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:
The
Nonviolent Peaceforce provided people with the opportunity to Work a
Day for Peace by donating a day’s wages to help create the Peaceforce.
Various dates for the Day for Peace were set around the world. (2004)
Mobitel
Peace Club: Mobitel, a truly Sri Lankan Wireless Telecommunication
company, contributed towards the World Peace Day by: informing their
clientele of 450,000 to join hands by hoisting the National Flag at
home and at work places; publishing press advertisements Monday 20th
September 2004 requesting public participation by conducting prayer
ceremonies, community services; and by organizing Internal campaigns
such as wearing a white band, displaying posters and the National Flag,
and distributing White bands to customers coming to their head office,
branches & dealer points. (2004)
Sarvodaya Shramadana
Movement and other civil society groups organized a huge event on
September 21, 2004, when over 300,000 people gathered to celebrate the
International Day of Peace from all over the country. Hundreds of
Buddhist monks and other religious leaders participated in a peace
meditation to mark Universal Peace Day on the Bandarnaike Memorial
International Conference Hall (BMICH) grounds in Colombo. Crowds stayed
through heavy rains during the meditation. Government and LTTE fighters
were asked to participate in teaching programs about the value of
nonviolence, and to work on joint projects that will repair the
devastation of war and build more peaceful communities. Activities were
coordinated in 7,500 villages around the island, in every region of the
country, including local village meditation groups, focused on
nonviolence, sharing vegetarian meals (avoid killing animals),
practicing nonviolence with oneself by avoiding drugs, alcohol, smoking
and other intoxicants, each family planting a "tree of peace" (a
constant reminder of our relationship with nature), in each village, a
gathering to honor and bless expectant mothers (symbolizing our
commitment of nonviolence into the future), in each village, visiting
and care for the elderly (honoring our past), giving special honor to
all people, on all sides, who are engaged in landmine removal,
screening movies in villages that carry a theme of nonviolence and
Peace and asking the television stations to participate in this effort.
There were local Peace meditations and other activities promoting
nonviolence in all 5,000 Sarvodaya preschools, involving up to 500,000
children and mothers. (2004)
United Nations Association of Sri
Lanka conducted the Sri Lanka National Observance of the United
Nations' IDP 2003 for the eleventh successive year. It was coordinated
at a school by the Mobile Unit of the UNA's Education Committee, the
school principal, teachers and pupils on Monday, September 22nd, as the
Sunday 21st is a school and public holiday. The ceremony will include
the hoisting of the United Nations, the Dan the National flag, Koffman
International Flag of Peace, and the School flag, followed by the
National Anthem of Sri Lanka. Thereafter, there will be short addresses
by UNA Representatives and the school principal followed by a short
play on the UN. The UNA of Sri Lanka would like to expand the
observances of this event throughout the country. (2003)
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