Riga, Latvia - On September 21, 25 people of different ages, nationalities, and professions gathered in the Peace Embassy to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace and watch Jeremy Gilley's documentary The Day After Peace about his ten-year quest to establish the day of ceasefire and non-violence.
The event was opened by a Universal Peace Federation volunteer, Andrejs Sekste, who gave an introductory speech briefly outlining the history of the United Nations International Day of Peace, emphasizing its significance and encouraging everybody to think what an individual is able to do for the sake of peace.
The admission was free of charge, but the guests were asked to bring candles that were lit while the film was being shown, in order to create an atmosphere of peace. Paper doves were hanging in the air, and an artistic poster reminded everyone of the purpose of the meeting. On the entrance door, one could read the text of the UN General Assembly Resolution 55/282 urging everyone to help create peace on September 21.
In the film, the audience learned to know a man whose life goal was to realize a dream of one day without war in the whole world. They learned about how he kept looking for like-minded people and meeting people in positions of power. He made mistakes and then corrected them; he sought financial support and inspired people by his grand vision. The film was welcomed with enthusiastic applause.
During a coffee break, the guests introduced themselves to each other and shared their impressions of the film. Vera Ressina, a lecturer at the Institute of Transport and Communications, was inspired by this initiative and offered to organize a similar event for her students. The organizers discussed the possibility of holding mass activities in support of peace and non-violence on September 21, 2010.
The event was prepared by Universal Peace Federation volunteers Andrey Sekste, Yekaterina Bolshakova, Tatyana Baronova, Irina Cvetkova, Raitis Caune, and others.
To read UPF's Declaration on the International Day of Peace 2009, click here.