International Day of Peace Day marks opportunity to make positive change with symposium

September 21 marked the International Day of Peace (Peace Day), and according to the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security as there is a window of opportunity to positively change the course of the world.

“At this moment in history we are divided by many ideologies, approaches and actions. Our world has been dominated by greed and individualism. Today marks a moment to reflect and think about the world we want to leave for generations to come, to think about the one thing that should unite us in our quest for international peace, children,” stated the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security.

Peace Day is observed around the world each year on September 21. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.

The Dallaire Initiative changed its name to the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, after they received institute status as part of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada.

In its tenth year at Dalhousie University, the newly relaunched Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, calls upon the international community to support a Children’s Rights Upfront Approach to achieving global peace and security.

“A Children’s Rights Upfront approach sees the world through the perspective of children’s needs and priorities. It recognizes that children’s protection from violence and war must be our priority if we are to break cycles of violence and achieve peace and security. This requires concerted efforts to build collaboration and effective action towards global peace,” stated the Institute.

Through their Children’s Rights Upfront approach, the Children, Peace and Security agenda will address the complex factors that make children vulnerable to recruitment and use in violence.

They continued to explain that while enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, continued conflict, and political unease, it is more important than ever to shift to a new normal, one that requires everyone to collectively shape a children’s peace and security agenda.

The Dallaire Institute is actively contributing to the pursuit of new knowledge, innovative partnerships, and action-oriented solutions, which will form the foundation for a new pathway to peace.

This will be done through their second annual Knowledge for Prevention (K4P) International Symposium that will be held virtually from September 28 to October 2, 2020.

The symposium intends to bring together a global collective of academics, practitioners, and policymakers to create a dialogue around themes critical to the global peace agenda, including women, peace and security, early warning, and the centrality of preventing the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, to collectively contribute to achieving a children, peace and security agenda.

Following a keynote address from the Minister of National Defence, Harjit Singh Sajjan, this year’s symposium will feature an opening dialogue moderated by Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director of the Dallaire Institute, with LGen (ret’d) Roméo Dallaire, Founder of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, Virginia Gamba, United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and Masai Ujiri, Founder of the Giants of Africa and the President of the Toronto Raptors.

The institute is calling upon academics, practitioners, policymakers, and the general public to join them in discussions as they move towards creating peace.

Join their conversation here.