Yerevan /Mediamax/. On September 21 UWC Dilijan students, staff, teachers and supporters gathered together to mark the UWC Day, UN's International Day of Peace, the Independence Day of Armenia and the 8th anniversary of UWC Dilijan.

This year, the theme of the day was “Peace begins with us”. To start the proceedings, the Founders of UWC Dilijan Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend shared their own reflections on what “Peace begins with us” means to them.

Photo: UWC Dilijan

“When talking about peace, we usually think about wars and armed conflicts. We also think of current military escalations in Armenia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Yemen, Iraq, South Sudan or Syria. While all these tragedies shape how we perceive the imperative of peace, they overshadow the fact that peace begins with us – in our families, with our neighbours, in our cities, in our society. I believe that if we learn to live in peace and unity with one another, we can foster peace in the outside world. We should feel the suffering caused by all conflicts and not only those close to home - we should feel responsibility for the whole world,” said Ruben Vardanyan, UWC Dilijan Co-Founder, impact investor and social entrepreneur.

During the event students from conflict zones shared their personal stories while explaining how they came to the understanding that “Peace begins with us”.

“As an international boarding school and a part of UWC’s global education movement, UWC Dilijan sees education as a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future,” UWC said in a news release.