International Day of Peace: Share your thoughts

Editor's note: Today the world marks International Day of Peace. To see why we all need to cherish peace and why war only causes devastation, brings chaos and increases hatred, scroll down to read some gut-wrenching stories.

Don't miss it: Gifts await you if you participate in discussion of this special. 文末有福利。

Trauma of war: The hurt never stops

If her story was not reported, you may never know her name, a name that might have been erased from history.

Compared with the 300,000 innocent Chinese people killed by Japanese invaders in Nanjing Massacre in 1937, Shen Guiying was among the few "lucky" ones who survived six-week of mass killings, rape and pillage. But the unbearable hurt stayed with her all her life.

Shen was born on Dec 21, 1928. Her father Shen Chuanhe, uncle Shen Chuanyuan and her aunt were all killed in the massacre. Another uncle Shen Chuanhai was taken away by the Japanese soldiers and never came back.

The tragic story of the family is brief, but no one knows how Shen supported herself till today.

Death of Alan Kurdi: Problem remains unresolved

The photo made global headlines and stirred hearts in 2015. Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy, drowned in the Mediterranean Sea when he and his family tried to reach Europe.

Resettlement of the refugees is a pressing war-related problem. The refugees are not immigrants. The displaced people, particularly in the war-torn zones like Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, have nowhere to go but choose to risk their lives and the lives of their children to board unsafe smuggling boats.

But the problem remains unresolved today. US President Donald Trump's intention to slash the refugee admission cap attracted attention recently. And, bombs are still heard every day in Middle East's conflicted regions, forcing many people to leave their home.

Reflection on war: Best way to preserve peace

The International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21 every year. Established in 1981, the day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace despite their differences in race, belief or culture.

It's also a day to reflect on war. Many writers and artists use their creative skills to share their reflections through books, songs and films, which inspire people to think deeply.

Afghan-born American novelist Khaled Hosseini is one of the successes, all three novels of him have become bestsellers. His first book The Kite Runner spent 101 weeks on The New York Times Best-Seller list since its publication in 2003.

When Hosseini returned to Afghanistan in 2001 at the age of 36, he "felt like a tourist in his own country". And in interviews about the experience, he admitted to sometimes feeling survivor's guilt for having been able to leave the country before the Soviet invasion and subsequent wars.

So his novel has a special angle of reflection. Through weaving two boys' story into the fabric of Afghanistan's national history, it reveals universal human experiences: betray and redemption, love and honor, guilt and fear.

The book, which also enchanted many Chinese readers, topped many charts of best-selling novels in the country.

Discussion: What should we do to make this world a more peaceful place? In which moment did you realize that peace is vital to humanity? Any books, movies or music inspired you to think of this topic? Share your opinions in the comment section. Ten readers will receive a copy of The Kite Runner in both English and Chinese versions.

给思考者的福利：

你能为世界和平做出哪些努力？哪一刻让你意识到和平如此重要？有哪些文艺作品唤起了你对于战争与和平的思考？请留言晒出你的观点，我们将随机选出10名读者，送出《追风筝的人》中英双语版合集一份。