Ontario Day of Peace Proclamation - UNACTO / IHTEC

March 22, 2010 saw the launch of the "Ontario Day of Peace - for Peace & Sustainability Education" Proclamation at Queen's Park, Ontario, Canada by the United Nations Association in Canada - Toronto Region Branch and IHTEC.

150 people witnessed the reading by Julia Morton-Marr. Melinda Rooke, Chair, UNACTO Environment Committee and Georgina Bencsik with other members of UNACTO organized this event.

Below is the draft Ontario Peace Day Proclamation which is now in the process of being developed into a Private Members Bill.

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United Nations Association in Canada, Toronto Region Branch


PROCLAMATION FOR ONTARIO PEACE DAY

Whereas each 21st day of September is celebrated and observed world-wide as ‘International Day of Peace’ as established by the United Nations by A/Res/36/67, 30 November 1981, which has been widely accepted across Canada and the world; and

Whereas the United Nations Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non Violence for Children 2001 - 2010 Resolution A/55/47 adopted by the General Assembly on 29 November 2000 finishes at the end of this year, and

Whereas the United Nations Decade for Sustainable Development and Education 2004 -2014, General Assembly Resolution A/RES/59/237 , is currently at the mid-point of the Decade (UNDESD 2005-2009); and given that United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a 5 year International Congress which unanimously endorsed the ‘Bonn Declaration’; and given that the Declaration (subsequently unanimously endorsed by UNESCO) emphasizes the need for improved educational efforts worldwide regarding food security, health, biodiversity, climate change, lifestyle changes, risk reduction, healthy water, and sustainable economies and peace education; and

Whereas the 2009 United Nations Conference on Climate Change was held in Copenhagen, 7 - 19 December 2009, and noting the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol was popularly known this time as COP15 which resulted in the Copenhagen Climate Accord; and

Whereas the United Nations 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations Resolution A/RES/61/203, with a view to bringing greater international attention to bear on the issue of the continued loss of biodiversity and recalling the need to expedite the implementation of the Global Initiative on Communication, Education and Public Awareness of the Convention on Biological Diversity; and

Whereas deeply concerned that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented climate catastrophe and is also severely and increasingly threatened by deforestation, rapid species extinction, soil erosion, desertification, air and water pollution, scarcities of water, energy, and other valuable resources, and environmental threats, which are to be addressed by the “United Nations Earth Summit 2012 - Sustainable Development the Peace of the Future”, commonly know as Rio+20; and

Whereas long term existence of human civilization must be the main value in Peace and Sustainability Education and curriculum decision-making for the future, recognizing some progress is being achieved, but by proclaiming ‘Ontario Peace Day’ and ‘Canada Peace Day’ the Government of Ontario will include all citizens of Ontario and Canada in peace and sustainability education; and

Whereas, as a precedent for the world, the City of Toronto, Canada recognized 21 September, 2009 as “ International Day of Peace in Toronto” to “translate humanity's aspirations for world peace into a reality for future generations”; and also, the state of Hawaii, USA recognized 21 September, 2008 as “Hawaii Peace Day” in Resolution No. 08-57 “to promote peace programs, improve international relations and increase educational awareness of peace” and that everyone in Hawaii is “encouraged to observe and celebrate Peace Day”;

Accordingly, we, the undersigned, urge action by all Ministers & departments of education within Governments; Universities; Colleges; Schools and Local Communities, to:

a) Implement United Nations Day 21 September as Ontario Peace Day to promote and foster the implementation of peace and sustainability education.

b) Educate for long term peace and sustainability, using interdisciplinary methods to instill values of environmental stewardship.

c) Increase awareness of issues of deforestation and forest degradation, the increasing agricultural land use for housing, roads and other non-agricultural purposes; and other global issues such as climate change, water reduction, ozone depletion, and acidification of oceans.

Update: Oct 27.