Email | Print

Comment

Recommend this story (*)

[-]Text[+]

• Private girls school students celebrate Peace One Day with a special ceremony

Students from Al-Mizhar American Academy for Girls (AAG) yesterday celebrated ‘Peace One Day’ to mark the global initiative that is spreading throughout the world. All grades took part in activities organized by the grade 10 students in an effort to raise awareness and build hope that one day we can all live in a peaceful world. 
 
Students at AAG painted a large mural which everyone in the school signed, painted faces, designed t-shirts and individually expressed what peace means to them. The students also hosted parents and teachers to a special Iftar where guests lit candles in the name of peace. All the activities incorporated a fundraising element with all proceeds going to ‘Doctors without Borders’, an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971.
 
Students started their school day with a presentation by the grade 10 students on what peace day is and why it is important to them. As grade 9 students last year, the girls were introduced to the concept of Peace One Day and took it upon themselves to spread the message of peace with the hope that one day, the entire UAE would celebrate and take part in the special day.   
 
“Peace One Day is a fun event that gathers all the students together and challenges them to do something beneficial to society,” explained Aysha Khaled Al Thani, a 10^th grader. “I believe that we are no different from other children all around the world, therefore we have to work together to help others in need. We girls can make a change and Peace One Day is the start to it.”
 
Yasmine Farhat, an 11^th grader, agrees. “In today’s society there’s a lot of violence and this region is especially affected. Instead of using war to solve conflicts there are other ways and Peace One Day helps us remember that. This day is also a lot of fun. Being a part of something important, something we can all work towards, helps us build a better future.”
 
The students at AAG hope that their message of peace will become contagious. Next year they plan on rolling it out across all their sister Taaleem schools and then eventually across the UAE.
 
Principal Delice Scotto is very proud of the great effort her students have made and the momentum they are building for such an important cause. “I was very impressed with the research and commitment the students have shown,” she says. “They had the foresight to begin planning for this event last June and have been driven to make it work. At Taaleem we are trying to develop global citizens and these girls prove that we are succeeding.”
 
About the evening’s Iftar, Delice compares it to a large family gathering. “What better time to promote peace than Ramadan. The Iftar will have parents, teachers and students together celebrating the theme of peace. At AAG we feel like we are all part of a great big family.”
 
In 1999 filmmaker Jeremy Gilley decided to try and establish the first ever Day of Peace with a fixed calendar date. In September 2001 the Member States of the United Nations unanimously adopted the first-ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence—Peace Day, 21 September.
 
Learn more about Peace One Day at www.peaceoneday.org.

Email | Print

RECOMMEND THIS STORY

Your Vote 1 2 3 4 5

Average Rating

Add your own comment: