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Film star Jude Law kicks off UN peace day countdown in Afghanistan

Film star Jude Law kicks off UN peace day countdown in Afghanistan

Jeremy Gilley and Jude Law (L)
International film star Jude Law today helped kick off a campaign to bring about a day without conflict in war-torn Afghanistan as part of efforts to mark the United Nations International Day of Peace, celebrated each year on 21 September.

“I think the message of peace is for everyone,” Mr. Law said at a press conference in Kabul, where he was joined by the founder of the “Peace One Day” project, filmmaker Jeremy Gilley. “The message has always been the same… to recognize and celebrate Peace Day, a single day. Obviously, the hope is that this will affect the other 364 days of the year.”

Mr. Law, who is also an ambassador for Peace One Day, and Mr. Gilley are in Afghanistan to film a documentary as part of the annual observance of Peace Day, an initiative of the world body to promote one day of ceasefire and non-violence throughout the world.

Mr. Gilley, who for eight years now has been working in conjunction with the UN and a host of other organizations and individuals to promote Peace Day, said the film is meant to inspire and empower individuals to mark the Day and to become “the driving force behind the vision of a united world.”

“So in order to inspire people, we need to see action and we have come to Afghanistan to ask organizations and individuals to carry out that action so that what happens in Afghanistan inspires the world, gives them hope,” he stated.

The film will focus on some of the life-saving activities carried out by UN agencies working in Afghanistan, “where the people are full of pride and courage, where there is hope, where there is beauty,” Mr. Gilley added.

Welcoming the Peace One Day team to Afghanistan, Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative and Tom Koenigs, head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country known as UNAMA, noted that for too many Afghans, who suffer under a climate of fear and insecurity, “the gift of peace remains elusive.”

“It is for these people that today we call on everybody to work with us over the coming weeks to demonstrate their commitment, their desire and the need for peace over violence in Afghanistan,” he said.

In recent weeks, the country has witnessed numerous attacks against innocent civilians including children, constituting some of the worst violence since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.