Thought For The Day – 2^nd October 2024

Pictured above is “The “Non-Violence” (or “Knotted Gun”) Sculpture”  by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd.

This sculpture is found at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in the United States of America.

This sculpture was created by a friend of John Lennon’s family.

John Lennon was a member of the “The Beatles”, the iconic, influential and inspirational music group from Liverpool.

John Lennon was a peace campaigner and, as a solo artist,  creator of  “Imagine”, a song of peace . The artist wished to honour John Lennon’s memory when he was killed.

Today is the International Day of Non-Violence. This is observed each year on 2nd October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a pioneer of non-violence, from India.  Gandhi stood up peacefully to negative prejudice and discrimination. He would massively influence Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, said Gandhi.

The theme from the United Nations this year for the International Day of Non-Violence is:

“Fostering Global Peace through Cultural and Educational Exchanges”.

This theme emphasis the importance of awareness, cultural collaboration, education, peace and understanding.

Peace is the absence of conflict and violence.

Peace also involves diversity, empathy, equality, happiness, harmony, inclusion, justice, love,  security and well-being.

The term ‘peace’ originates from the French “pais”, meaning:  “peace, reconciliation, silence, agreement”. This word itself is derived from the Latin “pax”, meaning: “peace, compact, agreement, treaty of peace, tranquility, absence of hostility, harmony”.

There is peace within and there is peace without.

There is external peace, in the neighbourhood, the community and the world.

And there is internal peace, in ourselves.