August is, without a doubt, International Peace Month. Even though International Peace Month is a time for celebration and fun, this worldwide holiday was actually prompted by catastrophes and suffering.

One thing that is undoubtedly going to be mentioned during International Peace Month is World War I, also referred to as the Great War. World War I was incited by numerous reasons, which include imperialism, mutual alliances, patriotic pride, and many more... The Great War itself cruelly killed about 40 million people, causing unimaginable damage to the lands of Europe. And that's not all! Not only did it bring hatred and violence, but it also dashed people’s hope for a better future and brought in an age of irritation, cynicism, and resignation. Nowadays, we're educated about the Great War and warned not to make the terrible mistakes people made in history so that it does not lead to events like the Great War.

And what about International Peace Month itself? What's the history behind it?

International Peace Month was founded back on the 26th of August,1926 by an association in Germany. This is not any ordinary association at all, people: this is a Democratic Peace Conference! To salute and commemorate this month, the delegates settled the situation by having a camp on the France battlefields, all through the 29th of August. And that is how International Peace Month was initially formed.

There are some ways to celebrate International Peace Month. For bookworms, this holiday is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Great War by reading books. For example, a famous book, The Guns of August, written by Barbara Tuchman informs you how the war started in the form of a poignant story. Another book is The Great War And Modern Memory, written by Paul Fussell for those who would like to know more about how Western civilization changed because of the way. And if you love novels more than anything else, try Humphrey Cobb's book, Paths of Glory, based upon the true story of the Souain corporal's affair.

And like I mentioned before, studying history can help us greatly in forming a better world, and refraining from making mistakes from the past. Just take a moment to imagine if the same mistake has been twice in history!

Although International Peace Month reminds us of how painful World War I was, it also reminds us that to avoid more horrible things like World War I happening in the future, we should always try our best to create a better and more united world.

So, what ideas can you provide to make the world a better place? Remember, that we can all ignite small sparks into gorgeous flames!

And lastly,
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL PEACE MONTH!!

Written by: Lily
Edited by: Marlee Potter
Proofread by: Connor Callahan