UN Peace Day, 21st September 2024

Peace Day 2024

As we observe the world, its people and the challenges we all face in our time, a call goes out to all who have within them the seeds of Peace – to all who have an understanding of the One World shared by the One Humanity – knowing that we all have common needs and common goals within a rich diversity of expression – that there is room and sustenance sufficient for us all on this planet – that there is nothing to fight for or against when we know one another within the one body of Humanity. ”
~ Merle Stubbs, Seeds of Peace

2024 Theme: Cultivating a Culture of Peace.

Each year, the Secretary General rings the Peace Bell at UN Headquarters and calls on the people of the world to observe a minute of silence at 12 noon local time, setting up a wave of silence beginning in New Zealand and flowing around the world to end in Samoa almost 48 hours later.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

In that declaration, the United Nations’ most inclusive body recognized that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.”

In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.

In follow-up resolutions, the General Assembly recognized further the importance of choosing negotiations over confrontation and of working together and not against each other.

The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) starts with the notion that “wars begin in the minds of men so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. It is this notion that framed the theme and logo of this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace. The ideas of peace, the culture of peace, need to be cultivated in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations.

The International Day of Peace has always been a time to lay down weapons and observe ceasefires. But it now must also be a time for people to see each other’s humanity. Our survival as a global community depends on that.

Visit the UN web page for more formation.

What we can do

On Thursday, September 21st, we invite you to take peace into the world.  Forgive someone in your life, bring peace into your workplace, or organize a peace project.  

To support this Day on a spiritual level, this year there will be a wide variety of initiatives for silence, meditation and prayer – including the Global Silent Minute daily at 9pm GMT.   You can check the time in your local area using the Time Zone converter at this link:- https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

International Day of Peace Peace Wave
You are invited to participate in a 24 hour Peace Wave on the International Day of Peace, observing a Global Silent Minute at 12 noon in every time-zone around the world.  Please take a minute of silence as action in sacred unity at 12 noon to participate in the peace-wave around the globe.

~ ~ ~ Inspirations ~ ~ ~

The Spirit of Peace

The Spirit of Peace will, when the right time comes, vitalise the responsiveness of humanity, via the influence of the Hierarchy, to the will of God which has for basic intent the bringing of peace on earth. What is peace? It is essentially the establishing of right human relations, of synthetic rapport with its resultant cooperation, of correct interplay between the three planetary centres and an illumined, loving understanding of the will of God as it affects humanity and works out divine intent.”
The Externalisation of the Hierarchy page 161-2

The Reappearance

When the Christ, the Avatar of Love, makes His reappearance then will the ‘Sons of men who are now the Sons of God withdraw Their faces from the shining light and radiate that light upon the sons of men who know not yet they are the Sons of God. Then shall the Coming One appear, His footsteps hastened through the valley of the shadow by the One of awful power Who stands upon the mountain top, breathing out love eternal, light supernal and peaceful, silent Will.
‘Then will the sons of men respond. Then will a newer light shine forth into the dismal, weary vale of earth. Then will new life course through the veins of men, and then will their vision compass all the ways of what may be.
‘So peace will come again on earth, but a peace unlike aught known before. Then will the will-to-good flower forth as understanding, and understanding blossom as goodwill in men.”
The Reappearance of the Christ page 14

Humanity on the verge of great things

We stand today on the verge of great things.  Humanity is on its way with renewed impetus.  It stands no longer at the crossroads, but irrevocable decisions have been made, and the race is moving forward along a path which will lead it eventually into light and peace.  It will find its way into “the peace which passeth understanding” because it will be a peace which is independent of outer conditions and which is not based upon what present humanity defines as peace.  The peace which lies ahead of the race is the peace of serenity and of joy—a serenity, based upon spiritual understanding; and a serenity is not an astral condition but a soul reaction.  These qualities are not achieved as the result of disciplining the emotional nature, but demonstrate as a natural, automatic realignment.  These two qualities of the soul—serenity and joy—are the indications that the soul, the ego, the One Who stands alone, is controlling or dominating the personality, circumstance, and all environing conditions of life in the three worlds.”
Esoteric Psychology Volume II, page 200

Seeds of peace

“Peace in our time As we observe the world, its people and the challenges we all face in our time, a call goes out to all who have within them the seeds of Peace – to all who have an understanding of the One World shared by the One Humanity – knowing that we all have common needs and common …” – read more commentary by Merle Stubbs