‘My Take On Peace’ Finalists
2009 really has been a fantastic year. All around the globe millions of men, women and children from all different walks of life did their thing for peace; from putting an end to family feuds to life saving activities in 19 UN member states – everything, whatever it was, was valid and inspirational. It made me so happy to know that, in acknowledgement of our 10 year anniversary, so many were doing their bit for peace.
Nowhere is this better exhibited than on our very own Peace One Day YouTube channel (www.youtube/peaceoneday) where voting is currently open on our My Take On Peace video contest. Peace One Day’s channel was ranked the 1st most viewed non-profit channel in the weeks leading up to Peace Day, and has remained ranked in the top 3, which is incredible! When we launched our video contest, for members of the public to make the most catching film about peace, we had no idea of the response we’d get but, over the past few weeks, I have watched over 250 videos – quite some feat I can tell you! In the end, I managed to narrow the choice down to three finalists. It’s a cliché, I know, but it really was a case of everyone being a winner and making a decision not easy at all. In the end, however, I have chosen three videos that are, in their own unique ways, inspiring, encouraging and which, without exception, send shivers down my spine.
Please do log on and have a look for yourself. The Peace Mural, with its beautiful blend of painting, music and film, is a piece of art in the truest sense. The Waterband song, War No More/Peace One Day really makes me smile and I challenge you to watch it and come out feeling anything other than happy. And the footage from Sackville School is simple and touching and proves that our Education programme is really working, making children of today peacemakers of the future.
The thing that makes me feel really good about this competition is the sense it creates of a collective coming together. All the people who have made films have done it collaboratively, culturally co-operating with others around them. If humanity can do on a global scale what individuals can do on a more localised scale, then we hold the key to our own survival.
Not only that, but it is proof to me that film-making, which is in so many ways my absolute passion, is not just a vehicle for entertainment; it has the power to effect change, to inspire and to empower. None of the individuals who have made these films are creating content just for the sake of it. They have created content for a purpose and that really, really excites me.
The winner of this fantastic competition – chosen by you – will win a state-of-the-art Sony HD camera and spend the day with me learning the art of documentary film-making. Their name will be announced on October 26th so get voting and, most of all, enjoy…..
