GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Many of these global initiatives are focused around or involve key activities in observance of Peace Day, September 21. ** indicates initiatives also happening in Austin.
I BILLION ACTS OF PEACE
A a global community of everyday people performing thoughtful actions that contribute to world peace. With 13 Nobel Laureates leading their campaign, they hope to gain traction on 10 key focus areas critical to generating world peace. Led by Peace Jam Foundation, with the conviction that "Everyone can make a difference."
I MILLION POEMS FOR PEACE **
Celebrating Peace Day through poetry and song, 1 Million Poems for Peace invites you to write, recite, sing, share, explore, poems — your own or your favorites — as a way of speaking to our deepest inner feelings and awakening the feeling for peace, the need for peace, the soul of peace — and then sharing it out in the world through activites of your own making. And then sharing that back on this site to inspire others. Building a culture fo peace through poems and songs.
11 DAYS OF GLOBAL UNITY
11 Days of Global Unity is an annual worldwide promotion of peace and sustainability facilitated by We The World. There are hundreds of events in several countries culminating on September 21, the International Day of Peace. Supporters include Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Honorary Co-Chairs Dr. Jane Goodall and Deepak Chopra. “WE” is “a Consciousness, a Campaign, and a Collaboration of people, organizations and social change movements from around the world.”
ACTING KINDLY GAME by PLANET EARTHLINGS
In celebration of the International Day of Peace on September 21st we’re organizing global “Acting Kindly” games in at least 30 cities across the planet. If you want to get involved subscribe BELOW and we’ll let you know what’s happening. You have to be at least 13 years old so if you’re not…get your parents to do it.
CHALK4PEACE
Chalk4Peace promotes the arts by coordinating assemblies of young artists of all ages to draw their vision of peace in public and private spaces with sidewalk chalk as a scheduled worldwide event to advocate for peace in a non-partisan manner.
COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITIES CAMPAIGN **
Motivated by the ancient and universal “golden rule” to treat others as you would like to be treated, communities of people across the globe commit to making compassion a driving force with a measurable impact on community life and on the well-being of all members of a community. For more information on the work to have Austin become a Compassionate Community, CLICK HERE.
THE COMPASSION GAMES **
The Compassion Games, Sept. 11 – Sept. 21, are designed to make our communities safer, kinder, more just, and better places to live. No matter where you are you can perform a Random Act of Kindness, or become a Secret Agent of Compassion and receive a secret mission for each of the eleven days. All the Peace Day Austin activities can also pariticpate in the Compassion Games. For more information on how you can do that, CLICK HERE.
CULTURE OF PEACE INITIATIVE
The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) was originated in 1983 as a program of Pathways To Peace and was granted UN Peace Messenger status in 1989. The CPI serves as a vehicle for bringing together previously unseen and unheard peace builders working along diverse paths toward peace. The CPI has recently redesigned their website, which is now the hub of information and resources for the International Day of Peace. (Also check out the “International Day of Peace" FB Page).
EARTHDANCE INTERNATIONAL
Earthdance was conceived in 1996 as a vision to unite the whole world through the universal platform of dance and music. Celebrated each year on a weekend near the International Day of Peace, Earthdance has now become one of the largest global synchronized dance events in the world.
ENO PROGRAMME
Environment Online (ENO) is a Finland based global virtual school and network for sustainable development. Since 2004, ENO Programme has arranged and encourages tree plantings to celebrate Peace Day.
THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR MINISTRIES & INFRASTRUCTURES FOR PEACE (GAMIP)
GAMIP is a worldwide community of individuals, organizations and campaigns working to establish national ministries and departments of peace. This program supports national governments to significantly invest in the development of skills and infrastructure of peace. It also supports the development of Peace Academies and other departments that can build mutual respect and understanding among peoples.
GLOBAL FEAST FOR PEACE
An initiative of International Cities of Peace (ICP), Global Feast for Peace is an invitation for people to come together on Sept. 21 to share food. Whether it’s a small family celebration or a large community gathering, the Global Feast is a simple and profound expression of peace that everyone, no matter how humble or blessed their circumstances, can connect with and enliven the global celebration.
GLOBAL MALA YOGA FOR PEACE
The Global Mala is a Yoga for Peace Project designed 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. 19 and 20, as the yoga world’s offering to further the UN International Peace Day. Thousands of yoga teachers and practitioners participate in hundreds of events worldwide.
GLOBAL MINUTE OF SILENCE
Minute of Silence – We invite you to observe a minute of silence for peace at 12noon on Sept. 21 (a worldwide activity in all timezones), regardless of where you are.
GLOBAL PEACE FILM FESTIVAL
The Global Peace Film Festival, held in Orlando, FL, was established to utilize the power of the motion picture to further the goal of peace on earth. This Film Festival presents films from around the world and global discussions that highlight the power of this extraordinary medium as it relates to current peace issues. (Submissions for 2015 Fest are closed.)
INTERNATIONAL CITIES OF PEACE
International Cities of Peace is a nonprofit association dedicated to connecting, promoting, and encouraging the global Cities of Peace movement. An Advisory Council of leaders from global Cities of Peace organizations is working to create an all-inclusive, non-polarizing network of world citizens working to bring peace to their communities. The vision of ICP is to foster peace as a consensus value in Cities of Peace around the world.
INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND PEACE
The Institute for Economics and Peace is dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the social and economic factors that develop a more peaceful society. It achieves its goals by developing new conceptual frameworks to define peace, providing metrics for measuring peace and uncovering the relationship between peace, business and prosperity.
MY KISS FOR PEACE
We believe that your kiss can change the World. Peace exists between people and we can stand together with love no matter where we come from. Our mission is to reach over 100,000 kisses in order to create the biggest collage ever for peace. Kisses have no boundaries! #MyKissForPeace
ONE DAY, ONE DANCE
If you're a dancer, a dance teacher or simply someone who loves to dance, then One Day One Dance is the perfect way to express your passion for peace on or around Peace Day, 21 September. Whether you choreograph a dance, dedicate your lesson or organise a flash mob - One Day One Dance is open to your creative interpretation.
ONE DAY, ONE GOAL
Soccer is the World’s most popular sport and this initiative is designed to bring people together in friendly competition to create Peace. From matches uniting the police and residents of a favela in Brazil, to clinics for evacuated children in the Philippines, One Day One Goal clearly illustrates the power of the sport to unite people, give hope and strengthen peace-building efforts whilst raising awareness of Peace Day, 21 September.
PEACE IS POSSIBLE
The Peace is Possible campaign mobilizes young people worldwide to create awareness, advocate, take action and commit to an everlasting world peace. – AND – The campaign will build a coalition of like-minded stakeholders from all sectors of society that are committed to the purpose. #PeaceIsPossible
Peace Pals International is a Youth Program of The World Peace Prayer Society, which promotes the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth” as a simple, universal expression to unite the hearts of all people in our common desire and hope for peace on earth. Each year, children from around the world are invited to submit their artwork to The Annual Peace Pals International Arts Exhibition and Awards. This year's exhibition focuses on sending love to Hiroshima and Nagasaki as it is the 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on those cities in Japan.
Peace Parade International (PPI) is a program in the United Kingdom established in 2006 to promote the International Day of Peace. PPI’s mission is to give all people the opportunity to work together to create more peaceful communities through the PPI’s motto: We are Human First.
PEACE POLE PROJECT
A Peace Pole is an internationally recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. Each Peace Pole bears the message May Peace Prevail on Earth in different languages on each of its four or six sides. There are tens of thousands of Peace Poles in nearly every country in the world dedicated as monuments to peace.
PINWHEELS FOR PEACE
Pinwheels for Peace is a project dedicated to spreading peace activism through creating simple and beautiful pinwheels. Created by in 2005 by art teachers Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, Pinwheels for Peace has established an outlet for students to express their feelings about war and peace by making pinwheels, a childhood symbol of joy and peace.
PLAYING FOR CHANGE DAY
On Sept. 20, 2014, Musicians and Music Lovers worldwide will gather on stages and street corners as well as in schools for a global day of action to bring music into the lives of children and promote positive social change.
POEMS FOR PEACE **
Begun in Austin in 2012 with the support of the Subud International Cultural Asssociation (SICA), Poems for Peace has spread round the world. It also gave birth to Peace Day Austin. Poems for Peace invites people to sing, write, recite, and share poems with one another, in their homes, churches, schools, streets, theatres, and pubicaitons on Peace Day — and reminds everyone that verse is how we learn as children, how we tell others we love them, and that all the holy books in the world are written in verse.
POSTCARDS FOR PEACE
The postcard is a simple and internationally recognized form of communication and an ideal way to connect likeminded people around the world. Our mission is to use postcards to improve the well-being of those people, around the world, whose lives are affected by violence or prejudice, by promoting change and offering hope, support and education.
ROOTS & SHOOTS
Roots & Shoots, a program from the Jane Goodall Institute, is a youth and environment organization. Involving tens of thousands of young people in over 100 countries, the mission of Roots and Shoots is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment. Dr. Jane was named a U.N. Messenger of Peace due to Roots and Shoots, and Dr. Jane's Roots and Shoots encourage people all over the world to make and fly Peace Doves on Peace Day.
SUMMER OF PEACE **
The goal of the Summer of Peace is to activate the largest global commitment to peace in one season in the history of humankind, culminating on Peace Day, September 21. The Summer of Peace is produced by The Shift Network in partnership with Pathways to Peace, Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI), The Peace Alliance and others.
UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE
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. The work of URI is accomplished by a network of nearly 400 interfaith Cooperation Circles across the world.
U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE (USIP) – GLOBAL PEACEBUILDING CENTER
USIP is the independent, nonpartisan conflict management center created by Congress in 1984 to prevent, mitigate and resolve international conflict without resorting to violence.
VISION OF HUMANITY
Vision of Humanity, the sister site of Institute for Economics and Peace, is a strong proponent of the need to further study, advocate and act on peace. It groups together a number of interrelated initiatives focused on global peace. It brings a strategic approach to raising the world’s attention and awareness around the importance of peace to humanity’s survival in the 21st century.
WORLD PEACE PRAYER SOCIETY
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 the WPPS is simple: 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. May Peace Prevail On Earth is an all inclusive message and prayer. It is a meeting place of the heart bringing together people of all faiths, backgrounds and culture to embrace the Oneness of our planetary family. World Peace Prayer and Flag Ceremonies have been presented on every continent and in every major city throughout the world.