Many schools do activities to celebrate this day. Archive photo. | archive

TW
0

January 30 is International School Day of Non Violence & Peace (DENIP) and students all over the world are celebrating.

It’s designed to promote and support education and tolerance, based on concord, peace, nonviolence, solidarity and respect for Human Rights and according to UNICEF it allows students to “reinforce their development as global citizens committed to their rights and those of other people.”

DENIP was founded in Majorca in 1964, by the Majorcan poet Llorenç Vidal Vidal to celebrate Universal love, non violence and peace and January 30 was recognised as International School Day of Non Violence & Peace in 1993.

Llorenç Vidal Vidal

It’s also the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi, a pacifist leader who lost her life defending and promoting nonviolence and peaceful resistance against injustice.

DENIP is celebrated in schools all over the world and thousands of events are organised to reinforce the message of tolerance and peace.

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, or Erasmus is an exchange programme that offers students a global education as well as the opportunity to improve their language skills.

Erasmus programmes are now available in 37 countries and DENIP is a massive day of celebration for the students.

“We started the day by reading a Peace Manifesto which was written by students in Greece, Italy and Spain and highlights the origins of the European Union and the peace we take for granted in our continent,” states the Erasmus newsletter.

Students also put together a Peace board using textiles and took part in a Peace race.