International Day of Peace

September 21 is the International Day of Peace, which is observed around the world each year. The UN General Assembly declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. The declaration this year says “achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms. It requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally.” Take a look at the following resources for ways to explore the ideals of peace:

• Explore titles and resources for books recognized by the Jane Addams Children's Book Awards for promoting peace, social justice, world community, and equality. Then listen to this Meet-the-Author Recording with Tanya Lee Stone for The House That Jane Built to learn about Jane Addams, the person behind the award and the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

• Consider titles and resources from these curated lists focused on themes of peace:

  • Unity. Kindness. Peace. by Association for Library Service to Children
  • Peace and Social Justice by Cooperative Children's Book Center

• Delve into this guest blog post by Uma Krishnaswami on Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World, then try some activities from this reading group guide.

• Introduce your students to a woman who left everything behind to walk across the country and back promoting peace with this book trailer for Walking Toward Peace: The True Story of a Brave Woman Called Peace Pilgrim.

• Watch this book trailer for Peaceful Pieces: Poems and Quilts about Peace and use it as a prompt for students to think about what peace means. Have students draw or write their reflection, or use another activity idea from this reader’s guide.

• Encourage students to think about what we each can do to bring peace into our lives after listening to the Meet-the-Illustrator Recording with Estelí Meza for Peace.

• Inspire readers with the Meet-the-Illustrator Recording for Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace about Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai and her important work.