By Roy Weavers


Cairns will join in the celebration of a designated International Day of Peace involving more than 3,000 cities around the globe in September.

Cairns Regional Council agreed to participate in the Mayors for Peace program in response to a call for world wide solidarity in an initiative to ban nuclear weapons, instigated by Mayor of Hiroshima, Mr Takeshi Araki, in 1982.

Mayor Val Schier said the Mayors for Peace program had been created to recognize 2010 as the last year in a decade dedicated to peace by the United Nations and to continue the intention of the ten year long tradition in a revised form.

“This year is the last year of the UN International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non Violence and Cairns has been the only local government to commemorate this initiative on a yearly basis,” Cr Schier said.

“The Mayors for Peace program encompasses an on-going support of cities around the world that have expressed support for Mr Araki’s edict.”

“From this year on, we will celebrate on the International Day of Peace on 21 September.”

The Mayor will submit a letter to the Mayors for Peace secretariat to formally indicate Council’s support and participation in the solidarity movement.