International Day of Peace 2025: Choosing Peace in a Restless World

“Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is the presence of justice, law, order ‒ of good government.” Those words, expressed by Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, echoes across decades, and feels almost uncomfortably relevant in 2025. Today, on the International Day of Peace, we are reminded that peace is not just about silencing guns. It is about building systems and relationships that allow people to live with dignity, fairness, and hope.

But here’s the challenge: how do you talk about peace in a world where violence and division often dominate the headlines? On 21 September, the world observes the International Day of Peace. Some may dismiss it as just another UN calendar event, but this year’s theme “Act Now for a Peaceful World” is far from a slogan. It speaks directly to the challenges we face in 2025, a year marked by conflict, economic stress, climate uncertainty, and rising political polarisation. Even within the UK, the sense of social tension is palpable, from disputes over inequality and migration to the struggles of communities grappling with cost-of-living pressures.

So why should this day matter? Because peace is not an abstract concern reserved for international negotiations. It shapes everyday realities, from the stability of economies to the unity of local communities. Whether in London, Lagos, or Lahore, questions of peace touch education, housing, healthcare, and the opportunities available to the next generation. In the UK, debates around fairness, inclusion, and community integration show that the work of building peace is as relevant at home as it is abroad.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres puts it plainly: “Peace doesn’t happen by accident. It is forged.” And forged by whom? Not only by governments, but by all of us. That is what gives this year’s theme its weight. Action cannot wait for some future moment of stability. The responsibility for peace begins where we live and work, in the decisions we make and the conversations we choose to have.

What does that mean in practice? For individuals, it could be as simple as refusing to inflame hostility in online debates or taking time to understand rather than react. For communities, it might mean supporting initiatives that welcome people, volunteering with charities that strengthen social ties, or backing projects that give young people alternatives to division. For academics, the responsibilities are distinctive: producing research that challenges exclusion, teaching that cultivates critical thinking about justice and cooperation, and using expertise to inform public policy. In other words, turning scholarship into tools for a more peaceful society. Small acts matter because peace is cumulative ‒layered from the ground up until it becomes strong enough to hold.

Critics may argue that a day of awareness cannot end wars or heal divisions. That is true, but it misses the point. The International Day of Peace is not designed to provide instant solutions; it is meant to remind us that peace is never automatic. Delay carries consequences. Climate breakdown, economic inequality, and displacement, with more than 122 million people currently dislodged by war, persecution, or disasters, show us that waiting only makes the task harder.

This day functions as both commemoration and critique. It commemorates the aspiration for a world without violence, while also critiquing the gaps between global rhetoric and lived realities. Perhaps the challenge, then, is to stop thinking of peace as something lofty and distant. Instead, we can see it as daily work: stitched together through choices made in classrooms, lecture halls, workplaces, and neighbourhoods. Peace will not fall from the sky fully formed. It is stitched together by choices ‒ messy, imperfect, human choices. As the world pauses on this Day of Peace, we are reminded that peace is neither automatic nor inevitable. It is a deliberate, collective choice, one that demands urgency in 2025.

Dr Celestina Atom (AFHEA) is a Researcher in Politics and International Relations at Teesside University, specialising in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and deradicalisation. Her research explores the lived experiences of security personnel involved in Nigeria’s Operation Safe Corridor. She teaches and supervises in areas including armed conflict, diplomacy, and peacekeeping. Her work bridges academic research and policy practice, with a focus on building sustainable pathways to peace. Dr Atom is open to connect via LinkedIn or email (C.Atom@tees.ac.uk).

Image Source: UN