English: Commander of the International Stabilisation Force, Brigadier Mark Holmes, releases a dove as part of United Nations World Peace Day in Dili, East Timor..

. Middle Caption:. Working with the East Timor Government recently gave Australia’s Commander of the International Stabilisation Force (CISF), Brigadier Mark Holmes, another first.. . Together with the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, and an array of distinguished guests from various countries, CISF became an integral part of the celebrations when he was called upon to release a white dove as a symbolic gesture of peace.. . International Peace Day has been celebrated since September 1982 under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly. Its enduring focus is on commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples. . .

In Dili, at least 2000 people, many Timorese, were in attendance for the International Peace Day celebration. The event was held outside East Timor’s Parliament building, the Palacio Do Governo, which provided an ideal backdrop for the celebrations. Among the highlights of the evening’s entertainment was a small ensemble of young Timorese children who had choreographed their own dance.