JIM KENNEY, MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA:
2022
“The last two-plus years have been incredibly challenging for so many communities—at home and around the world. Now more than ever, the City of Philadelphia is proud to stand with Peace Day Philly and all those who work to build and maintain peace and unity,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “This year’s theme is critical to securing peace in our communities; Racism is one of the world’s greatest scourges and it must end. In Philadelphia, as a proud welcoming city, we stand with our impacted communities and condemn all expressions of racist hate and violence, which have no place here and should not be anywhere in our nation or world. I encourage all Philadelphians to learn more about Peace Day Philly and how they can get involved in this international event that promotes and sustains peace in our communities.”
2021
“The City of Philadelphia is proud to support Peace Day Philly which fosters a message of peace and unity that’s needed now more than ever,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “I encourage all Philadelphians to learn more about this international event and how they can get involved to promote and sustain peace in our communities.”
2020
For most of us, 2020 has been fraught with unprecedented challenges to overcome. But the year is also ushering in a period of awakening and transformation. On International Day of Peace, I urge Philadelphians to reflect on what it truly means to be a city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. We must continue to come together and celebrate our humanity and our diversity. My hope is that this day of positivity fosters peace in our communities.
COMMISSIONER OUTLAW, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
2022: Peace and safety are among the highest priorities for the Philadelphia Police Department. The International Day of Peace is a perfect time for police, along with residents and community based organizations, to unite in furtherance of our goal of peace and safety. Each year, far too many are impacted by guns and gun violence. We must continue to stand together and support one another in the effort to end the unconscionable actions of some individuals in our city. The International Day of Peace is a perfect time to show this display of unity.
2021: The overall safety, peace, and well-being of the people we serve is the number-one priority of the Philadelphia Police Department. The International Day of Peace – and Peace Day Philly – serves as an important reminder that our entire community must stand in solidarity against those who seek to cause harm to those who live, work, and play in Philadelphia.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE SENATE
“Resolved that the senate recognize September 21, 2019 as the International Day of Peace; express support for its ideals and principles; and encourage Pennsylvanians to meaningfully engage in this worldwide event.” Read the full Resolution HERE.
Councilman Mark Squilla:
If we enjoy one day of peace with our neighbors, it can extend to peace every day throughout the world.
FEATURED PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Arcadia University – International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program
Participating in Peace Day Philly activities is a wonderful opportunity for us each year to stop for an hour, a day or a week and celebrate peace and the importance of the UN International Day of Peace. The International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at Arcadia University is honored to work with Peace Day Philly to bring films, speakers and special events to our campus and across Philadelphia to raise awareness and consciousness about the importance of working towards peace collectively and individually, as a program, a society and a world. Our students and community actively engage in discussions, learn about important global challenges as well as solutions to move us toward a more peaceful world.
Dialogue Institute
Peace Day Philly is a perfect example of what it means to think globally and act locally! In observance of the International Day of Peace, PDP’s local events and activities help remind us of the broken places and situations in Philadelphia and around the world where justice and peace are lacking, provide hopeful and inspiring demonstrations of what many in the area are already doing to make peace possible, and invite all of us to get (more) involved. Toward a more peaceful future, the Dialogue Institute is proud to be an ongoing partner with Peace Day Philly.
The Enough Project
Peace Day Philly has reverberations around the world. It matters to the people in displaced camps in Darfur that Philadelphia residents care about their plight and want more to be done for peace. It matters to the survivors of the genocide in the former Yugoslavia that people from Philadelphia are standing up for sustainable peace. And it matters to disadvantaged neighborhoods in Philadelphia where violence is too much a part of young people’s experience that Philly is trying to change that status quo. I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Philadelphia in support of peace in our world and in our own neighborhoods. Learn more about the ENOUGH PROJECT.
Global Citizen/Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service
Peace Day Philly is such a valuable initiative because of its ability to unite diverse groups of peacemakers for them to do something active. Peacemaking is not a passive process, and Peace Day highlights the things that have been done, and the things that have yet to be done, toward promoting active peacemaking in a way that no other initiative does. Because Peace Day Philly is organized at the local level, it’s easy to observe real results and tangible benefits to active peacemaking in a way that you might not otherwise see if it was just treated as just a globally-observed event.
Peace Praxis
“Train the Trainer” participant: “It’s exciting to learn these new skills for peaceful conflict resolution and emotional awareness that we can share with the kids in our program. Actually, we need to learn these skills, too! Peace starts with these small steps in the classroom, at work, home, and the neighborhood. We can really make a difference when we’re mindful about our feelings, thoughts, words, and actions.”
Philadelphia Sinfonia
Our daily interactions with each other shape the world as we know it. We must and should learn to interact with each other in ways that show respect and appreciation for all. Peace Day Philly’s message has such great appeal to our local, as well global communities. Our students want to help spread this universal and critically important message however we can. Music is often viewed as a “common language” we can all share and shared experiences have the power to bring us together and help us to get to know and respect each other.
PhillyRising Collaborative
As part of our Peace Day participation, residents, nonprofits, Global Citizen, city agencies and Peace Day Philly came together to reflect on peace while painting a playground, beautifying a space for children and building picnic tables to create a space for families to convene…This project was a true example of collaboration, with many people coming together to work towards a singular goal. The residents of Hawthorne were thrilled with the amount of energy that was put into their beloved park and were excited to see the results.
Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians is delighted to be collaborating with Peace Day Philly. Our mission is to help immigrant newcomers and longtime Philadelphians to become socially and economically integrated. Events like Peace Day Philly are exactly the kind of inclusive, community-focused activities that can help build cross-cultural understanding.
Letter of Support – Int’l Day of Peace NGO Committee
Letter of Support, International Cities of Peace (ICP)