Jude Law and Jeremy Gilley Launch Countdown to Global Truce With Concert at the O2 Arena London

LONDON, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

On 21 September, the non-profit organisation Peace One Day begins a year-long countdown to a Global Truce on Peace Day 2012.

The first of a series of three concerts will feature artists Eliza Doolittle, Youssou NDour, Afroreggae, Flawless and the English National Ballet, with further artists to be announced. Speakers will include Jude law and Peace One Day founder and filmmaker Jeremy Gilley.

The O₂ Arena concert is the biggest event yet for Gilley's Peace One Day campaign, which in 2001 led a process that resulted in the unanimous adoption by UN member states of the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence.

This day is now fixed in the global calendar every year: 21 September is Peace Day.

Jeremy Gilley said: "Peace One Day is calling for a Global Truce on Peace Day 2012. We have a clear strategy and we hope this will be the largest reduction in global violence in recorded history, both domestically and internationally. This day is as much about non-violence in our schools, our homes, workplace and local communities as it is about ceasefire on the international stage.

"Everyone has a role to play. The O₂ Arena show launches a 365-day countdown. I'm so grateful to all the artists for giving their time to help Peace One Day take this message to the people of the world."

Eliza Doolittle said, "When I heard about Peace One Day, what they have achieved & what they are now going for, a Global Truce on Peace Day 2012, I had to become involved.  You can too.  Come to the O₂ Arena on 21 September this year and go to http://www.peaceoneday.org to find out more.  POD is a ground breaking initiative and I'm proud to be a part of it."

The O₂ Arena show, which will be filmed in HD and broadcast internationally, is the first in a trilogy of Peace One Day concerts produced as part of the London 2012 Festival.

The second show - in Derry-Londonderry on June 21, 2012 - is the opening event of the London 2012 Festival and marks the three-month countdown to the Global Truce. The third show will take place on the day of Global Truce itself, Peace Day 21 September 2012.

Since the adoption of the Peace Day resolution in 2001, activities on 21 September have enabled families to be reunited, mosquito nets and food aid to be delivered and children to be vaccinated all over the world, as this ceasefire and non-violence day creates a window of opportunity for humanitarian efforts.

In 2007, Jeremy Gilley and Jude Law travelled to Afghanistan to spearhead an initiative that has resulted in the vaccination against polio of 4.5 million children following Peace Day agreements by all parties in the region in 2007/8/9. This work forms the culmination of Gilley's feature documentary The Day After Peace.

"I've seen how Peace Day saves lives," says Law. "Peace One Day is inviting all sectors of society to observe a Global Truce on Peace Day September 21, 2012. It's up to all of us to get involved."

Jeremy Gilley's next feature documentary (produced by Gilley and Law) will culminate in the Global Truce on Peace Day 2012, against the backdrop of London 2012 activities.

Others who have supported Peace One Day include Annie Lennox, Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, Angelina Jolie, Lenny Kravitz, Kasabian, Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens), Patti Smith, Charlie Winston, Youssou NDour, Jonny Lee Miller, Joseph Fiennes, Kate Nash, Corinne Bailey Rae, Dave Stewart, Jimmy Cliff, Faithless, James Morrison, -M-, Yodelice, Vanessa Paradis, Ayo, and millions of people across the world.  The Peace One Day 2011 O2 Arena show is a Peace One Day Production in as part of the London 2012 Festival.

Peace One Day presents

The Peace One Day Celebration 2011 "Truce" as part of the London 2012 Festival

Tickets go on sale at 9:00 on Friday 24 June.

To book tickets call +44(0)844-856-0202 or +44(0)871-231-0835

Or purchase online at http://www.theo2.co.uk or http://www.seetickets.com

About Peace One Day

Jeremy Gilley is an actor turned filmmaker, who in the late 1990s became preoccupied with questions about the fundamental nature of humanity and the issue of peace. He decided to explore these through the medium of film, and specifically, to create a documentary following his campaign to establish an annual day of ceasefire and non-violence. In 1999, Jeremy founded Peace One Day, a non-profit organisation, and in 2001 Peace One Day's efforts were rewarded when the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the first ever day of global ceasefire and non-violence on 21 September annually - Peace Day.

 
With the day in place, Peace One Day is working to institutionalise Peace Day, making it a day that is self-sustaining, an annual day of global unity, a day of intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known. Peace Day has already been proven as a window for life-saving activities; in 2007, Gilley and POD ambassador Jude travelled to Afghanistan to spearhead an initiative that has resulted in the vaccination against polio of 4.5 million children following Peace Day agreements by all parties in the region in 2007/8/9. This work forms the culmination of Gilley's feature documentary The Day After Peace.

By 2007, over 100 million people (source UN) were active on Peace Day, in 192 countries. For Peace Day 2012, POD is calling for and working towards a day of global ceasefire and non-violence - a Global Truce, for which POD is engaged in an extensive, diplomatic and grassroots communications exercise; POD hopes that this will be the largest reduction in global violence in recorded history, both domestically and internationally.  To find out how you can help, visit http://www.peaceoneday.org