The International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day, is a global holiday that came to be after being passed by the United Nations Assembly to be celebrated on every 21st September.
People usually take this time to celebrate peace and stability in their countries while also remembering the countries at war. Festivities are done in different ways depending on people’s different cultures.
Apart from celebrating the day traditionally, people also take to their social media accounts to post quotes about peace and raise awareness of instability in various places.
In this article, we will show you various quotes you can share with others on this day.
Historical Background of the Day
Since this holiday isn’t so popular, here are a few points about International Peace Day.
- International Peace Day was accepted as a holiday by the UN General Assembly in 1982.
- It was due to the proposal to commemorate peace and all its ideals.
- It is celebrated on 21st September every year.
- Each year usually has a theme.
- A bell is rung at the UN Headquarters in New York to flag off the event.
- On this day, there is supposed to be a ceasefire and no tension. The UN Assembly passed this in 2001.
Quotes from World Leaders
International Day of Peace is a political holiday; hence, every celebration has wise sayings from different world leaders. Here are some famous citations you can use.
- “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” Nelson Mandela.
- “Peace is a day-to-day problem, the product of a multitude of events and judgments. Peace is not an ‘is,’ it is a ‘becoming.” Haile Selassie.
- “The guns and the bombs, the rockets, and the warships are all symbols of human failure.” Lyndon B. Johnson.
- “If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave peacefully and helpfully toward one another.” Winston Churchill.
- “Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.” Jawaharlal Nehru.
- “We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom.” Dwight D. Eisenhower.
- “Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” Ronald Reagan.
- “Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves until we end hatred and division.” John Lewis.
- “Of all our dreams today, there is none more important— or so hard to realize—than that of peace in the world.” Lester B. Pearson.
- “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” Indira Gandhi.
Inspiring Words from Peace Activists
Sometimes, peace doesn’t just exist. Some people selflessly dedicate their time to holding protests when stability deteriorates. These people are activists and usually have some inspiring words to share, too.
- “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “Peace is not an act of words, peace is an act, period.” Abhijit Naskar.
- “Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it also secures the space for others to contribute the best they have and all that they are.” Hafsat Abiola.
- “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Mother Teresa.
- “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal.“ Martin Luther King Jr.
- ”If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” Desmond Tutu.
- “Until the mind reflects the world, the world won’t reflect peace.” Abhijit Naskar.
Philosophical Reflections on Peace
Philosophy, being a rather unmatrixical subject, also has some interesting outlooks on peace. Below are some raw and witty philosophical quotes made over time.
- “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein.
- “The only way to bring peace to the earth is to learn to make our own life peaceful.” Gautama Buddha.
- “Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” Mahatma Gandhi.
- “Peace is the only battle worth waging,” Albert Camus.
- “We each possess what is needed to create peace on earth. We all know how to love, we just need to practice using that knowledge in all aspects of life.” Lisa Prosen.
- “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” Dalai Lama.
- “World peace can be achieved when, in each person, the power of love replaces the love of power.” Sri Chinmoy.
- “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” Eleanor Roosevelt.
- “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” Gautama Buddha.
- “Peace is always beautiful,” Walt Whitman.
Celebrity Statements on World Peace
Not only the average citizens and leaders commemorate the International Day of Peace. Celebrities also bring their influence to use by making powerful statements concerning world peace. Below are some examples.
- “Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.” Maria Montessori.
- “If you don’t know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway because he’s just like you. He has the same dreams, the same hopes, and fears. It’s one world, pal. We’re all neighbors.” Frank Sinatra.
- “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” Jimi Hendrix.
- “Peace brings with it so many positive emotions that it is worth aiming for in all circumstances.” Estella Eliot.
- “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.” John Lennon.
- “The world is now too small for anything but brotherhood.” Arthur Powell Davies.
- “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.” John Lennon.
- “I think it’s naive to pray for world peace if we’re not going to change the form in which we live.” Godfrey Reggio.
- “If we do not work for individual transformation, talking about world peace is just entertainment.” Jaggi Vasudev.
- “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Muhammad Ali.
The Power of Words in Advocating for Peace
Words are powerful because they can either be the ignition for something good or bad happening. We will share other random quotes with you that advocate for world peace.
- The peace that comes with a sword isn’t the peace people should want. It isn’t leading to peace when the people meant to experience the peace being fought for are wiped out.
- Peace has always been achieved by humility. Even the goal of every war is to make the other side cower and humble themselves.
- To make fighting for peace effective, always keep in mind the future generations and the immediate outcome.
- Peace can very easily be attained but somehow, some governments have not realized that. The secret is fostering a spirit of community, equality, and listening to the people.
- The ego is only helpful to a certain point. Beyond that, it is just a veil that prevents people from seeing what good can be achieved by having humility.
- Anything that threatens your peace should indeed eliminated. However, the elimination should still not be reckless.
- Even as people in war think that they are laying it all down for peace, the truth is that peace is best attained using peaceful ways.
- The peace after war is just the silence of mourning. If war was truly a valid option for peace to be attained, then the aftermath should be enough to make you not desire it again.
- Peace brings everything good with it. Maintaining it should be a priority for everyone.
- Stability isn’t taken for granted by leaders most of the time, but the way they usually plan on acquiring or maintaining it says otherwise.
Conclusion: The Timeless Relevance of Peace Quotes
Every start of a volution begins when one person steps up and shares some igniting words with a group of people, whether large or small. This means that everyone has a measure of power to influence and make a change simply by sharing inspiring words.
Not only are you allowed to be a peace advocate on this International Day of Peace. You can share the message on other random days too. If everyone believed that their small voice would eventually cause a domino effect and spread the courage to other people to stand up for peace, then the message would be passed across quicker and would be more effective.
Join others in sharing this message of peace and you too can leave a mark in history. Making an influence isn’t just the famous people’s responsibility, you can too.
