Celebrate the 12 Days of Peace beginning Sept. 21

As the closing months of the year offer individuals a variety of holidays and traditional gatherings, Nonviolent Peaceforce suggests individuals consider an additional celebration this fall, marking what the organization calls “The 12 Days of Peace.”

Beginning Sept. 21 – a day designated each year by the United Nations at International Day of Peace – and continuing through Oct. 2, Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s birth anniversary, The 12 Days of Peace serves as a concentrated time during which individuals raise awareness of the need for peace and the lasting benefits of civilian peacekeeping in conflict zones worldwide.

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NonviolentPeaceforce.org) is an unarmed, professional civilian peacekeeping force that is invited to work in conflict zones worldwide. With international headquarters in Minneapolis, Nonviolent Peaceforce has worked in the conflict areas of Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Guatemala. Among other activities, it works with local groups to foster dialogue between parties in conflict, provide a proactive presence and safe spaces for civilians, and develop local capacity to prevent violence.

While any individual can mark The 12 Days of Peace as they deem appropriate, Nonviolent Peaceforce suggests these 12 activities to foster peace within yourself, your community and in conflict areas worldwide:

Monday, Sept. 21
Celebrate United Nations’ International Day of Peace by working a day for peace – donating all or a portion of your day’s wages to a non-profit, non-governmental organization seeking to foster nonviolent peacekeeping worldwide.

Tuesday, Sept. 22
Sign the Peace Alliance’s petition to create a Department of Peace with a cabinet level Secretary of Peace on the presidential staff (www.thepeacealliance.org ).

Wednesday, Sept. 23
Write a blog post and/or a status update on Twitter and Facebook noting that you are marking The 12 Days of Peace.

Thursday, Sept. 24
Re-establish and re-connect with a past friend, relative or colleague with whom you’ve had conflict.

Friday, Sept. 25
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, and/or a letter to your Congressperson expressing support for nonviolent, unarmed peacekeeping in conflict zones worldwide.

Saturday, Sept. 26
Visit a community park with your friends and family for a picnic or gathering in celebration of peace and harmony among those closest to you.

Sunday, Sept. 27
Conduct a prayer for, or meditate upon, peace.

Monday, Sept. 28
End your day by enjoying a piece of music that demonstrates peace to you, such as “Imagine” by John Lennon or “Peace on Earth” by U2.

Tuesday, Sept. 29
Watch the 18-minute film Civilian Unarmed Peacekeeping: Building a Nonviolent Peaceforce, documenting the social and economic benefits of unarmed civilian peacekeeping as trained Nonviolent Peaceforce workers seek to create a safe space for peace within conflict areas. View at: http://tinyurl.com/n7xvl9.

Wednesday, Sept. 30
Spend time with your children and family discussing the social and healthful benefits of practicing peace among their friends and community.

Thursday, Oct. 1
Plant a rock for peace. www.plantingrocksforpeace.org

Friday, Oct. 2
Celebrate Gandhi’s birth anniversary – and the U.N. International Day of Nonviolence – by borrowing Gandhi’s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth – from your local public library.

About Nonviolent Peaceforce
Nonviolent Peaceforce (NonviolentPeaceforce.org) is an unarmed, professional civilian peacekeeping force that is invited to work in conflict zones worldwide. With international headquarters in Brussels, Nonviolent Peaceforce has worked in the conflict areas of Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Guatemala. Among other activities, it works with local groups to foster dialogue among parties in conflict, provide a proactive presence and safe spaces for civilians, and develop local capacity to prevent violence. Its staff includes veterans of conflict zones and experienced peacekeepers.