MU residence hall observes Peace Day with clothing collection and symbols of peace

by Maggie Hardwick, posted Oct. 4, 2011

The sound of a bell rings out at the United Nations Headquarters. This bell is made of coins contributed by children from all over the world to remind the world of the human cost of war. It is rung every year on Sept. 21 to celebrate International Peace Day.

According to the International Day of Peace website, the day was established in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly of the U.N. The first Peace Day was celebrated a year later in September 1982. This year marked the 29-year anniversary of Peace Day being celebrated.

"Peace and democracy are inextricably linked," according to the U.N. website. "Together, they form a partnership that promotes the well-being of all. Embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, democracy supports an environment for a host of political rights and civil liberties."

Sept. 21 is also a global day of ceasefire. This can help aid workers get food, water and medical supplies to citizens in areas of need that are caught in the middle of war. A full day of ceasefire can also give hope to the people who must live in areas of war and conflict.

Peace Day can be celebrated in many ways. Some people display doves as decoration or worn as badges. Some people meditate, some people observe a moment of silence, but many people celebrate in their own ways.

"I organized an International Day of Peace booth in the Defoe-Graham lobby where residents could pick up information and peace doves to hang on their doors," said Jordan Glasgow, MU junior political science major. "Personally, I just reflected on what the day means for society and how it affects my personal life."

The Defoe-Graham Residence Hall celebrated Peace Day in its own special way this year. Residents of the hall set boxes around the main lobby for donors to place clothes in. The clothing went to the True North Women's Shelter, a local Columbia business. The drive went from Sept. 21 until Sept. 28.

"It's important to give back," said Katie Hanson, freshman social work major and Defoe-Graham resident. "We've been given so much and other people don't have enough."

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