International Peace Month was proclaimed on August 16, 1926 at the Fifth International Democratic Peace Conference in Germany. TIME Magazine reported that that 4,000 pacifists from 30 countries assembled for the Conference, including 900 young German delegates, representing almost every German city, who voted to encamp in tents upon the onetime World War battlefields of France through Aug. 29, “in order to pursue an intensive study of international peace work.”
Nowadays, International Peace Month provides us with a time to reflect on broader issues surrounding navigating conflict and finding peace (Alliance for the Bay). Celebrating Peace Month is about working to create a culture of peace in our communities. A peaceful culture is one that we can create ourselves by how we live our lives each day. The goal is peaceful relationships on all levels (The Peace Flag Project).
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension, but the presence of justice” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Here are just a few awesome peace-filled outcomes that resulted from some really difficult conversations:
1919: Treaty of Versailles– after representatives of 27 nations participated in discussions for nearly a year, the signing of this treaty officially ended World War I.
1964: The Civil Rights Act – conversations between Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy, and later President Lyndon B. Johnson (and many, many others) helped shape and build support for the Act that ended legal segregation in the United States.
2016: The Paris Agreement – Signed by 175 parties, the agreement was ratified following over 5 years of talks between many countries; the agreement aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the increase in the global average temperature.
Oakland Public Library has gathered together some titles that focus on moving toward peace personally, interpersonally and collectively. To learn more about these books, click the links below.
