Dear friends of the UN International Day of Peace,
The International Day of Peace message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is now available in print (below) and on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSng46U_XPw&feature=youtu.be. Please note his call for a worldwide Minute of Silence at noon!
Our thanks to Nathalie Leroy of the UN Dept. of Public Information and Monica Willard of the United Religions Initiative for getting a beautiful banner on the fence in front of the United Nations (see attached, with Michael Johnson of Pathways To Peace and Jean Trudel of Cercle de Paix).
The banner went up in time for the inspiring High Level Forum on The Culture of Peace at the UN last Friday (video at <http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/high-level-forum-on-the-culture-of-peace-panel-2-general-assembly/1841366623001> and related segments), and will remain in front of UN headquarters throughout the International Day of Peace events and on through the General Debate of the General Assembly, as Heads of State from around the world pass through the gates.
That’s all for now – back to work! Infinite gratitude to our partners at the UN Dept. of Public Information, to the members of all of our Peace Teams, to the many NGOs that have embraced the IDP, and to all of you who will make history on the 2012 International Day of Peace.
Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future is in our reach.
May Peace Prevail on Earth!
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL’S MESSAGE
On the International Day of Peace, the United Nations calls for a complete cessation of hostilities around the world.
We also ask people everywhere to observe a minute of silence, at noon local time, to honour the victims – those who have lost their lives, and those who survived but must now cope with trauma and pain.
The theme of this year’s observance is “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future”.
Armed conflicts attack the very pillars of sustainable development.
Natural resources must be used for the benefit of society, not to finance wars.
Children should be in school, not recruited into armies.
National budgets should focus on building human capacity, not deadly weapons.
On the International Day of Peace, I call on combatants around the world to find peaceful solutions to their conflicts.
Let us all work together for a safe, just and prosperous future for all.
