The tour is a “global Initiative created with the intent to arise social change by uniting people through the universal language of music.” See Music4Peace Lounge flyer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Juliette Harris

310-577-1122

THE GANDHI LEGACY IS ALIVE AND PERPETUATING WITH RUSSELL SIMMONS, DR. BEN CHAVIS, SMI/SWAGGMEDIA.COM AND MUSIC 4 PEACE AS THEY ANNOUNCE ALIGNMENT WITH SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE WORLD CUP, AND TOURING INDIA AND BRAZIL

Music4Peace Tour is Comprised of Four Nonprofits; Music 4 Peace, Hip Hop Summit/Action Network, Gandhi Tour & Tribes of the World

(Los Angeles, CA) Wednesday, January 27, 2010 – “The way to create change is to empower,” stated civil rights leader Dr. Ben Chavis, at the launch of the Music 4 Peace Initiative and Tour (www.music4peacetour.com <http://www.music4peacetour.com> <http://www.music4peacetour.com/> ) which held a press conference at the Miners Building on Main Street at the Sundance Film Festival. The purpose of the press conference was to introduce the Music 4 Peace Initiative and Tour, introduce its collaborative partners, the goals of the Tour and the first tour stops in 2010.

The Music 4 Peace Initiative and Tour is a collaborative initiative that aims to educate, empower, and improve the world beginning with the universal language of music. The collaborating charities include: Hip Hop Summit/Action Network, Tribes of the Worlds, Music4Peace Foundation and The Gandhi Tour. These non profits have banded together to promote a global message of peace and harmony utilizing music, artists and global resources to inspire humans across the globe to mobilize for change. Music and humanitarian charities across the globe will be 2010 campaign recipients.

Russell Simmons commented, “Hip-Hop music artists are leaders in the youth movement.  We’re excited about the potential these diverse organizations have in coming together to harness music as a transformative and unifying power to promote peace throughout the world.”

Music 4 Peace has adopted the mantra of “Peace, Water and Wisdom” and strive to eradicate world hunger and violence while providing clean water and teaching empowerment.

The first events announced for the 2010 tour include:

A Hip Hop Summit in South Africa with the World Cup and FIFA in June

A Hip Hop Summit in India in November

Gandhi Tour International day of peace in Brazil

SMI/SwaggMedia has partnered with The Music 4 Peace Tour and Initiative to co-produce the tour and as a media partner presenting the messages to the world while connecting viewers and inspiring them to donate or contribute to those in need.  Professional basketball player David West, co- founder of SwaggMedia also sent a video message supporting his participation with the World 4 Peace Tour.

Press conference participants included: Dr. Arun Gandhi, (via telephone due to a health issue) Entrepreneur, social activist, and UN Goodwill Ambassador Russell Simmons, legendary civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., SMI/SwaggMedia CEO Craig Nobles, Music 4 Peace co founder and founder of The Gandhi Tour, Tobias Huber, Tribes of The World founder Wayne Warwick Williams, Goodwill Ambassador to the United States Baroness Kimberly Moore, and a video message from The Dalai Lama. Internationally celebrated artist LEBO joined the Music 4 Peace Conference to share his blend of visual storytelling and global consciousness through his live performance painting. He painted an original painting entitled “Peace 4 Play” and donated it to the tour to raise awareness and funds.

Music4Peace also announced the launch of the Film 4 Peace Contest to raise funds for the Millennium Development Goals, The Hip Hop Summit and aid to Haiti. The winning filmmaker will be awarded a trip for two to South Africa in June 2010 to attend The Music 4 Peace Tour “Hip-Hop Summit South Africa’s” inaugural concert event and two tickets to the United State’s opening match against England at the World Cup! Visit www.music4peacetour.com <http://www.music4peacetour.com> <http://www.music4peacetour.com> for more details.

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For photography, product samples and talent information please contact “it” girl public relations on (310) 577 1122 Juliette Harris: Juliette@itgirlpublicrelations.com or Annie@itgirlpublicrelations.com.

A UN 5th World Conference on Women (5WCW) would be the most influential and far-reaching women’s conference ever held.  Jean Shinoda Bolen will head the Pathways To Peace delegation.

Video:  Message from Jean Shinoda Bolen on 5th World Conference on Women

We, the undersigned, call on the UN, 192 member-states & affiliated NGOs to support a 5th World Conference on Women. Sign the Petition to support this Conference!

The 4th conference was held in Beijing in 1995, drew over 40,000 participants, and led to the Beijing Platform for Action, which if implemented would have created a world where women’s rights and human rights were one in the same. The empowerment of women changes priorities: safety for women and children, nutrition, health and education, and concern for the environment are women’s concerns.

With the creation of a UN women’s super agency equivalent to UNICEF for children, authorized by the UN General Assembly in September 2009, it is possible that this new entity could organize a 5th world conference on women in 2015 (instead of a Beijing +20 review). The effect could be synergistic in advancing a women’s agenda. Because this would not be an official UN conference of governments — but rather a UN -sponsored conference of non-governmental organizations in civil society — it could not re-open the many excellent official documents already produced by the UN, but would focus on turning them into reality in the lives of women and girls globally.

The 21st century is an era of communication: networking via emails, cellphones and websites, information through youtube and live-stream coverage, simultaneous regional conferences via satellite broadcasting could reach people all over the world. The event would raise consciousness about unconscionable conditions as well as solutions that could focus on the work of NGOs. It would encourage the formation of women’s circles and mobilize a new wave of women’s movement activism. It would inform the world that the Beijing Platform for Action and UN Security Council Resolutions #1325 and its amendments on Women, Peace, & Security–if implemented, would bring about gender equality, end violence toward women and lead to peaceful solutions to conflicts.

A UN 5th women’s conference and the events preceding and following it would create a critical mass, a tipping point of aware and involved women and men.

Information on website: www.5wcw.org.
and in Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World. www.jeanbolen.com

Signatories: (http://www.5wcw.org/who.html)
Isabel Allende, author, activist
Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD, author Urgent Message From Mother, Jungian analyst,
Marilyn Fowler, founder US Women-Connect, Women’s Intercultural Network
Carol Hansen Grey, author, activist
Dr. Patricia Licuanan, President Miriam College, Philippines, Chair of prepatory meetings for Beijing conference
Susan Collin Marks, Search for Common Ground, Leadership Wisdom Initiative.
Patricia Smith Melton, founder PeaceXPeace
Joyce Oneko, founder Mama na Dada-Africa
Elly Pradervand, founder Women’s World Summit Foundation, Geneva
Zainab Salbi, president Women for Women International
Leticia Shahani, Secretary-General 3rd UN World Conference on Women (Nairobi)
Gloria Steinem, founder Ms. Magazine, author, activist
Alice Walker, author, activist
Rosemary Williams, founder Women’s Perspective
Lea Wyler, co-founder ROKPA International

Did you attend a Peace Day event? If so, please take a few minutes to let us know how it went:  http://bit.ly/peaceday_09

Your response will assist our efforts in producing a comprehensive 2009 Peace Day report which will be presented to the UN and published online.  We invite your participation.

Thank you Peacebuilders!

May Peace Prevail On Earth!

“Pathways to Peace:  Peacebuilding locally and globally for over 25 years.”

Dear Culture of Peace Initiative Participants (CPI),

During this holiday season, every one of us has the opportunity to be a Peacebuilder!  To engage in the tangible work of making Peace a practical reality, both locally and globally, you are invited to participate as a Peacebuilder by offering your financial support.  Your continued support for Pathways To Peace is making an impact during this challenging economic climate.  Here is how your financial support assisted Peacebuilders in 2009:

For this 27th annual International Day of Peace, the Internet played an increasingly key role in our outreach efforts.  This year, the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI)* quickly amassed more than 16,000 Facebook followers on the International Day of Peace page at facebook.com/peaceday.  In September, about a 100,000 people visited the International Day of Peace website, where we put together a comprehensive page of Peace Day highlights.  A major highlight was the first 24 hour Peace Day Broadcast, which was produced by the Unity Foundation.  Your support will help us better utilize Facebook, online networks and media to bring to light unseen Peacebuilders!

“Celebration Earth Peace Gathering”, a special CPI 2009 program led by Paul Coleman, a CPI Ambassador, brought together thousands in Okinawa, Japan for a historic series of Peace festivals and marches.  Their inspiring, colorful pictures and videos highlight Okinawa’s creative culture and efforts to restore Okinawa to its long held culture of Peace.  As an intergenerational and intercultural program, “Celebration Earth” symbolizes the best of what CPI has to offer!  Your support allows us to share with you how to plan an inspiring “Celebration Earth Peace Gathering” in your community!

A Global Events Calendar has been created to identify the countless events dedicated to promoting Peace. This master calendar invites all to join in these growing celebrations and be in community with others of like-mind. It is a way for all to share inspiration, photos, videos, stories, planned Peace activities.  This year, there were over 600 events shared for Peace Day!  This calendar helps us increase our commitment, by reminding us that we are not alone and, together, we are making a difference.  Together, we also continue to build a Peace community of all cultures, nations and languages. Your support and participation is essential to improving the calendar so that it is accessible to more of our international community of Peacebuilders!

Peace Day has grown from a small gathering of 400 in 1981 in San Francisco, to more than 10,000 events world-wide!  This year, as the result of Pathways To Peace Contributing Writer and Calendar Program Director Melvin Weiner, hundreds of millions of calendars marked the International Day of Peace on September 21!

Culture of Peace Initiative Outreach Coordinator Michael Kwan, a recent university graduate, shares his thoughts on the future:  “I’m excited about the prospects for Peace in our world because of what the Internet provides us.  In a minute I can personally connect with Peacebuilders around the world.  We have an increasingly powerful tool that can instantly focus and amplify our collective work to activate a vibrant, collaborative and engaging culture of Peace.  This year was particularly inspiring because of all the Peace stories and hundreds of comments shared through Facebook and Twitter.  I expect to help inspire more people to act by sharing more detailed examples of Peacebuilding efforts we’ve collected - as well as ongoing Peace practices, Peace Education programs, campaigns and projects to connect to!”

Onwards towards an inter-connected, collaborative and mutually supportive culture of Peace!  We wish you a joyful and Peaceful holiday season with your friends, family and community.

You are a pathway to Peace.

-The Pathways To Peace Team

Please join with us in making Peace a reality by making your generous contribution today!

Checks may be mailed to:

Pathways To Peace
P.O Box 1057
Larkspur, CA 94977 USA

*The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a co-operative Peacebuilding Initiative to unite the strengths of existing organizations, projects and peoples in building a Culture of Peace for future generations.  CPI is a vehicle for bringing to light the previously unseen and unheard Peacebuilders working towards Peace along divers pathways. Through The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI), Pathways To Peace(International Secretariat, Culture of Peace Initiative) provides an opportunity for individuals, groups and organizations to link with others who are engaging as Peacebuilders through out the year. Peace Day is every day.

Unity Foundation, Pathways To Peace, PeacePortal.mobi and Getzooks welcomes you to the PEACE DAY 24-Hour World Peace Celebration and Global Broadcast commemorating the 27th Annual United Nations’ International Day of Peace on September 21, 2009.

[The broadcast can be viewed on PeaceDay2009.org]

This broadcast highlights the vitally important work of the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies, as well as organizations and individuals around the world dedicated to creating a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. The broadcast includes Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Peace; as well as interviews with present and former high level UN officials and other world leaders. The broadcast also includes videos of the “UN in Action” and Peace Day events around the planet. See the press release.

Do you want to share this broadcast? You can embed this broadcast on to your website, blog, myspace, etc. for FREE!  To add the broadcast to your Facebook profile, click here to download the Livestream application!