The International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.
In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.
By creating the International Day of Peace, the UN devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all of mankind to work in cooperation for this goal. During the discussion of the U.N. Resolution that established the International Day of Peace, it was suggested that:
"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace."
Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day. Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.
Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation. Or it can involve getting your co-workers, organization, community or government engaged in a large event. The impact if millions of people in all parts of the world, coming together for one day of peace, is immense.
International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time. Imagine what a whole Day of Ceasefire would mean to humankind.
In the Philippines, Sailing for Peace will spearhead the launch of Peace Vigil on Sept 21, 2011. Series of peace workshop activities are lined-up to prepare the Ambassadors of Peace for the Environment, the first-ever title to be given to a Peace Ambassador.
Sailing for Peace started the peace advocacy through workshops, activities and exhibits since 2003 for the poor children of Caritas Manila. Several parish/churches join the fun of exploration and building of confidence to the poor kids together with the rich kids. The workshop formula gave way to simple peace-making as discrimination vanish through fun play and creative works. This simple workshop activity became the remarkable case study of Sailing for Peace to come up with Syllabus and Training Program for the Adults as "gateway" on peace making. Since then on Peace Workshops with various topics on Integrity, Leadership, Wellness, Environment, etc were given to "emotionally process the adults" purifying their mind and heart and be ready for unconditional love and peace building. The basic formula is Peace within after emotional healing so it can transcend to Peace outside for sharing to the family, community, workplace and country.
In 2007, Sailing for Peace was cited by Children International for their Peace Programs and qualifies them to join the UN World Peace Day Celebration every September 21. In 2009, Sailing for Peace launch the "Wellness for Peace" formula to inspire the adults not only in the Philippines but in Asia and parts of Europe through the TV show aired at Global News Network w/ veteran broadcaster, Ike Seneres. Sailing for Peace also toured offices both in the government and private sector to inspire the young and adults to work for wellness as a lifestyle discipline in order to achieve peace. It carries the four walls of wellness: mind, body, spirit, environment and economics as tools for peace and nation-building.
Sailing for Peace owe a lot to the children as the basic teacher of all these, that is why, the search for Batang bayani was given in 2008, a global project of Welch's International. Two thousand three hundred kids nationwide submitted their entries to qualify them as "Batang Bayani" (Child Hero). From these, 3 kids were honored as "Batang Bayani" and received Certificates and laptop.
And in 2009 and 2010, chosen kids from public and private schools appeared on television as they were recognized as the first batch of "Sailors of Peace", the Kids as Ambassadors of Peace for the Environment for the United Nations International Day of Peace. Two of the awardees were blind kids who inspire and made the audience, almost ten thousand of them, cry as they sing the "Prayer Song".
Indeed, since 2003, it is a well explored possibilities on the peace advocacy of Sailing for Peace and this year 2011 marks another challenging venture into the sea of possibilities as it bravely take the task of launching the first-ever PEACE VIGIL in the Philippines for United Nations International Peace Day on September 21, 2011.
Incidentally, Sept 21 is the historical "Marshall Law" date in the Philippines that ignites the nationalistic spirit of Pinoys for two decades ending into People Power popularly called Edsa Revolution. During those days, our beloved President Noynoy Aquino's mother, the late former president Cory Aquino, finally open the door of freedom in the Philippines peacefully. It was that most fateful day that prayers were more powerful than guns and people both rich and poor were united. Peace was everywhere. Hope was very high and Filipino's dignity was restored.
Today, as you read this piece of information, in God's will and direction, Sailing for Peace hopes to achieve the promotion of peace in everyone's heart through unconditional love, unwavering faith, and hope beyond the eyes can see.
A big step and a simple wish, amidst the current of the tides, rough waves and still water, Sailing for Peace invites you and all those you knew to hop in the boat and together trust me, let's sail for peace.....
