Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Peace One Day

In 1999 during a Womad concert English filmmaker Jeremy Gilley came up with the idea of declaring one day a year free of conflict. He wondered if he could create a movement big enough to actually result in an annual day of global truce, 24 hours of worldwide ceasefire. Beginning with students and peace activists he began to circulate the idea. Then he added NGOs, government representatives, heads of state, and United Nations officials, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amre Moussa, Peace Laureate and former Israeli President Shimon Peres, former Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez, Nelson Mandela and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. He filmed all of his travels and meetings and made a documentary film called, appropriately, 'Peace One Day'.It took perseverance and determination but by September 2001 he had the commitment of the United Nations who duly passed a resolution to make September 21st the Day of Peace. There have been huge concerts in different places around the world since then including one at Albert Hall in 2004.




He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata! What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, people, people!

3 comments:

Connie said...

I've never seen this video before! Awesome. :) I think Peace Day is a wonderful idea and I have liked that the kids celebrate in school.

We arrived here to visit our childrens' new school on Peace One Day. We missed the assembly, but we'll be there next year. One thing I will miss from their old school is their Peace song. All students learned it, and sang it year round, as well as on Peace day. Peace song (it has the audio and the lyrics.

Amanda said...

WOW! I never new about this. Its a fantastic idea and I hope it gets even more recognition soon.

Tanya said...

Love the song Connie. Bet the kids like singing it too.
I agree Amanda the hope is one day it has enough recognition that people actually put down their weapons if just for one day...