The International Day of Peace falls on September 21st every year, but it’s a day that many people don’t know about. The General Assembly of the United Nations hopes that people will spend the day strengthening the ideals of peace within their families, their communities, their countries, and the world.
The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All.” The goal is to highlight the importance of having all segments of society work together to strive for peace. Today’s world is a scary place; it’s hard to watch the television, go on the Internet, or read the newspaper without seeing a story that reports on the violence taking place around the world.
You may feel that you have no control over what is going on in your state, your country, or overseas. However, you do have control over how your house and your community are run. It’s important for everyone to spend some time figuring out how to make their homes and communities safer. Here are a few ways that you can help bring peace to the world:
Teach your children why September 21st is important. It may be a cliché to say that “children are our future,” but it’s also true. What we teach them can either help or hinder our world. According to UNESCO, schools around the world are being targeted, and in some places education is a means of indoctrination and a way to sow the seeds of hatred.
Get involved. After talking to your kids about why peace is important and how they can help make the world a better place, show them you mean it. Get involved with your community, and lead by example. Demonstrate that getting out of “self” can feel good, and doing for others can actually promote inner peace. Donate your time at the local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Have a canned food drive—the kids can help—to donate to those in need in your city. Organize a time when your neighborhood can meet some of the police officers that patrol your community. It doesn’t have to be a big event to make a difference.
Change the world. This suggestion might seem silly to some. How can I change the world? You can start by making your home a place for peace. You can change the world by making your community a safer place for all who live there. You don’t have to change the world in a huge way, and you don’t have to do it in one day; just take small steps to improve your home and community. Enough people doing this can add up to big changes.
The International Day of Peace has been celebrated in September for over thirty years and has marked personal and planetary progress toward peace. It’s grown to include millions of people worldwide with many different events organized to celebrate the day.
If you’d like to set up a time to meet up with Reka, you can contact her by phone at 402-881-8125 and by email at reka@omaha-counseling.com. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
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photo credit: Forever and Always Two Bright Flowers On Blue Sky free creative commons via photopin (license)
