Press Statement On the occasion of the International Day of Peace
“Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.” Article 28, UDHR
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of Peace which was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. In 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. The commemorations this year run under 2020 theme “Shaping Peace Together.” The day will be celebrated by spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the pandemic.
ZimRights has set the week from 21 September to 27 September to reflect on the work of our communities in advancing the cause of peace in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our Right to Peace Campaign, we hope to achieve the following:
– BULD community understanding of peace as a human right
– ACTIVATE the positive peace potential of local communities
– LINK community peace potential with national peace architecture for the attainment of sustainable peace
When we understand that Peace is a fundamental human right whose foundation is in the Bill of Rights, we will embrace the consequent obligation to build it.
In building peace, we pay attention to the ever increasing threats to peace coming mainly from the multiple crises Zimbabwe currently faces. The COVID 19 health crisis has triggered a series of other crises in Zimbabwe. These are the governance crisis, the human rights crisis as well as the political crisis.
Despite the national character of these crises, every community experiences these different. We will therefore be having a series of conversations on our media platforms aimed at identifying and finding solutions to the current threats to peace.
If you want to participate in this important initiative, please email on the details above or visit our social media platforms.
