International Day of Living Together in Peace – 16 May

Living together in peace is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way.

The UN General-Assembly, in its resolution 72/130, declared 16 May the International Day of Living Together in Peace, as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity. The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.

The Day invites countries to further promote reconciliation

to help to ensure peace and sustainable development, including by working with communities, faith leaders and other relevant actors, through reconciliatory measures and acts of service and by encouraging forgiveness and compassion among individuals.

(…) The International Day of Living Together in Peace reminds us of all the work that remains to be done to achieve and maintain peace and non-violence. The importance of this work must never be underestimated and there will always be more to be done.

This work is the raison d’être of UNESCO. Founded after the most terrible war, it aims to construct the defences of peace in the minds of women and men through the common goods that are education, science, information and culture.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General