Peace starts with individuals coming together. Stories of
reconciliation and unity connect, inspire and empower us as individuals and
communities to work together. If we can make peace with those around us, this
message will impact upon the lives of millions worldwide.
Peace One Day Celebration 2013
The Peace Palace in The Hague has been a worldwide beacon of
Peace and Justice for 100 years. Peace One Day has been asked to bring its 2013
Peace Day celebration to the Peace Palace to mark its centenary – a celebration
of our collective efforts to make peace happen. More info soon.
Schools’ Network update
The Schools’ Network already has 788 schools
throughout 100 countries! Please continue to share the online membership form: http://peaceoneday.org/
On 19 March, I joined young people from School Number 164 in
Zelenogorsk, Siberia, as part of the PeaceTalks project. Zelenogorsk is a ‘closed town’
requiring visitors to undergo security vetting and an invitation to enter,
because it is the site of a Soviet-era uranium enrichment plant. Using Skype,
we connected to Brentwood County High School in the UK to share stories and
ideas around the theme of ‘Who Will You Make Peace With?
News from the other Peace One Day
Coalitions:
• Faith Coalition: Launched with lead
partner Religions for Peace International, this coalition will see the largest mobilization
of the world's religious and spiritual communities towards peace and
reconciliation.
• NGO Coalition:
Lead partner Interpeace has just announced the official inauguration of a new Peace House, a neutral space for local conflict
resolution in the previously violence-afflicted district of Ermera,
Timor-Leste. The first foundation stone of this Peace House was laid in a
special ceremony on Peace Day 2012. The NGO Coalition has 462 members in 133
countries.
• ‘Reducing Domestic Violence’ Coalition: On
International Women’s Day, Baroness Scotland of EDV Global Foundation, lead
partner of the coalition, explained how issues of domestic violence are
increasingly being recognised and addressed. We continue to spread the word and
generate dialogue on these pressing issues which affect us all. This coalition
has 210 members in 90 countries.
• Student Coalition: Lead partner, The
European Students’ Union (ESU), recently provided the platform for an historic protocol of cooperation between Armenian and
Turkish student groups. The Student Coalition currently has 323 member organizations
in 92 countries.
Corporate Coalition: We are delighted to
announce Unilever, Skype, Lotus F1 Team, Innocent Drinks and Ocado as founding
members. Discussions with other major corporations are well underway so watch
this space for further updates on the world’s leading businesses coming
together to institutionalize Peace Day.
So much is happening around the powerful question: Who Will
You Make Peace With? To see how you can become involved, have a look at some of
Peace One Day's initiatives – One Day One Goal, One Day One Dance and Set for Peace.
