Peace One Day

Our New Film

Of everything I do, filmmaking is the most familiar and most essential to who I am as an artist and an activist. So it’s a great feeling to be back in the editing room, putting the finishing touches on our new film, Peace One Day - Part 3.

This installment chronicles the struggle to institutionalise Peace Day. That is our goal – that is the mountain we have to climb – and we have thousands of hours of stunning footage with which to tell that story.

I’m honoured to be joined in this project by my friend, and Partner in Peace, Jude Law. In addition to co-producing the film, he will appear in it too – which reflects his increasing contributions to our cause. Ahmed Fawzi also features in Peace One Day ¬- Part 3, and if you’ve seen our previous films, you’ll recognize him: he has been both realist and believer, a source of advice and constructive criticism, throughout POD’s history.

Jude and Ahmed will be joined on-screen by a typically diverse group of individuals, including Lenny Kravitz, the former President of Colombia, and various statisticians and policymakers, all of whom have been instrumental in our push toward institutionalisation.

And I must say that this film, more than any of the others, lays out a vision for where we need to go next to achieve our goals. I look forward to sharing that vision with all of you through Peace One Day – Part 3. BBC World will broadcast it on 17 and 18 September, 2010 in the build-up to Peace Day.

Please set aside the time to watch it and, until then, show your commitment to our cause by completing the 3 steps to Peace One Day:

1. Decide what you will do to make peace on September 21, at school, at home or in your local community;
2. Log your Peace Day commitment at www.peaceoneday.org;
3. Tell others around the world and ask them to complete the Three Steps to Peace One Day.

In Peace,
Jeremy Gilley

Ready to Go

We have less than two months to go until Peace Day, and I wanted to step back from the preparations for just a moment to update you on our progress.

We are fully moved into our new office (see the February feature on it here). That may not seem like a big deal, but if you had seen us working out of my mother's spare bedroom eleven years ago, you would be as proud as I am of this new space.

And I think you'll be equally proud of the work we've been doing in the new office: Jude Law and I have just completed a viewing of our new film - Jude is co-producing with me. We're both extremely excited about the final film and its distribution: BBC World will be broadcasting the film on 18/19 September this year and they reach 283 million homes.

As you may already know, Jude is also co-producing the Peace One Day 2010 Celebration in Paris on 17 September (see details about the show here). Tickets are on sale now. Please come if you can and support what promises to be a magical night.

At POD we are receiving final details for Peace Day 2010 from around the world - One Day One Goal football/soccer matches, life-saving activities specific to Peace Day, activities in schools, at home and in the workplace. I'm also keeping an eye on our targets for 2011 and 2012 - watch this space for developments on that front.

To those of you who have made a commitment, thank you; and to those of you who have yet to make one, there is still time.

What will you do? Hold a football/soccer match? Screen one of our movies for your friends? If you know a teacher, encourage them to register; our Education Resource is now available free in all six official languages of the UN.

The key is that you do something - it can be as simple as bringing your family and friends together.

You can start by completing the 3 steps to Peace One Day:

1.Decide what you will do to make peace on September 21, at school, at home or in your local community;

2.Log your Peace Day commitment at www.peaceoneday.org;

3.Tell others around the world and ask them to complete the Three Steps to Peace One Day.

Thanks.

In peace,

Jeremy Gilley

The 2010 Peace One Day Celebration Paris!

I’m proud to announce the line up for this year’s Peace One Day Celebration, at Le Zenith, Paris 17 September 2010:

Charlie Winston
Patti Smith (unplugged)
- M -

Youssou NDour (Special Guest)
Yodelice

Hosted by Peace One Day ambassador Jude Law and Sharon Stone.

We'll be in Paris for the second consecutive year. This year, however, we are moving to Le Zenith, a glorious venue that holds more than 6,000 people. It'll be an amazing night. If you're able to come, get your tickets here!

Thanks

In Peace,

Jeremy Gilley

Thirty Days, One Goal

As virtually everyone knows, the World Cup is here again, and I wanted to pause and reflect on it for a moment.  The World Cup encapsulates why we wanted to use football for Peace in the first place.

It may be a cliché, but it’s true: Football is a universal language.  As I travel around the world, I can walk into any setting and football can bring us together.  I’ve visited orphanages in far-flung places where I could not communicate at all with the children there.  There is often an awkward silence at first, where no one knows quite what to say or do.  But as soon as I bring out a football, we begin to play – and then we are smiling, laughing, and our personalities emerge.  We are completely united in that moment.

That is why One Day One Goal exists: we can use this game to start the interactions between people who can’t, or won’t, communicate.  We can build relationships through football that make people want to come back to that field, or street, or garden, to play together again.

The first World Cup was held in 1930, and now everybody knows about it – it is living proof of what it means to institutionalise an event.  If you are at all inspired by the World Cup, then I urge you to sign up for One Day One Goal.  It’s your chance to play football with, and for, the world.

Sign up today to organise a match and then get friends, children, adults, and the rest of your community involved.

You can begin buy completing the 3 steps to Peace One Day:

1.        Decide what you will do to make peace on September 21, at school, at home or in your local community;

2.       Log your Peace Day commitment at www.peaceoneday.org;

3.       Tell others around the world and ask them to complete the Three Steps to Peace One Day.

Thanks

In peace,

Jeremy Gilley

Help Support POD

At Peace One Day, we are able to do what we do because we constantly raise our sights - we aimed to create an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence; we inspired a UN resolution; we work to bring all sectors of society together on 21 September - to institutionalise this day around the world; we are striving to reach 3 billion people by Peace Day 2012.

All of this work, and the individual initiatives that go along with it, requires massive amounts of time, effort, and money. We are fortunate to have generous donors, sponsors, and partners at all levels of giving, and we are grateful to all our supporters. But right now, given the global economy, it's a tough time to raise money.

I considered using this blog to ask for a straight forward donation, (and they are very much appreciated), but I'd much rather that we give you something in return. So I'm asking you to buy the Peace One Day album on iTunes.

This album, which we released in September 2009, offers a sonic history of POD - from our Brixton concert in 2002 to the Royal Albert Hall in 2008. You can hear some of the world's greatest performers (including our long-time supporters Annie Lennox, Lenny Kravitz, Dave Stewart, and Jimmy Cliff) all of whom have lent their talents to the cause of peace over the years.

I hope these songs inspire you; they provide a fantastic artifact of our early years that you can share with friends and family. But most of all, your purchase will really help us to save lives - remember, every album you buy will fund the vital work we are doing as we prepare for Peace Day 2010 and beyond.

And if you cannot buy the album, you can make a commitment.
Complete the Three Steps to Peace One Day:

1. Decide what you will do to make peace on 21 September, at school, at home or in your local community;

2. Log your Peace Day commitment at www.peaceoneday.org;

3. Tell others around the world and ask them to complete the Three Steps to Peace One Day.

Thanks

In peace,
Jeremy Gilley