Peace Day Supporters
While there are thousands of organizations worldwide that observe International Day of Peace every year, there are a few that actively promote Peace Day among their members and encourage participation. These organizations usually post information and material on their websites, and present their own lists of Peace Day events online. For more information about each organization, please use the links below.
11 Days of Global Unity *
11 Days is an annual worldwide promotion of peace and sustainability launched in 2004 by We, The World with more than 200 concerts, festivals, webcasts, and other events culminating on September 21, International Day of Peace. Supporters of the launch included Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Honorary Co-Chairs Jane Goodall, Deepak Chopra, Irene Khan (Secretary General of Amnesty International), Marianne Williamson, John McConnell (the original Founder of Earth Day), Hazel Henderson, Ervin Laszlo, Jonathan Granoff, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Robert Thurman, Sally Fisher, Riane Eisler and Lynne Twist.
www.wetheworld.org/11days
Earthdance International *
Earthdance was conceived in 1996 as a vision to unite the whole world through the universal platform of dance and music. Earthdance has now become the largest global synchronized dance event in the world. Rising out of the global electronic music scene, Earthdance has now grown to include a diverse cross-section of musical genres including world music, jazz, conscious hip-hop, folk and reggae. For one night all around the globe, people join together to dance as one global community, with a common vision for peace and humanitarian aims.
www.earthdance.org
Friends of the United Nations (FOTUN) & Groups of Action toward Peace (GAP) *
Group of Actions toward Peace (GAP) is a project of Friends of the United Nations and is based on the formation of local independent groups that affiliate to the organization. GAPs work for the benefit in the living conditions of their communities and thus toward the achievement of a more peaceful relation with ourselves and with other human beings of the planet. GAPs are groups involving civilians of goodwill that organize activities in their own areas.
www.fotun.org
www.amigosdelaonu.org/GAPs.html
Global Mala *
The purpose of the Global Mala project is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a "mala around the earth" through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 21st and 22nd, Fall Equinox, as the yoga world's offering to further the UN International Peace Day. Each center offers their form of a Yoga Mala according to their yoga tradition and inspiration: 108 Sun Salutations, 108 rounds of mantra, 108 rounds of a kriya and 108 minutes of meditation, kirtan, movement meditation. The Global Mala Project belongs to the "Yoga Lokah" - the global yoga community. It is a seed of a world-wide experiment into the power of meditation in action.
www.globalmala.org
Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) *
Through its project Peace Building Peace, GPPAC highlights the contributions of civil society to preventing violent conflict, and the power and impact that “people power” brings to transform lives and communities in the shadow of violence. GPPAC uses the International Day of Peace as a rallying point to raise awareness about the value and necessity of conflict prevention and peacebuilding work. Recognizing that knowledge and support for these issues remains low among the general public and many policymakers, GPPAC has launched a campaign to highlight some of the successful civil society peacebuilding and conflict prevention stories. GPPAC encourages its over 1000 member organizations to observe Peace Day.
www.peoplebuildingpeace.org
International Day of Peace Vigil (IDP Vigil) *
The "International Day of Peace Vigil" is an idea of a growing number of individuals and groups bound only by a common belief that the power of prayer, meditation, or other sacred spiritual practice serves as a powerful means of encouraging peace and promoting a global ceasefire. They represent many various religious and spiritually oriented groups and a wide segment of civil society throughout the world, in support of the objective of the International Day of Peace Vigil, which is: "To encourage worldwide, 24-hour spiritual observations for peace and nonviolence on the International Day of Peace, September 21st in every house of worship and place of spiritual practice, by all religious and spiritually based groups and individuals, and by all men, women and children who seek peace in the world." The International Day of Peace Vigil is a global undertaking that requires the efforts of many people of all faiths and beliefs to be successful. Participants are encouraged to support the United Nations' call for a full day of global ceasefire on 21 September by observing the day in spiritual contemplation for peace, global ceasefire and nonviolence.
www.idpvigil.com
Pathways To Peace (PTP) *
Pathways To Peace is an international peacebuilding, educational and consulting organization. It serves as International Secretariat for the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI), which reports annually on Peace Day activities through the annual CPI Reports. Other projects include: Events with Peace Leaders, and PACEM - Pathways Consulting, Educating & Mentoring Programme. Pathways To Peace has Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and works with several UN agencies. It is also an official Peace Messenger of the United Nations. PTP was involved in the creation of International Day of Peace in 1981 and works with the UN to promote the Day. Recently, PTP enlisted calendar publishers worldwide to highlight September 21 as Peace Day in their calendars, starting in 2009.
www.pathwaystopeace.org
Peace One Day (POD) *
Peace One Day was founded by Jeremy Gilley in 1999 to document the efforts to create an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence with a fixed calendar date. In 2001, POD achieved its primary objective. United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/Res/55/282) was unanimously adopted by UN member states, formally establishing an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace, fixed in the global calendar on 21 September – Peace Day. With the Day in place, POD’s main aim is to raise awareness of Peace Day 21 September. POD is a non-profit organisation, impartial and independent of any government, political persuasion, corporation or religious creed.
www.peaceoneday.org
Pinwheels for Peace *
Students will create pinwheels, pinwheels of all shapes and sizes – as part of the creation process, the students will write their thoughts about "war and peace / tolerance/ living in harmony with others" on one side. The writing can be poetry, prose, haiku, or essay-style – whatever writing form is appropriate as the children express themselves. On the other side, the students will draw, paint, collage, etc. to visually express their feelings. They will assemble these pinwheels and on September 21, everyone will "plant" their pinwheels outside as a public statement and art exhibit/installation. The spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the country, the world!
www.pinwheelsforpeace.com
Roots & Shoots *
The Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen – for communities, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in almost 100 countries, the Roots & Shoots network branches out across the globe, connecting youth of all ages who share a common desire to help make the world a better place. Each year, in support of Peace Day, Roots & Shoots members and friends come together to promote peace. All over the world, young people craft giant peace dove puppets from reused materials and fly the doves in their communities. From the high peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro to the low plains of Kansas, peace doves fly, held high by hopeful hands.
www.rootsandshoots.org
Service For Peace (SFP) *
Service For Peace is an independent nonprofit organization providing service and learning opportunities through community projects which promote transformational and sustainable personal and community development around the world. They bring together people and partners of diverse faiths, ethnicities, nationalities, generations, and cultures to address profound social needs by discovering commonality and genuine appreciation for differences – all through service. SFP believes that peace begins with the inner peace fostered by service to others and that active cooperation provides the foundation and the real hope for peace.
www.serviceforpeace.org
ThinkPEACE Network *
The ThinkPEACE Network promotes International Day of Peace by organizing “Stand-up for International Peace” at comedy clubs worldwide. The three goals of the ThinkPEACE Network are:
- To promote International Day of Peace.
- To promote the idea that teaching young people about peace is more important than teaching them about wars, generals and conquerors.
- To promote the idea that world peace is possible.
United Nations (UN)
The United Nations established International Day of Peace in 1981, as an annual observance of global non-violence and ceasefire. In 2001, UN adopted the resolution that set September 21 as the fixed date for Peace Day. Each year, there are Peace Day celebrations at UN headquarters in New York, where the Secretary-General rings the Peace Bell and leads a minute of silence at noon. Peace Day is also observed at several UN agencies worldwide. One activity in which all people can participate is the UN request for a minute of silence at noon in all time zones – this has now been observed consistently for 27 years. Plus, the UN arranges ceasefires on International Day of Peace, that allow humanitarian organizations to provide food, medicines and other aid to people who are otherwise cut off from such basic needs due to conflicts.
http://www.un.org/events/peaceday/
United Religions Initiative (URI) *
In the face of global division and violence, the United Religions Initiative (URI) strives to end religiously motivated violence and build cultures of peace, justice and healing. URI’s work is accomplished by a global network of nearly 400 interfaith Cooperation Circles (CCs) or multi-faith grassroots coalitions made up of at least seven people from three or more faith traditions. URI’s Cooperation Circles, in 66 countries, work daily in their communities to address issues including religiously motivated violence, poverty, environmental degradation, HIV/AIDS, and religious persecution. URI has actively participated in Peace Day observations since 2000, with diverse events set up by their CC’s. They urge all religions and faith-based organizations to issue their own proclamations endorsing International Day of Peace.
www.uri.org
World Peace Emerging *
The vision of World Peace Emerging is to empower the people who are already working to make the world a better place – the champions. World Peace Emerging helps these champions by using entertainment media to tell their stories, by coaching them to be better entrepreneurs, by networking them with each other, and by generating publicity campaigns that attracts new people to their projects. World Peace Emerging promotes International Day of Peace by publishing their online Peace Day Magazine, featuring stories, pictures and facts that inspire millions of people worldwide.
www.worldpeaceemerging.com
World Peace Prayer Society (WPPS) *
The World Peace Prayer Society (WPPS) is a non-sectarian, non-political organization associated with the Department of Public Information at the United Nations. The mission of WPPS is to spread the Universal Peace Message and Prayer, May Peace Prevail on Earth, far and wide to embrace the lands and people of this Earth. WPPS is not a religious or a church organization. The World Peace Prayer Society has been promoting the International Day of Peace at the United Nations and with the United Nations since 1996. WPPS saw Peace Day as a perfect opportunity for people of all nations and religions to join in the common prayer, “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” Each year, WPPS submits a compilation of Peace Day activities, organized by its members, to the UN.
www.worldpeace.org
Gandhi Tour *
The Gandhi Tour is a global music festival created with the intent to arise social change by uniting people through the Universal language of music.
This global music event creates a platform for cultural dialogue relating to all cultures and religions inspired by the life of Mahatma Gandhi with the support of Dr. Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson. The Gandhi Tour will spread his Grandfathers prolific message of non-violence and multicultural understanding around the world threading the message of Gandhi through out each event. In addition to providing humanitarian support by forming partnerships with charitable organizations. The Gandhi Tour combines the power of music, art and media to call for Peace with featured local artists and well known International stars around the globe.
www.ghanditour.com
(*= participant of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI))
