Montreal, September 21, 2021 - Each year, on this day, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world. The UN General Assembly has declared this day as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.
The celebration of the International Day of Peace took place in Beaudet Park, also known as "Peace Park", under a bright sun, in a warm, friendly and respectful atmosphere in the presence of elected officials, including Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa and members of the Saint-Laurent Council, a dozen representatives of institutions and community organizations in the borough, the Saint-Laurent Intercultural Committee of the COSSL (Saint-Laurent Committee of Social Organizations), the Bahá’í Community of Montreal and several distinguished guests.
The improvement of the sanitary conditions in Quebec having allowed the reopening of the schools and following sanitary instructions, the students of the schools of Saint-Laurent did not participate in the celebration. However, a message of Love and Unity was addressed to them by Gigi Vidal, the representative of the Intercultural Committee of Saint-Laurent and the Bahá'í Community of Montreal:
“Youth are our ambassadors and peace builders! Together you can change the world! Congratulations on your messages of commitment to peace! We wish you health and success in your studies.”
A message of deep gratitude for their courage and resilience was also expressed to all those who are still working tirelessly on the front line, the health care staff, the community organizations and the volunteers who continue to provide services to the population.
“May our relations with our fellow human beings always be marked by love and harmony, by the most friendly and fraternal spirit. So powerful is the light of unity that it can illumine the whole earth.”
Alan DeSousa, for whom the theme of peace, community safety and a green and sustainable economy are topics very close to his heart, stressed the importance of "starting with simple gestures such as maintaining good relations with our neighbours, keeping our street clean or offering help to an elderly person in our neighbourhood."
For almost two decades, our administration has been multiplying initiatives to become a leader in this field," added the borough's mayor, "and we are reaping the results with, for example, 310 housing units in 2020, almost all plan for LEED certification, an agent approved by the Urban Planning Advisory Committee. And what about the 657 new trees planted in 2020 alone! In Saint-Laurent, every little thing counts.”
The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”. We invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations family as we focus on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful world. Celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic, and as we recover.
All those who contributed to the success of this ceremony were warmly thanked for their commitment and support in promoting peace: the children of the Bon courage Community Centre and Cari Saint-Laurent for their collective work, the students of the École internationale des apprenants for their poem and poster, the poet Ranim Natout of Cari, the team of Salua Said Abbas and Céline Goudreau for the peace mural and the Lions International Foundation for their Peace Poster Contest!