On 30th Anniversary of International Peace Day, Ban Ki-Moon Unveils Secret Plan to End War
Today, September 21, is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace.
The annually observed date is supposed to be “a day of cease-fire and non-violence, when organizations all over the world are united in humanitarian actions within several countries,” according to the U.N.
As much as diplomats in New York might like the international community to take a break from fighting, it’s hard to image the guns falling silent in Syria’s civil war, or the war in Afghanistan, where 68,000 American forces remain in the combat zone, or in Sudan, where the north and the south continue to fall short of achieving an uneasy truce.
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In 2012, it is fruitless to deny, the U.N.’s International Day of Peace marks three decades of nonstop war since the holiday’s inauguration. Some of these armed conflicts have been raging in some form or another for decades, even centuries. Whether consulting headlines or history books, there is little sense that global levels of organized and mobilized lethal animosity will be lower tomorrow.
It is also fruitless to deny that the spirit of peace and striving for reconciliation is alive and actively pursued every day by dedicated individuals and organizations around the world.
For a list of events around the United States and the rest of the world commemorating the International Day of Peace, click here. Peace Day events range from an observance at the Tehran peace museum in Iran to Racine Community Acupuncture offering “free peace through acupuncture” at its clinic south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What can be done:
“We cannot afford to waste the talents of a generation.”
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is proposing something concrete on the 30th anniversary of International Peace Day. The Secretary-General believes it’s time to think of education as a tool for eradicating war,
“When I was growing up, my country had been devastated by war,” Ki-moon, who is South Korean, said in a video address. “Education was the key to helping us realize our potential.”
The 68-year-old diplomat has frequently cited the Korean War (1950-53) as a reason for his entry into public service with the U.N. He’s now pushing an education initiative as a long-term remedy for conflict.
“Education helps to reestablish normality for traumatized children,” he said in the video, released this week. “Education opens doors to the job market. It improves maternal health and environmental stewardship. It promotes the tolerance and mutual understanding.”
Ki-Moon’s Education First Initiative aims to put every child in school, improving the quality of learning and promoting global citizenship.
“I call on people everywhere to join this initiative and work with the United Nations to make it a success,” he said. “We cannot afford to waste the talents of a generation.”
The Moon initiative will only face greater demands.
The world population is predicted to hit 8 billion close to 2025.
The more people who arrive on the planet, the more urgent that we all embrace the U.N.’s lofty theme of this year’s Peace Day: “Sustainable peace for a sustainable future.”
Is education the key to global peace, or simply a course in harm reduction? And is that a good thing nonetheless? Evaluate the U.N. process in COMMENTS.
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Sean J. Miller is a Los Angeles-based writer. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Back Stage, The Christian Science Monitor and The Hill.
