Tomorrow, Sat., Sept. 21, is Peace One Day.  What is Peace One Day?  Take a look:

As Jeremy Gilley points out in the video, Peace One Day is an organization and movement to promote world peace for one day – September 21st – each year.  The accomplishments are wonderful, even bring the Taliban to make promises of peace for this day!

Seeing things like this is moving and inspiring.  Yet, it always leaves us with the question – what does this mean for us as people living in Mexico, or just human beings living our day to day lives?

The good news is that, as Jeremy points out, peace and Peace One Day isn’t just about the United Nations, big international treaties and wars on the other end of the world; it’s about us, regular people caring and getting involved.

Peace for Mexico

Every country has its own acts of violence to address and clean up.  Let me address some of Mexico’s.

While we’ve pointed out, Mexico’s drug wars are often exaggerated in the media.  Yet, especially in certain pockets in the north of the country, there are villages have been ravaged by feuding gangs.  In these same areas there are people who’ve got themselves involved in these conflicts and live their lives in tense fear.  These people need peace.  While there isn’t much we can do about this, simply thinking of them on Saturday is worthwhile.

Then there are cases of domestic violence.  This happens everywhere, but in much of Mexico, the country’s laws against it (which do exist!) are not well enforced if enforced at all.  These people need peace and perhaps any one of us has the chance to reach out.

 
Peace can also mean not living in hunger and having decent shelter. Besides showing support for the efforts that Jeremy talks about, this one of the most direct and concrete ways anyone living in Mexico can offer a token of peace to those around them.  Getting involved in helping the poor not only helps reduce crime but also brings comfort and peace to the lives of many who need it the most.

Let’s make peace a way of life, and as part of that, let’s take this special day to spread the message of peace to everyone we can!

-by Bea Lozano