Today, the world observes the International Day of Peace, a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, September 21 was designated in 2001 as an annual day of global ceasefire and nonviolence.

This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” reminds us that peace is not created only by governments or institutions. It is built every day by ordinary people, in our homes, our communities, our relationships, and through the choices we make.

For those of us who walk the path of ahimsa, this message has particular meaning.

Peace is not passive.

It is a way of living.

Mahatma Gandhi taught that nonviolence begins within the individual and extends outward into our relationships, our communities, and ultimately the world. His grandson, Arun Gandhi, carried that teaching forward throughout his life, reminding us that each of us participates every day in either creating violence or creating peace.

To invest in peace can begin with the smallest of choices.

It is found in how we speak when we disagree.
How carefully we listen.
How we respond when we are hurt.
How we treat someone who sees the world differently.
How we care for children, elders, animals, and the Earth.
How willing we are to replace anger with understanding and indifference with compassion.

These may seem like small acts when measured against the conflicts of the world. Yet peace has always been built through human beings making different choices.

Planting the Seeds of Peace

At Ahimsa Peace Institute, we often speak of planting seeds of love, kindness, compassion, and ahimsa.

There is something beautifully literal about planting a tree on the International Day of Peace.

A tree begins with something small. It requires care, patience, nourishment, and time. Its roots grow where they cannot be seen before its branches can offer shade to others.

Peace grows much the same way.

The peaceful word spoken today may change a relationship tomorrow. The kindness shown to a child may be carried into another generation. An act of forgiveness may end a conflict that otherwise would have continued. A lesson in nonviolence may become a way of life.

We do not always get to see what grows from the seeds we plant.

We plant them anyway.

Everyone. Everywhere. Every Day.

Perhaps that is the greatest invitation contained within this year’s International Day of Peace.

Peace belongs to everyone.

Peace can be practiced everywhere.

And peace requires something from us every day.

Today, plant something.

Plant a tree or a flower. Plant kindness where there has been division. Plant understanding where there has been judgment. Plant forgiveness where hurt has taken root. Plant hope where someone has lost it.

And perhaps most importantly, plant peace within yourself.

As we nurture these seeds in our homes, families, schools, communities, and across nations, we help cultivate the world we wish to leave to those who follow us.

Peace is not simply a destination somewhere in the future. It is something we invest in today.

On this International Day of Peace, may each of us plant one more seed of ahimsa.

And may we trust that, with enough hands tending the garden, those seeds can grow into a more peaceful world.

Happy International Day of Peace.