International Day of Peace Celebration Planned for Rulindo district, Rwanda
IDP 2012 Celebration at IBB (Institut Baptist de Base), Rulindo district, Rwanda
By Jean de Dieu Basabose
Each year the International Day of Peace (IDP) is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
The Preamble to the United Nations Charter states that the Organization was founded to prevent and resolve international conflicts and help build a culture of peace in the world. Peace and democracy are inextricably linked. Together, they form a partnership that promotes the well-being of all. Embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, democracy supports an environment for a host of political rights and civil liberties. The International Day of Peace, marked every year on 21 September, gives us all a chance to reflect on the unconscionable toll — moral, physical, material — wrought by war. Those costs are borne not only by us today, but by future generations as well.
In line with this year IDP’s Celebration, under the theme of: Promoting Peace Education, Institut Baptist de Base, in collaboration with Canadian Baptist ministries (CBM), Shalom Educating for Peace-COE (Children of the Earth), Rulindo District authorities, etc plans to organize different activities to observe the day. Since 2010, Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) and the Association of Baptist Church in Rwanda have collaborated with Shalom educating for Peace and educate students from six Baptist schools in different regions of Rwanda for peace. IBB is one of the schools. Through the peacebuilding programme, students have developed capacities for educating their fellow students and school surrounding community for peace through songs, theater, sport (Football),etc. The celebration of the IDP in the school will create good opportunity to allow trained students to educate their fellow for peace.
The IDP 2013 celebration will take place on 21 September 2013 at IBB. The following activities will mark the day: Conference on this year theme: Promoting Peace education for sustainable peaceful society; Planting trees; Competitions - songs, Poems, Theater and Football.
Students from IBB, neighboring school, and the school surrounding community members will actively participate in the event. At least 900 participants are expected to attend the event.