Five Things To Know About ‘Peace Day’

International Day of Peace—otherwise known as "Peace Day"—is Wednesday. According to internationaldayofpeace.org, Peace Day “provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.”

The Fort Lee Peace Vigil will mark the occasion Wednesday by marching for peace from the corner of Lemoine Ave. and Bruce Reynolds Blvd., making a right on Main St. and continuing all the way to Broad St. in Leonia for a celebration that includes music, poetry, spoken word and prayer, according to one of the Fort Lee group’s co-founders.

Below are five facts about “Peace Day” in honor of the occasion:

Number one

Established in 1981 by the UN to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly, the first Peace Day took place in September 1982. Twenty years later, the General Assembly officially declared September 21 the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.

Number two

"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples,” said supporters during discussion of the UN Resolution that established the day, according to International Day or Peace organizers. “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."

Number three

Peace Day has burgeoned over the ensuing years and today includes millions of people worldwide. Each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate it, such as those taking place in Fort Lee/Leonia. Events may range from private gatherings to large-scale, public events like concerts and forums, drawing hundreds of thousands of people.

Number four

“Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day,” according to organizers. “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.”

Number five

International Day of Peace is also a day of ceasefire – whether of a personal or political nature, organizers say, urging people to make peace in their own relationships in addition to impacting “the larger conflicts of our time.”