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WE, THE PEOPLES Initiative
A Peace Messenger Initiative dedicated to the United Nations
The "WE THE PEOPLES" Initiative is a co-operative movement to unite the strengths of existing organizations and projects toward making Peace a practical reality in the 21st century. The World Summit of Children Projects are an active part of the Initiative which strengthens the United Nations as an instrument for building and maintaining global Peace.
At its 36th session, in 1981, the United Nations General Assembly, in conformity with its Charter, decided "to devote a specific time to concentrate the efforts of the United Nations and its Member States, as well as of the whole of mankind, to promoting the ideals of peace and to giving positive evidence of their commitment to peace in all viable ways."
The Assembly therefore unanimously declared, in a resolution adopted on 30 November 1981, that the third Tuesday in September, the opening of its regular annual session, should be officially dedicated and observed as the International Day of Peace and should be devoted "to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples."
1983 was the genesis of the "WE THE PEOPLES" Initiative. Responding to a request by Robert Muller, then Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, citizens representing diverse organizations coordinated the International Peace Day Project. By 1984, citizens in over 52 countries responded to the invitation to participate in the Project. Expansion has continued throughout the world.
In 1989, this Project/movement was granted Peace Messenger Initiative status through the year 2000 by Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar, and officially renamed "WE THE PEOPLES" Initiative. ("We the peoples..." is the opening phrase with which the Charter of the United Nations begins.)
The Initiative was formally introduced to all Peace Messenger Organizations and Cities on the International Day of Peace, Tuesday 18 September 1990, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Along with an earlier Peace Messenger Initiative called Global Cooperation for a Better World, the "WE THE PEOPLES" Initiative is designed to provide a context to unite our strength.
Originally the children carefully choose to have Hear the Children Day of Peace on the International Day of Peace because they want to unite children worldwide in support of the United Nations General Assembly as it begins it annual session. The World Summit of Children Project participants believed that every child wants world peace and therefore they set up the international Young General Assembly aimed at assisting the General Assembly in its task of bringing about world peace. In 2001 the United Nations General Assembly changed the International day of Peace to the date September 21. However, Hear the Children Day of Peace remains on the third Tuesday of September.
On the third Tuesday in September, at noon in every time zone, people worldwide stand in silent solidarity to support the United Nations General Assembly delegates as they being the year's work. In this global minute of silence, people worldwide unite in strength, vision, and passion to collectively build Peace for the present and future generations. World Peace Day and the Hear the Children Day of Peace offer an inspiring showcase of practical examples by citizens throughout the year. Activities on this day are encouraged to be inter-generational and multicultural.
To participate in the "WE THE PEOPLES" Initiative CONTACT:
Pathways To Peace
P.O. Box 1057
Larkspur, CA 94977
Tel: (415) 461-0500
Fax: (415) 925-0330
e mail: info@pathwaystopeace.org
more information is available at web site www.wethepeoples.org
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