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PEACE DAY IN NANAIMO

2024 International Day of Peace Day Observance
September 21, 2024 1-4 p.m.
Maffeo Sutton Park 

September 21

PEACE POLE PLANTING

International Day of Peace was declared by the United Nations in 1981 and determined as September 21 of each year.  Since 2015, Unity of Nanaimo (Now Unity Vancouver Island) has sponsored family-oriented Celebrations of Peace.   Due to Covid-19, we were unable to do so in 2020 but we look forward to resuming our celebrations soon.  Instead we filmed a special peace day concert which we hope you will enjoy on YouTube.

In the meantime, here are some photos from previous Peace Day celebrations

International Day of Peace local logo

Multifaith service Let Peace Begin with Me

Meg Fraser leading the Peace Walk

Audience Participation

Sample Proclamation for The International Day of Peace, September 21

Whereas, the issue of peace embraces the deepest hopes of all peoples and remains humanity's guiding inspiration; and Whereas, in 1981 the United Nations proclaimed the International Day of Peace be "devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples"; and Whereas, the United Nations expanded the observance of the International Day of Peace in 2001 to include the call for a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, and invited all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day; and Whereas, there is growing support within our city for the observance of the International Day of Peace, which affirms a vision of our world at peace, and fosters cooperation between individuals, organizations and nations; and Whereas, global crises impel all citizens to work toward converting humanity's noblest aspirations for world peace into the practical reality of a culture of peace for future generations, Now, Therefore, I __________, Mayor of the City of _______, do hereby proclaim September 21 as The International Day of PeaceThroughout the City of ___________________ and urge all government departments and agencies, organizations, schools, places of worship and individuals in our city to commemorate, in an appropriate manner, the International Day of Peace. This may include community service projects, cultural exhibits and performances, a moment of silence, ringing of bells, sharing the universal message ‘May Peace Prevail On Earth' at noon, vigils, religious services in our places of worship, and other education and public awareness activities in order to help establish a global day of peace in our hom

Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace

A Peace Pole is an internationally-recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. Each Peace Pole bears the message May Peace Prevail on Earth in different languages on each of its four or six sides. There are estimated over 250,000 Peace Poles in every country in the world dedicated as monuments to peace.  The Peace Pole Project is a project of May Peace Prevail on Earth International

Rev. Patricia plants pole

On September 21, 2020, we planted our 4th Peace pole proclaiming "May Peace Prevail on Earth in 4 languages. To date our languages include English, French, German, Arabic, Filipino, Swahili, Esperanto, Greek, Hebrew

Lawrence Mitchell (Tsumqwaten) Opening Blessing and Song

Everyone helps

Approved by General Assembly resolution 39/11 of 12 November 1984 The General Assembly,
Reaffirming that the principal aim of the United Nations is the maintenance of international peace and security,
Bearing in mind the fundamental principles of international law set forth in the Charter of the United Nations,
Expressing the will and the aspirations of all peoples to eradicate war from the life of mankind and, above all, to avert a world-wide nuclear catastrophe,
Convinced that life without war serves as the primary international prerequisite for the material well-being, development and progress of countries, and for the full implementation of the rights and fundamental human freedoms proclaimed by the United Nations,
Aware that in the nuclear age the establishment of a lasting peace on Earth represents the primary condition for the preservation of human civilization and the survival of mankind,
Recognizing that the maintenance of a peaceful life for peoples is the sacred duty of each State,

1. Solemnly proclaims that the peoples of our planet have a sacred right to peace;
2. Solemnly declares that the preservation of the right of peoples to peace and the promotion of its implementation constitute a fundamental obligation of each State;
3. Emphasizes that ensuring the exercise of the right of peoples to peace demands that the policies of States be directed towards the elimination of the threat of war, particularly nuclear war, the renunciation of the use of force in international relations and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means on the basis of the Charter of the United Nations;
4. Appeals to all States and international organizations to do their utmost to assist in implementing the right of peoples to peace through the adoption of appropriate measures at both the national and the international

Unity’s Statement for Peace on earth

Unity stands for peace in the presence of conflict; for love in the presence of hatred; for forgiveness in the presence of injury.
Unity honours the many names for God, the many paths to God, the many ways to worship God; for there is one power and presence of God, and that God loves each one of us equally.

Unity Stands for Peace in Our Lifetime

It is therefore the position of Unity to urge all nations, their leaders, and their people to turn to God by whatever the name for guidance during these challenging times and to pursue peace, not war, for this is what honours the God of all our faith traditions.