MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
Peace is something noble and necessary to achieve, and the only practical path to a better and fairer world for everyone.
Yet in many places, in many contexts, we fail to realize peace.
This year's International Day of Peace theme - "End Racism, build Peace" - reminds us of the many ways racism poisons people's hearts and minds, and erodes the peace we all seek.
Racism robs people of their rights and dignity. It fuels inequality and distrust. And it drives people further apart, at a time when we should be coming together, as one human family, to repair our fractured world.
Instead of fighting each other, we must work to defeat our true enemies: racism, poverty, inequality, conflict, the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
We must tear down the structures that sustain racism and uplift human rights movements everywhere.
And we must drown out the evil voices of hate speech with a united and sustained call for truth, understanding and mutual respect.
On this momentous day, a time to observe 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire, we renew our call to all people to do more than lay down their arms.
We ask everyone to reaffirm the bonds of solidarity we share as human beings and come together to build a better, more peaceful world.
Speech by
António Guterres
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
