Peace must prevail on the International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace, September 21, will be celebrated and commemorated by women and young women throughout the world, 25 years after the first Peace day was established.The United Nations initiative was created to encourage worldwide peace; a vision YWCAs around the world have long been dreaming of. World peace with justice is one of the main priority areas of the world YWCA with associations in over 44 countries actively engaging in peace building advocacy and programmes.
YWCAs operating in conflict situations have developed innovative responses to the women and young women of their communities with 17 countries offering refugee programmes, and 18 countries advocating for women's rights in wartime.
Peace has been a particular focus of World YWCA in the past year. When post election violence erupted in Kenya and Zimbabwe, World YWCA released action alerts to members and stakeholders advocating for peaceful solutions to both political situations that included women’s perspectives and voices in the peace building process.
World YWCA also took the opportunity at the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2008 to host a roundtable discussion on ‘Ending Occupation, Ending Violence against women and Children in Palestine’.
To commemorate this years International Day of Peace, World YWCA staff will attend different events to advocate for peace including the Non-Governmental Liaison Office of the United Nations Office in Geneva and the Spanish Society for International Human Rights Law panel on the ‘Commemoration of the International Day of Peace’. Other staff will also attend the World Council of Churches Prayers for Peace church service on September 22, with a regional focus on the Pacific for the Decade to Overcome violence.
“Women play an important role in the quest for world peace, ” says World YWCA General Secretary Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda. “ They assume responsibility for ensuring family livelihoods in the midst of chaos and destruction and are particularly active in the grassroots peace movement. However women are currently underrepresented in peacekeeping, peace-building and post conflict situations. Peace is essential if we are to achieve equality between men and women.”
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