FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 09/14/2021 Contact: Stefanie Bowers, Equity Director Phone: 319-356-5022
City commemorates International Day of Peace on Sept. 21
Veterans for Peace, Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Office of Equity & Human Rights, Peace Iowa, and Johnson County United Nations Association will mark International Day of Peace with a program at 4:30 p.m., Sept. 21, 2021 at Blackhawk Mini Park, located near the intersection of Dubuque and Washington streets. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the General Assembly Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace, the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is “Recovering Better for a Sustainable & Equitable World." Along with remarks from other guests, the event will feature music from University of Iowa Associate Professor of Music Education Mary Cohen and students. Cohen will also speak on the role of arts in peace-building.
The event will also include the dedication of a new stainless steel peace pole, which will now be a feature of Blackhawk Mini Park. The peace pole was donated to the City of Iowa City by Veterans For Peace #161 and features the "word" peace in several languages on each of its four sides.
The rain location will be Room A at the Iowa City Public Library.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the UN General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982. In 2001, the General Assembly unanimously adopted resolution 55/282, which established Sept. 21 as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire.
This anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reaffirm the United Nations' commitment to the purposes and principles upon which the organization was founded. The Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace recognizes that the promotion of peace is vital for the full enjoyment of all human rights.
Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague proclaimed Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 as International Day of Peace in Iowa City. The full proclamation can be read here.
