International Day of Peace is celebrated every year on 21 September. It is dedicated to peace and especially to the absence of war, which must be manifested by a cease-fire in the combat zones. It has been observed in many countries since its creation in 1981.

Since 2002, this Day begins at the United Nations Headquarters in New York with a ceremony in the presence of the Secretary-General who is ringing the Peace Bell, made from coins donated by children from all continents. It is a donation of the Japanese association for the UN and is a “reminder of what war has cost humanity”. It bears this inscription: “Long live peace in the world”.

This day should not be confused with the World Day of Peace, a day of prayer for peace instituted by Pope Paul VI in 1968 within the Catholic Church and set for 1 January.

In 2015, realizing that it will not be possible to build a peaceful world without taking steps to achieve the economic and social development of all around the world and to ensure that the rights of all will be protected, the Member States of the world United Nations have adopted the 17 goals of sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals cover a wide range of issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, the environment and social justice.

Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, “Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions”, focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, access to justice for all and institution building. Effective, accountable and inclusive at all levels.

A peaceful society is a society where justice and equality exist for all. Peace will enable a sustainable environment to emerge and a sustainable environment will contribute to peace.

PLANETE PAIX faithful to its mission of peace will participate with other organizations in activities dedicated to Peace, September 21, 2018.