YouthTalk

I'M a year older now and hypothetically, a year wiser. As customary to the long ritual of present-giving that accompanies a birthday, I was asked what I'd want as a reward for getting through another year alive.

I didn't have an answer.

You'd expect me to say things like a new iPod or a Blackberry, but honestly, I don't find myself attracted to any such material desires.

September 21, the day I was born, 17 years ago, also hosts yet another milestone in history - World Peace Day.

And, for all these years, besides taking a slight privilege in sharing the honour of the day, I didn't pay much attention to it. I likened it to 'just a day'; just as 'World Chocolate Day' and 'Blame It On Someone Else Day' seem trivial dates on the calendar.

But this year, my school, decked radiantly in white, changed that misconceived notion.

Yes, a minute of silence, a fancy T-shirt and beautifully written poems, though extremely touching, seemed more like conventional norms.

What really struck me, was the video that Jeremy Gilley, the filmmaker and founder of Peace Day, had put together, in recognition of the day's meteoric achievements, which was screened in every classroom.

The UN International Peace Day is Gilley's brainchild, a decision unanimously agreed upon by the 192 members of the UN. But instead of being 'just a day', World Peace Day means global ceasefire and non-violence for an entire day.

I hear you say: "Just a day?" It is a small step, but it is a significant step nonetheless.

Think about every morning when you pick up your newspaper, rolled up on the mat, to find pages, flooded by tales of gun fire, suicide bombers, horrific battlefield pictures etc.

World Peace Day may not mean much to you as you sit securely within the confines of a house guarded by vigilant men at the gates of your compound, but it does mean a great deal to the poor people in shanty towns, across the globe, who are fleeing the wrath of human vengeance.

So, though it'll be awfully clichŽ to end on this note, I find myself a bit more hopeful, knowing that on September 21, for a whole entire day, people will receive aid, food and medicine.

Even if it is a day, just one day, it makes every difference in the world. And, knowing that, I can't ask for anything better.