An Unlikely Meeting For Peace
Dear His Holiness, Pope Francis, President Barack Obama and Mr. Mark Zuckerberg,
I write each one of you because I believe that each one of you knows a thing or two about building communities. I write each one of you because I believe that you are like most of us, individuals who love your family, cherish your friends and strive to bring a spirit of hope and meaning to those around you. Each one of you has inspired me deeply and made me believe that there is no such thing as a long shot, but merely steps that we can take each and every day toward a goal.
Imagine a real plan for peace.
My goal is simple. I want to bring hope to people's hearts and I want to create a moment on this earth where we all join together in the one thing we have in common: love. We have the technology today to be able to reach more people than we ever have before with messages of hope. I believe that we can leverage social media and our interconnected world to implement an actionable plan for peace.
It's rather simple actually. It's called PeaceCraft.Us and it is a roadmap to peace, calling on the United Nations to recognize individual days of ceasefire for each every nation on this planet, and string them all together into a filibuster for peace. Currently, the United Nations has an International Day of Peace that asks every nation on the earth to lay down their guns for one day. While this is nice on paper, we all know it could never work.
What could work, with your help is a day of ceasefire in each nation that already has no fighting within their borders. We line those countries up day after day, one country at a time and put together a huge intranational celebration with artists, musicians, scientists, public servants and faith leaders. Think of it as Live Aid meets the filibuster with a little PokemonGo thrown in. Peace participants can engage online and off in interactive activities as part of an Alternate Reality Game that brings in sponsors. Each day the events would be broadcast and each country celebrated, day after day, until we get to the countries that are at war. Then, one at a time, after achieving a huge string of days in a row, we attempt to leverage public perception, economic and military incentives for each country at war to continue the filibuster by focusing on each one for one day to lay down their arms.
One day at a time, a filibuster for peace.
PeaceCraft.Us
This is possible, but only with your help. Only with the help of the true leaders of this world. Pope Francis, imagine leading the Catholics of the world as well as joining hands with all of the other religions of this world to escort an event of great hope. President Obama, imagine leading not just the United States, but the world with your audacity and Mr. Zuckerberg, imagine if you could leave a mark far greater than the incredible influence your company has had on our world. Together, the three of you could make this happen. Together.
The question is not whether we can achieve peace on this earth. The real question is what's your verse? The world is listening and waiting. I hope you will all heed my call.
Sincerely in your service,
Brian Mannix
mannixlab@gmail.com
(516) 744-1274