Peace One Day and Jeremy Gilley onboard the 101st Global Voyage

What can you do to make peace? Who do you want to make peace with? Participants of the 101st Global Voyage had the opportunity to consider these questions as they learned about the work of non-profit organization Peace One Day through its founder, Jeremy Gilley. This actor turned filmmaker and peace activist joined Peace Boat from Tangier, Morocco, to Ponta Delgada, Portugal. He organized various activities to introduce his work to institutionalize the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on September 21 – now recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Peace. Throughout the years, millions of people have been active on Peace Day all around the world, and hundreds of organizations have carried out life-saving activities in areas of conflict. 

During his time at sea, Gilley carried out a series of events to introduce participants to the work of his organization and how they can be involved in this global movement. “Through Peace One Day Campaigns, an estimated 940 million people across the world were aware of Peace Day in 2016. Of those aware, around 16 million people are estimated to have behaved more peacefully on that day. 4.5 million children were immunized against polio in Afghanistan due to Peace Day agreements”, he explained to the audience.

Gilley also led a workshop on cyber non-violence. Now marking its 20th year, Peace One Day has launched a profiling system to measure positive impact in the world and to mobilize people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “We want a decrease in violent language and an increase in peaceful communication; and by measuring online language globally, our campaign will demonstrate a behavioral change in the cyberspace”, he said.   

Gilley's time onboard Peace Boat also marked Peace Boat's participation in the Partnership for Peace Coalition, founded by Peace One Day in 2018. This network of over 90 organizations is working to spread the message of peace throughout the world while supporting Goal 17 of the SDGs – partnership.