Look To The Stars News: Peace One Day

Annie Lennox Hosts Amnesty Arts Fund Launch

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Singer Annie Lennox hosted the launch of the Amnesty Arts Fund at The Twentieth Century Theatre in London last night, September 25.

The Amnesty Arts Fund brings together people who believe passionately in freedom of expression and projects which have the potential to reach new audiences and inspire creative activism around the world. Amnesty International has a long and proud tradition of working with creative industries and individuals to raise awareness for human rights issues across the globe. This work has inspired change, action and momentum throughout the audiences which have been reached. The launch event celebrated past, current and future creative projects and creative activism.

“Arts and artists have the unique power to bring people together and inspire positive action,” said Lennox. “The Amnesty Arts Fund recognizes that power and uses it to call for change.”

The Amnesty Arts Fund will provide essential resources and funding to creative projects across the arts including film, photography, music, fashion, art, comedy, theatre and literature. It will also support creative projects and individuals to ensure that the human stories behind the statistics and reports of global human rights violations are understood and brought further into the public consciousness. Founding members include Elton John and Nicolas Cage.

Lennox’s attendance at the launch follows her appearance at the World Peace Day concert at the Royal Albert Hall on September 21. The concert – which also featured Bryan Adams, John Legend, and Peter Gabriel – was a resounding success, and raised awareness for the annual Peace One Day campaign founded by Jeremy Gilley.

To view a video of the Peace Day Concert, visit the iConcerts website, or to hear Annie Lennox talk about the Amnesty Arts Fund, click here.

Jude Law's Peace Tour

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Jude Law returned to Afghanistan earlier this week for a two-day mission in support of Peace One Day and UNICEF.

Film director and Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley was also on-hand, encouraging people to once again observe Peace Day on September 21st as part of Peace One Day’s global campaign for ceasefires and non-violence.

While in Kabul, the pair screened a new documentary, The Day After Peace, about how ordinary people in Afghanistan are working towards an end to the conflict.

The documentary shows the events that took place in Afghanistan in September of 2007, and highlights the support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization. The two groups have immunized 1.4 million children against polio, with last September seeing more than 10,000 vaccinators visiting insecure areas of the country as part of a ‘National Immunization Days’ polio immunization campaign.

“This is about saving lives despite anyone’s political beliefs. We hope to see the same commitments that we saw last year from all parties to the conflict. Our goal is to reach every child in Afghanistan,” said said UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Catherine Mbengue.

Peace One Day supporters will celebrate 21 September with a special concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London featuring Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams and John Legend. Law is also scheduled to attend as one of the special guests. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Peace One Day website.

Said Law: “The message is simple. What will you do to make peace on 21 September?”

New York City To Host Peace Day Concert

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

New York City has been named the latest venue of a Peace Day Concert, and will rock the Nokia Theatre 12 days before London’s extravaganza.

Grammy-award winning singers Annie Lennox and Bryan Adams will perform acoustic sets alongside international sensation Natasha Bedingfield during the September 9 concert. The evening will also feature video messages of peace from celebrities and artists including Jude Law and Lenny Kravitz, speeches from international luminaries, and clips from the acclaimed documentary, The Day After Peace, will add to a remarkable night of entertainment.

“What I love about Jeremy Gilley and the Peace One Day campaign, is that the whole thing was started by just one individual who is trying to make difference, despite the odds,” said Annie Lennox, who also took part in last year’s concert in London. “We all have so much potential, but we don’t tend to realize it, so we take it for granted. The work of Peace One Day encourages and inspires people to think about we can all do, both at individual and “collective” levels. There are better and alternative means to conflict resolution than “killing and maiming the enemy”. Political leaders and power brokers have too much invested in the industry of war, rather than implementing peaceful solutions. What is life without peace? Peace is for the highest good, and as a global community it is one of the things we need to value above everything.”

Proceeds from the concert, which will also be televised, will assist the organization’s ongoing mission to raise awareness of Peace Day. As a direct result of Peace One Day’s campaigning in 2007, 1.4 million Afghanistan children were vaccinated against polio, and 100 million people in 200 countries were engaged in Peace Day activities.

Tickets to both the NYC and London Peace Day Concerts are available through www.ticketmaster.com.

Peace Day Concert 2008 To Rock London

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

After last year’s sell out show, the annual Peace One Day concert is set to rock the Royal Albert Hall in London.

World Peace Day has been held on September 21 annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization – Peace One Day – in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

This year’s concert will see performances from Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams, and a guest appearance from Jude Law. There will also be a gala screening of The Day After Peace, the acclaimed new documentary film made by Jeremy Gilley. The film, which received a great reception at its premiere during the 61st Cannes Film Festival, features Kofi Annan, The Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Annie Lennox and Jonny Lee Miller.

The 2007 concert featured acts such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, James Morrison, and Yusuf, with video segments from David Beckham and the Dalai Lama.

Tickets to the 2008 Peace Day Concert can be bought from Ticketmaster, and cost between £35 and £55.

Stars Hold Bed-In For Peace

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Thirty nine years ago, celebrities didn’t have to travel round the world to give peace a chance. They didn’t need to rush to the poorest places, be seen at the flashiest charity parties, donate their old clothes to online auctions (well, they didn’t have the internet, so that last one was definitely out of the question). All they needed to do was stay in bed. Just ask John Lennon and Yoko Ono. OK, so you can’t exactly ask John Lennon, but you get the idea. Because back in 1969, when that illustrious pair held their famous bed-ins for peace, the world was a much simpler place – people wore their hair long, their feet bare, and smiled more than today. And believe it or not, history repeated itself last week.

Award-winning actress and peace activist Maggie Gyllenhaal, founder of Peace One Day Jeremy Gilley, and Roy Kerwood, original photographer from Lennon’s 1969 Montreal Bed-in, spent the day in bed at the Ben & Jerry’s Times Square Scoop Shop in New York to launch a John Lennon tribute flavor, “Imagine Whirled Peace,” and announce a new social mission partnership between the ice cream makers and Peace One Day last week.

The bed-in followed a nation-wide competition held by Ben And Jerry’s Ice Creams to identify modern-day peace activists who embody the values set forth by Lennon through their work to create positive change in the world. The winners were presented with $10,000 each to donate to the peace charities of their choice.

“As a company that has supported peace initiatives throughout our thirty year history, Ben & Jerry’s is thrilled to continue its commitment through a joint effort with Peace One Day,” said Walt Freese, Chief Euphoria Officer of Ben & Jerry’s. “Founder Jeremy Gilley has worked tirelessly to help create a UN recognized annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence, now universally known as Peace Day. We applaud his efforts and are excited to join his mission to encourage people to recognize and celebrate Peace Day, and to support Peace One Day’s event on September 21st.”

The John Lennon tribute flavor, “Imagine Whirled Peace,” is described as a caramel and sweet cream based ice cream with toffee cookies and chocolate peace signs, and was developed to support Ben & Jerry’s social mission campaign.

“When Ben & Jerry’s decided to engage in a campaign about peace, we couldn’t think of a better person to exemplify the message than John Lennon,” said Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. “Through his art and lyrics he imagined a world without war and asked us all to ‘Give Peace a Chance.’ We’re urging people to log on to www.PeaceOneDay.org and to make their own commitment to Peace Day.”

I just hope they didn’t drop any ice cream in the bed.

Corinne Bailey Rae - A Rising Star

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:25:31 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

If one word can be used to describe the rise to fame of English R&B singer Corinne Bailey Rae, it would be “meteoric”. In the space of two short years, from the release of her debut EP “Like A Star” in October 2005, to three Grammy Award nominations for her eponymous first album in 2007, the 28-year-old soul singer has made a lasting effect on people all over the world. And it’s not just fans who are benefiting from the star’s talents. Bailey Rae has quickly proven herself to be one of the most philanthropic and human-minded artists in the industry today.

Born in the English city of Leeds to a West Indian father and a Yorkshire mother, Bailey Rae found her love of music early.

“I started off singing in church,” said the singer, whose voice drips with shades of Billie Holiday. “People always think it must have been a gospel church… but it wasn’t gospel at all. It was just your regular brethren church, very middle class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favorite part of the service, the singing.”

A classically trained violinist and English Literature graduate, the singer was passionate about music from a young age, and although she would later become famous for her soulful R&B style, her early forays into music were not what you would expect – her first influence was Led Zeppelin.

“I loved that band during my teens,” she laughed when remembering her early influences. “I wanted, somehow, to follow in their footsteps, and to create music of my own.”

Her involvement with a short-lived but popular Indie band, Helen, led the young artist to develop her songwriting skills and move into the genre of soul, a style it seems she was born to sing.

“I am a huge fan of jazz, but not the muso kind,” she said. “I hate all the noodling, which is why I love classic songs – they are so pure and succinct. That’s what I tried to do with my own songs. They are short and sweet, to the point. I like the idea of leaving people wanting more, not less.”

Her first album, “Corinne Bailey Rae”, was released in February 2006, and features the hit singles “Like A Star” and “Put Your Records On”. It went triple platinum in Britain, and created history by entering the Billboard chart at number 17 – the highest ever chart debut for a UK artist in the US.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” said Bailey Rae, describing the album. “It’s chilled out, acoustic, kooky, atmospheric, and soulful.”

But with all of the awards and accolades, Corinne Bailey Rae has managed to keep both feet on the ground, and her name has already become synonymous with good causes and charitable enterprises. Earlier in 2007 she had a song included on Amnesty International’s “Instant Karma” CD, and in June she played at the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium. In September, the singer played a stunning and heartfelt set at the Peace One Day concert held at the Royal Albert Hall.

On November 20, Bailey Rae headlined the third Together For Peace Festival in Leeds, and played to a packed house at The Wardrobe. The thrilling set, which was performed acoustically and included some new songs from her forthcoming second album, was both delicate and vibrant, and highlighted the many vocal talents of the young singer. The concert raised funds and awareness for a variety of organizations that deal with vulnerable women, especially those who suffer from domestic violence and sex trafficking. Charities that benefited from the event included Together For Peace, The Truth Isn’t Sexy, Joanna, Leeds Women’s Aid, Sahara, and the STOP Project. During the evening, stories of women who had been helped to escape life-threatening violence were told, which brought to life the concert’s meaning.

Bailey Rae’s involvement with benefit concerts looks set to continue, and the singer has agreed to perform at Nelson Mandela’s AIDS Day concert in Johannesburg on December 1. The concert will support Mandela’s charity 46664 in its campaign against the HIV virus in Africa, and Bailey Rae will join other performers such as Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox, the Goo Goo Dolls, Ludacris, Razorlight, and Jamelia at the event.

“I’m very honored to be invited to perform at the 46664 concert,” she said. “Nelson Mandela is someone who I have admired since I was a child. His application of forgiveness and justice is an example to the world, and I hope the concert will go a long way to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS.”

Bailey Rae’s interests in the plight of those in need has also led her to become an ambassador for CORD – the UK’s leading Christian charity working exclusively with refugees and people affected by conflict around the world.

“I am delighted to be involved in promoting CORD’s peace building role to a global audience,” said the singer. “People need to be made aware of the vital job that CORD is doing with those who have had to flee from war and violence, often losing everything – their families, their homes, and their belongings. Many are young people, a large number are orphans, and CORD helps them get back on their feet, to build a new life, which is why I want to lend them my support in any way I can.”

And with Christmas just round the corner, Corinne Bailey Rae is now helping to fight poverty and global hunger with a new website being launched in time for the holiday season.

www.generouspour.com is a partnership between Clos du Bois Wines and Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization that has raised over $200 million in the past to combat poverty. The website offers consumers the chance to host holiday parties to help the hungry, and also offers a free and exclusive music download from Corinne Bailey Rae.

Visitors to the sight can download party invitations, menu templates, recipe cards prepared by some of America’s best chefs, music playlists, and tips for entertaining – basically everything a “host with the most” needs to put on a party. The Party Pack also contains Share Our Strength donation cards, which can be printed out and mailed in with money collected from party guests.

A remixed version of Corinne Bailey Rae’s song, “Like A Star”, is also available, and for every download of the song, Clos du Bois Wines will give $1 to Share Our Strength.

“Clos du Bois Wines have long been a part of holiday traditions for many families,” said winemaker Erik Olsen. “This holiday season, we are asking consumers to take five for hunger – if you have five minutes, download the song. If you have five hours, host a Generous Pour party. And if you have five days, spread the word by getting your friends to host their own generous gatherings.”

If “meteoric” is the word that best sums up Corinne Bailey Rae’s rise to fame, then her comment about her involvement with Amnesty International is the best way to sum up her outlook on life:

“The reason I am a member of Amnesty is because it acts as a conscience for the world. It campaigns and screams and weeps and protests against injustice; it shames unjust governments, sets prisoners free, and promotes true freedom.”

And with a voice and talent to match her passionate and generous soul, the world is a much brighter place.

Jude Law to Make Film in Afghanistan For World Peace Day

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:37:25 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British actor Jude Law is to film a new documentary for the BBC in Afghanistan, as part of the lead up to World Peace Day on September 21.

The 35 year old star of “Cold Mountain” and “The Road To Perdition” will join documentary maker and humanitarian Jeremy Gilley in a film about the effects of war on Afghan children, and the efforts of UNICEF to provide aid. The pair will also record the preparations made by UNICEF in the war-torn country to celebrate this year’s World Peace Day.

“This is a historic project, rooted in film,” said Law. “I’m immensely proud to be a part of it.”

World Peace Day has been held annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization, Peace One Day, in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

As well as the documentary, Gilley is also organizing a charity concert event at the Royal Albert Hall on World Peace Day 2007. Annie Lennox will join James Morrison, Beth Orton, and Corinne Bailey Rae for a night of music and performances benefiting Peace One Day. The show will also contain video messages from Jude Law and David Beckham.

“This process is about creating an annual moment of global unity,” said Law, regarding the work of Peace One Day and the upcoming concert. “It can only work if we all become involved, and it’s essential that we do”.

Concert tickets can be purchased online at www.peaceoneday.org.

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