100909 "A Million Minutes for Peace" Initiative

Religion News Service

New York - When clocks strike noon on the International Day of Peace (September 21), a quiet but worldwide phenomenon is expected. From time zone to time zone on that day, people will be honoring their pledges to pause and pray for peace for one minute. Odyssey Networks, the multi-faith media coalition, launched this unique prayer campaign—"A Million Minutes for Peace"—in 2009, drawing participants from over 114 countries. Their continuing goal is to secure a million pledges to pray for peace for one minute at noon on September 21. The pledges are made at a dedicated website www.AMillionMinutesforPeace.org, where its award winning 60 second PSA can be seen. The list of pledge participants will be presented at a special ceremony during the opening days of the United Nations 2010 session.

Over 350 organizations, including high schools, colleges, faith groups, non-profits and media outlets, are partnering with Odyssey in circulating the news of "A Million Minutes for Peace" to their constituents, as well as pledging on behalf of their members/communities. Partners include 20,000 Dialogues, Religions for Peace, Council for a Parliament of World Religions, United Religions Initiative, Global Tolerance, Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, Interfaith Mediation Centre, La Red Solidaria, and The Global Peace Initiative for Women. To see a complete list of English and Spanish partners [Religions for Peace summary is among them] visit: http://www.amillionminutesforpeace.org/our-partners.shtml

In addition to making the pledge, which is available in English and Spanish, visitors to the site can view The Prayer Wall, a presentation of video prayers by notable faith leaders from diverse traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Among them are the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, Jim Wallis, Rev. Otis Moss III, Martin Marty, Rabbi Ted Falcon, Annutama Dasa, Guo Cheen, Sohaib Sultan, and Imam Muhammad Ashafa. Authors Angela Hunt ("The Note") and Mitch Albom ("Tuesdays with Morrie") also offer original peace prayers. Viewers are invited to send in their own video prayers to info@odysseynetworks.org.

Odyssey is supporting "A Million Minutes for Peace" with a multimedia campaign that includes English and Spanish PSAs on television and radio in key markets, online ads on sites such as HallmarkChannel.com and Facebook, and a Twitter campaign and contest.

This year "A Million Minutes for Peace" will present a special feature on its website on September 21: "Take Ten." During this ten-minute period, which begins at 11:55 AM ET, people from all over the United States and from countries as far away as the Middle East—will go to the site for a "virtual" ecumenical prayer group. The one-minute noon prayer will be preceded by a just-released rendition of the famous hymn Prayer of St. Francis, set against visual imagery, and performed by noted inspirational singer Jenny Burton.

About Odyssey Networks

Get Odyssey Networks is a multi-faith coalition dedicated to producing and distributing media that builds bridges of understanding and promotes peace, tolerance and issues of social justice. Established in 1987, Odyssey Networks is a service of the National Interfaith Cable Coalition, Inc. For more information visit www.odysseynetworks.org!

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