Sowing Peace, Cultivating Hope: Tanzania Unites for International Day of Peace 2025 through Dialogue, Youth Action, and Environmental Stewardship

Dodoma, 19 September 2025. Under the golden skies of Dodoma and amid mounting global uncertainty, communities across Tanzania gathered with renewed urgency to mark this year’s International Day of Peace, a call to nurture peace through education, dialogue and environmental stewardship.

The celebration followed a nationwide peace education outreach campaign that began in Dar es Salaam, moved to Morogoro, and concluded in Dodoma, carrying the message Act Now for a Peaceful World. Along the way, more than 1,900 young people took part in debates, non-violence workshops and sessions linking environmental stewardship with social cohesion.

 The campaign was led by the Dodoma Youth Development Organization (DOYODO) and Roots and Shoots, with support from TotalEnergies, Global Peace Foundation, UNDP Tanzania, UN Women Tanzania, GNRC and the Youth of United Nations Association (YUNA). Teachers observed a noticeable shift in students’ awareness and vocabulary, with one noting, “These young people are not just beneficiaries, they are becoming peer educators and peace ambassadors.”

The outreach culminated in Dodoma, where the national commemoration and a symbolic tree-planting ceremony titled Planting Seeds of Hope took place. Dozens of trees were planted in schools and public spaces, with youth pledging to care for them as living reminders that peace, like a seed, needs collective care to flourish. “What we plant today, we protect tomorrow,” said Anita Bulindi of TotalEnergies. “Peace must be rooted not only in policy, but in practice in communities, in classrooms, and in the environment.”

Though globally observed on 21 September, Tanzania’s national commemoration was held on 19 September at the Morena Hotel in Dodoma. The event brought together national and regional authorities, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, educators and youth. Guest of Honour H.E. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, African Union Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, said, “Peace must be cultivated intentionally through education, dialogue, and inclusive development.” 

Speaking on behalf of the Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Ms. Happy Hoza reaffirmed the region’s commitment to social cohesion and praised strong public-private partnerships. Representing the UN system, Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara, UNDP Resident Representative, noted, “Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice, inclusion, and shared opportunity. It is inspiring to witness more than 1,500 young people actively involved in outreach programmes. Their voices are not the future; they are the present.”

The afternoon featured a panel discussion titled Peace in Action: From Dialogue to Lasting Impact, moderated by the Global Peace Foundation. Educators, youth leaders, religious leaders and private sector representatives explored the root causes of tension, such as marginalization, misinformation and climate pressures, and highlighted education and civic engagement as tools for prevention and inclusion. 

Bahati Paul, a student from Chamwino, reflected, “We learned that peace starts with how we treat each other every day. This knowledge will stay with us for life.” Panellists called for expanding peace education in schools, creating safe youth spaces and strengthening support for youth-led peacebuilding at the local level.

The 2025 International Day of Peace in Tanzania was more than a commemoration; it was a movement that affirmed peace is everyone’s business, that young people are leaders as well as stakeholders, and that dialogue, education and environmental action are essential to the future Tanzanians want.