UN calls for ceasefire on September 21 - International Peace Day

[Guest guest]

The United Nations has called for a global ceasefire on

International Peace Day, which takes place on September 21.

The aim of the day is to promote non-violence, not just in war zones

but on the street and in people's homes.

 

Vigils will be held around the world, and a million voice choir will

sing in support of peace.

 

There were 19 major armed conflicts underway in 2003, according to

the International Peace Research Institute in Stockholm.

 

It is estimated that armed conflict claims two lives every minute.

 

 

Comments:

 

I have lived through the Yugoslav wars. I was fortunate enough to

watch most of it on TV but all the suffering still left a mark on

me. I will never hold a gun in my hand and will never act violently

towards another human being. That is why I shall always oppose any

kind of war. There is no such thing as a just war. Enough was

enough! I think International Peace Day is a good idea... I hope it

makes at least some of the people think about their values, acts and

way of thinking - either at home or in politics.

 

Damjan Franz, Ljubljana, Slovenia

 

 

I have lived in Bombay (Mumbai) since 1967. I have seen much

violence since then, and almost all of this was political.

 

vkvora2001, Sewree, Mumbai, India

 

 

Violence is spiralling out of control. I made a comment to a guy I

saw stealing last week and he has threatened that something is going

to happen to me. Violence over a packet of sandwiches! A person that

feels comfortable threatening a small, unarmed female is not going

to hold off for an International Peace Day. Sad but true. More

desperate measures are needed.

 

Anya, London, UK

 

 

Violence is an issue hard to solve, is inside mankind. I live in a

country where violence is something you learn to live with or just

get used to. There's violence in the street, in the families, in the

country, everywhere. Maybe a peace day would make a little

difference and give us a little rest, but it is not the solution.

Firstly we need to heal hearts, souls and minds, otherwise it is

impossible to talk a terrorist into leaving his weapons or to teach

a parent not to hurt his child.

 

Yesenia, Bogotá, Colombia

 

 

I'm 51. I still remember sirens going off in grade six and being

shuffled down to the school basement where we were told to sit on

the floor for a period of about 10 minutes. It wasn't a fire drill,

it was a nuclear fallout drill. And it was in Toronto, Ontario,

Canada. Every day for as long as I can remember, there has been some

form of violence relayed to me describing an endless variety of

atrocities by human beings through an ever growing number of media

sources. I've become immune to violence. I was able to watch the

carnage in Beslan without a flinch. It was on for several days. The

same images over and over. Isn't that exactly how the powers that be

want us to feel?

 

Bill, Canada

 

 

As a child, I would wake up in the middle of the night and find a

Rhodesian soldier's gun pointing at my head

 

Shiela, Zimbabwe

 

 

I grew up in a war torn country. As a child, I would wake up at

times in the middle of the night and find a Rhodesian soldier's long

barrel of his gun pointing at my head. The long knife that was

attached to the gun would be right by my forehead. On all occasions,

I would just look up at him, turn around and fall asleep. He was

free to blow my brains out if he wanted to. Later, in high school,

we had this song, which was about how we had a dream that all men

had decided to stop fighting and they had thrown their guns and

uniforms on the streets and had promised never to fight again. After

that song, there would always be a moment of silence, tears and an

earnest wish for that dream to come true. Yes, I believe

International Peace day is a very good thing. Just for one day, we

will dream about giving peace a chance, and maybe one day, it will

happen.

 

Sheila, Zimbabwe

 

 

I grew up with a very unpredictable, violent father, waking up in

the morning not knowing if I was going to get smacked, punched or

whatever, or if I would have a nice day with a loving father. A

child can hardly say 'Please don't hit me today, it is International

Peace Day' and expect to be spared. You have to be a rational person

to understand the meaning of peace, and most instigators of domestic

violence are exactly the opposite of that. Nice idea, not very

practical though, sorry.

 

Anon, Wales

 

 

Violence affects everyone whether they realize it or not. It affects

how we feel, how we behave and the decisions we make every day. We

must use caution and we must avoid dangerous situations because

there is indeed danger in the world to avoid. World peace is a

childish ambition because there are too many cultures, history and

violence between the peoples of the world to ever be completely

forgotten. As long as there is hate, there will be violence.

 

Sarah, Coventry, UK

 

More comments at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3660378.stm