Meeting Jeremy Gilley, very exciting!

Jeremy Gilley and Peace Day Pilgrim

Guess who I met this week?

Yep, that's right...I finally got to have a huge hug and chat with the inspiration for Peace Day Pilgrim, Jeremy Gilley. 

Jeremy is the founder of Peace One Day and the main reason why I am walking 1200 miles this summer to raise awareness for Global Truce 2012.

I was invited by Peace One Day to attend the Global Truce Student Campaign launch in London on Monday. The launch event marked the formation of a worldwide student coalition of unions and academic bodies across each continent.

It was introduced by Jude Law (Peace One Day Ambassador - who I failed miserably to get a photo with) and Liam Burns (President of the UK's National Union of Students). There were representatives of student unions from around the world including Yannick Du Pont (SPARK), Rabi Arayal (Asia Pacific Youth & Students Association), Prashan De Visser (Sri Lanka Unites), Karina Ufert (European Students' Union).

Jeremy Gilley & Jude Law

It was wonderfully exciting to think that this is the first time for over 50 years that students around the world have united for a single gathering of minds in the name of peace for Global Truce 2012 on 21 September.

Students have always been at the frontier for social change and as a student with the Open University I am pleased to stand among them.

It was great to chat with Liam Burns about how I can get the news of Peace Day Pilgrim through the union networks and we provisionally discussed some university events for September on my way from Cardiff to London. Watch this space for more on this.

Jo Antoniadis (Peace One Day)

It was also great to meet my contact at Peace One Day, Jo Antoniadis, who is the wonderful woman who gave my walk the green light and is being so helpful and supportive. Great to meet Fernanda, Richard and Sacha all from the POD team too.

Strange who else you get to meet at these things. Happen to get chatting to the man sitting next to me and it turns out to be Dermot Carty who is the Deputy Director of UNICEF! Also met representatives from the United Nations and UNHCR. Ideas floated about the next walk....across Afghanistan? 

Also managed to speak with a number of people about video blogs and social networking and all that jazz. Had a go at taking some film and uploading (no editing yet!!). I find it really difficult to film myself but I need to get good at capturing things on film so that I can do video blogs on the walk. Have a look at these and send your comments (positive criticism please!). If you wanna give me some one to one advice or training then please get in touch on peacedaypilgrim@gmail.com.

Buzzing from all the London excitement. Getting Jeremy's blessing and support makes the whole venture suddenly very real. This is really happening now! I better get training...there is certainly a few lbs I could do without carrying the whole way!!

More anon. Peace.