We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
- Buddha
Peace Day Philly is a volunteer, grassroots initiative that promotes diverse and meaningful participation across the Philadelphia region in the United Nations International Day of Peace, a worldwide day observed on September 21. Founded 15+ years ago, Peace Day Philly welcomes Philly individuals, organizations, neighborhoods, community groups and city government to participate by creating and participating in activities relating to personal, local and/or global peace.
Peace Day Philly developed as a model for city-wide Peace Day engagement because of a small group of dedicated volunteers who were inspired by the concept of how a global day could be a powerful day of opportunity in our City of Brotherly Love and beyond. Over the years, Peace Day Philly has collaborated on or encouraged over 200 programs and worked with over 175 organizations across the region. Mayors Nutter and Kenney supported the message of Peace Day.
Each year, Peace Day Philly invites the Philadelphia School District and the Philadelphia Police Department (unique internationally) to use the PDP tools and their own ideas to engage children, youth and communities in the opportunity of Peace Day.
Four North American Peace Day initiatives have adopted PDP’s website, which has been praised internationally as a rich Peace Day idea resource.
Presenting a wide span of perspectives from the Institute for Economics and Peace to the Grannies for Peace, Peace Day Philly has been an continues to be an inclusive umbrella for creative and collective action around personal, local and global peace issues, using Peace Day, September 21, as a global and local focal point.
See the Philadelphia Inquirer article “Get Ready for Peace Day Philly”