The Department of Health Sciences, Metcalf Library, and Milner Library are collaborating on a series of activities in September to highlight the United Nation’s International Day of Peace, an observance initiated by the UN to strengthen the ideals of peace around the world.
Campus events and activities
From Friday, September 17 through Friday, September 24, StoryWalk®** will feature Peace and Me by Ali Winter and will take place on the Quad. A StoryWalk® is an active way to engage with reading a book by viewing pages from the book while walking around outdoors. Pages of Peace and Me will be displayed on yard signs in the flowerbeds near the flagpole on the north side of the Quad. The University community is invited to take a walk while enjoying Peace and Me anytime during the dates posted. For more information on the history of the StoryWalk® Project, created by Anne Ferguson and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, visit https://www.kellogghubbard.org/storywalk.
To mark the official International Day of Peace on Tuesday, September 21, Dr. Alicia Wodika’s Health Sciences students will be staffing a table on the Quad. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to learn more about International Day of Peace and to add your message of peace to a banner.
In addition to activities on the Quad, Milner Library will be celebrating throughout the month of September with a book display on the sixth floor of the library that features titles relating to peace. While in the library exploring the display, check out the question board on the main floor to answer various questions related to International Day of Peace.
Book availability
Peace and Me, as well as a related book Science and Me, are written by Ali Winter and illustrated by Mickaël El Fathi, and are available from Milner Library as well as places that sell books. Peace and Me invites readers to explore what peace means to them through the inspirational ideas of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates from the 20th and 21st centuries. Similarly, Science and Me explores how science can change the world by detailing those who have received Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and medicine. Both books are published by Lantana Publishing.
Peace and Me is available to borrow through Milner Library either online as an e-book copy (please note that this requires a ULID and password to access) or can be checked out as a physical book from the International Day of Peace book display on Floor 6 of Milner Library. Please note that checking out the physical book requires a Redbird ID card or courtesy card. Peace and Me can also be purchased at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and independent bookstores.
Science and Me is also available to check out from Milner Library online via e-book (please note this requires a ULID and password to access) as well as can be checked out as a physical book from the International Day of Peace book display on Floor 6 of Milner Library). Please note that checking out the physical book requires a Redbird ID card or courtesy card. Science and Me can also be purchased through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and independent bookstores.
About International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace was first observed in 1981 (United Nations, 2021). On September 7, 2001, a resolution was adopted by the United Nation’s General Assembly in the 111th Plenary Meeting that,
“Declares that the International Day of Peace shall henceforth be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day; Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, regional and non-governmental organizations and individuals to commemorate, in an appropriate manner, the International Day of Peace, including through education and public awareness, and to cooperate with the United Nations in the establishment of the global ceasefire” (United Nations General Assembly, 2001).
Over the years, different themes have been applied to the day, relevant to concepts of international importance. In 2021, the theme for the International Day of Peace is recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world. “In 2021, as we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier,” the United Nations explained. This is the first year that the Department of Health Sciences, Metcalf Library, and Milner Library have collaborated on an International Day of Peace event.
For more information or to arrange an accommodation to fully participate in any of these events, please contact Teaching and Learning Librarian Caitlin Stewart by email at cjstew1@IllinoisState.edu or by phone at (309) 438-3442.
**The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
Sources
Winter, A., & Fathi, M. el. (2018). Peace and me (American edition.). Lantana Publishing.
Winter, A., & Fathi, M. el. (2021). Science and me (American edition.). Lantana Publishing.
United Nations (2021). International Day of Peace. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace.
United Nations General Assembly (2001). International Day of Peace. (A/55/L.95 and Add.1) General Assembly resolution 55/282. undocs.org/en/A/RES/67/97.
