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.

The second Brazilian training course for journalists covering peacekeeping missions and conflict areas took place on 11 to 15 May 2009 in Rio de Janeiro. This initiative was made possible by an ongoing partnership between the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Army's Sergio Viera de Mello Training Centre for Peacekeeping Operations (CI Op Paz), which was created in 2007 to train all Brazilian military personnel in peacekeeping missions in Haiti and elsewhere.

The intensive five-day course was attended by 19 journalists from a variety of Brazilian news organizations, such as the newspapers Folha de S. Paulo and Estado de S. Paulo, the weekly magazine Veja and the TV network Globo.

The agenda for the course included lectures on many subjects such as the United Nations System, human rights and humanitarian international law, Brazilian foreign policy and defense policy, the MINUSTAH mission in Haiti, the role of communication in peacekeeping operations and the evolution of UN peacekeeping strategy.

The course also provided two days of practical activities in the field, including security training in conflict situations, first aid training, identification of mines, use of GPS and hostage negotiation. Participants stayed on the premises of the CI Op Paz, where they worked as embedded journalists with a Brazilian Army unit serving in a fictional UN peacekeeping mission in a fictional country, Tudistan. While there the journalists were exposed to meticulously reconstructed risk situations such as mortar shelling and a car bomb suicide attack and were taught how to respond to these types of situations.

The Director of UNIC Rio de Janeiro gave a lecture on the UN structure and procedures, paying special attention to the area of peacekeeping and the work of the Security Council. Both the Director and the National Information Officer of UNIC Rio provided assistance to participants for the duration of the course.

In a ceremony on 15 January 2009, the Training Centre for Peacekeeping Operations of the Brazilian Army (CI Op Paz) in Rio de Janeiro, was named after Sérgio Vieira de Mello. 

The ceremony honoured the Brazilian diplomat who worked for the United Nations (UN) for more than 34 years, earning respect and praise around the world for his efforts in UN humanitarian and political programs.  The touching ceremony was witnessed by Sergio’s mother, relatives, military and civil authorities, and approximately 100 additional guests.

In addition, Colonel Pedro Aurélio de Pessoa was inaugurated as the Centre’s new commander.  Before returning to a Brazilian military career, the Commander was a military attaché at the Brazilian mission for two years and he worked for three years with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and five years at UN Headquarters in New York.

The Training Centre for Peacekeeping Operations was created in 2007 to train all Brazilian military personnel to be deployed in peacekeeping missions in Haiti and elsewhere.

 

On 4 December 2008 the United Nations Information Centre in Nairobi together with students from schools in Nairobi province presented over 2,000 letters and cards bearing Christmas messages to the Minister of Defense and the Chief of General Staff, Kenya Armed Forces. The messages will be delivered to Kenyan troops in UN peacekeeping missions.

Approximately 300 students participated in the even. Guests included a representative of the Ministry of Education, a representative of the UN Office in Nairobi, former peacekeepers and the Armed Forces band.

Students read some of the letters and cards before presenting the well wrapped boxes containing the letters and cards to the Minister of Defense.