Coming together in prayer for peace
From 11–18 October 2026, people throughout Aotearoa and around the world are invited to observe the Week of Prayer for World Peace, joining across faiths and traditions in a shared longing for peace.
For more than five decades, the Week of Prayer for World Peace has encouraged people from different religious communities, and those of no particular faith, to come together in prayer, reflection and fellowship. This year, religious communities and interfaith groups throughout New Zealand are again encouraged to mark the Week, both within their own communities and together with people of different faiths.
The initiative dates back to 1974, when leaders from a number of faiths reflected on the violence, injustice and conflict confronting humanity and called for an “unprecedented spiritual initiative”. The 2026 resource similarly reflects that the reality and threat of war remain painfully present in our world. At the same time, the original vision for the Week carried a message of hope: that the growing interconnectedness of humanity also offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop a deeper consciousness of our shared humanity.
A week centred on healing
A 12-page prayer resource prepared by the UK organising committee brings together prayers, readings and reflections from a wide range of faith and spiritual traditions for use throughout the every day of the Week. A particularly strong thread running through this year’s resource is ‘healing’. Each day turns attention to a different dimension of peace: the healing of nations; the planet and its creatures; ourselves; those who heal and care for others; our communities; those damaged by war; and thanksgiving for carers and peacemakers.
How you can take part
Bahá’í communities, families and individuals are warmly encouraged to make use of the resource during 11–18 October, perhaps incorporating some of its prayers and readings into devotional gatherings or creating opportunities to pray for peace alongside friends, neighbours and people of other faiths.
The booklet can also be used throughout the year, either digitally or by printing selected pages. Download the Week of Prayer for World Peace 2026 Booklet at the button below.
Readings from the booklet will also be shared each day during the Week on the Week of Prayer for World Peace New Zealand Facebook page, coordinated with the support of the Unitec Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Team.
At a time when conflict continues to cause immense suffering in many parts of the world, the Week offers a simple opportunity to intensify our prayers for all aspects of the wellbeing of humanity, and to consider how the spirit of peace might find expression in our relationships, our neighbourhoods and our communities.
