• Monday, 21 September: Hotshot coffee-break for climate change and peace, an event marking the International Day of Peace and the Global Climate Wake-Up Call. Sign on to the global petition for climate change, with resources from campaigning groups and white poppies available, the hotshot coffee-break will conclude with a Prayer for Peace. From 10.35am to 12 noon, at the Mokoba Cafe, Quayside, Town Basin; for more information please contact email.

  * Waiheke Island

• Sunday, 20 to Saturday, 26 September: Waiheke Island Walk for Peace, and Nuclear Abolition Flame Vigil, the Walk for Peace is to mark the International Day of Peace and promote the World March for Peace and Nonviolence. Gather from 10am at the Peace Rock in Ostend, the walk leaves at 11am and goes to Alison Park. Peace Walkers will carry the Nuclear Abolition Flame, which will then return to the Nuclear Abolition Flame Vigil at Peace Rock until 26 September; the flame will then be taken to Auckland for the opening events of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence on 27 September. Organised by the Waiheke Island Peace Group, for more information contact email.

  * Auckland

• Monday 21 September - Fifth Flowers on the Ocean of Peace Ceremony, you are invited to commemorate the International Day of Peace by participating in 'Flowers on the Ocean of Peace'. Starts 4pm, at the Orewa Beach Surf Club, all welcome. Organised by the local United Nations Association branch, sponsored by Flowers by Joanne, for more information contact email.
• Monday, 21 September: Does non-violence work? Come along to the screening of 'A Force More Powerful' Part I, three short films (3 x 30 minutes) on how non-violent resistance has overcome violent repression * Nashville, 1960: students organized to break the demeaning segregation laws * India, 1930: Gandhi defied the British monopoly on salt production, and eventually gains India's independence * South Africa, 1980-1993: apartheid overcome by thoughtful planning and sacrifice. Starts 7.30pm, at The Peace Place, 22 Emily Place, City, admission by koha / donation; for more information please contact email.
• Sunday, 27 September: Auckland Peace Heritage Walk, an International Day of Peace and World March for Peace and Nonviolence event. The walk starts with a "Wake up For Peace" flash mob in QEII Square, visits a number of peace heritage sites around the central city, and ends at St-Matthew-in-the-City with a celebration including music and presentations on the theme of peace. Starts 10am in QEll Square by the Ahi K sculpture, with the celebration at St Matthews from 12.30pm to 2.30pm; more information is available here.
• Monday, 28 September: Does non-violence work? Come along to the screening of 'A Force More Powerful' Part II, three short films (3 x 30 minutes) on how non-violent resistance has overcome violent repression * Denmark, 1940: a country organized to resist the Nazi invasion without violence * Poland, 1981: shipyard workers organize for just pay and overcome their own repressive government and begin the downfall of the Soviet Empire * Chile, 1988: a nation organizes to overthrow the dictator Pinochet. Starts 7.30pm, at The Peace Place, 22 Emily Place, City, admission by koha / donation; for more information please contact email.

  * Whanganui

• Sunday, 20 and Monday, 21 September - 'Reconciliation, Truth, and Bridgebuilding' is the theme of this year's Whanganui International Day of Peace Celebration * Sunday: panel led discussion from 2 to 5pm at the Quaker Settlement, 76 Virginia Road, the programme is available here * Monday: launch of the Whanganui contributory walk to the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, starts 12 noon at the peace sculpture 'Handspan', Queens Park, with further send-off activities at Majestic Square approximately from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, before proceeding up Victoria Avenue. The walk will then proceed to reach Wellington, see details below, on 2 October for the launch of World March for Peace and Nonviolence. Organised by Operation Peace through Unity and the United Nations Association of New Zealand, Whanganui Branch, for more information contact email or email.

  * Whanganui to Wellington

• Monday, 21 September to Tuesday, 29 September - Walk for Peace and Reconciliation, starts in Whanganui on the International Day of Peace (see listing in Whanganui section above), the route is: * 21 September, Whanganui to Ratana; * 22 September, Ratana to Bulls; * 23 September, Bulls to Foxton Flats; * 24 September, Foxton Flats to Levin; * 25 September, Levin to Otaki; * 26 September, Otaki to Waikanae; * 27 September, Waikanae to Paekakariki; * 28 September, Paekakariki to Porirua; * 29 September, Porirua to Wellington. Organised by Operation Peace through Unity, for more information contact email.

  * Wellington

• Sunday, 20 September: Wellington Global Mala 2009 - the Global Mala Project is the seed of a world-wide experiment into the power of meditation in action, the yoga world’s offering to further the UN International Peace Day. The purpose of the Global Mala is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a ‘mala around the earth’. Starts at 1pm, at Capital E - Wellington Global Mala 2009 will be offering live music, kirtan, the opportunity to do 108 sun salutations (you know you want to and WE know you CAN!), meditation, 108 OMs, activities for the kids, free chai at around 4.30pm; more information is available here.
• Monday, 21 September: White poppies for peace on the International Day of Peace, from 12 noon to 1pm, at St Andrew's on the Terrace, 30 the Terrace. Organised by the St Andrew's Social Justice Group.

  * Christchurch

• Sunday, 20 September: Diana Madgin of Quakers will lead a 2 hour walk the day before the International Day of Peace; starts at 2pm at the Fire Fighters’ Memorial, if you arrive a little later go to the Elsie Locke Park outside the Centennial Pool on Oxford Terrace. Please bring your sun hat, camera and a water bottle; if it rains the walk will be postponed until Sunday 27 September with all arrangements remaining the same. For more information please contact email.
• Monday, 21 September - Peace walk, followed by soup and bread rolls, then Natasha Barnes, a researcher at the University of Canterbury, will speak about ‘Small Arms and Nuclear Disarmament’. * 5pm to 5.30pm gather in the Elsie Locke Park, behind the Centennial Pool on Oxford Tce, and proceed to Latimer Square and then to Canterbury Women’s House, 190 Worcester Street * 6pm, speaker at Canterbury Women's House. Groups are making simple 'WMD-WeMustDisarm' banners to carry on the Peace Walk. Organised by the United Nations Association Canterbury Branch, for more information contact email.
• Wednesday, 23 September: 'Soldiers of Peace', premier screening in Aotearoa New Zealand of the powerful documentary narrated by Michael Douglas. "'Soldiers of Peace' travels around the globe revealing the inspiring every day people who are proving that peace is a more viable alternative to war in these turbulent times. Through tolerance and understanding, the film illustrates the connections between individual acts of enterprise and heroism, and the systemic changes we now need, if we are to survive the 21st Century. Featuring interviews with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Hans Blix, Sir Bob Geldof and Sir Richard Branson amongst many others, 'Soldiers Of Peace' takes us on an inspiring journey across 14 countries and shows us we really can make a difference. In a world dominated by the negative - this film offers the life affirmative message that peace can be achieved." Starts 8pm at the Regent on Worcester, tickets are $15 and bookings are essential - to book please contact email or tel (03) 385 9590, payment by credit card, direct debit, cheque or cash, and tickets will be posted out to you or available for collection as you prefer. Organised and sponsored by Friends of Tibet Christchurch and The Tibetan Yak Ltd as a fundraiser for the World March for Peace and Nonviolence - a printable flyer for this event is available here.
• Sunday, 27 September: 'Soldiers of Peace', screening of the powerful documentary narrated by Michael Douglas. "'Soldiers of Peace' travels around the globe revealing the inspiring every day people who are proving that peace is a more viable alternative to war in these turbulent times. Through tolerance and understanding, the film illustrates the connections between individual acts of enterprise and heroism, and the systemic changes we now need, if we are to survive the 21st Century. Featuring interviews with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Hans Blix, Sir Bob Geldof and Sir Richard Branson amongst many others, 'Soldiers Of Peace' takes us on an inspiring journey across 14 countries and shows us we really can make a difference. In a world dominated by the negative - this film offers the life affirmative message that peace can be achieved." Starts 2pm at the Regent on Worcester, tickets are $15 and bookings are essential - to book please contact email or tel (03) 385 9590, payment by credit card, direct debit, cheque or cash, and tickets will be posted out to you or available for collection as you prefer. Organised and sponsored by Friends of Tibet Christchurch and The Tibetan Yak Ltd as a fundraiser for the World March for Peace and Nonviolence - a printable flyer for this event is available here.

Observance of the Day began in 1982, following the 1981 UN General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/36/67) which reaffirmed that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defence of peace must be constructed" and declared the third Tuesday of September, the opening day of the regular session of the General Assembly each year, "shall be officially dedicated and observed as the International Day of Peace and shall be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples".

In 2001, a further General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/55/2820) proclaimed that from 2002, the Day would in future be observed on 21 September each year; and in addition to the original purpose, declared that henceforth the International Day of Peace would also "be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day".

The International Day of Peace is marked each year at the UN Headquarters in New York by a ceremony near the Peace Bell. At 10am (local time, 2pm GMT, 2am on 22 September here), the UN Secretary-General delivers a message for peace, then rings the bell and calls on people throughout the world to reflect for a moment on the universal goal of peace. Following a moment of silence, the President of the Security Council makes a statement on behalf of Council members.

Peace and community groups around the world mark the Day in a number of different ways - more information about the Day, and what is happening around the world, is available on the International Day of Peace site, information particularly useful for students is on the UN CyberSchoolBus site, and the UN Department of Information fact sheet about the Day is available here.

The International Day of Prayer for Peace is also observed on 21 September. It is organised by the World Council of Churches (WCC) as part of their 'Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace' initiative. It began in 2004 following a meeting between the WCC General Secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and is "an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies."

Information about the International Day of Prayer for Peace is available here with resources for the Day available here.