On 30th November 1981, the United Nations (UN) in an effort to build and strengthen the ideals of peace within and among nations and people established the International Day of Peace to be observed on the third Tuesday of every September.

However, in September 2001, the General Assembly adopted 21st September of every year as the International Day of Peace. On that day, the world observes 24 hours of global ceasefire and non-violence. The celebration reminds us to be agents of peace and desist from activities that cause conflicts and violence. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Shaping Peace Together”.

This year in particular has shown that we as humans need to stick together and face the real enemies of humanity, such as poverty, hunger, and most importantly the COVID-19 pandemic. There is the need for world leaders to stand united in fighting our greatest enemy, coronavirus, which has threatened our health, security and way of life. As a result, this year’s International Day of Peace is dedicated to fostering dialogue and collecting ideas.

In March 2020, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to all parties in war to lay down their weapons and commit to the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, the world can join the UN and WHO to win the battle against the global pandemic as well as shape peace together.

Research by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) revealed that the economic impact of the pandemic could increase the risk of outbreaks of violence and conflicts in the world. This is worrying and as Delegates of Young Diplomats of Ghana (YDG), we are committed to spreading hope and preaching peace in the face of COVID-19.

Through the YDG COVID-19 Education Campaign, many Ghanaians have been educated on the Ghana Health Services’ approved preventive measures in the local dialect.

Also, YDG is on track with the ambitious distribution of five million personal protective equipment and alcohol-based hand sanitizers to the general public to fight against the pandemic in Ghana.

As Ghanaians prepare for the Presidential and Parliamentarian elections in December, we intend to roll out a peace campaign and intensify public education on peacebuilding and conflict resolution, especially among the youth.

We agree with Kofi Annan when he says “There can be no development without long term peace and stability and there can be no peace and stability without the rule of law and respect for human rights”. Therefore, as young diplomats, we pledge to be Peace Ambassadors and strive to advocate for a peaceful and better world.

Happy International Day of Peace!