ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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For Progress and Obstacles, see international report by Pathways to Peace which makes an annual report of Peace Day activities, from which the following is taken:
Tehreek
Taraqe-e-Insaniate (Member URI: TTI-CC) and Peace & Development
Foundation (PDF)-Pakistan (Member WPPS) & St. Mary’s
Church-Gulberg, the International Harvest Church, Up Church Pentecostal
Church, PDF-Women’s Circle, Lahore and Gujranwala: World Peace Day-2004
celebratory activities included: 1) prayers and Peace songs and
candlelighting in churches. Special prayers for peace & harmony
offered for: Iraq, Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan,
and for world peace. 2) Community meeting on Sept. 20th in the Forman
Christian College-Lahore to promote the community celebration of world
peace day and the peace walk to Wagha border-Indo-Pak. Special prayers
were offered by the ladies, youth and children for world peace, and
candles were lighted; 3) Interfaith children peace walk organized by
the St. Peter's school-Gulberg & PDF-Pakistan with TTI-CC. About
500 interfaith children (Muslims & Christian), parents of the
school, counselors and clergy from different denominations participated
in the walk with the general public. The school children held banners
with peace slogans. 4) Peace walk to Indo-Pak Wagha border, with
participation by St. Mary's Church Gulberg-Lahore, St.Thomas
School-Makkah Colony-Lahore, St.Thomas Youth Gulberg, PDF-Pakistan,
Tehreek taraqe-e-insaniate, URI-CC. Special permission was obtained
from the government for the event and when participants neared the
border, the high official graciously received them. All participants
held banners painted with peace slogans, attended by hundreds of people
from India & Pakistan. Prayers and messages for peace were
delivered and wishes offered for friendship & brotherhood to Indian
Friends. A large peace candle was lighted together, and from that
candle all participants lighted their candles with prayers. Youth
members led peace songs. A sunset flag ceremony with prayers was
offered. 5) Peace candle rally on return. All the events were
appreciated by the media, general community, and government officials.
Events were also held in Gujranwala by the PDF. (2004)
United Religions Initiative (URI)
Thirty-four
vehicles in caravan formation drove from Islamabad towards Azad
Kashmir, to the highest mountain peak of Kashmir, Tolli Peer, to make a
public statement promoting interfaith harmony and peace. At Tolli Peer,
the members of with political and religious leaders met with a crowd of
more than two thousand for a three-hour program of speeches, prayers,
songs, and silence. (2004)
URI Pakistan, World Peace Prayer
Society in Pakistan, and Pastoral Institute Multan started the
observation and celebration of the UN's International Peace Day on the
eve of 20 September, for 24 hours to the eve of 21st September. The
staff and students of the Pastoral Institute Multan had two hours peace
program to commemorate the International Peace Day, where they
presented peace tableaus, hymns, drama, dances and speeches. The hall
was beautifully decorated with a peace slogan and the symbol of white
dove with olive branches. The staff and students put stickers of the
World Peace Prayer Society on it. Prayers were offered around the Peace
Pole with lamps shining. Little doves of peace painted on papers were
offered to each other while saying "Peace be with you". A historical
background of the declaration of the UN’s International Peace Day was
given, with highlights of efforts of the URI and World Peace Prayer
Society in making a more humane and peace loving society. At 6.30AM (21
September) Holy Mass was offered for the world peace, and at 12.00
Noon, all observed one minute of silence and prayer for peace. In the
late afternoon at 3.30 one conference on "International Peace Day" is
organized by the URI Civil Society CC Multan Pakistan. This conference
took place in the Auditorium of the Pastoral Institute Multan and
included over 100 Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Baha’is for this
event. (2004)
In Lahore, three hundred Christian, Muslim and
Hindus of all ages gathered together to march for an hour and a half,
concluding with speeches, prayers and songs celebrating the work of
local and global peacemakers. It was a wonderfully colorful event with
badges, banners, handbills and caps. (2004)
Pakistan Council for
Social Welfare & Human Rights URI CC in Pakistan arranged a Public
Forum on September 21, 2004 at Village Kundan Sian Tehsil Daska
District Sialkot to observe Peace Day 2004. The topic of the public
forum was "Access peace and Justice" Different organizations of
District Sialkot in which SAHE Sialkot, Social Welfare Society Kundan
Sian, Anjuman-e-Raza-e-Mustafa Kundan Sian and others also arranged
this forum. Hundreds of men and women from different walks of life,
creeds and religions participated in this forum. Public Forum was
started with the recitation of Holy Quran and then Naat was presented,
followed by a briefing about the objectives of public forum. Pakistan
Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights is planning to organize
such public forums at district level through out Country and will
compile the suggestions receive during the public forums. These
suggestions will be forwarded to the higher authorities of Pakistan -
those responsible for the establishment of Peace and justice in
Pakistan. This forum had two parts: 1) a play based upon Peace, 2)
public opinion was taken on the play and discussion of the reasons
which makes Peace through justice difficult to access or achieve. (2004)
Travel
Agents CC, URI in Lahore organized a programme regarding World Peace
Day with the help of Thai Airways at the Pearl Continental Hotel, with
about 250 peoples attending. The meeting was started with the
recitation of Holy Quran; the manager of Thai Airways addressed the
audience and then the presidenet of the Travel Agent Union introduced
URI in detail and to promote Peace and harmony. "May peace prevail in
Iraq, in Kashmir, in Palestine, and any where in the world where it is
required. " (2004)
Women and Children Development CC, URI: On 21
September 2004, Women And Children Development Organization, celebrated
International Peace Day with the collaboration of IPB, WPPS and URI.
The Ceremony started with the prayer for Peace in the world. Special
prayers offer for the Peace of India, Peace of Pakistan, Peace of
Kashmir, Peace of Afghanistan and Iraq. During the walk children raised
slogans: "STOP THE WAR" "NO WEAPONS- NO WAR" " MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON
EARTH. " Children were holding different placards on which it was
written, "WE ARE PEACE BUILDERS" "WE ARE PEACE" "WE ARE THE PEACE
LOVERS." Flags of different countries made the ceremony colourful. The
ceremony was ended with a Peace song. (2004)
World Peace Prayer
Society (WPPS): On Sept. 21, there was a nice and very big program in
the Church in Faisalabad, with speakers and 300 men and women and near
to 200 children. Speakers told people about Peace and about WPPS,
followed by a rally after prayers and a program with candles and with a
big banner for the International Day of Peace. (2004)
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