolution fixing September 21 as the annual date, beginning in 2002.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for unity to end violence and urged world leaders to invest in a peaceful future.