Nations uniting

Tomorrow is the International Day of Peace, which:

...is meant to be a day of global cease-fire. I call on all countries and all people to stop all hostilities for the entire day. I also urge all people around the world to observe a minute of silence at 12 noon. Let us hold in our hearts the ideal of peace.
- Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General

And did you know this is the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World? I didn’t, and we’re already halfway through. The manifesto was drafted in 2000 by a group of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates:

I pledge [...] to:

Respect the life and dignity of each human being without discrimination or prejudice;

Practise active non-violence, rejecting violence in all its forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economical and social, in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerable such as children and adolescents;

Share my time and material resources in a spirit of generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and political and economic oppression;

Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others;

Promote consumer behaviour that is responsible and development practices that respect all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet;

Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity.

I won't be taking the pledge, of course. The idea of planting a peace pole makes me want to hit people (with the said pole).