To celebrate this year’s International Peace Day, on 21 September students and staff members took the Lion’s Head Peace Tour to spread the message of peace.
The hike saw Student Development in the Department of Student Affairs collaborating with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and volunteers from the latter facilitated peace discussions with students as they hiked up Lion’s Head.
September 21 was declared International Peace Day by the United Nations in 1981 and coincided with the opening of its General Assembly. However, between 1982 and 2002 the day was celebrated on the third Tuesday of September before it became the 21st permanently.
Mathapelo Mokgoshi, one of the volunteers, said that on the day some people hold interfaith peace ceremonies, toasts for peace, peace walks and picnics for peace.
“”The IPYG is celebrating the day with CPUT and will hike up the mountain,” said Mokgoshi. “The students should take the message of peace and spread on their campuses.”
She added that in spreading the peace message the students should ignore their differences as the IPYG works with different groups such as universities and municipal councils.
She said that peace advocate ManHee Lee, who founded the IPYG, is a former soldier who fought in the frontlines of war and has first-hand experience of violence and death.
PEACE TOUR: While hiking up Lion’s Head CPUT students and staff members learnt about strategies to achieve peace.
During the course of the hike the students learnt about teamwork and developing strategies to achieve a team goal.
Student Development Officer Melani-Ann Hara said the hike was one of the many wonderful initiatives that students proposed during the CPUT Peace Dialogue on 27 April on the Bellville campus – where students were asked to come up with solutions to finding peace on campus.
“Students expressed the need to connect with nature and each other outside of the classroom, where they can reflect on what they can do to create a peaceful CPUT community, country, Africa and world,” said Hara.
“CPUT and IPYG aim to collaborate on more Peace Initiatives at CPUT and in the community in the near future to continue to build and foster peace.”
HARMONY: While hiking up Lion’s Head CPUT students and staff members learnt about teamwork and developing strategies to achieve peace and harmony.
