International Day of Peace

Sept 21

Every year, Peace Day is officially begun at

the UN’s Headquarters in New York when

the Secretary General rings the Peace

Bell.

This bell was given to the United Nations

by Japan in 1954 as a reminder of the

human cost of war. It was made using

coins from all over the world which were

collected by children from the people who

attended a UN Conference in Paris in

1951.

The coins were melted down and the metal

was used to cast the bell which is inscribed

in Japanese with the words, “Long live

absolute world peace”.

All over the world, people will be holding special

meetings, religious ceremonies, demonstrations and

campaigns, all trying in their own ways to bring about

World Peace.

But what would you do for peace?

Click on the picture to watch

the video

Peace can be difficult to achieve. Even in

the film, people were talking about “fighting

for peace”, which seems like a

contradiction. Does violence ever bring

about true peace, or does it just create

more violence? How else is peace to be

achieved?

There are no easy answers but it does

seem that we humans are naturally

aggressive. Some people just like to fight.

They would prefer to take revenge on other

people rather than forgive them. They like

to gather together in little groups to battle

with other little groups – families, football

teams, countries, religions – any excuse to

say, “We are better than you and so we are

right to fight you.”

It’s easier to fight other people than it is to

try and understand them. But the fighting

can come at a terrible cost.

We’ve seen a lot of violence on the news recently,

especially in Syria and Iraq. As always, the UN is

trying to find ways to help, but it’s a difficult task..

Whilst world peace might be difficult to achieve it may be easier to create a more peaceful Princes Risborough School Community.

“People fail to get along because they fear

each other; they fear each other because

they don’t know each other; they don’t

know each other because they have not

communicated with each other.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good communication skills allow for

more effective exchange of facts and

feelings. Communication skills include:

Active listening

Ability to use non-defensive language and

behaviour

Ability to articulate your view of the

situation

Ability to question assumptions

Peaceable means • inclined to avoid violent conflict

• promoting calm

What might a

“peaceable”

classroom look like?

Reflect on the following quote

Peace is the only battle worth waging. Albert Camus

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela

Peace may sound simple – one beautiful word – but it requires everything we have, every quality, every strength, every dream, every high ideal. Yehudi Menuhin

It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it. Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy Monday

May Peace Prevail

on Earth