International Day of Peace, declared by the United Nations in 1981, is a day devoted to strengthening the principles of peace among all the nations of the world, and the people who inhabit them. Amongst our generation, it’s a day in which Instagram selfies are captioned with #worldpeaceday, as if it’s just another silly national event, like #freepancakeday or #nationalcatday. Free pancakes and cats are great, but world peace deserves a little more recognition than an over-filtered selfie.
World Peace Day strives to honor a cease of hostility and violence all over the world; a way to help and support those affected by wars and conflict. No, we probably can’t stop a war, but we can do little things in our daily lives that promote the same ideals. Peace is peace.
1. Talk to someone you usually wouldn’t. Make a new friend.
2. Pay for the person’s food in line behind you, and if you happen to have your food paid for by the person in front of you, keep it going.
3. Get a big group of people together to do an activity, and invite some new faces. Make connections, and include everyone.
4. Help out the person who looks lost, hurt, or upset instead of pretending you didn’t see them.
5. Let the people you love know you love and care about them.
6. Stick up for yourself or someone else when necessary.
7. Admit and apologize when you know you’re wrong.
8. Forgive people who admit their mistakes and apologize to you.
9. Make eye contact with people. Smile at strangers.
10. Acknowledge that some things are out of your control.
11. Listen to what people say.
12. Tell someone random how much you like their shoes or haircut.
13. Offer your help to someone.
14. Send someone a nice a text out of the blue, telling them you miss them or love them. Or go old school and send a card through the actual mail.
15. Use your manners; be polite.
16. Acknowledge the people who serve you or clean up after you. Leave a tip for the waiter.
17. Think about someone else beside yourself, and be fair.
18. Stop making passive aggressive comments on social media. Let it go, be the bigger person.
There is only one day each year assigned to recognize world peace, but that doesn’t mean the other 364 days should be allotted to conflict. Consciously make every day Peace Day, even if all you do is smile at the people you pass on the street.
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