“Peace is the Mother of Progress.”
Starfish Pakistan is a trust that aims to provide both education and inspiration to the citizens of Pakistan. Focusing on disadvantaged communities, the organization reaches out to youth to provide learning opportunities and scholarships. The World Peace Day Celebration (WPDC) was celebrated on September 21st by Starfish Play for Peace Club in Youhanabad, Lahore Pakistan. Altogether, five schools and homes participated in the event. The schools included the Ghouri Wisdom High School, the Light School System, and the Dean Public School. The Abba Home, a home for orphaned girls, and the Agape Love Home, a home for children with special needs, also participated. Five institutions in tow, a peace walk of 500 meters took place on the main street of Youhanabad. 'Children sang songs about peace and [even] gave some speeches...it was said that “Peace is the Mother of Progress.”' At one point, participants stopped in front of the St. John’s Church and engaged in a moment of silence. This was out of respect for the church which, just last year, was attacked by a suicide bomber. The event took lives and injured many. After showing their reverence, participants continued to walk--happily, excitedly, and in spite of the hardships that many had witnessed. As one participant and teacher noted:
“Peace starts by [a] smile."
We’re glad to share some of the amazing photographs sent to us by Anser Javed, director of Starfish Pakistan.
To check out more of the awesome work that they are doing, visit their website at https://starfishpakistan.wordpress.com. What were some of the other celebrations around the world? Keep an eye out for more WPDC Blogs in our coming posts! [gallery ids="3498,3513,3510,3509,3508,3501,3504,3512,3503,3505,3500,3499,3517,3506,3502,3523,3511,3521,3514,3518,3522"]
REFERENCES Javed, Anser (Director, Starfish Pakistan) (2015). “World Peace Day Celebration: Starfish Play for Peace Club.” Starfish Pakistan. Retrieved from: https://starfishpakistan.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/world-peace-day-celebration-starfish-play-for-peace-club/
