With talk of renewing efforts toward world peace, Costa Rica celebrated the 59 th anniversary of the abolition of its military Saturday.

President Oscar Arias, other leaders and former Costa Rican soldiers gathered for a ceremony at the National Museum in downtown San José.

The President said that while 59 years with no army is a significant achievement, the country still has much to do to promote world peace.

“How can we be satisfied if while our children walk to school, children in the Sudan flee the villages where their parents have been killed?” he asked. “How can we be satisfied if while our young people get their first job, the job of other young people is to go fight in Iraq ? How can we be satisfied if while our families look for where to build their houses, families in the Congo look for where to sleep in camps with thousands of refugees?”

He urged Costa Ricans to do something about these international injustices by supporting efforts to reduce arms trading.

Costa Rica's army was abolished on Dec. 1, 1948 by then-President José “Pepe” Figueres.

-Tico Times