The Peace Bell was donated by the United Nations Association of Japan in 1954. It has become tradition to ring the bell twice a year: on the first day of spring, at the Vernal Equinox, and on 21 September to celebrate the International Day for Peace.PHOTO:UN Photo/Manuel Elías 2023 Theme: Actions for peace: Our ambition for the #GlobalGoalsEach year, the International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. Never has our world needed peace more. This year’s theme is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. It is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace. Fostering peace contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will create a culture of peace for all. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Peace is needed today more than ever. War and conflict are unleashing devastation, poverty, and hunger, and driving tens of millions of people from their homes. Climate chaos is all around. And even peaceful countries are gripped by gaping inequalities and political polarization.” 2023 marks the mid-point in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2023 observance of the International Day of Peace coincides with the SDG summit (18 – 19 September) to mark the mid-point milestone. The SDGs aim to bring us closer to having more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies, free from fear and violence. But without the buy-in and contribution of a wide range of actors including the 1.2 billion young people alive, the goals will not be achieved. We invite you to join the United Nations’ call to take action for peace: fight inequality, drive action on climate change, and promote and protect human rights. 2023 is also the 75th anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. IDP 2023 encourages all youth to be ambitious in their engagement as positive and constructive social agents, to join the movement to reach the SDGs and contribute to building sustainable peace. Together we can help to lead our world towards a greener, more equitable, just, and secure future for all. The Rotary Club of Berwick has installed one Peace Pole at the Edrington Campus of Hailebury College. Each Peace Pole is constructed of 100mm laminated aluminium square hollow section (ie 100mm square pipe with a white finish) Every pole has the same inscription, "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in English on one side and the same message translated into the three most significant languages for the school on the remaining three sides. The Peace Pole in Schools project was a Rotary Centenary Project (R100 Centenary Initiative). The initial aim was for 100 Peace Poles in 100 Schools. The current count is over 300. 
The Rotary Peace Bell in Canberra. The Peace Poles in schools.Our young make up 20% of our population. They also make up 100% of our future. Let us give them Peace as our centenary gift from Rotary. The Peace Pole program had its beginnings in 1955. You can now find Peace Poles in close to 200 countries and more than 200,000 have been placed around the World. Our aim is to distribute 100 Peace Poles for 100 years of Rotary-sponsored by 100 Rotary Clubs, with each pole will be numbered 1 to 100. Peace Poles are planted with the Universal Peace Message “May Peace Prevail on Earth”. They symbolise our common wish for a World at Peace. They stand as a silent vigil for peace, reminding us to think and act in the spirit of Peace. The Peace message is written in four languages one panel on each side of the Peace Pole. I am proud that "MY" Club has stepped up and supported this project to bring the message of Peace to our area and to the world. Projects such as this shine the light on Rotary's significant investment in world peace through the Rotary Peace Centers program which develops the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace. Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,500 fellows who now work in over 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, education and research institutions, peacekeeping and law enforcement agencies, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank. |
Hi David,
