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  International Day of Peace 2012    
The International Day of Peace (Peace Day) on 21 September was established by the United Nations in 1981. 

"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. [...] This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace commitment, above all interest or differences of any kind, is to peace." (United Nations Resolution, 1981).

Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day.


Marie Dibangue (second from the right) holds a banner at the CVR "Match for Peace and Security" in Cité Soleil (Port-au-Prince). (Photo: Caroline Knepper, UNV 2012).
Working for Peace and Security within Haitian communities
09 October 2012
Port-au-Prince, Haiti: One of the most exciting things about being a UN Volunteer is having the chance to work across diverse activities which aim to help the Haitian people in a variety of ways. Being the focal point for ten separate Community Violence Reduction events to mark International Day of Peace on 21 September gave me exactly such an opportunity. Read
As a result of her reintegration training through a project supported by the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission and UNDP, Mary Alueth Madu (right), formerly associated with armed forces, now operates a successful restaurant in Mapel, South Sudan. (Photo: Prince Isaiah/UNV, 2012)
Peace yields successful restaurants in South Sudan
24 September 2012
Mapel, South Sudan: After reintegration counselling and training women who are former ex-combatants or were associated with armed groups now operate successful restaurants in South Sudan. Read
Following reintegration counseling and training supported by the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration program and UNDP, Aisha Yahiya, an ex-combatant, now runs a successful business in Wau, South Sudan. (Photo: Prince Isaiah/UNV, 2012)
UN Volunteer in South Sudan tallies DDR success stories
24 September 2012
Wau, South Sudan: For a UN Volunteer accumulating data on people's integration for UNDP's Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration program in South Sudan, success stories are the best part of the job. Read
Countries:  South Sudan
Other languages: en español  
UN Volunteer Lubna Lasu, a Civil Affairs Expert, speaks about "Volunteerism for Peace and Development"  in Grand Bassa County, Liberia,  during a 21-day outreach activity leading up to the International Day of Peace on 21 September. Photo: Percy McKay/UNV, 2012
Galvanizing youth for peace
24 September 2012
Though great strides have been made since the end of the Liberian civil conflict in 2003 there is still a lot of work to be done to assure sustained peace and development. It is against this backdrop that Messengers of Peace – Liberia (MOP) conceptualized and executed the outreach programme: 21 Days of Activism: Volunteerism for Peace and Development to which the UN Volunteers Programme Liberia has been giving critical support to the outreach activity. Read
Workshop Peace and Intercultural Understanding in Youth Work, February-March 2010, in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona (Spain). (Photo, Fundació Catalunya Voluntària).
Mainstreaming peace education and intercultural dialogue in youth work
21 September 2012
Bonn, Germany: 70 online volunteers have contributed extensively, over the course of several months, to the Peace Bag for EuroMed Youth toolkit, drafting, reviewing and translating the 191 page publication into 12 languages, as well as creating the layout and a web version. The team was awarded the Online Volunteering Award 2011 for this exceptional engagement. Read
This page can found at: http://www.unv.org/current-highlight/international-day-of-peace-2012.html