IN 1981, the United Nations General Assembly, by unanimous vote, adopted Resolution 36/67 establishing the ‘International Day of Peace’. Also known as Peace Day, this Day was set up “…to devote a specific time to concentrate the efforts of the United Nations and its Member States, as well as the whole of mankind, to promoting the ideals of peace and giving positive evidence of their commitment to peace in all viable ways.”

The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982 on the opening day of the General Assembly. However, it was in 2002 that September 21 was officially declared as International Peace Day. Since then, Peace Day has been observed annually on that date. Over the years, this Day has promoted various ways of making peace in society, including lighting a candle at noon, sitting in silent meditation, or just simply doing a good deed for someone you do not know. Another factor that can be responsible for fostering peace, but which is not usually promoted is the environment.
The environment as a peace making tool
As a peacemaking tool, the environment provides unique and useful qualities that contribute towards building peace and transforming conflict. While there is a general understanding that environmental issues such as environmental degradation and inequitable access to resources can result in conflicts, it has been proven that finding a way to resolve these issues require cooperation from different stakeholders. In fact, the problem of shared resources regularly produces shared solutions.
We all share the same resources within our environment; therefore environmental challenges ignore political boundaries. These challenges therefore require long-term planning and encourage participation not only from governments, but all sectors of society. Cooperating on environmental issues helps to enhance trust and create shared regional identities. Cooperation also encourages dialogue at the local level and also among governments on common environmental problems within and across countries. In so doing, confidence is built between governments and local people and also between countries.
Achieving peace through environmental cooperation

A number of initiatives that can bring about peace through the environment include peace parks, shared river basin management plans, regional seas agreements, and joint environmental monitoring programs. These strategies all bring together ecology and politics with the aim of fostering peace. By managing environmental resources using cooperative efforts, insecurities are dealt with and more peaceful relations become a reality worldwide. Instead of allowing environmental issues to cause differences, they can be used to bring about peace worldwide, providing a better world for us to live in.
References:
www.internationaldayofpeace.org
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3852
http://www.unep.org/AnnualReport/2005/Annual_Report04_Environment_for_Peace.pdf