Following
is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of
Peace, to be observed on September 21.

Today
we observe the annual International Day of Peace — a day dedicated to ceasefire
and non-violence.

Peace
is precious. It must be nurtured, maintained, defended. That is why, each year
on the International Day of  Peace, I
ring the Peace Bell at United Nations Headquarters. And it is why — every day
— I work for peace. I mediate between antagonists. I sound the alarm about threats
— those we can see clearly, and others that lurk just over the horizon. I
promote tolerance, justice and human rights, and I campaign for harmony among
countries and peoples.