Chesterfield to host ‘International Day of Peace’ vigil with calls to 'end racism'

The Mayor of Chesterfield, Councillor Tony Rogers, will be joined by the Archdeacon of East Derbyshire, Karen Hamblin, to light candles and promote peace during the event today (Wednesday, September 21) at 4.30pm.

The ‘International Day of Peace’ is celebrated at events across the world and led by the United Nations, with the ringing of The Peace Bell at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Since 1981, the International Day of Peace has been dedicated to ending war and violence across the world, with the aim of world peace. Each year a particular theme is held, and this year's theme is ‘End racism. Build peace.’

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said: “Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights. It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and… the linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable.”