Peaceful projects from yoga lessons to writing letters for children in Syria and checking out peaceful literature flooded campus Thursday, Sept. 21, giving students several opportunities to learn about and participate in International Day of Peace.

One of the main events on International Peace Day was a project called Letters of Hope. 

Letters of Hope is a campaign put in place in 2016 by the Syrian Emergency Task Force to “show solidarity with Syrian children,” and send letters “filled with peace, love and hope to make a difference in the lives of Syrian children who need it most,” according to their website. 

“You are wonderful,” one of the letters said. “Bloom with grace, dignity and humility. Never allow the woes of this world to harden your growth,” another letter said. 

SETF Director of Humanitarian Programs and UCA alumna Natalie Larrison shared the purpose of the event with anyone who joined the Peace Day project.

“Peace is never going to come if we are silent,” Larrison said.

She told students and faculty about the Syrian children whom they were writing letters for and why the letters are important as they cut and colored fun and encouraging cards. 

“World Peace Day is a call to action. It’s up to us as individuals to actually stand up for peace,” Larrison said.

She said that Syria has been a war-torn country for the past 12 years and that in those 12 years, half of the Syrian population has been displaced and at least a million Syrians have been killed. 

She also said that while international communities have taken action to help the people of Syria, Arkansans have made a difference in the lives of millions of Syrians. 

Junior Cooper Horton attended the event to craft his own encouraging card to be sent to Syria.

“I’m really interested in things like this, I think it’s really important. I’m actually an international studies major and I’m looking to do work in international conflict management,” Horton said. 

Horton said he learned about the SETF after hearing UCA alumnus and one founder of the SETF, Mouaz Moustafa, speak at a Model U.N. summer camp and felt inclined to take part in Letters of Hope during International Day of Peace.

Torreyson Library also had a peace display set up throughout the day with peace-related books and literature on display for students to check out.

At 11 a.m. a yoga session was held outside of the Windgate Performing Arts Center to promote peace and get students physically involved in International Day of Peace.

The last event of the day of peace was a campus campout held at the UCA challenge course behind the HPER center. The campus campout was hosted by Campus Recreation and Wellness who also offered camping gear such as tents, hammocks and lamps for students to borrow for the night.

Students attending the campout got to climb on the challenge course, participate in a yoga lesson led by HPER yoga instructor True Alisandre, make bracelets and eat s’mores. 

International Day of Peace is a holiday observed by U.N. member states. The holiday was first sanctioned in 1981.