Speakers converged on the Bermuda Society of Arts at City Hall in Hamilton to observe United Nations Peace Day.

The event was organised by Glenn Fubler, co-ordinator of the community group Imagine Bermuda, who praised those who turned out and gave speeches to promote peace.

He said: “It’s about thinking globally, acting locally.

“In doing so, we support proactive approaches to local challenges including domestic abuse, the cycle of gang violence — and forgive ourselves as we forgive others.”

Politician Curtis Dickinson, who is a candidate for the Progressive Labour Party leadership, told the group: “Peace begins with each of us.

“Bermuda has a history of what can be achieved when people choose dialogue and reconciliation.”

Mr Dickinson said peace had to be “something we must consciously build on every day” and “at a time when our world and community faces different challenges”.

He insisted that choosing respect and individual understanding was the way for peaceful resolution to confrontations.

The Reverend Cyril Simmons, of Ebenezer Methodist Church in St George’s, joked at getting to meet two of his former teachers in Mr Fubler and Imam Saleem Talbot at World Peace Day.

He noted the adage that holding on to bitterness was like “drinking poison and expecting it to kill the other person”.

“And that is what happens when we harbour that. There are a lot of misconceptions about forgiveness, and sometimes it is mistaken for weakness.”

Mr Simmons spoke of how people can forgive and forget, but added: “Some things are too difficult to forget.”

However, he urged people to work together and bring a process of healing individually and collectively.

Another speaker was Saleem Talbot, Imam of the Bermuda Islamic Cultural Centre, who stated: “It’s all about building relations between people and finding peaceful relationships.

“It is difficult going forward politically, economically and socially if we avoid the topic of justice.

“Justice basically means being fair to other people.”

He added: “You cannot say you are striving to be an upright and good person if you’re not striving for justice.

“In a quest for peace, you cannot leave out justice.”

Francoise Palau-Wolffe, founder and director of the Human Rights Education Network, told the gathering: “We use the tools of human rights and education to promote peace.

“And peace is not only about violence and conflict; it is also about encouraging people to nurture human rights, dignity and taking care of ourselves, taking care of each other and taking care of this planet — which is on fire.”

Zayne Sinclair from Huren’s youth network also joined speakers in the appeal for peace.