22nd September 2008

Sunday was the International Day of Peace as designated by the United Nations and Greens joined many others for a World Peace Flag Ceremony in front of the Sub Rooms at 3pm. Every flag of every country was presented individually and all joined in in wishing peace in that country. John Marjoram, Stroud Mayor and organiser David Cooper both spoke powerfully to open the ceremony. See more photos and a short video here.

Here is a letter requested by teh Stroud News and Journal on the event:

Sunday 21st September was the United Nations International Day of Peace. Stroud had various events to celebrate this day, but most moving of all was the hugely colourful Peace Flag ceremony on the forecourt of the Subscription Rooms.

Mayor John Marjoram opened the event, noting that Stroud three years ago signed up to Mayors for Peace. Already well over 2000 other cities and towns in 129 countries have signed to express support for Hiroshima Mayor Araki's programme to abolish all nuclear weapons. John Marjoram echoed the UN Secretary–General words in calling us to join forces against conflict and poverty.


Then 197 flags from all countries of the world were presented individually by many of us attending the ceremony. A moment was given for each flag, wishing peace for the people in that country. Around the world, every half hour on that day, a similar ceremony was taking place with these flags, which take a group of Japanese women a year to make.

Following last year's visit to Stroud by a West Papuan Independence leader, the West Papua flag was also flown: those caught flying the flag there face a ten year jail sentence.

The Earth flag flew above us from the Sub Rooms representing unity, peace and the need to take care of our planet. Stroud is possibly the first town to fly the flag on a Council building. Four young children from the Elfin Woodcraft group in Uplands also carried an Earth flag at the end before all joined in to wave the flags in celebration of peace. Huge thanks to David Cooper and the other organisers of this powerful event.

Philip Booth

Text for International Day of Peace 21st September 2008 from John Marjoram

Intro by JM. At the end of my talk I will read out a UN declaration on human rights and peace. This event to my mind is a re-dedication of working for peace both externally and within ourselves .

I feel privileged to have been asked to address this positive and colourful gathering today , I do so in my official capacity as the elected Mayor of this town of Stroud, moreover as one of World’s Mayors for Peace members. There are now well over 2000 member cities and towns in 129 countries and include Paris, Berlin, Rome, Ottawa, Los Angeles and Sydney. Sadly Boris Johnson says that this isn’t one his priorities! Tadatoshi Akiba , the Mayor of Hiroshima, believes that the role of Mayors is raising awareness of nuclear weapons is key, given that cities are the targets of nuclear weapons. As deputy Mayor to Kevin Cranston two years ago I meet the then Mayor of Hiroshima at Aldermaston when we were demonstrating against the production of future battlefield nuclear weapons. The most depressing thing he said was that the USA was trying to get Japan to rearm.

Peace must no be seen in isolation but as a part of all our lives for it is not just the absence of war, it must be seen as working in harmony not only with other countries but with individuals and within our own communities and treating our whole Planet as something very sacred, not tobe destroyed by our greed. Yesterday in Stroud, there was the screening of eight short videos selected to mark World Peace Day and followed by a discussion of “can art promote a culture of peace”, within that discussion there was that peace wasn’t news worthy where as war, despite the long term devastation and barbarity was still seen in a glorious light and something that you did for your country. The State propaganda machines gears us up to hating other states which we saw so clearly in the current illegal wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Now the USA is gearing up to attack Iran but all states do the same thing.(more info on this during speech-War to stop all wars-19814)  One of the participants yesterday to our discussion was Mahmood Rena Sani who is a film director from Iran and his video was about going to Afghanistan seeking to find a woman he had dreamt about and the human joy and beauty he encountered in that Country. He was originally commissioned to film the war there but felt he needed to show what the ordinary peoples lives were like and the beauty of that country. Not tobe used for strategic control of the region by the west for oil.

Today is not only The International Day of Peace but this year is also the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this country it is the 50th anniversary of CND. Beyond this is the now the ever present threat of Global Warming, a lot of scientist predict that we only have 100 months to seriously cut the World’s CO2 emissions otherwise we will face a tipping point when we will not be able to stop the destruction of this planet as we know it. In my view all these things are interrelated and must be treated so. 

Declaration from Secretary–General of the UN: "There is so much to unite around on this International Day of Peace. To mobilize people around the world , the Un is launching a text message today-it reads” on 21st September , the International Day of Peace, I call on world leaders and people around the world to join forces against conflict, poverty and hunger for all”

Together , let us send a powerful signal for peace that will be read , heard and felt around the world.