On September 21st, CELEBRATE Libraries for Peace (L4P) Day in observation of International Day of Peace with the world community.

The Mortenson Center for International Library Programs invites the library and information community to celebrate Libraries for Peace (L4P) Day as the world community observes International Day of Peace on September 21, 2025. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme for the International Day of Peace in 2025 is “Act Now for a Peaceful World”. Join the UN on September 21st and every day to listen, learn, understand and speak to advance peace.

Librarians, libraries and friends are INVITED to:

1. ADD to the L4P map your library’s story, pledge or celebration of peace AND TOUR the L4P map to learn how libraries worldwide are promoting peace.
2. JOIN the DISCUSSION on: What is peace? (Padlet) & How can libraries support the “The Right to Peace” (Padlet)
3. Use social media to share your library’s peace story using the hashtag #librariesforpeacestory

The Mortenson Center, in collaboration with the New American Welcome Center,  and Illinois International- Global Relations will have a Human Library Event to commemorate International Peace Day, Our director Prof Clara Chu will share some remarks on what we can do as individuals to promote peace through actions for peace,  and highlight our Libraries for Peace Project. We will also be asking attendees to contribute to the discussion on our website on: What is Peace?

The event will feature immigrants and international students living in Champaign-Urbana as human books. Each human “book” will be available during the event to interact with “readers” and talk to them about their native country and/or their Heritage Culture. Twelve countries will be featured: Brazil, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Syria, and Turkey. Learn more about our 2025 Human Books Topics covered in the conversations include among others geographic location, cuisine, languages spoken and culture. Snacks, arts & crafts will be offered as part of the event. Open to all ages!

When: Sunday September 21 at 3:30-5:30pm.

Where: Champaign Public Library, 200 W Green St, Champaign, IL 61801

JOIN US for the 35th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture
“The THIRD REICH OF DREAMS: Hallucinations, Literary Imagination, and (Un)conscious Archives,” by Amanda Rubin, Documentary Filmmaker and Journalist
– in Memory of Founding Mortenson Center Director Marianna Tax Choldin

Thursday, 4 September 2025  |  3:30-5:00 pm CT Lecture  ::  5:00-5:45 pm CT Reception and Book Signing in person to follow (Check for local time here: https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/)

HYBRID: In person (School of Information Sciences building, Room 126, 501 E. Daniel St., Champaign) AND online

CO-SPONSORED BY:  Champaign Urbana Jewish Federation | Mortenson Center for International Library Programs | The Program in Jewish Culture & Society | School of Information Sciences | UNESCO Center for Global Citizenship | University of Illinois Library Urbana-Champaign

Peace Day Ideas from/for Libraries Across the Globe

Create

• Plan an intercultural picnic for your class/group to help raise awareness about the cultures represented in your community.
• Make and display Peace Flags in your community.
• Create a book >>> In the Relindial Cartonera project, developed by the IFLA RELINDIAL (Religions: Libraries and Dialogue) Special Interest Group, a librarian brings people of diverse origins together to create a book made in recycled materials.
• Draw your vision of peace using sidewalk chalk. CHALK4PEACE is an international organization that brings together young artists to draw their vision of peace in public and private spaces with sidewalk chalk as a scheduled worldwide event.
• Make art >>> In Australia, students in Gillie, Queensland created artwork to illustrate words associated with peace: cooperate, kindness, love, friendship, etc. The art was displayed in the school library.
• Enjoy multiple activities >>> A school library in the Canary Islands celebrated peace day with crafts, a reading group, karaoke, and games. They created a video called “Peace Day’s Every Day in the Library.” 
• The Hawaii State Public Library System hosted peace stories, origami peace cranes and puppet folding, and a talk story in 2019.
• Poetry >>> Hosting a poetry slam for peace or participating in Poems for Peace (Facebook: A Million Poems for Peace).
• Create IMAGINE PEACE Wish Tree (see example of  wish for peace tag from Coral Springs (USA)) or bulletin board
• Create pinwheels for peace <see example from Coral Springs (USA)> and place them in the library, plant them in the library’s yard, or users may take it home.
• Fold paper cranes
  • Indiana University East Library (USA) provided origami paper and asked students and faculty to help them create 1,000 paper cranes. This activity was inspired by a Japanese tradition that states if 1,000 paper cranes are created, the maker is granted a wish. The library asked students to wish for peace.  See: http://iue.libguides.com/1000cranes
  • The Peace Crane Project “invites every student on the planet to fold an origami crane, write a message of peace on its wings, then exchange it with another student somewhere in the world. The Project builds friendships, strengthens hand-eye coordination and writing skills, teaches geography, exposes students to new languages and cultures, and EMPOWERS YOUTH to make a difference in their community, country, and world.”

Watch / Read

• Watch UNESCO’s Master Class Series against Racism and Discrimination
• Screen a movie or documentary relating to Peace Day or the specific theme that year. See film examples from the Free Library of Philadelphia (USA, 2019): One Peace at a Time (2009), The Whistleblower (2010), Ghandi (1982).
• Read about peacemakers or other peace themes.  See example of Austin Public Library (USA).

Learn/Connect

• Host a Human Library>>> Roots and Shoots has an instructional guide on how to set up a Human Library to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices. 
• At the University of Notre Dame the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is hosting a hybrid conversation on this year’s theme, “End Racism. Build Peace”. Participants can register to attend the Zoom meeting or join in person from 4:00-5:00 PM EST.
• The Municipal Library in Romania hosted a discussion titled “Peace without nuclear weapons” organized by Pro Vita Universale.
• The University of Khartoum Peace Research Institute in Sudan launched an “Anti-War campaign” and celebrated the opening of the Resource Library for the Peace innovation Hub, which is now open to the community.
• Duquesne University Library has an International Day of Peace Libguide with information about current conflicts around the world, social justice websites, and a list of events for peace day.
• Duquesne University held an “International Students Speak” Peace Day event and invited international students to engage in a conversation with the campus community.
• Many libraries have hosted Peace Day lectures with notable speakers involved in human rights work.
• The Sun Japanese Culture Center and the Universal Peace Federation in Moldova organized a series of educational activities in libraries and schools. Library patrons made 1000 paper cranes, which symbolized their hope for peace in Ukraine. The activity started at Trolleybook, an old trolley bus that was transformed into a children’s library. Then, it moved on to public libraries, schools, and university libraries.
• A drum circle for peace was held in Portugal <video>

Join

• In Utah, the Park City Library is celebrating International Peace Day and Voter Registration day in 2022. Participants will be able to register to vote and ​​make a desktop peace pole to bring home. There will be a mock election for all ages to participate in. Voting includes who should rule the Star Wars Galaxy and a proposition of what theme should be in the next display case in the children’s area.
• The Normal Public Library is running an art exhibit called “What Does Peace Look Like?”. The exhibit, which runs from 9/21 to 10/3, 2022, is “a collaborative community art project in celebration of the International Day of Peace. Through imagery, artwork, and writing, this exhibit explores what community members of all ages envision when they consider the ideals of peace and a peaceful world”. 
• In Canada, Greater Victoria Public Library held a Peace Day meet-up before a peace lecture at a local church.
• In Rwanda, Kuki Indiho Rwanda Orphans Support Project organized various Peace Day events around the country. Kigali Public Library held one of the opening events, but they don’t provide information on what they did for the event.
• Peace as the Protection of the Creation was the theme of the 8th International Poetry Contest in Argentina.
• The Fargo Public Library in the United States celebrates peace day with educational programs, presentations, and performances.
• The United States Institute of Peace organized the Peace Day Challenge, starting with the Twitter hashtag #PeaceDayChallenge. See the site for more details.
• The Dalai Lama was in Washington to promote a worldwide “peacebuilding” campaign, which he participated in by leading a workshop in India with 28 young activists from conflict zones around the world, especially from Africa and the Middle East.
• Many libraries have hosted a Global Feast for Peace with food from different cultures. Examples: https://www.facebook.com/GlobalFeast
• Many campus communities promote signing a Peace Pledge. One example is the pledge from internationaldayofpeace.org.
• Create a Peace and Justice Display in the library.
• Hold a moment of silence for peace and/or candle lighting ceremony. Pathways to peace sponsors a global minute of silence at noon on international peace day.
• Host a campus march for peace and unity.
• The Dayton Metro Library hosted a Burundian Drumming Group and partnered with Abolition Ohio to host a Human Trafficking Exhibit.
• LaPlace Library in Louisiana hosted a Peace Day Open House. The event included videos, displays, and open discussions on World Peace. They also started a social media campaign and encouraged patrons to take a picture with signs that said “I have a right to peace” and “We all have a right to peace.”
• The library at Pennsylvania College of Technology displayed flags from the U.N and many of its member countries for Peace Day: http://pctoday.pct.edu/library-flag-display-commemorates-international-day-of-peace/
• Providence Community Library joined with the Peace Flag Project to offer Peace Flag making workshops. The flags were displayed in the library.
• A Peace Day celebration took place on the field outside the Wrexham Library. Participants were encouraged to bring food to share, and everyone brought items they no longer needed for a stall where community members could take items for free. They also provided live music, activities for kids, and a storytelling booth. The theme of the day was “sharing and peaceful cooperation.”