Hyderabad: With this year’s theme “Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience”, the International Day of Conscience will be celebrated across the globe on April 5.
The International Day of Conscience is a global day of awareness celebrated to commemorate the importance of the human conscience.
The day was recognized by the United Nations General Assembly on July 25, 2019, with the adoption of a resolution to promote the culture of peace with love and conscience.
The Origin: The concept of a culture of peace emerged from the International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in July 1989.
Subsequently, a global campaign for the declaration of International Day of Conscience was launched at the United Nations, New York on February 5, 2019, by the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL).
FOWPAL is a Non-Governmental Organization and its purpose is to spread the idea of love and peace. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in its 73rd session held in 2019, adopted a draft resolution and declared April 5 as the International Day of Conscience.
Motto: The day raises awareness of the importance of building a culture of peace with love and awareness, in accordance with the customs of local, national and regional communities. The International Day of Conscience also highlights the relationship between peace with love and awareness and sustainable development.
Develop brotherhood and prevent cruelty: The UN resolution urged that human beings should treat each other with compassion and develop a sense of brotherhood to prevent cruelty. It also mentioned the necessity of maintaining peaceful relations irrespective of religion, language, race or sex and to protect future generations from the violence of wars.
Significance of International Day of Conscience At Present Scenario:
It (International Day of Conscience) is an important step towards raising awareness on conscience which is based on the respect for human rights and human dignity of all. This is another way of reinforcing the values of human rights and dignity which are universal in nature and needed in the age of hate crimes and war crimes, says Suhas Chakma, Director, Rights and Risks Analysis Group.
