“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only love can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. - Martin Luther King Jr.

 

September 21, 2015 was celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Peace, which is also known as World Ceasefire Day. This year’s commemoration, “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All”, highlighted the “importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace” according to the United Nations website. September 21 was the day when states and citizens alike were specifically urged to lay down their weapons and reflect on what is happening around them – especially all the chaos and destruction – to raise awareness on the importance of values such as compassion and unity despite our differences as keys to a world of love and not hate.

 

The Carolinian Circle of young Diplomats took part in this commemoration through sharing #imsorry and #InternationalDayofPeace posts, sharing photos online, as well as interviewing fellow Carolinians on their thoughts on peace, including Carolinian Political Science Society (CPSS) Adviser Ms. Melissa Lagat. One interesting answer was that of SBE President Bret Balbuena when he said: “I think that peace is relative to our perceptions. To a war-torn state, it is the absence of hostility, conflict and discord. To a father, it is knowing that his daughter is safe from any form of harm. To me, it is carpe diem - seizing the day. Ultimately, peace is perspective”.