Children Mozyr

July 2006, London


Dear Friends at the A Ray of Hope - Children Mozyr

I hope all is well with you.

As you may be aware, in September 2001 the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution to establish the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, 21 September annually. The Peace One Day film project inspired and documented the creation of the Day and since has been committed to informing the global community of its existence, with a view to manifesting an annual moment of global unity, as Peace Day is envisioned to become.  As part of this effort, this year with your support, we hope to instigate Peace Day activities in all 191 member states of the United Nations in accordance with the resolution.

It is for this reason that I am writing to you today to ask for your help in raising awareness of Peace Day across the world. I understand that your organisation works to encourage society to participate in cultural, sporting and educational activities that aim to further a move towards a more peaceful and inclusive world. We would be thrilled to provide a free DVD of the award winning feature documentary to the A Ray of Hope - Children Mozyr to inspire your members and show them how an individual really can make a difference.

An observance of Peace Day can take many forms. Previous years have seen commitments from every sector of society from governments to community groups to individuals. These commitments have ranged in scope from public addresses or a citywide minute of silence, to Peace Day street parties or a group discussion.  Simply saying sorry to a friend or relative can count. Our website www.peaceoneday.org clearly lists the countries in which commitments have been made, and those in which there are none as yet. By getting involved and making a commitment in your country, or encouraging others to do so, the A Ray of Hope - Children Mozyr could make a major contribution to the furtherance of our goal to unite the world on Peace Day.

Whatever your commitment, either on, or in the lead up to 21 September, please let us know so that we can document it on the website to inspire others to get involved.  The scale of your Peace Day activity is not important; the commitment of individuals to act on the Day is everything. Any images that you are able to send us of your activities on the day, be they still or moving would be very much appreciated.

I do want to say a final word about the term 'non-violence', and why its inclusion in UN GA Resolution 55/282 was so important. I realised early on that a call simply for 'ceasefire' on 21 September was one that could easily be dismissed as relevant only to those living in 'conflict zones'.  The inclusion of the term 'non-violence', coupled with an invitation to 'individuals' to observe the Day, means that 21 September becomes relevant to us all, since every one of us has had some experience with one form of violence or another, whether in our home, school or university or local community.

Thank you again for your support and we very much look forward to hearing from you about any potential commitment you are able to make.

With kind regards
In peace


Jeremy Gilley
Founder, Peace One Day