Last year there were 365 political conflicts around the world. Of these, states the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research, seven were wars, and twenty-four were severe conflicts – all characterized by the use of massive violence. Certainly, it is a coincidence that the researchers counted 365 conflicts. Nevertheless, it means that each day in 2009 we’d have had a chance to look at a map of the world, and point at a different troubled spot.
The UN has designated 21st September to be the world’s official Peace Day. It is a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.
To honour this day the international literature festival berlin, in cooperation with LiteraturRaum by Bleibtreu Berlin, Cisco Systems and eGamesMedia, will host Authors for Peace: a 24-hour, global, live online reading to mark International Peace Day. Authors who are guests of the international literature festival berlin, and many others from all over the world, will read from their work in a gesture of solidarity with those who are oppressed or caught in conflict. Autoren aus der ganzen Welt werden als Geste der Solidarität mit den durch Kriege und Konflikte Betroffenen aus ihren Werken lesen. Wir wollen mit der Aktion einen Guinness World Record™ aufzustellen – und damit nachhaltige Aufmerksamkeit für den World Peace Day zu bekommen, denn natürlich reicht es nicht, nur an einem Tag etwas für den Frieden zu tun.
This is the first time that so many authors will read live online successively, and we hope to set a Guinness World Record™ with this event – and therefore to win some more lasting attention for World Peace Day, because it’s certainly not enough to do something for peace just for one day.
The readings can be followed live on the internet by the general public. The essence of Authors for Peace lies in citizens worldwide joining in to watch, and share in the spirit of Peace Day.
Authors confirmed so far include amongst others: Joanne Harris (UK), Kamila Shamsie (Pakistan), Eliot Weinberger (USA), Hans Christoph Buch (Germany), Tahmima Anam (Bangladesh), Gail Jones (Australia), and Nuruddin Farah (Somalia/South Africa).
The event will start on 21st September 2010 at 00:00 CET (GMT+1). The British author, Priya Basil, who initiated the idea, will host the event throughout the 24-hour-program.
Further information about the participating authors, and the weblink at which the event can be viewed, are available at: www.authorsforpeace.com and www.literaturfestival.com
press contact: Joëlle Jobin
joelle.jobin@literaturfestival.com
Partners of the World Peace Day Reading by Authors for Peace are:
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Today, networks are an essential part of business, education, government and home communications, and Cisco Internet Protocol-based (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of these networks.
Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions that allow individuals, companies, and countries to increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction and strengthen competitive advantage. The Cisco name has become synonymous with the Internet, as well as with the productivity improvements that Internet business solutions provide. At Cisco, our vision is to change the way people work, live, play and learn.
press contact: Cisco Systems GmbH, Sabine Lobmeier, Am Söldnermoos 17, 85399 Hallbergmoos
presse@info.cisco.de
Phone: +49 0800 – 187 36 52
http://www.cisco.de/
Fink & Fuchs Public Relations AG
Susanne Ugarte
susanne.ugarte@ffpr.de
Phone: +49 0611 – 74 131 921
eGames Media
Co-initiator eGames Media is a consulting and marketing company, focussed on the development and roll-out of new ways of digital marketing, communication concepts and strategies in growing markets like electronic gaming.
eGames Media's partner are e.g. CISCO, Sport1 and Plantronics.
press contact: Jan Oesterlin
mail@janoesterlin.com
LiteraturRaum by Bleibtreu Berlin
Hotel Bleibtreu Berlin and the internationale literaturfestival berlin (ilb) started the authors residency LiteraturRaum in September 2009. Since then, eleven writers have stayed at the hotel in Bleibtreustraße: Robert Grey (Australia), Elsa Osorio (Argentina), László Végel (Hungary/Serbia), Yang Lian (China/GB), Artur Becker (Polonia/Germany), Samuel Shimon (Iraq/GB), László Darvasi (Hungary), Bei Dao (China), Naomi Shihab Nye (Palestine/USA) and the current author Israel Bar Kohav (Israel). The next authors in the LiteraturRaum will be Liao Yiwu (China) and Colin McAdam (Canada). The public can follow the project on the blog www.literaturraum.de, come to one of the readings at Bleibtreu or read selected blog entries in the printed collection „Dear Frau Bleibtreu“.
press contact: COR!Berlin. Agentur für Kommunikation
Kristina Deppe, Anklamer Str. 1A; D-10115 Berlin,
Phone: + 49 (0)30 398 20 68 - 20; Fax: +49 (0)30 398 20 68 - 29
kristina.deppe@cor-berlin.com
http://www.cor-berlin.com/
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records is part of the Jim Pattison Group, one of Canada’s largest privately owned companies which is a conglomerate of interests, including advertising, broadcasting, grocery stores and automotive retailing.
FOR MORE PICTURES AND INFORMATION:
UK Media Enquiries:
Amarilis Espinoza or Karolina Thelin: +44 (0)207 891 4516
press@guinnessworldrecords.com
US Media Enquiries: Jamie Panas: +1 (0)718.513.7263
jamie.panas@guinnessworldrecords.com
GER Media Enquiries: Olaf Kuchenbecker: +49 (0)40 879 757 60
olaf.kuchenbecker@guinnessworldrecords.de
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