Peace One Day began life as a film project, the vision of one man, British filmmaker, Jeremy Gilley. Launched in September 1999, Peace One Day has gained active support from governments through to individuals the world over. In September 2001, Peace One Day achieved its primary objective: a United Nations General Assembly Resolution (A/Res/55/282), put forward by the UK and Costa Rican governments, was unanimously adopted by UN member states formally establishing an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace – Peace Day – fixed in the global calendar on 21 September.
Jeremy Gilley and Peace One Day continue the journey to inform the world’s people of the Day's existence, engaging them in the Day's observance in accordance with UN GA Resolution 55/282. The finished feature-length documentary Peace One Day has played all over the world and has become a powerful tool in the awareness-raising process.
In 2006, for the first time in the Day’s history, Peace One Day successfully drove the initiative to instigate commitments to Peace Day in 200 countries, including all 192 UN member states, directly involving 27.6 million people. On 21 September 2006 there were life-saving activities by humanitarian organisations in southern Sudan and the DRC with immunisation campaigns in a further nine countries worldwide; there were peace marches, festivals, music events, multi-faith celebrations, sports events, debates, parties, dance events, and the Song for Peace initiative, which involved 2.2 million young people in over 6,000 schools across the UK.
