“My purpose is to serve humanity.”
Malala Yousafzai
The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations on September 21 and is observed with celebrations and different events that work toward of peace. This day reminds me that despite all the world’s conflicts, people can still contribute to peace through small actions.
Initiatives can be as simple as lighting a candle to pray for peace, to as big as standing up to the Taliban to fight for education like Malala Yousafzai. Malala Yousafzai is an amazing young woman who has fought to bring peace by advocating for girls right to education. She was shot in the head in an assassination attempt by the Taliban to silence her fight towards progress.
Obviously not all of us can be like Malala but if we can contribute towards actions of peace building such as the reconciliation of South Sudan, the protection of women during times of conflict or supporting the reunification of the Korean Peninsula just to name a few, we can help make a difference.
For this day, I know I will educate others on what I have learned. I know that now I can be at peace with people who differ from me in many ways. I will choose to accept peace instead of turning them away because I have met so many unique people from this internship. My belief is the path of acceptance, leads to peace. This is how I will contribute but for others, who need some inspiration, just by telling your local community what you can do such as signing petitions or outreach on social media makes a difference. How will you contribute on the International Day of Peace?