International Day of Peace

Today is International Day of Peace. The Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 for "commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples".

Initially it was decided that the opening day of the General Assembly - third Tuesday of September-be observed as the International Day of Peace.

The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.

Twenty years later, in September 2001, the General Assembly decided that, beginning in 2002 the International Day of Peace shall be observed on September 21 each year.

It also declared that the Day shall, henceforth, be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and peoples to honour the cessation of hostilities throughout the day.

Every year on Peace Day, the Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarters in New York.

The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents.

The inscription on its side reads "Long live absolute world peace". The bell is a gift from Japan to the United Nations.