UB observes UN International Day of Peace

In a world where the media daily reports news of human conflict and prejudice of all kinds including racial, gender, class, political and religious prejudice, Mongolia’s annual celebration of UN International day of Peace on September 21st stands out as a call for unity and peace. On this day the United Nations calls for people around the world to devote a specific time to focussing their efforts on promoting the ideals of peace. This will be the ninth year that different religious communities in Mongolia cooperated with the United Nations by joining countries throughout the world in observing the 28th United Nations International Day of Peace. During the day of Tuesday September 21st, each of the religious communities in Mongolia held prayers and meditations for peace in their various places of worship, culminating in a joint programme of prayers from all faiths around the Peace Bell in Sukhbaatar Square at 18.30 p.m. This ceremony was opened by
Ms Sezin Sinanoglu, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Mongolia. She read a Peace Message from the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-
Moon, and the event was closed by Mr. Tsedendamba, representing the President of Mongolia’s Council of Religious Affairs. On the evening of Monday, September 20th, Brahma Kumaris Mongolia prepared for UN International Day of Peace by hosting a Meditation for World Peace at the Brahma Kumaris Center in the Sukhbaatar District.
Prayers and Meditations on Tuesday September 21 at which all were welcome to participate, took place in the Meditation Room at Shedrup Ling at the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition and continue at Dashchoiling Monastery, the Ananda Yoga Meditation Centre in the Sukhbaatar District, at the Baha’i Centre (Sukhbaatar District), at the Federation of Mongolian Muslim
Associations in the Bayangol District, and at the Cathedral of Saint Peter and
Saint Paul Cathedral, Amgalan. This simple ceremony demonstrated that peace is central to the spiritual teachings of all faiths, and echoes the ringing of the Peace Bell at the United Nations Headquarters every year on the International Day
of Peace. The Peace Bell in New York was cast in 1954 from coins donated
by children from 60 countries and was a gift from the UN Association of Japan. For half a century, the bell has sent a powerful message around the world about humankind’s aspiration for peace. In Mongolia our own Peace Bell was rung that day to remind ourselves of the oneness of humankind, the oneness of all religions and the need for peace, unity and tolerance among the peoples of the world.

Source:Mongol Messenger, English Weekly of Montsame-state run News Agency of Mongolia