At the debate to commemorate the International Day of Peace held at the UNIC Library

To highlight the International Day of Peace, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Prague and the Charles University Prague jointly organized a thematic debate on Darfur. The panelists included scholars and a UN peacekeeper. The issues ranged from the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) to the UN hybrid operation in Darfur. The event was attended by about 50 students, scholars, government and NGO representatives.

Other International Day of Peace activities included support of a peace conference in the city of Pilsen and a press release highlighting the WMD campaign.

Participants of the event to commemorate the International Day of Peace

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura organized together with the Ministry of Human Rights and Gender, the National Commission for Civilian Disarmament and Prevention of Weapons Proliferation and the UN Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) ceremonies to mark the International Day of Peace, under the theme, “We must disarm”.

The commemoration of the above Day took place in Bubanza province, Western part of Burundi, and included a march of peace in which participated the local civil society Associations members, students and teachers from secondary and primary schools, local governmental services representatives, national and international NGOs, as well as the general public. The ceremony included a sketch by a local famous Group named “NInde” on the dangers of detaining small arms without legal authorization, and the demonstration of destruction of small arms and light weapons. 

The speeches of the day were made by the Executive Representative of the Secretary General in Burundi on behalf of the UN System in Burundi, the Minister of Human Rights and Gender representing the Head of State, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Governor of Bubanza province. The event was attended by representatives of the Government, civil society, national and international NGOs and the Diplomatic corps. Local folkloric dance troupes also performed at the event.

At the Bubanza stadium, the UNIC staff members assured the distribution of the Secretary General’s message translated into Kirundi. The event was highly covered by the local media.

Students watching a 54-minute film featuring UN Headquarters

As part of the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Bujumbura organized two briefing sessions at two different high schools, in Bubanza province, west of the country, for around 1,650 students, on 24 September 2009. The UNIC National Information Officer started with a briefing on the United Nations Organization since its creation in 1945, its work and objectives, its achievements specifically in the field of International peace and security.

To support the presentation, three documentaries were screened, entitled respectively, “Au nom de la paix” (In the name of peace), a 13-minute documentary which shows how the UN started with the Peacekeeping operations, “Women in the Peacekeeping”, and “A workshop for Peace”, a 54-minute film which tells the story of how the UN Headquarters was built. After watching the films, the students expressed their viewpoints and appreciation for the work done by the UN to bring and maintain peace in the world, commending the role that played the Organization to bring peace in Burundi. Some students however expressed their wishes that the UN should be able to prevent conflicts so that there would be no more wars in the world.

Coming to the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace, which is, “We must disarm”, the National Information Officer briefed the students on the history of the establishment of the above Day, and the UN efforts to halt the spreading of nuclear weapons and illicit small arms. The students were then invited to write on a sheet of paper, personal reasons why we should disarm. The answers were then posted on the wall of the room, and the school community members could visit and read what the young people think about the disarmament.

The UNIC staff distributed some UN documents including the Kirundi language version of the 60 ways the United Nations make a difference booklets and copies of the UN System in Burundi monthly bulletin entitled BINUB Info, to the students at the two secondary schools, respectively the Technical school of Bubanza and the Lycée of Bubanza.

The students appreciated very much the UNIC staff visit to their schools and invited the team to come back for other UN priority issues.

Participants of a peace march in the city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Over 700 school children and their teachers took part in a peace march in the city of Anuradhapura, and later attended a seminar organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Colombo with the support of Provincial Department of Education and the United Nations Association (UNA) in Sri Lanka to mark the International Day of Peace on 22 September 2009.

Students dressed in white uniforms commenced their march from the Nivaththaka Chethiya High School in Anuradhapura in rural Sri Lanka. Upon trekking for four kilometers through busy city streets, they returned to the starting point. The participants held three big banners with the humanity’s eternal wish “Let there be peace forever in the world” written in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

The seminar was held in the auditorium of the school with the participation of all those who took part in the peace march. Provincial Director of Education, North Central Province, UNIC National Information Officer and a representative of the UNA in Sri Lanka addressed the audience on different issues and aspects related to peace and the United Nation’s contribution towards maintaining peace in the present day world. Several cultural items presented by students of Nivaththaka Chethiya added color to the seminar.