Rome (Italy). The International Day of Peace, established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly to strengthen national and international commitment to peace, is celebrated on 21 September 2025 through educational and awareness-raising activities.
The Day comes this year at a particularly difficult historical moment, with more than 60 active armed conflicts around the world and the consequent worsening of violence against civilians, with mass displacement and profound humanitarian crises.
As in any conflict, children are the most vulnerable. The United Nations reports that over 473 million children live in conflict-affected areas having their rights denied. In addition to not having the opportunity to go to school or adequate medical care, they suffer from chronic malnutrition and are often victims of violence.
In this context, the word PEACE takes on a deeper meaning. Peace, in fact, is not just the absence of war, but a fundamental condition for guaranteeing the rights, dignity, and security of every individual. On this International Day of Peace, it is therefore important to reflect on how every single choice of the community, institutions, and governments can be the basis of a dialogue to support those who are committed to building a world of peace, where everyone’s rights are respected.
VIDES International and the Fundation FVGS ETS welcome the invitation of Pope Leo XIV who urges us to “reject the logic of violence and war, to embrace an authentic peace, founded on love and justice.” As the Pontiff underlines, announcing the theme of the Message for the Day of Peace 2026, it is essential to build a peace that is not just the absence of weapons, but which is “unarmed” – therefore not based on fear or the threat of weapons – and “disarming”, as it is able to resolve conflicts and open hearts, generating trust and empathy. In fact, it is not enough to say that we want a world at peace, but, as Leo XIV recalls, “we must embody peace in a lifestyle that rejects any form of violence, visible or structural.”
With this objective, the FVGS ETS Foundation promoted the “PEACE in Myanmar – Educating for peace in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis” project in Myanmar by supporting the peace-building process in Myanmar through multiple and diversified activities of education to peace and conflict-resolution aimed at civil society.
Specifically, didactic and educational workshops aimed at children and young people have been organized to encourage the development of fraternal and cordial relationships; seminars held by experts to promote peace and reconciliation also at an inter-generational level; formation and prayer meetings to encourage civil society to resolve conflicts non-violently. The FVGS and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians have worked in synergy to promote peace through non-violent communication, conflict transformation of conflicts, and peace practices between children, young people, and families living in the midst of war.
At the same time, VIDES International over the years has dedicated itself with commitment to promoting solidarity and development projects, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge, skills, and fundamental values such as tolerance, fraternity, and overcoming of prejudices, stereotypes, and discrimination. Thanks to the holistic education promoted by VIDES through its initiatives, communities are involved in a process of participation and active citizenship, called to work together to build more peaceful and inclusive societies.
The mission of VIDES International, FVGS, and the FMA is precisely to cultivate a culture of peace, providing individuals and communities with the tools to build understanding, empathy, inclusiveness, and collaboration.
On this International Day of Peace, may the greeting of the Risen Christ resonate, “Peace be with you” (Cf. John 20:19), the first greeting from Pope Leo at his election to the throne of Peter, with the desire that peace enter into all hearts and reach families, and an invitation addressed to everyone –believer and non-believer, politician or citizen, woman, man or child – so that together we may build a future of peace.
