A Day for You and Me

All of us have different dreams, different aspirations, and different goals but the future that we want to live, one devoid of any violence and conflict, remains the same. World Peace Day serves as a reminder of this.

International Day of Peace for love, hope, joy, and amity; Image Source: The United Nations

We shall live in peace

We shall live in peace

We shall live in peace, some day

Oh, deep in my heart

I do believe

We shall overcome, some day

This is an excerpt from Pete Seeger’s We Shall Overcome, a protest song from the Civil Movement in America that echoed the sentiments of people worldwide. In India, the song was translated into Hindi by Girija Kumar Mathur as Hum Honge Kaamyab. From the Bangladesh War of independence to the anti-war movement resisting the Vietnam War to Roger Waters from Pink Floyd raising the issue of the Gaza Blockade, these words have become the anthem for hope and fight for collective liberation.

What connects all of us is this hope to live in peace where no child would have to grow up thinking there is no alternative to the violent circumstance they are forced to live in. To make this dream a reality, it is essential for everyone to understand the contours of peace not merely as an abstract and utopian concept but a reality that we can live together. World Peace Day or the International Day of Peace is observed in this spirit, to make everyone realise the importance of a conflict-free world and our role in it.

First observed in 1981 with the passing of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution, the motive behind the day is to strengthen and commemorate the ideals of peace through an international framework.

Initially, it was celebrated on the third Tuesday of September which marked the opening day of the regular sessions of the General Assembly but the date was later fixed on 21 September in 2001.

In all the years of its observance, World Peace Day has taken many different forms. From global ceasefires, parades, call for disarmament, diplomatic efforts towards reconciliation to the formation of youth organisations, each edition came with a unique theme targeting a particular issue related to universal harmony.

For 2021, the theme is Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world, with the motive to stand up again, taller and stronger from the brunt of the Covid pandemic.

This pandemic highlighted the systemic flaws inherent in our systems as millions were pushed into a state of impoverishment.

Overworked and underpaid essential workers, labourers walking with their families in the scorching heat, corona positive patients lying outside hospital rooms in the absence of proper health care services; these images made it clear that violence is not just limited to weapons and war. It also includes the everyday violence the underprivileged and vulnerable groups of society have to face due to unjust systems.

Hence, this year, World Peace day aims to create resilience that fosters resilience with empathy.

Humanity stands at a crucial threshold and requires radical and inclusive notions of peace. Long gone are the days when peace was perceived to be synonymous with diplomacy, the image of old men in suits shaking hands. It is now interpreted as a collective process that is unique to lived experiences. With its myriad dimensions, it has evolved from a single monolith that excludes the voices of the marginalised.

We need a new peace movement that goes beyond man-made lines etched on this earth and relies on brotherhood.

The world becomes better when all of us work together in the same direction right from international organisations to our homes because peace is only meaningful when it is for everybody.