Tag: peace one day

Peace One Day

jummaypagee:

Message from Jeremy Gilley (Founder and Chairman of Peace One Day):

Dear Friends

In September 1999 I founded the film project Peace One Day to document my efforts to create an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence with a fixed calendar date. In 2001, Peace One Day achieved its primary objective. United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/Res/55/282) was unanimously adopted by UN member states, formally establishing an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace, fixed in the global calendar on 21st September.

With the day in place, Peace One Day’s aim now is to institutionalise Peace Day across the world so it becomes self-sustaining. Not only has Peace Day been proved as a catalyst for broad-ranging civil society action by individuals and groups in every country of the world, but also for life-saving activities. As a key driver towards the institutionalisation of Peace Day, Peace One Day is calling for and working towards a day of ceasefire and non-violence on Peace Day 21 September 2012 – a Global Truce. We hope this will be the largest reduction in global violence in recorded history, both domestically and internationally.

(From http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/about/from-jeremy)

Spread the word!

Global Ceasefire on September 21st

“Often, when people first hear that we’re going for a global truce, they look at me a little sideways. I can understand that. It’s ambitious. But Peace One Day has been building and refining a database for the last 11 years, encompassing all sectors of global society”. And Peace Day has been proved as a catalyst for life-saving activities – and not only in Afghanistan where Peace Day agreements have allowed for the immunization against polio of over 4.5 million children in recent years, where violence was down by 70% on Peace Day 2008 according to the UN Department of Safety and Security. On Peace Day last year there were 88 humanitarian initiatives by 28 organisations in 31 countries.

Zeitgeist: Peace Day 21 September

Something that’s of common interest to every man, woman and child on the planet must surely be the notion of ‘Peace’. Without ‘Peace’ we cannot survive. Valentines Day is on the 14 February. Christmas Day is on the 25 December. Peace Day has been established by the United Nations on the 21 September, and the whole world is invited to participate. This September 21 a special musical event will be taking place at The Royal Albert Hall to celebrate and commemorate the spirit of the occasion. I’m thrilled and delighted to be part of it, and to contribute to making ‘Peace One Day’ become an inspirational reality.

Annie Lennox about Peace One day

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/933119041

When I was about 15 years old, as I did through much of my time at secondary school, I used to watch a heck of a lot of late night tv. Most of the time, I wouldn’t go to bed before 1.00 am on a school night and would wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to go right on into school the next day.

One night, I caught a documentary on tv about Peace One Day – or at least, I tuned in about 5 or 10 minutes in and was glued to the set until it finished. When it finished, I was in tears. I had never been so moved by anything I had watched before and I don’t think I have been so moved since then. I thought the idea of having a single day of global ceasefire – of peace – was the greatest thing I had ever heard.

It still is. If we can manage just one day of peace, then what is stopping us from having a second, and a third, and so one and so forth until every day is a peace day?

And it’s not just a day of peace in name only. Peace gives the opportunity to do so many things that are made impossible by conflict – children can be vaccinated safely, aid can be distributed, people can have the chance to experience one day where they don’t have to be so afraid.

I was 15 and at the time, studying for my GCSEs, preparing for my confirmation and all sorts of other things that get crammed into the years before university so that your UCAS form and your CV will look good when you get unleashed upon the world. So what could I do? Not much really. I told all my friends and family about this amazing thing I had watched and this incredible idea.

Most importantly, I remembered it. I kept this dream in my heart.

And I shared that dream, every year on Peace day and on the days running up to Peace day, with as many people as I could.

Now, today, 21st of September is months away. The Peace One Day website tells me it is about 215 days away. But today is the first day of Lent and for the first day of Lent I want to spread peace.

So check it out. It doesn’t take money to spread peace. It takes love and willingness and time and patience and the desire to understand. And these things are all things we can give for free.

(Source: http://c.brightcove.com/)