Message of Peace

WE ARE ALL CREW OF SPACESHIP EARTH

Yuri’s Night is a global non-profit organization that celebrates the power of space to bring the world together. Yuri’s Night was founded on a set of guiding principles, grounded in a call from the planet’s first space explorer to come together to enhance and protect Earth:

“Circling the earth in my orbital spaceship I marveled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty — not destroy it!”
— Yuri Gagarin, 1st human in space

We condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We feel it is important to recognize that this war was chosen by the leader of Russia, and that many brave Russian citizens are protesting against the war every day, often at grave personal risk.

Our event honors Yuri Gagarin as the first human to orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961. Yuri’s Night also celebrates the cosmic coincidence of the first launch of the United States Space Shuttle happening 20 years later, to the day, on April 12, 1981. In 2011, the United Nations declared April 12 as the International Day of Human Spaceflight also to honor this historic conjunction, or sharing, of a space anniversary between former cold war rivals.

Yuri’s Night celebrates all that humanity brings with us as we explore the Cosmos: music, art, science, culture, and the best in each of us. Events around the world are powered by independent event organizers from all political backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities. We encourage everyone to celebrate in a way that resonates for them: there is no specific program, theme, or name required.

We use space to bring the world together, empower the best parts of who we are, and give vision to where we are going. Sometimes, that future is harder to imagine than others. This is why we set aside a time each year to remind ourselves as a species, of our unlimited potential.

We invite everyone, everywhere to pause in April to mark the importance of peace on Earth and in space, and to celebrate the potential of the human spirit.

Space has been an opportunity to show the possibility of peaceful human cooperation, and we hope that it continues into the future.

Thank you for your support,

Loretta Whitesides, Tim Bailey, and Chris Lewicki
Yuri’s Night Board of Directors
March 23, 2022

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