As defined by the United Nations General Assembly, 15 January 1998 “The culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, behaviors and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflict by addressing its root causes through dialogue and negotiation between individuals, groups and States” and according to its Resolution (72/137)” civil society and non-governmental organizations are encouraged to further strengthen their efforts to promote a culture of peace (… ). 

Celebrating the International Day of Peace in 2024, within the framework of the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence for the sake of humanity is more than ever necessary in a post-pandemic world, a world in quest of ethics and Living Together. Indeed multiple challenges remain- armed conflicts, economic crises, poverty, growing inequalities, discrimination, forced migrations, climate change, denial of human rights including access to education for girls and women.

SDG 16 target1 of the 2O30 Agenda for the people, the planet, prosperity and peace is to “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development” and SDG 17 is “to promote partnerships for the achievement of all the goals”.

Encouraging civil society to promote a culture of peace through the Arts and in particular Dance makes it possible to combine artistic identity and cultural diversity.

Dancing is an essential art just like singing, performing with puppets, visual and graphic arts. Dance enables personal fulfillment, self-esteem, empathy, agency of one's body and destiny, group awareness and collective commitment. “The action through dance on bodies subjected to discrimination, social exclusion or suffering has the potential to reconstruct the areas of the body carrying stigma, disability, markers of marginalization” (Dance workshop for migrant corporeities by Catriel Garcia Slaslavsky). Dance has the power to rebuild our relationship to the world and to others, and thus contribute to Living Together.

Dance has the power to rebuild our relationship to the world and to others, and thus contribute to Living Together.

Considering that under the leadership of Michel Thouzeau, the group of NGOs has organized for a decade:

- in 2014, an international event for all audiences, around a scenario of peace, performed by puppets, a selection of 10 videos which was presented at the Charleville-Mézières International Puppet Festival.

- in 2018, plastic art creations on the theme of "Drones and Robots for Peace" were presented during the celebration of the International Day for Peace in Tunis

- In 2022, a festival of choral singing for peace, performed by children, young people and adults from all five continents, was held on Peace Day in TOLOSA, Guipuzcoa, Spain, at the invitation of TOPIC - a member of the International Choral Federation - and Europa Cantat.

The 2024 version will propose : Sharing Dance for Peace

The objective of Sharing Dance for Peace is to create an international dynamic of dances for peace where the dance groups, relayed by our NGOs throughout the world, commit to participate in celebrating the International Day of Peace, at local, national, regional and international levels (see the regulations).

The group of official NGO partners of UNESCO commit to organize and follow up the celebration of the day of peace around the theme of dance and make a video of all the choreographies. A photo exhibition could be considered in partnership with the NGO Liaison Committee and the SHS or/and Culture sectors of UNESCO