Miss World contestants converged at the Desa Budaya Kertalangu Park to mark International Peace Day.

Yesterday the Miss World contestants converged at the Desa Budaya Kertalangu Park to mark International Peace Day. An international campaign, the International Peace Day is an annual day of global unity, a day of intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known.

To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarters (in New York City). The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as "a reminder of the human cost of war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live absolute world peace".

In Bali, the contestants, joined by representatives from the local community, the host company MNC and the Miss World Organisation took part in a series of activities which symbolise the aims of the International Peace Day movement.

Upon arrival 150 children from the local schools in Denpasar greeted the contestants, who were all dressed in white, an international colour of peace and friendship. The contestants had time to communicate with the children and share words of happiness and friendship.

The focal point of the park is the World Peace Gong. The 43rd of its kind, the World Peace Gong is part of a collection distributed around the world. The first one, cast in Indonesia, travelled the World and has come to rest in China. The symbolic striking of the Gong was carried out by reigning Miss World Wenxia Yu and Indonesia’s representative to Miss World 2013 Vania Larissa. After this ritual, the contestants, with the help of the local children, planted trees in the surrounding area before releasing white doves into the sky, another ritual synonymous with the ideals of peace and unity on a universal level. White balloons were also released, with messages written by the contestants written onto them.

It was a time of reflection, a time of thoughts, a time to remember that we all have it within our power to make a difference, and do whatever we can to bring about real change, and make a contribution to the world.

Tomorrow is ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ day for Miss World 2013, and we will be having a look at the ways that the contestants have made their contributions to humanity in the past year. Although they have not been stopping wars, they have been making life better for many of Earth’s inhabitants, and bringing them their own inner peace.

 

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