International Peace Day
PRESS RELEASE
International Day of Peace
For Immediate Release
21st September 2020, Suva, Fiji – Today marks International Day of Peace which reminds us that there needs to be realisation and understanding that as human beings we are endowed with dignity, meaning that we are worthy of life, respect and responsible to give respect and affirm-life in order to live in peace.
With this year’s theme based on “Shaping Peace Together,” International Day of Peace provides an adequate platform for all of humanity to show peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of Peace through advocacy and awareness in areas of need.
CCF strongly believes that on this day, everyone should devote to spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and stand together against existing acts of discrimination, violence or hatred.
We honour this year’s theme locally by acknowledging efforts of individuals, organisations and institutions that continue to create safe spaces for discussion and dialogue to work through issues that need a collective community approach in order to move forward as well as in our journey towards a peaceful society in Fiji.
The pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges and a global crisis and this is evident locally in the increase in loss of jobs, reduction in wages/ salaries, poverty and poor standard of living and health conditions. CCF encourages members of the public to be more mindful of their actions and expressions towards other people in building a peaceful Fiji in light of the recent global issues.
As human beings we are entitled to our freedoms and together we must learn to respect each other’s dignity as provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Right (UDHR).
As part of CCF’s mandate in promoting respect and protecting all human rights including fundamental freedoms whilst promoting multiculturalism, CCF also pays tribute to the lives lost in protests around the world, in an attempt to voice the protection of their rights. We must not let these voices be expressed in vain but consider them as a guidance to what we must do in our respective communities to advocate for and shape peace together.
This sheds light to the realistic picture of the current world and highlights the importance of acknowledging International Day of Peace here in Fiji too. Observed each year on 21st September to acknowledge the harmony of people amongst different religions and cultures with respect to attempts by nations in ending war and violence around the world.