Peace Day Ceasefire – Personal Ceasefire(s)

Resolution UN/A/RES/55/282 states that International Day of Peace is a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, “an invitation to all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the day”. In other words, Peace Day provides an opportunity to cease conflict on a personal, as well as on a global, level.

But do personal ceasefires really have an impact on global peace? There is evidence that our collective consciousness does affect the world around us. There are projects that run random event generators distributed around the world. They show that, as humans become more coherent, it appears that matter does too. What we do as a group of individuals affects the whole.

Of course, one day of ceasefire is only the beginning. The goal is to create lasting peace on all levels – personal, local and global. By showing that 24 hours of non-violence is within our reach, we set an important example. Peace is possible.

What is a personal ceasefire?

• It can mean re-evaluating conflicts in our personal lives. Do we have relationships where confrontation or lack of communication is dominant? What can we do to improve these relationships?
  
  
• What can we do to make sure all members of the family feel seen and heard? Why not declare a 24 hour ceasefire between siblings, where every quarrel has to be solved in a creative and peaceful way? Parents show by example!
  
  
• In school, are there people that are left out or harassed? What can we do to stop this? Declare September 21 a day of ceasefire at your school.
• At work, is conflict and competition affecting how people perform their duties and how they feel about themselves? Initiate a team-building activity focusing on communication and conflict resolution.
  
  
• In your community, are there groups of people that don’t get along? How can we as an interest group reach out to others and start a conversation?
  
  
• Imagine the impact a day of ceasefire could have in gang-related violence.