Children behind fence that separates them from the white community near Johannesburg during time of apartheid in South Africa.

UN International Day of Peace – 21 Sept.

The United Nations Member States adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 because they understood that it would not be possible to build a peaceful world if steps were not taken to achieve economic and social development for all people everywhere, and ensure that their rights were protected.  The Sustainable Goals cover a broad range of issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, environment and social justice.

How to get involved

In the lead up to the International Day of Peace on 21 September, we call upon all to take action. You can support SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions by seeking  peaceful resolution of conflict when disagreements arise around you.  You can be part of the solution by taking small steps. You can prevent an injustice at school or in your community by adopting a non-violent approach to problem solving and reporting potential crimes, including online bullying. You can promote human rights by collecting and promoting videos of as many articles as possible in as many languages as possible. Record yourself reading one of the 30 articles of the Declaration in any of the 135 languages currently available and share your video with your friends. Human rights are everyone’s rights.

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