SIERRA
LEONE
(2003
World Peace Prayer Society Report)
FREETOWN,
SIERRA LEONE
World
Conference on Children for Peace -WCCP
International Day of Peace Celebrations
21st September 2003
Number
of participants: 150
The
World Conference on Children for Peace celebrated the International
Day of Peace by planting and dedicating a six-sided Peace Pole at
the SOS Children's Village Freetown.
The master of ceremony was the coordinator of the Children for Peace
Awareness Club at the Government Independent Secondary School, Mr.
Hassan. The ceremony started with a Muslim prayer, which was said
by Mr. Christopher Konowa, followed by the Christian prayer by Miss
Sawanneh. The programme coordinator of WCCP, Mr. Alie Kamara, introduced
the chairman of the ceremony, Mr. Donald During, a broadcaster at
the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service. In his opening remarks, he
spoke on the role of parents, children, teachers, youth groups and
leaders in creating a Culture of Peace.
The
National Youth Resettle Officer, Mr. Geneh Morriba, spoke about peace
as the reason for the foundation of the SOS Villages and how peace
matters not only to the SOS Villages but also to the world as a whole.
The Executive Director of WCCP, Mr. Ibrahim Koroma, spoke about the
culture of violence in which he stated that the concept and practice
of peace must resolve and permeate several layers of special units.
First is the individual, then the family, followed by the community,
nation and finally the international community. He also explained
about the current culture of violence based on distrust, suspicion,
intolerance, injustice, hatred and inability to interact constructively
with others must be replaced by a new culture based on non-violence,
tolerance, mutual understanding, solidarity, and pacifism - to love
peace is not hate violence because love is not hate.
The Children for Peace (C4P) and Youth for Peace (Y4P) Awareness Clubs
were formally launched by Mr. Bosco Nhabay, the Acting Village Director
of the SOS Village Freetown. In his remarks before launching the peace
club, he encouraged children and youth who are going become peace
ambassadors that they now have a greater task and a set goal to achieve
which entails their efforts, courage and total commitment as a peacemakers
and a peacekeepers. Mr. Nhabay launched the peace clubs and though
all the children and youth of SOS Freetown volunteered to become peace
ambassadors, yet still, only some of them were chosen to be the peace
ambassadors representing SOS Freetown, but the membership remains
open. After the launching of the peace club, the peace pledge was
read and Zainab Yusuf spoke on behalf of the club that they as children
are committed to peace.
Miss
Julicia Wright, the mother speaker, explained how happy they are for
their children's involvement in peace building and that they the parents
will give their fullest support to make a reality.
At 12:00 noon the village bell was rung thrice, each followed by the
pronouncement of the non-sectarian prayer "MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH".
The unveiling and dedication of the Peace Pole by the SOS Village
Mother, Mrs. Labour, followed this.
At 14:00 hrs a peace football match between the staffs of SOS and
WCCP was played which ended by one goal to nil by SOS over WCCP. Refreshment
was provided by WCCP and SOS.
MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH.
Ibrahim Koroma
2003
World Peace Prayer Society Compilation
PICTORAL
ARCHIVE OF PREVIOUS PEACE DAY EVENTS
Africa | Asia
| Europe |
North America
| Oceania
| South
America | UN
& Global
May
Peace Prevail On Earth
