World Peace Day was first celebrated in 1982 and is an annual opportunity for UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to focus their ongoing life-saving activities within a global context.

This year peace organisations are calling on the world to take part in a global truce to see the biggest ever reduction in global violence and conflict recorded in a single day.

On Friday 21st September and over the 2012 Peace Day Weekend special activities and celebrations will take place all across the world including festivals, concerts, and a global Peace Wave with moments of silence at noon in every time zone

For the last couple of weeks the Croydon Peace Tree has been receiving messages from local residents, MP's, Croydon Councillors and representatives of various political parties including Labour, Conservative and Green and also non-political groups such as Croydon CND. Prominent local businesses who suffered tremendously as a result of last year's riots have come forward to contribute their messages, sharing the determination and spirit of local residents to rebuild Croydon as a thriving community once more.

One local resident has posted this inspirational message:-

"We should live as one, a community united. Forget the events of August 2011, for we can look to an urban paradise. We can reconcile as one, whatever the colour of our skin, age or profession. I salute you my fellow Croydonians as we celebrate this special day together. “– Michael T

Others are as simple as 'give peace a chance.'

Your message can be as profound or as simple as you choose, each word has its own merit. And this is what World Peace Day is really about, acknowledging the need for peace, the overwhelming desire for peace for the majority of people, on a local as well as global scale.

As the messages need to be collated, printed and arranged before being attached to the tree, you need to get yours in by midnight tonight (19th September) in order for them to be included.

Send them in, via Facebook, twitter @CroydonPeace or by email.

Croydon CND will be handing out beautiful white peace poppies on peace day, outside East Croydon station from 7.30am, so be sure to get yours and wear it with pride.