The spirit of peace filled the air on Sept. 21, as the Iona Community celebrated, for the first time, the International Day of Peace.

The day, established in 1981 by the United Nations, is dedicated to nonviolence and commited to promotiong continuing peace throughout the global community. Several events promoting peace and nonviolence were held on campus in honor of the day.  

At the noon hour, over a hundred students passed by the Spellman steps to make a wish for peace by writing their prayers on a paper seed dove. The doves were then pinned onto a large banner which read “Iona Prays for Peace.” On Earth Day, the paper seed doves will be planted on campus as a symbol of Iona’s commitment to cultivating peace on campus and in the world.

The International Day of Peace continued with a film screening of “Little Town of Bethlehem,” a documentary about three men of three different faiths, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, living in Israel and Palestine. The film explored the cycle of violence which the men live in and their attempts to overcome it with nonviolent action. About two dozen Iona students attended the screening of the film and a brief discussion followed.

The day’s events culminated with a nighttime candlelight vigil for peace. Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Teresa Delgado led the service in front of Ryan Library, which involved students lighting candles as a visible sign to passing cars on North Avenue of Iona’s dedication to peace and nonviolence. At the conclusion of the vigil, Delgado led the small crowd in singing “Let there be Peace on Earth.”

The events of the day were sponsored by many of Iona’s departments and clubs, including the Center for Campus Ministries, the Peace and Justice Studies Program, the Religious Studies Department, the Office of Mission Integration, the Iona Spirituality Institute, IC Green and the newly formed Students for Peace organization.

Louise Russo, a student campus minister involved with the organization of some of the events, summed up Iona’s efforts and the celebrations of the day.

“International Day of Peace wouldn’t have been possible without the involvement of so many people on campus, especially [Delgado]. Whether you were at Spellman praying for peace, at the movie screening, or the candlelight vigil, you knew that though we may all be different on this campus, we are united by a single goal: We want peace.”

While the events of the day mark the first time that Iona has celebrated the International Day of Peace in its entirety, it is certain that it won’t be the last.

“While this year was the first full day celebration on our campus, the day has been observed internationally for a number of years. We plan on making this an Iona tradition and a staple on the events calendar for the Peace and Justice Studies Program,” Delgado said.

The Peace and Justice Studies Program is dedicated to carrying out the values of peace through service and student involvement. Its goals to promote global and communitative peace have been highly regarded by the Iona community.

The lively celebration that occurred on campus is a testament to Iona’s initiative to promote global peace and well being. It is also a testament to the wills of all of the individual students that were involved or attended the events. The involvement of the Iona community in this celebration is a bright spot for the campus community.