Jude Law Gives Peace Day a Chance

British thesp touches down in Kabul to promote global ceasefire on U.N. Day of Peace Sept. 21

By Gina Serpe Sep 02, 2008 2:38 PMTags
Jude LawGeorge Pimentel/WireImage.com

Jude Law is riding the peace train to Afghanistan.

A little more than a year after his first trip to the region, the British thesp has touched down in Kabul yet again, this time calling for war-torn nations to agree to a global ceasefire on Sept. 21, the United Nations' seventh annual International Day of Peace, to allow for much-needed vaccinations and food deliveries to take place.

"Please mark the day," Law, an ambassador for Peace One Day, said at a news conference Monday. "The need now is greater than ever before."

Law arrived in Kabul along with film producer Jeremy Gilley, bringing with them The Day After Peace, their documentary on Afghanistan that culminates in last year's ceasefire event, to further promote the nonviolent effort.

Law went on to say he was not expecting the war to end on his count, but that they were hoping, as before, to take advantage of a "pause" in the fighting.

"And if that pause is simply to allow, as we did in last year's call for action here, vaccinating children or bringing in food...then let's use that.

"What we hope to do...is remind all parties that it is happening and see then what happens through negotiations."

According to the Peace One Day organization, last year's Day of Peace resulted in roughly 1.4 million children receiving inoculations and helped establish a mass polio vaccination program in Afghanistan, reaching children they otherwise would not have been able to as they are living in Taliban-controlled areas.

Law and Gilley premiered The Day After Peace, a 10 years in the making documentary on the nation culminating in last year's Day of Peace, at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The film features appearances by Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller, Annie Lennox, Kofi Annan and the Dalai Lama.

This year's Day of Peace, intended to be a day of "global ceasefire and nonviolence," will be marked around the globe with sporting events, concerts and screenings of the documentary.

The day was adopted by the U.N. back in 2001 following a lobbying campaign by Gilley.

"Everything starts one breath at a time, one word at a time, one day at a time," Law told BBC's Newsnight of their effort. "The Afghan people are very much the heroes and the stars of this film. If it can be recognized and embraced here, it can be done anywhere."

Law and Gilley, who arrived in Kabul on Sunday, are expected to meet with top NATO and U.N. officials, as well as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, during their trip.