Chakwera to inaugurate first-ever National Day of Unity and Dialogue on Friday

President Lazarus Chakwera will on Friday, October 14, inaugurate the first-ever National Day of Unity and Dialogue at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe, whose theme is ‘Living Together in Unity, Build Peace’.

A statement from the Ministry of National Unity said this new event will then be celebrated alongside the annual International Day of Peace, which falls on September 21.

The event’s theme is domesticated from this year’s theme of the International Day of Peace — ‘End Racism, Build Peace’.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Unity has organized a two-day all-inclusive national conference from Wednesday and Thursday (October 12-13) as buildup to the main celebration, whose core objective is to promote peace and unity in Malawi in line with the Republic’s Constitution, Sections 13(f)(iv), 13(1), and 20; MW2063; as well as the Public Sector Reform Programme.

Secretary for National Unity, Elizabeth Chindebvu said in the statement that a number of papers are being presented at the conference in line with the theme and will conclude with a Charter — expressing collective commitment to sustainable peace and unity in accordance to MW2063 — which will be adopted in readiness for the promulgation on Friday during the main event.

The main event will be celebrated with direct activities and performances reflecting Malawi’s cultural, ethnic, religious and political diversity which will “symbolize that regardless of the diversity, the people of Malawi are one, with equal rights and dignity — a shared history and destiny”.

While asking Malawians to actively take part in the celebration of the National Day of Unity, Chindebvu said the event will be aired live on various television and radi stations and that online streaming will be through www.facebook.com/ministry of civic education.

The United Nations’ website says the UN General Assembly declared the International Day of Peace as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

But achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms. It requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their race.

For this year’s theme, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is quoted as saying: “Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality.

“And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights. It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and the linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable.

“As conflicts continue to erupt across the globe, causing people to flee, we have seen race-based discrimination at borders. As CoVID-19 keeps attacking our communities, we have seen how certain racial groups have been hit much harder than others.

“As economies suffer, we have seen hate speech and violence directed at racial minorities. We all have a role to play in fostering peace. And tackling racism is a crucial way to contribute.

“We can work to dismantle the structures that entrench racism in our midst. We can support movements for equality and human rights everywhere. We can speak out against hate speech – both offline and online. We can promote anti-racism through education and reparatory justice.

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly and two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

Malawi’s National Day of Unity and Peace comes soon after President Chakwera’s return from New York, USA where he attended the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).