International Day of Prayer for Peace

WCC member churches worldwide are once more invited to pray for peace on 21 September 2010 or the closest Sunday.

The International Day of Prayer for Peace offers an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies. The idea was proposed in 2004 during a meeting between WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (press release), and coincides with the UN International Day of Peace. The Day of Prayer is one of the initiatives of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence.

The International Day of Prayer for Peace 2010 is surrounded by peace-related events. One example is the United Nations High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, which will take place from 20 to 22 September 2010 in New York. It will encourage governments to increase their efforts to eradicate poverty within the next five years. Without peace, there will be no long-term development. Violence and the threat of violence make everyday life very difficult, if not impossible. The environment suffers. The quality of life of each and everyone decreases. Peace is essential to ensure that the millennium goals are reached. This has been recognized by the government officials who signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000.

The United Nations International Day of Peace

1981 the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 36/67 declaring an International Day of Peace. In 2001, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution 55/282 declaring 21 September of each year as the International Day of Peace. The intention of the resolution is to have the entire world observe a day of peace and nonviolence. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has asked all United Nations departments and agencies to expand their observance this year, extending a special invitation to civil society as well.

The UN International Day of Peace on 21 September takes place, each year, in parallel with the International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP). The UN day is a day on which armed conflict is meant to be stilled, a day for combatants to observe cease-fires, a day on which all people are invited to commit or reaffirm their commitment to non-violence and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

In 2010, the United Nations International Day of Peace, 21 September, focuses on youth and development, under the slogan: “Peace = Future”.  

Read more on the International Day of Peace: International Day of Peace

The United Nations International Day of Peace Vigil

An ever-expanding number of people worldwide, representing a wide variety of religious and spiritual traditions, have committed to the task of working with other like-minded individuals and groups for an International Day of Peace Vigil.
The objective of the International Day of Peace Vigil is "to encourage worldwide, 24-hour spiritual observations for peace and nonviolence on the International Day of Peace, 21 September in every house of worship and place of spiritual practice, by all religious and spiritually based groups and individuals, and by all men, women and children who seek peace in the world."

Please register your commitment on the International Day of Peace Vigil website at www.idpvigil.com and make it thus known to others who would like to join in.
Look up the International Day of Peace Vigil website for more information: