Sometimes, local or regional “Day” initiatives are adopted by other countries, and end up being celebrated more widely. Here are some examples that concern us.
School Day of Non-Violence and Peace (DENIP)
The Day was initiated in 1964 by educator and thinker Llorenç Vidal under the name “Dia Escolar de la No-violència i la Pau” (DENIP) in Catalan. Its aim is to integrate the values of harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace into the school curriculum.
Schools are free to choose any teaching approach they wish.
January 30 was chosen to mark Gandhi’s death.
A number of European and American websites promote this date.
It seems to be celebrated mainly in the Spanish-speaking world (Spain, Brazil, etc.).
International Day for Non-Violence in Education
This day was founded in the United States by the organization EPOCH (End Physical Punishment for Children) to draw attention to corporal punishment of children (known in English as “No hitting day” or “No smacking day” or “Day of non-violence for children”).
It was initiated in France in April 2004 by an active group of parents from the parenting support association “La Maison de L’enfant”, created in 1998 to guide parents in raising their children non-violently.
This site reports that in 2006, over 500 events around the world took place to mark the day.