International Day of Peace | September 21, 2026
Today, the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) joins the global community in observing the International Day of Peace.
Under the 2026 theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” this day calls attention to our shared responsibility to strengthen the conditions that make peace possible — through dialogue, dignity, inclusion, cooperation and respect for human rights.
For IUPsyS, this commitment is closely connected to the responsibilities of psychological science.
Earlier this year, IUPsyS issued its Statement on War and the Responsibilities of Psychological Science, expressing deep concern about the devastating human consequences of contemporary conflict and reaffirming a longstanding principle within psychology: that psychological knowledge should contribute not only to understanding human behaviour, but also to preventing conflict, reducing suffering and advancing human welfare.
Drawing on the legacy of the Psychologists’ Manifesto of 1945, the Statement reminds the global psychological community that our responsibility remains urgent. Psychological science has much to contribute to understanding the processes that underlie conflict, prejudice, dehumanisation, cooperation, resilience and reconciliation — and to supporting evidence-informed approaches that strengthen peaceful and just societies.
This commitment has also been carried forward through IUPsyS’s inaugural Psychological Science Diplomacy Day for Peace, launched on 29 May 2026. The initiative invited psychologists, students, educators, researchers and institutions worldwide to consider how research, teaching, professional practice and community engagement can contribute to peace.
These initiatives reflect IUPsyS’s commitment to advancing Psychological Science Diplomacy and to ensuring that psychological knowledge contributes meaningfully to dialogue, cooperation and human wellbeing in times of conflict and division.
On this International Day of Peace, we encourage psychologists and psychological organisations worldwide to consider how our science, education, practice and partnerships can help build more peaceful, inclusive and resilient societies.
Explore IUPsyS and UN resources:
- IUPsyS Statement on War and the Responsibilities of Psychological Science
- IUPsyS Psychological Science Diplomacy Day for Peace
- United Nations – International Day of Peace
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