Global Family Day, also known as World Peace Day, marks on the first day of the new year calendar - to begin the new year with a positive message of unity in the world. It is celebrated every year to promote harmony and unity. The day also emphasizes the idea of the world as a one in which we are all family, regardless of citizenship, borders, or race.
The concept is similar to "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", the Sanskrit phrase found in Indian scriptures, which means "the world is one family".
In 1997, the United Nations General Assembly launched the International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, as of the first day of the new millennium. Linda Grover was one of the protagonists in promoting this peace, one of the effort being via the book “One Day in Peace – January 1, 2000”. The book focused on the a day where there is only peace and no war.
Later, in 1999, all U.N. member states received an invitation to formally dedicate the first day of the year to plan and ensure peace-building. Seeing the positive impact of the day, in an annual event by the U.N. in 2001 Global Family Day was declared.
On this day people are encouraged to be part of events by organizations and councils promoting the very message of the Global Peace or Family Day. Social media witnesses the hashtag #GlobalFamilyDay trend with people sharing peace messages and quotes.
