This year, we commemorate the International Day of Peace while millions of people around the world are suffering from war and violence and its aftermath.
This does not mean that our efforts for peace are in vain and that peace is not achievable, it is indeed achievable and today more than ever we need to promote a culture of peace.
That is why we are gathered here in the Peace Museum on the International Day of Peace, to recall that we all belong to each other, regardless of political boundaries that separate nations from each other.
As the 13th century Iranian poet Saadi said: we are all from one essence.
Let’s think about similarities instead of differences, love instead of hate, forgiveness instead of revenge, dialogue instead of confrontation and peace instead of violence.
Let’s give peace a chance!

On Sunday 21 September, an observance for the International Peace Day was held in Tehran Peace Museum.

Many NGO representatives, activists, young people, artists, war survivors as well as representatives of International organizations attended the ceremony.

The Ceremony started by reading the message of Tehran Peace Museum by a war victim and the director of the Tehran Peace Museum, Mr. MohamadReza Taghipour.

 During the program, Mr. Ban Ki moon's message was read by UNIC’s National Information Officer, Mr. Mohamad Rajaei Moghadam; and then speech by Ms. Esther Kuisch Laroche, the director and representative of UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran, delivered. Other speakers of this program were Mr. Seyed Mohamad Khatami, former president, and the UN resident coordinator in Iran, Mr. Gary Lewis.

One minute silence to commemorate the victims of war, and dedicating flowers to the participants were other parts of the program. Visiting the museum and the exhibitions there were side events of this program. To see photos of the ceremony click here.

21 September 2014

Today is the International Day of Peace.

Each year, on this day, the United Nations calls for a global ceasefire.  

We ask combatants to put down their arms so all can breathe the air of peace.

Armed conflict causes untold grief to families, communities and entire countries.

Too many are suffering today at the brutal hands of warmongers and terrorists.

Let us stand with them in solidarity.

Peace and security are essential foundations for social progress and sustainable development.

on the occasion of International Day of Peace (21 September 2014)

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

The International Day of Peace reflects the innermost aspiration of all peoples to live together, free and equal in dignity and rights. The theme of 2014 is the “right of peoples to peace”, selected to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace by the United Nations.
The right to peace is of the utmost importance in view of the violence that is currently tearing the world apart. To build peace, we must understand the new realities of war today, and the way in which both human lives and identities are under attack in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, in violence that aims to strike at the cultural and religious values of peoples.

Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, 21 September 2014.

The International Day of Peace reflects the innermost aspiration of all peoples to live together, free and equal in dignity and rights. The theme of 2014 is the “right of peoples to peace”, selected to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace by the United Nations.