By Elizabeth Willoughby on
Jude Law has just presented the new film he is featured in along with David Beckham – The Day After Peace – at the Cannes film festival.
The brainchild of Jeremy Gilley – who believes that media has a responsibility in the messages and images it distributes to the world – The Day After Peace is a film documenting his past 10 years of campaigning the world over for support of an official annual day of peace – September 21.
One of Gilley’s successes, a UN resolution to support the day, came in 2001. However, on September 11, the scheduled day of the announcement, the 9/11 tragedy unfolded in New York postponing Gilley’s victory.
Another of his achievements was the halting of warring factions in Afghanistan during 2007’s Day of Peace so that over one million children could be vaccinated against polio.
His past decade of persuasion has not been limited to politicians and non-profits, though. He has also gone after big business for support of a day of non-violence, as well as to people on the ground.
Law joined Gilley on a trip to Afghanistan last year to find out what was really going on. “Feeling first-hand the presence of the frontline, being able to feel the hope of the people,” Law told the BBC. “There’s a very cynical, violent image of Afghanistan. My overall impression of this country is one of great hope.”
Peace Day seems to be catching on. Last year almost 30 million people participated in Peace events across the globe. Annie Lennox – who performed in the Peace One Day concert in London – said, “Something that’s of common interest to every man, woman and child on the planet must surely be the notion of peace.”
Both Gilley and Law couldn’t agree more. They want to get a simple message out there: that anyone can make a difference. Gilley says, “You can be an ordinary person with no qualifications and you can have an idea that could save people’s lives.”
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
