PeaceOneDay 2008

PeaceOneDay (http://www.peaceoneday.org) was started in 1999. Its aim is to create a genuine state of peace, for at least one day, with the knowledge that when we can do that, the experience seeps out of the boundaries of the day and begins to create a more lasting peace. The founder is Jeremy Gilley; you can read more about him in a BBC interview.

On 21 September 2006, 27.6 million people in over 200 countries joined the event. This year, on Sunday 21 September 2008, The Druid Network committed to creating events all over the world.

This year, 2008, PeaceOneDay reignited their campaign with a new twist : One Day One Goal. This aimed to encourage football matches to be played in every member state of the United Nations on Peace Day, Sunday 21 September 2008. Each match celebrated cooperation, unity and the power of football to bring people together.

Events reports and pictures

Members of The Druid Network organised events all around the world - below are some of the reports we have had in so far

Britain

London - Parliament Square

Making our way towards the Houses of Parliament the presence of dozens of police was obvious, and you can imagine how we smiled at the synchronicity: the Royal Air Force were holding a service at Westminster Abbey commemorating those airmen who had died in the last world war at exactly the time of our rite. The Prince of Wales and his wife were attending, hence the police presence.

There were around 25 of us, the number for which we’d asked permission from the police and local authorities to make our gathering legal under the new anti-terror laws. The sun shone beautifully, the grass was dry, as we stood in our circle in Parliament Square, the Abbey’s bells peeling so loudly we had to raise our voices to hear one another. And beautifully, perfectly, just as we were slipping into our meditation on peace, overhead screamed four fighter jets in a fly-past honouring the RAF dead, right over the Abbey and our gathering.

For those unfamiliar with the setting, the place is like a large square roundabout. The traffic was snarling and beeping, big buses revving and pausing, now and then some heavy drum and bass erupting from an open car window, police and ambulance sirens regularly adding to the cacophony, Big Ben chiming at each quarter hour, helicopters whirring above, protestors shouting or chanting, the chatter of tourists walking past, the earth beneath us vibrating as each subway train passed below, all amidst that constant hum of the city itself. Brian Haw, the longterm Christian war protester is still encamped on one pavement, statues of war heroes and politicians stand fixed in their glory beneath the plane trees, and upon the grass sat small groups of families, couples, tourists – and us.

And we found peace. The shared intention was so clear, even those whose spiritual practice has not been extensive could find the current of peace, as we let ourselves be fully a part of the fabric of nature in that moment in time and space. For some 40 minutes or so, utterly within the nature of that place, we were an integral part of the sacred song of peace.

Roused by the soft tones of the drum (soft simply because of the noise levels around us), we then each spoke of what inspired us, what provided us with the strength to allow us to find that peace, and in doing so we honoured our gods, our ancestors, nature, each other, giving thanks for each relationship that nourished, fuelled, and taught us.

Standing up, we each then acknowledged how we are complicit in destroying peace, recognising our failings, honouring the gods of war and all those currents that do not support peace, aspects of our world and our nature that thrive upon the friction of conflict – yet still we stood in peace. And that peace we then shared in chanting and song, expressing its easy tides and harmony, directing the magical flow in particular towards the Houses of Parliament before us.

We had arranged with the authorities that our gathering would last just two hours, and we closed our rite with the sharing of cookies. Most who came had made or bought peace cookies, and some of the gathering took them around the Square to the protestors (many of which were Muslim and fasting for Ramadan), to families, to tourists, as we sat and shared their sweetness with tea and water.

It was a beautiful gathering. There was no protest, no yelling, no fighting for what we assert to be right, no judging of wrong. Yet this was not fluff. It was exquisitely powerful. Peace must begin with peace within, and if we can find it, express it, share it, and within such a place, we have crafted a good day - and we did.

Emma Restall Orr,Tangwen’s Grove

Birmingham - Bards of the Lost Forest

Bards of the Lost Forest celebrated Peace One Day in the Forest of Arden, hearing the stories of friends and family members who had been touched by war, singing protest songs and reading poetry.

Ours was a gentle gathering in the Autumn sunshine, discussing the differences between modern, impersonal, industrialised warfare, and the war of ancient heroic cultures where terms like 'collateral damage' and 'friendly fire' would have been a nonsense. We recognised the inevitability of conflict and the importance of greeting it honourably, and that true peace is not about being comfortable and apathetic.

Bryn

Glasgow

We celebrated our Mabon or Autumn Equinox on Sunday, we do this so folks can make it along when they are not working. We had a good turn out and Peace was called and a meditation led for 'Peace for one Day' as it was World Peace Day.
Apples were given out to everyone present by the youngest member of the Grove who is 12 years old and these were the seeds for the year to come, the promise of new things.

Some beautiful new calls to the four elements were written to blend in with the whole idea.

The Summer God was asked if he would gladly give his life so his children would live and he agreed and the Goddess accepted his sacrifice! (this was just acted out in words)

Lugh in his glory shone down on all present and everyone felt the ceremony was a good one:-)

A new blend of loose incense has been created which is a blend that brings balance and peace, it burnt well and lasted through the whole ceremony with a little folding over the charcoal.

Siusaidh,Tuatha de Bridget Groven, Glasgow, Scotland.

Isle of Wight