On September 21, the UN designated World Peace Day is observed every year since 1981. On this day, the world body encourages countries to observe the day by adhering to ‘24 hours of non-violence’. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted in 2001 to call for ‘non-violence and ceasefire’ on this day. India has a huge legacy of contributing to world peace. In Mahatma Gandhi’s words, there is no path to peace, peace is the path. The theme of 2020 World Peace Day is ‘Shaping Peace Together’. People are encouraged to ‘celebrate the day by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, which emerged as a common enemy of the entire world and also offers us a lesson that we are all interconnected and need to work unitedly.
Peace is symbolised by a dove with an olive branch, called ‘Dove of Peace.’ It was first chosen as the emblem for the First International Peace Conference in Paris in 1949, and was taken from Legendary Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. Besides, different countries and cultures have their own symbols of peace.
Dove was used as a symbol of love and the renewal of life in Greek mythology. Early Christians also used a dove to portray baptism. As per a Biblical legend, Noah sent a dove when the flood waters receded. The bird came back with an olive leaf to show that the flood was over and that life had returned to Earth. Similarly, many Western countries also use olive branch as a symbol of peace.
Courtesy: ndtv.com