#PEACEJAM2020 – Shaping peace together

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The 21st of September is the UN International Day of Peace. Each year on this day the peace initiative #defyhatenow organises a #peacejam aimed at reinforcing peacebuilding efforts and creating a network for diverse actors in the peacebuilding process to share ideas.

A #Peacejam is an informal gathering of people, usually online, that includes  activities and performances, such as  music, poetry, and open forum discussions,  with the  aim of supporting peacebuilding. 

This year’s International Peace Day came together  under the theme of Shaping Peace Together, echoing  one of the r0g agency’s core philosophies of DIWO (Do It With Others).

#Defyhatenow crafted this year’s Peace Day #peacejam with a special focus on creating digital ecosystems that aid  cooperation amongst peacebuilders. Social media plays an important role in shaping, sharing in, and building peace efforts through fostering safe digital spaces that allow  people from different backgrounds to share their ideas about peace.

In the context of this years #peacejam, which was held as a live stream conference, CSOs, partners of #defyhatenow, along with the general public, discussed issues relating to  trauma healing, the role of social media in conflict and peacebuilding, and the specific role and challenges of women and girls in peacebuilding.

 

Other activities that took place in the context of the #peacejam included:

#paint4peace, in which people posted photos of themselves  holding up signs of peace and posted these under  #peacejam2020

#Art4Peace; highlighting the importance of art in peacebuilding efforts. https://defyhatenow.org/shaping-peace-together-art4peace/

One of the participants in the open forum discussion beautifully summed up the reality that has defined  #defyhatenow’s efforts since its  inception in 2014: “Peace is not an event, it is a journey.”

We are here to support this journey for all humankind l by spreading kindness, hope, compassion, truth, and sharing a few music tunes when we can. On that note, we invite you to listen to some of the music from our #kifaya project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTUmvr_vDYw

 

Article by Cornilius