On February 14, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz fired a rifle at students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people.
Just one month after the tragedy, nearly one million students and teachers from across the United States left their classrooms for 17 minutes to remember the victims and to protest against gun violence in the country.
The news that reaches us on television, radio or the Internet tell us stories of people affected by war or conflict, tell stories of children who still suffer from malnutrition and have no access to education, show images of migrants leaving their own countries in the hope of finding a dignified life elsewhere on the planet.
All these people are our contemporaries and their life stories affect our daily lives. The 21st of September may not be an exception, but it is the day that marks our dream: To live in a better world free of violence. It is on this day that each year the UN celebrates the International Day of Peace dedicated to strengthening peace between people and nations.