Published:
August 8, 2016 https://www.usip.org/publications/what-the-peace-day-challenge
The Peace Day Challenge is a global effort to turn the International Day of Peace into a day of global action that affirms peace as a real alternative to the increasing violence we see daily. It encourages people to build peace on September 21, and to inspire others to join in, using the social media tag #PeaceDayChallenge.
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Last Year
In 2015, the first annual Peace Day Challenge reached 21 million people in 129 countries on social media. It engaged dozens of organizations across the world and inspired activities in 36 countries and 24 U.S. states. Religious leaders, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, joined members of Congress, former U.S. secretaries of state and peace advocates around the world in taking up the #PeaceDayChallenge.
What Can You Do?
This year, USIP urges you to issue your own Peace Day Challenge on social media. We’ll feature your challenge online and encourage people to accept it as we approach the International Day of Peace on September 21. Your challenge could be directed to the whole world, or to a particular group—perhaps people in a certain line of work, or living in a specific area, or of a particular age. Whatever your challenge, we encourage you to make it action oriented. When USIP launched this year’s Peace Day Challenge, the Dalai Lama stressed that “Peace must be built through our own actions.” Join him and others around the world in taking action to create 24 hours of peace on the International Day of Peace.
In creating your Peace Day Challenge, you might consider some ideas below. Once you decide, USIP can work with you to create your own Peace Day Challenge petition at Change.org; help share your challenge on Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat; and encourage people to take your challenge between now and September 21. USIP also will be mapping Peace Day activities around the world, so people across the globe can find challenges to take and see where other challenges are happening.
A Little Inspiration to Start
With a Peace Day Challenge you could:
· Encourage followers to have a half-hour conversation with someone with whom they disagree.
· Challenge people from your community to commit to 24 hours of peace on September 21.
· Pose for a photograph with someone with whom you are known to disagree, showing a moment of mutual respect.
· Spread the word about an organization that’s working to help people hurt by violent conflict.
· Hold an event on September 21 to mark the International Day of Peace and raise awareness about peace issues that matter to you.
Or, get more ideas at www.peacedaychallenge.org
Share Your Challenge
Choose options that work for you:
· Record a 15-second video of you issuing your challenge, then upload it to Twitter or Facebook.
· Tweet or Facebook your challenge to your followers. You could say something like: “I’m doing ____________ for the #PeaceDayChallenge. Will you join me?” Or “I challenge ____________ to join me [in doing ___________] on Sept. 21 for the #PeaceDayChallenge.”
· In your post, be sure to tag specific people or groups you’re challenging so they know about it.
· Be sure to send your social media post to USIP so that we can amplify it through our networks.
Do it!
On or before the International Day of Peace, September 21, be sure to take your own challenge or one issued by someone else! Then share a photo of it on social media!
August 8, 2016
Issue Areas:
Countering Violent Extremism
Education
Religion
Youth
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