UN International Day of Peace
Each year on September 21, the UN invites all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities and commemorate the International Day of Peace through education and public awareness on issues related to peace. In the quest for peace, UPF and its Ambassadors for Peace around the world organize commemorations of the International Day of Peace each year.
- Written by: Mykhailo Ilin, secretary general, UPF-Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine—UPF celebrated International Day of Peace 2020 together with a congress of Youth Ambassadors for Peace.
- Written by: UPF-Central America and the Caribbean
Costa Rica—On September 21, 2020, UPF-Central America and the Caribbean held a webinar with the theme "International Day of Peace: Let's Realize a World of Sustainable Peace With Mutual Interdependence."
- Written by: UPF-Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina— The Award Ceremony for the Ninth International Poetry Contest, organized by UPF-Argentina, had the theme “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values.”
- Written by: UPF-Australia
Melbourne, Australia—UPF-Australia commemorated the International Day of Peace 2020 by co-organizing a one-day virtual conference, which was attended by 152 participants.
- Written by: UPF-Canada
Montreal, Canada—On a sunny, chilly Saturday morning, UPF’s 2020 Peace Road Canada project got under way with the support of local Member of Parliament Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa, and Councilors Francesco Miele and Aref Salem.
- Written by: UPF-Brazil
Brazil—On September 21, 2020, UPF-Brazil celebrated UN International Day of Peace with the theme proposed by the United Nations for this year: “Forging Peace Together.”
- Written by: UPF-India
New Delhi, India—UPF-India commemorated the UN International Day of Peace and International Day of Nonviolence with a 12-day online campaign in which more than 5,000 people took part.
- Written by: Barbara Grabner, UPF-Slovakia
Bratislava, Slovakia—A famous international security expert spoke about China’s relations with the world.
- Written by: UPF-Uruguay
Uruguay—Looking at the topic “Shaping Peace Together,” UPF-Uruguay’s webinar took the theme “Four Women, Four Glances, Four Paths in the Search for Social Peace.”
- Written by: UPF-Japan
Kanagawa, Japan—To commemorate the International Day of Peace 2019, UPF-Japan, in partnership with the Youth and Students for Peace, co-organized a beach cleanup in Kanagawa prefecture.
- Written by: UPF-Marshall Islands
Majuro, Marshall Islands—The UN International Day of Peace was commemorated in the Marshall Islands with an event that was attended by two former Presidents and other guests.
- Written by: Karsten Nielsen, secretary general, UPF-Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark—An audience of about 200 attended the UPF-Denmark commemoration of UN International Day of Peace.
- Written by: UPF-New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand—UPF co-hosted a celebration of the International Day of Peace in New Zealand attended by 70 guests from different NGOs and communities.
- Written by: UPF-Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina—UPF-Argentina celebrated the UN International Day of Peace by launching its 2019–2020 campaign “Let’s Plant Trees: Let’s Sow Peace.”
- Written by: Elisabeth Cook, FFWPU-Austria; and Peter Haider, UPF-Austria
Vienna, Austria—A Peace Road trip to Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina was the theme of an International Day of Peace celebration.
- Written by: UPF-Australia
Melbourne, Australia—A conference on “Peace Building and Our Environment” was held in Melbourne to commemorate the International Day of Peace 2019.
- Written by: Gregor Sattler, UPF-Bonn
Bonn, Germany—The UPF commemoration started with a comparison of “peace journalism” vs. “war journalism.”
- Written by: Hiromi Mishima, Secretary General, UPF-Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador—“Climate Action for Peace” was addressed by panelists representing agriculture, religion, education, government, and other fields.
- Written by: Maria Nazarova, secretary general, UPF-Russia
Moscow, Russia—UPF marked the 2019 International Day of Peace with a roundtable focusing on issues relating to the environment.
- Written by: Robert Bentele, UPF-Munich
Munich, Germany—"Active for a Climate of Peace" was the title of the UPF commemoration of the 2019 International Day of Peace.
- Written by: Barbara Grabner, UPF-Slovakia
Bratislava, Slovakia—A well-known international security expert offered insights into the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- Written by: Steinar Murud, secretary general, UPF-Norway
Oslo, Norway—In a program titled “Perspectives on Peace,” faith leaders offered their views on the way to attain peace.
- Written by: Colm Ó Cionnaith, secretary general, UPF-Ireland
Downpatrick, Co. Down, Ireland—UPF marked International Day of Peace with a Peace Road Walk followed by a Peace Road Forum.
- Written by: Dr. Juraj Lajda, president, UPF-Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic—Three distinguished speakers presented their ideas about peace at a special discussion organized by UPF.