Yesterday at 7:30pm (BST) we streamed the @PeaceOneDay #GlobalTruce2012 (#PeaceConcert2012) concert live right here. Featuring Pixie Lott, Imelda May, Newton Faulkner, Guillemots & Wonder Villains. Plus Jude Law and Jeremy made an appearance to talk about their work for this great cause.
But what is this cause all about? Well I think you should all watch this video below from the famous TED conference to find out a little more. After that we have an exclusive interview with Jeremy Gilley, the man behind ‘Peace One Day’.
via TEDtalksDirector
Interview with Jeremy Gilley
What inspired you to start Peace One Day and what are your aspirations for the not-for-profit?
I was confused about what was going on in the world, I didn’t understand the starvation and killing of innocent people, not to mention the destruction to our environment and I wanted to do something about it. I’m a film maker so I decided to grab my camera to do something constructive, I made a film about peace and then realised there was no day of peace, so that’s when I had the idea for Peace One Day. The key was to try and get global cooperation by convincing key figures and leaders that this was the starting point for global unity and inter cultural cooperation around the world. I was of course delighted that happened and after Peace One Day was confirmed we made another film about going into Afghanistan and making it work, we ended up reducing violence there by 70% (announced by the UN department of safety and security) and now we want to see that on a global scale come September 21st 2012. Then in 2013 we will try and improve on that and so on a so forth to get the entire world stopping bloodshed for a day.
How can our readers get involved in Peace One Day?
Your community can get involved in a massive way. The first thing they can do is to download the Nokia app or they can go to the Peace One Day website to become part of the membership by signing up to become a peace messenger. There are a series of missions they can do to help us spread the word to get the most amount of people gathering together in the name of peace ever recorded. We want them to join the Facebook community, to follow on Twitter, to check out the YouTube channel. The reason it is so crucial that they sign up to those channels is because it is all about numbers, the idea that on Peace One Day everyone can leverage their message on a global scale in huge force! If everyone comes together as one, there will be no need to knock on the doors of the government, when the world comes together as one the governments of the world will follow because peace is in the people’s hands. If the Nokia Connects community come together and act by sharing that day with their friends online then we will see the greatest world gathering ever witnessed both online and offline.
via UNfilmperlapace
How can people use the Nokia app to get involved?
We want to see people using the Nokia app and following up all of the feeds coming out of that app. The Jedi Knights had light-sabers and the new light-saber of the 21st century is the mobile phone, so use it; use it wisely, use it to save the world!
Jude Law is one of the advocates of Peace One Day, how did you get him involved?
We were good friends back from when we used to act together, I asked him to do a video piece for our event at the Royal Albert Hall back in 2006 and whilst I was filming him for an awareness shoot he agreed to come to Afghanistan. He went and had an amazing time over there; he really helped us to open a few more doors. Since then he has been travelling all over the world helping out with the charity, he is a great mentor, a great friend and more importantly he is a phenomenally academic individual who understands the issues in a big way, this is not somebody who is standing on a soap box having a chat, this is someone who is strategically at the heart of our work and who helps us to reach the results.
via PeaceOneDay
In 2010 you won the prestigious Carnegie-Wateler Peace Prize, how does that rank amongst your career highlights?
It is the career highlight; it is the greatest gift I have ever been given outside of the birth of my daughter, that was by far the greatest thing that has ever happened to me! Working towards world peace, meeting/travelling and working with some amazing individuals and then receiving this prize was truly incredible. I absolutely couldn’t believe it. It was great for me, but I can’t do this alone, I owe the award to lots of the people around me who make this work possible. Believe me, I haven’t got this situation under control! It’s like I’m riding a hardcore wave, I’m hanging on just near the crest of the wave! I wouldn’t want someone to read this interview and think ‘well that guy has got this sorted I don’t need to do anything’, it really is totally the opposite, we all need to do something, we all need to join together as one!
You started out as an actor and started your own film making company, P.U.R.E, what advice would you give to budding young filmmakers out there who want to enter the film industry?
Just get your camera and start shooting, it doesn’t matter what it is, just keep shooting. Then cut it and keep cutting the film in post-production until you are happy with it. They must also keep serving their apprenticeships in what is one of the most compelling art forms in the world. You know, with film making now you can reach the whole world, so get your message out there. Shoot shoot shoot!
We’d like to hear a little about your acting and directing background and how that has influenced where you are now with Peace One Day?
The acting was good, I really enjoyed the Royal Shakespeare Company, it set me up and gave me loads of confidence. Then I started making a load of short films about crazy subjects that I thought were great pieces of art, but unfortunately nobody wanted to buy them. It wasn’t really until I came across Peace One Day that I decided to make something really special, after this phase in my lifeI started to go a little more mainstream. But certainly I started in the acting game when I was 12 years old and I’m now 42 so it’s been a long journey working predominantly on nothing else other than this project, I’ve met some amazing people along the way.
You’re actively involved in Social Media Week this year – can you tell us a little about your role?
Social Media Week asked me to speak at one of their events and I love doing that, I love raising awareness for Peace One Day. Social Media Week is cool; it’s cutting edge, it’s great technology, it’s great people doing great things whilst giving a voice to all of that.
It’s all about inspiring other communities of people to do great things.
Are you inspired to take part in Peace One Day? Let us know @Nokia_Connects or below and I can give you some more information about getting involved. All of the links to their great work is in this post.