By Mina Frannea

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Peace also known as World Peace Day (“Peace Day”). Peace Day was established in 1981 by a United Nations resolution and the first World Peace Day was observed in September 1982. In 2002, the General Assembly by unanimous vote adopted a resolution which established September 21st as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire.

Peace Day is a reminder to focus on peace and has grown into a global movement. Each year millions of people around the world participate by organizing events to commemorate Peace Day or by making personal changes to invite more peace into their lives. To see what types of events have been organized in your community, visit the International Day of Peace website.

There are three guiding principles of World Peace Day: peace within – observing a minute of silence at noon on Wednesday, September 21st  in all time zones; peace without – performing an act of service that benefits others; and peace year round – a commitment to working with others to build a worldwide culture of peace.

Celebrating World Peace Day can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation. Evaluate your personal relationships and see where you might have opportunities to improve them. Reach out to someone in need. You can also choose to make a larger impact by spreading the word about World Peace Day through social media (your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).  There is so much that you can do to make a difference!

For more information about International Peace Day, you can visit the website, the Facebook page and view the following inspirational video:

Mina Frannea is a Mom to eight-year-old twins and enjoys writing about life in general, family friendly activities around town, favorite recipes and crafts that keep her children busy and happy. For more posts by Mina, visit her blog at www.themomsjournal.com.