Written by Dr Jacqueline Irwin, CEO, Community Relations Council
As headlines flash with stories of conflict and unrest across the world, it's easy to feel a sense of powerlessness. Here in Northern Ireland, we know from sad experience that peace doesn’t arrive by chance; it's built with intention, action, and commitment. Our history has taught us that while the journey to peace can be long, every single step forward matters.
The International Day of Peace – 21 September 2025
The International Day of Peace on September 21 is a global reminder that we all have a role to play in constructing a more peaceful world that starts right here in our own communities.
The need for a global response to conflict was recognised by the United Nations in a unanimous resolution in 1981 to establish the International Day of Peace. “Peace Day” provides a globally shared date for all humanity to build a peaceful culture and commit to peace ahead of all our differences. Peace Day is observed around the world every year on 21 September.
The Power of Local Action
The 2025 Global Peace Day Theme is “Act Now for a Peaceful World”. The emphasis this year is on reminding us all that, in this time of turbulence and uncertainty, it is critical for everyone to take concrete action for peace.
We all have a role to play in speaking up against violence, hate, discrimination, and inequality; a role in practicing respect; and a role in recognising and embracing the diversity of our world. Since 1990 the Community Relations Council has been dedicated to building the very kind of “shared society” that the UN advocates. Central to our mission has been the distribution of funds to supports organisations throughout the region to build peace and tackle sectarianism and racism. Through one of our funds, the Core Fund Scheme, this year alone, CRC has invested £1.25 million in 28 peacebuilding organisations.
On our website you will find lots of other examples of projects working in cities, town, villages and rural areas across our region designed to improve community relations, recognise our cultural diversity and contribute to a global culture of peace. And this work can often take the form of small, local projects funded by our small grant scheme, perhaps a gardening project with people from different traditions coming together to cultivate relationships as well as plants. Or through creative arts and crafts when people from different cultural backgrounds meet and develop trust and understanding of each other. These are examples of ways to build bridges between people whilst undertaking enjoyable projects, and it's in our own communities that these ideas come to life every day.
Whether it be through education, the arts, social justice, sports, health, the environment, neighbourhood issues, or service for others, there are many ways to participate in the International Day of Peace. Peace Day encourages us to listen to voices different from our own and to recognise and act whenever we can by taking part in discussions about the need for understanding, non-violence, and disarmament; volunteering in our community; challenging discriminatory language in our workplace and elsewhere; reporting online and off-line bullying; taking the time to verify facts before posting or reposting on social media; purchasing from socially-conscious brands; or donating to organisations that promote sustainability and human rights.
The Global Effort to prevent and respond to Conflict
The United Nations itself works in these and many other ways to lead and support global efforts to advance human rights, fight climate change, and prevent and respond to conflict. UN peacekeepers work in difficult and dangerous conditions around the world and since their first mission in 1948 in the Middle East, over two million people have served under the UN flag. At the 2005 World Summit, UN Member States established the Peacebuilding Commission to help countries recover and rebuild after conflict. Through the Peacebuilding Commission, backed by voluntary contributions from Member States, the United Nations works to address poverty, inequality, discrimination, and injustice which are all potential drivers of violence. Through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (which the Community Relations Council used as the focus to underpin Good Relations Week 2022), the United Nations supports the efforts of countries to increase prosperity, raise health and living standards, and end all forms of discrimination and injustice.
Think Globally about Peace and Act Locally Now
The International Day of Peace is a global call to actions to create a culture of peace. The Community Relations Council and the organisations we fund has been answering that call for decades, investing in projects that build peace in our communities. Our small part of the world is a living testament to the fact that a shared society should not simply be a distant dream or hope, but also a daily commitment and practice. On this Peace Day, we urge you to find your role. Whether through a small act of kindness, a challenging conversation, a simple decision to listen, or participation in local community projects, your action is a vital thread in the fabric of peace. Whatever you decide to do for peace, as our own history has shown, it will all be well worth doing.
Find out more about the Peace Day initiative here: https://internationaldayofpeace.org/.