On this day in 2002 the UN observed the first set date for International Peace Day. “The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.” UN International Peace Day, 21st September

Despite this invitation of a global ceasefire, armed conflict and violence still ensues on the Day. So, rather than just hoping for no war, let’s use today to constructively! Let’s create a pocket of peace right where you are, right now. Sit back, take a deep breath and let your eyes wander through this post. Here we will celebrate, commemorate and support the people who are working towards peace in non-violent ways. Let them inspire you.

Earlier this year I joined Peace Boat on a sail around the Asia Pacific and whilst out at sea I got to meet some of the most remarkable peace makers and practical visionaries.

Peace Boat is a global village, a floating university and a sanctuary. For two weeks in February we shared, listened, debated, danced and giggled our way across the ocean. Our voyage began in Kobe, Japan and took us to Okinawa and Taiwan where we were to learn and engage with the region’s past and current affairs. The atrocities committed during World War II by all sides are still felt in the region. The increase in militarisation from larger nations has unsettled the a majority of residence. We met with local activists who opposed the expansion of US military bases in Okinawa. Many of them are elderly but everyday, for over two years, they had made their way down to Henoko Bay or Camp Swab (US base) to raise their concerns about peace and to protect this pristine habitat.

I was invited to attend the School of Peace, a course delivered by the Interfaith Cooperation Forum to the YMCA international group. There were people from all over the world- China, Korea, Japan, USA, UK, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Netherlands. They were Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. I got to represent Australia and atheism. To learn about different faiths and religions was so special, it was one of the most beautiful experiences. It was such well constructed and delivered peace building activity. To be honest, I was surprised to see it work despite the challenges that come with bringing people with conflicting values together. Two weeks was not long enough for everyone embrace each other’s differences but it certainly made headway in connecting people whom otherwise would have remained estranged. 

I also had the privilege of sharing my great Uncle Sid’s experience as a prisoner-of-war during WWll and his ethos on living a good life. He’d seen the gore of war and survived the brutality of a POW camp but his most vivid memory was seeing Nagasaki in ruins. That haunted him his entire life. He described it as the “the greatest horror of mankind against mankind ever known.” After he returned he dedicated his life to “the betterment of the worker and people in general.” He became a union leader and developed his motto “Kind deeds are worth more than kind words. That’s what life’s all about.” 

There were many guest speakers sailing with us. Hashizume Bun opened her heart to us and told her story of being an intrepid poet. For most of her life she had not spoken about her experience as a Hibakusha. Her sons inspired her to see the value in her words and encouraged her to travel and oppose nuclear proliferation through her poems. Poetry released years of pain she had hidden, through the spoken word and the “pursuit of curiosity” Bun found her role in establishing a safer world.

Fred Chin is another precious individual who has found some solace in sharing his experience. He migrated from Malaysia to Taiwan as an engineering student whilst the country was still under martial law. Fred became a victim of White Terror and was accused of being a political dissident. He spent over a decade in Jingmei Military Detention Centre- isolated, tortured and denied representation. Fred, along with two other survivours took us through the detention centre and shared the weight of their stories. Their testimonies were not told to shock us, they wanted us to hear their words and be compel to pursue peace by protecting and advocating for human rights.

Bun and Fred are incredible and strong people. I’ve since been in touch with them and they are both deeply concerned with the state of the world as it moves towards becoming more militarised and uncertain. But they also have a lot of faith in the younger generations. As do I…

My 8 year old niece and I were making origami cranes one day. I asked her what she thought peace was and she answered, “I don’t know… I wish people didn’t want to go war. If people didn’t want to fight then there’d be no wars. We should be nice to each other.”

For someone who has lived less than a decade on this planet I think she was pretty insightful. I can only add that for me peace is not just the absence of violence. A peaceful world would also mean fully realised rights, full bellies, shelter, security, respect for all life, freedom and a whole lot of fun for everyone. It sounds impossible because we are so far from that but I think if we start by being “nice to each other” we’d probably find fewer reasons to fight in the first place.

I hope the efforts of Peace Boat, ICF, Sid, Bun, Fred and my niece have helped inspired you or at the very least given you some comfort in knowing there are people out there making a positive difference.  Have a good International Peace Day!