CHANGE BECOMES PEACE: Who will you make peace with in 2013?

Who will you make peace with? It's a powerful question. And we have a powerful vision: With your help, we want to reach 600 million people with the message of Peace Day in 2013, and inspire a mass movement towards peace and reconciliation. Peace Day, 21 September, is now only six months away.

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/schools-network-membership-form/.

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.