International Day of Peace Sept 21
International Day of Peace
Sept 21
Every year, Peace Day is officially begun at
the UN’s Headquarters in New York when
the Secretary General rings the Peace
Bell.
This bell was given to the United Nations
by Japan in 1954 as a reminder of the
human cost of war. It was made using
coins from all over the world which were
collected by children from the people who
attended a UN Conference in Paris in
1951.
The coins were melted down and the metal
was used to cast the bell which is inscribed
in Japanese with the words, “Long live
absolute world peace”.
All over the world, people will be holding special
meetings, religious ceremonies, demonstrations and
campaigns, all trying in their own ways to bring about
World Peace.
But what would you do for peace?
Click on the picture to watch
the video
Peace can be difficult to achieve. Even in
the film, people were talking about “fighting
for peace”, which seems like a
contradiction. Does violence ever bring
about true peace, or does it just create
more violence? How else is peace to be
achieved?
There are no easy answers but it does
seem that we humans are naturally
aggressive. Some people just like to fight.
They would prefer to take revenge on other
people rather than forgive them. They like
to gather together in little groups to battle
with other little groups – families, football
teams, countries, religions – any excuse to
say, “We are better than you and so we are
right to fight you.”
It’s easier to fight other people than it is to
try and understand them. But the fighting
can come at a terrible cost.
We’ve seen a lot of violence on the news recently,
especially in Syria and Iraq. As always, the UN is
trying to find ways to help, but it’s a difficult task..
Whilst world peace might be difficult to achieve it may be easier to create a more peaceful Princes Risborough School Community.
“People fail to get along because they fear
each other; they fear each other because
they don’t know each other; they don’t
know each other because they have not
communicated with each other.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Good communication skills allow for
more effective exchange of facts and
feelings. Communication skills include:
Active listening
Ability to use non-defensive language and
behaviour
Ability to articulate your view of the
situation
Ability to question assumptions
Peaceable means • inclined to avoid violent conflict
• promoting calm
What might a
“peaceable”
classroom look like?
Reflect on the following quote
Peace is the only battle worth waging. Albert Camus
Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela
Peace may sound simple – one beautiful word – but it requires everything we have, every quality, every strength, every dream, every high ideal. Yehudi Menuhin
It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it. Eleanor Roosevelt
Happy Monday
May Peace Prevail
on Earth