London Peace Day Round Table Links Human Rights Education with Everyday Peacebuilding
Community leaders, humanitarian advocates and peacebuilders gathered at the Church of Scientology London to mark the UN International Day of Peace and examine how human rights, education and local action contribute to peaceful communities.
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, 1st Oct 2026 — Community leaders, humanitarian advocates and peacebuilders from across London gathered at the Church of Scientology London for a round-table discussion marking the United Nations International Day of Peace, with participants focusing on the practical contribution individuals and civil society can make to building more peaceful communities.
The gathering reflected the 2026 United Nations theme, “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” which places particular emphasis on people working at community level to bridge divisions, strengthen dialogue and create the conditions for lasting peace. The International Day of Peace is observed annually on 21 September and was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981.
Rather than approaching peace solely as a question for governments and international institutions, speakers at the London meeting explored its connection with everyday choices, human rights education, humanitarian work and community responsibility.
Lorna Marah, a Peace Ambassador, United Nations Women Advocate and member of the UK Civil Service Women Alliance, described peace as something requiring deliberate effort rather than something that emerges by itself.
“Peace is not accidental. It is intentional. It is crafted through our choices, our leadership, our compassion, and our willingness to challenge the norms that divide us,” Marah said. “Peace is a design project and every one of us is a designer.”
Her remarks echoed an important element of this year’s UN observance: recognition of the role played by people whose work in neighbourhoods, schools and communities helps create stability, dialogue and cooperation from the ground up.
The discussion also brought a humanitarian perspective through Eleanor Daibowon Moore, the London-based founder of Eleanor’s Children Foundation, which works in Liberia with young orphans and widows, including through projects intended to support sustainable livelihoods and greater independence.
“Peace is a ship — a responsibility, which needs our care and help,” Moore told participants.
Her contribution placed economic independence, care for vulnerable people and community support within the wider discussion about the conditions in which peaceful societies can develop.
Suraiya Kassamally of Rotary Club London presented another approach to peacebuilding, briefing participants on the work of the Rotary Peace Centers and their international fellowship programme.
Since the programme began in 2002, more than 1,900 fellows have received training through Rotary’s peace fellowship programme, with alumni working internationally in government, civil society, education, peacebuilding and related fields.
“We all need peace now — more than ever before,” Kassamally said.
Human rights education as part of peacebuilding
A central theme of the London discussion was the relationship between peace and knowledge of fundamental human rights.
Tracey Coleman, Community Affairs Director of the Church of Scientology London, highlighted human rights education as one means of addressing intolerance, bullying and discrimination before they become entrenched within communities.
“Peace has everything to do with human rights,” Coleman said. “Where we see lack of harmony, where we see bullying, we see violations of human rights.”
“We must join hands, work together in positive action and make sure our youth know their 30 human rights. We must not only ‘know’ these rights but apply them in our lives to bring about a world with respect and tolerance.”
The Church supports the educational work of Youth for Human Rights International, a nonprofit initiative that presents the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in formats designed for young people and educators. Its resources include booklets, audiovisual materials and educator materials intended to make the principles of the Declaration understandable and applicable in daily life.
The support forms part of the wider humanitarian and social initiatives associated with the Church of Scientology and inspired by its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, including programmes concerned with human rights education, drug prevention, literacy and community service.
The London round table placed that work alongside the experience of other organisations and advocates, illustrating how people from different professional, humanitarian and civic backgrounds can find common ground around dignity, responsibility and peaceful coexistence.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe and United Nations, proposed the following reflection on the gathering:
“Europe’s experience has repeatedly shown that peace cannot be separated from human dignity and fundamental rights. Those principles acquire their full meaning when they become part of everyday life — in our schools, neighbourhoods, institutions and relationships with people whose beliefs or backgrounds may differ from our own. Meetings such as this bring together people with very different experiences around a shared responsibility: turning respect, dialogue and human rights into daily practice.”
The emphasis on human dignity is consistent with the UN’s approach to peace as more than the absence of conflict, connecting it with safety, dignity, opportunity, cooperation and respect for fundamental rights.
The International Day of Peace was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981. In 2001, the General Assembly strengthened the observance by designating 21 September as a day of non-violence and ceasefire. The annual observance has since developed into an international occasion for governments, organisations and communities to examine how dialogue, education, human rights and cooperation can contribute to more peaceful societies.
The London gathering reflected that community-level interpretation of peace: not as a single annual event, but as a continuing process involving education, cooperation and respect across differences.
About the Church of Scientology in Europe
The Church of Scientology, founded on the religious and philosophical works of L. Ron Hubbard, maintains churches, missions, groups and members throughout the European continent. Scientologists support a range of educational and community initiatives addressing human rights awareness, drug prevention, moral education and volunteer service. The Church and its affiliated religious communities have obtained various forms of religious and charitable recognition in European jurisdictions as their presence and engagement with civil society have developed across the continent. Its humanitarian programmes continue to place emphasis on education, prevention and practical community betterment.
Media Contact
Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights
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