Social

Home page

Social

UN Chief Message for International Day of Non-Violence

02 October 2012 15:52 (UTC +04:00)

Baku Anakhanym Hidayatova-APA. The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for building a world of nonviolence and lasting peace on occasion of International Day of Non-Violence. The U.N. office in Baku told APA.

U.N. chief noted in his message that he had the privilege of paying his respects at the Raj Ghat memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi earlier this year:â€ Gandhiâ€™s vision and example showed how one person can change the world. In tribute to his enduring legacy, we mark this International Day of Non-Violence each year on the anniversary of his birthâ€.

â€œAs we look around the world, tolerance is being tested,â€ he said. â€œFighting is taking a heavy toll from Afghanistan to Syria to the Sahel. The economic crisis is fuelling xenophobia and other forms of dangerous â€“ and deadly â€“ discrimination. Terrorism, human trafficking, rights abuses and violence against women threaten millions of people.I have made prevention a key priority in the five-year action agenda of the United Nations. But prevention means more than separating warring parties and cooling tensions. Fundamentally tackling the roots of conflict and intolerance will take a culture of non-violence and peace, â€œ he added.

Ban Ki-moon called on governments to struggle against violences: â€œGovernments must lead. But ultimately, the foundation for non-violence will be built by people: teachers and faith leaders, parents and community voices, business people and grass-roots groups Let us take strength from all of these efforts and work together to build a world of nonviolence and lasting peaceâ€.