Aruba

During the week of Peace (Siman di Pas) the primary and secondary schools had a chance to do different activities related to peace.
  
At Pius X School in Dakota, the children spent the week talking about peace, making cards, writing essays and mandalas, making origami cranes and doves, and painting caps for peace.
  
On 21st September the headmaster of Pius X gathered the entire school on the playground and addressed the school about the International Day of Peace. All came together and held a minute of silence around noon. The children formed a living spiral before holding a minute of silence.
 
Activities continued in the afternoon with a Peace offering to Aruba, made by the schoolchildren of grade 5B from Pius X School. This consisted of a drawing of Aruba and the Earth, filled with their wishes written in it: Pas lo reina na Aruba/Mundo or May Peace Prevail on Aruba/Earth. This peace offering was received by the governor of Aruba, his Excellency F. Refunjol, who also delivered a beautiful speech afterwards.

The governor then lit a Peace Flame which was carried by various athletes to the Peace labyrinth at Alto Vista (approximately 10 km away).

Tokyo, Japan

The Earth Kids Space Program in Japan celebrated the International Day of Peace with 15 children who weree 5 to 9 years old, 16 international exchange students and about 20 adult parents and volunteers at the Funabashi Children’s Center.  They studied the culture and learned three words from each language spoken by the international students – Hello, Thank You and Peace. Children introduced Japanese traditional toys, played games that show the importance of friendship and observed a minute of silence imagining a peaceful world at the end of the day.

Amman, Jordan

In celebration of the International Day of Peace 20 people from Jordan, Israel, Iran and Egypt visited
the Mar Mansour Convent, a home for castaway, homeless, orphans and socially-troubled children who almost lost hope for better future.

They held hands, danced, lit candles and prayed for a peaceful world where children can live and thrive. At the end, everyone said, “ May Peace Prevail on Earth.”

Kapiti Coast, New Zealand

A very happy and moving United Nations International Day of Peace celebration was held on Friday, 21 September 2007 at the Dunedin Peace Pole in the Otago Museum Reserve. Around 200 people attended the event, which was coordinated by staff at the University of Otago Language Centre with support from the Dunedin City Council Events Shop. One thousand Peace Cranes that had been created by students at Language Centre were presented.

Students lit candles, performed a haka, played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes, and performed a Korean fan dance. Representatives of the Dunedin Otaru Sister City Youth committee performed a poi-e and members of the Multi Ethnic Council spoke about their aspirations for peace. A university student and member of the Dunedin Lebanese community spoke very eloquently about the meaning of peace. Several classes from the University of Otago Language Centre provided messages of peace which included songs, poems and tributes.

The Mayor of Dunedin, Mr Peter Chin, who was not scheduled to speak, was so compelled by the celebration that he declared that the city would fully support the event in the future.

Lahore, Pakistan

The Basharat-E-Ibn-E- Mariam School in Lahore, Pakistan organized a peace walk. The children from different schools had flags of different countries in their hands. They were also carrying different slogans about peace “We want peace, Stop the war, No more war, Say no to weapons, Peace is possible, My home is a place for peace, My schools a place for peace, We need books not bombs, and May peace prevail on earth.”

After the walk, a special prayer for the global peace was offered followed by one-minute silence for Peace. A peace candle was lit by the youngest student.

San Diego, California, USA

The Joan B. Kroc Institute at the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies was the site of a full day of activities for the 2007 International Day of Peace Celebration. A wide range of community peace, social justice and development organizations had booths at the event, which drew hundreds of attendees from the University of San Diego campus and from the San Diego community at large. Elementary schools had booths to describe their peace activities such as student-to-student peer conflict resolution counseling, university student groups signed up participants and volunteers for their clubs and activities, and entertainment with a peace theme, including a dance group of Ugandan refugees Photo: Marisa Hildebrand and a women’s drum circle kept the crowds entertained.

Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

The Black Rock Elementary School in Bridgeport, CT took part in the worldwide 2007 International Peace Day Celebration by dedicating a peace pole in the front garden of the school.  The pole is a beautiful 4-sided wooden pole with the prayer "May peace prevail on earth" written on it in English, Spanish, French, and Animal Prints. 

The students created peace prayer flags of all shapes and sizes containing their prayers and hopes for peace that were displayed in the school windows and on the trees in the peace garden.