It is important to obtain local media coverage to promote your event for theInternational Day of Peace. This includes TV stations, news radio stations, and newspapers in your area.  Many of these outlets have a 'News Tips' or 'Press Release' link on their web sites.  You can often paste your press release into a form and submit it.  Note, it is also important to promote your event and/or organization to on-line newsletters and organizations that have such newsletters, and to Facebook pages, blogs, and other forms of social media. Following is aPress Release Template that you can use or adapt.    
YOUR ORGANIZATION is observing the International Day of Peace, 9/21
YOUR CITY / TOWN / LOCATION - This year thousands of organizations and hundreds of millions of people worldwide will take part in the largest global observance of the UN International Day of Peace ever held on or around September 21st. Some events will start on Sept. 11th for 11 Days of Global Unity; others will extend to Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on Oct. 2nd for the International Day of Non-Violence.  People of all nationalities will pause at 12:00 noon on September 21st to take a Minute of Silence - Moment of Peace in a "Peace Wave" in all time zones across the planet. 
(DESCRIPTION OF YOUR LOCAL, REGIONAL OR GLOBAL - EVENTS HERE.  POSSIBLY WITH A PHOTO / IMAGE FROM LAST YEAR OR ELSEWHERE.) 
(NOTE, PROVIDING THE FOLLOWING BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE WILL HELP EDITORS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF THIS OCCASION AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF YOUR EVENTS & ACTIONS - AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO WRITE ABOUT THEM & YOU.) 
The International Day of Peace was established by a unanimous resolution of the United Nations in 1981 as a day that "shall be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of Peace both within and among all nations and peoples." This year's theme for the International Day of Peace is "Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future." In his 100-day countdown message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that, "We want a future where natural resources are protected and valued rather than used to finance wars, where children can be educated at school and not recruited into armies, where economic and social inequalities are resolved through dialogue instead of violence."
Nations and governing bodies the world over are joining the call for Peace through a range of activities including ceasefires, proclamations, and pledges for humanitarian aid. Educational institutions use this occasion as an opportunity to teach Peace and nonviolence and to organize community service programs.  Non-governmental organizations promote their year-round efforts on human rights, the environment, poverty, health care, disarmament or international cooperation, creating long-term impact beyond the annual observance.  Religious and spiritual groups hold interfaith dialogues, meditations and prayers for Peace.  Participation in the International Day of Peace is open to everyone: government leaders issuing proclamations, businesses creating special promotions, houses of worship holding peace services, schools holding assemblies, musicians dedicating their concerts to peace, and individuals participating with friends and family or simply taking a private "Minute of Silence - Moment of Peace". 
YOUR ORGANIZATION'S NAME is associated with the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI), a UN-designated Peace Messenger initiative established by Pathways To Peace that includes thousands of organizations from around the world. Our event is among thousands of events worldwide that are listed at: www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

YOUR ORGANIZATION'S NAME is proud to observe the 2012 UN International Day of Peace as humanity joins together to build a new Culture of Peace - a Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future.
(ADD YOUR ORGANIZATION'S LOCAL CONTACT INFORMATION HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR PRESS RELEASE)

Rotary: Peace Through Service

The official Rotary International theme this year is "Peace Through Service" and was unveiled by the new Rotary International President, Sakuji Tanaka at the opening plenary session of the 2012 International Assembly. "Peace in all of the ways that we can understand it is a real and a realistic goal for Rotary" he said. "Peace is not something that can only be achieved, through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles.  It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways". One of these ways, is the Rotary Peace Marathon on 21 September. This is a creative way to encourage Rotarians in every time zone to dedicate two hours to reflection and exploration on the topic of Peace. (read post from President Sakuji Tanaka here)  Rotary International has 34,000 community-based service clubs, and over a million members working to prevent and treat various diseases, including the eradication of polio; to provide clean water and sanitation; to promote education and literacy; to encourage conflict resolution; and to foster economic and community development. For more info about the Rotary Peace Marathon initiative. Here is another example, of Rotary International "Peace Through Service"during their Peace Forum 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand, to help celebrate the International Day of Peace. UN DPINGOs: partners4change We are pleased to present a program called: UN DPINGOs partners4change.  It is an initiative of the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI), Non-Government Organization Program (click here). Through advocacy, media and outreach the UN DPINGOs partners4change assist NGOs globally to spread the UN message and foster greater understanding of international issues from the ground up. Whatever your affiliation. Whether you visit their website just to look around, planning to become a member of the NGO community at the United Nations, or searching for the latest information on a past or future weekly Thursday Briefing, all are welcomed. The 7 Virtues ~ Peace Has Never Smelled so Sweet Jalalabad farmer harvesting the orange blossom. This is what happens when civil society gets involved with Peace. The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. is a Canadian company that believes in empowering families in countries that are rebuilding. Their fragrance collection is sourced from fair trade organic oils from Afghanistan and Haiti (and more recently from countries in the Middle East and Africa), providing seasonal employment for local tribes and communities. Every time legal organic essential oils from Afghanistan is purchased, it provides an alternatives to the illegal poppy crop which causes instability. The ultimate goal is to encourage other businesses to do trade with business people in Afghanistan, Haiti, The Middle East and other nations as a part of the solution to building Peace. Fragrances include Afghanistan Orange Blossom, Noble Rose of Afghanistan and Vetiver of Haiti. The newest is called Middle East Peace Eau de Parfum, and will be launched officially on September 21, 2012 in honour of International Day of Peace. "After moderating the panel on the Middle East for the Halifax Security forum I wanted to create a fragrance that would highlight the bridging of these nations", says CEO & Honorary Colonel, RCAF, Barb Stegemann. "When we watched the 'We Love you Iran & Israel campaign' asking all of us to show ways that citizens can demonstrate respect between Israel and Iran, we felt something so intense it could only be expressed in a thought provoking fragrance." To learn more about CEO, Author, Barb Stegemann and her mission to harness her buying power for positive change watch her pitch on CBC's "Dragon's Den": The 7 Virtues Story. A true success story. 2 Local Spotlights ~ Nepal and Mexico Music 4 Peace and Nepal Music Festival have teamed up on the International Day of Peace. "We believe that in Nepal, there will be no endearing Peace without Development, and there will be no development without us who stand together for Peace.  And so we are putting together a festival that stands for Peace, for People, and for Progress - the first of its kind in South Asia!" Events planned include a music festival involving international and Nepalese musicians, as well as a host of international keynote guest speakers in the field of Development and Peace.  The festival itself is non-profit with proceeds going into a foundation that will contribute to sustainable development, Peace building, charity and supporting local communities. More info Facebook page 31,000 Portraits for Peace "Our mission is to take 31,000 portraits in Mexico to counteract the negative effect that 31,000 deaths in Mexico have left in society."  see: 31K Portraits for Peace video. Peace Pal Arts Exhibition (how you can participate) The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is especially pleased to offer your organization the opportunity to host an exhibit of this artwork from youth around the world.  The Peace Pals Ambassador of Peace Collection features artwork of youth from dozens of countries. Each artwork is a masterpiece giving expression to the hope, aspirations and inner beauty inherent within the hearts of youth everywhere; Included on each artwork is the universal message, "May Peace Prevail On Earth". The exhibition is made possible through a joint collaboration between the Culture of Peace Initiative and Peace Pals International.  To read more about how to organize your Peace Pals Art Exhibition click here. I Am One In A Billion campaign The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD) has launched the "I Am One In A Billion"campaign which is aiming to mobilize 1 billion global citizens from all sectors of society to become spokespeople for climate change mitigation. IMTD is lead by Ambassador (ret) John McDonald and is also a Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) participant. The I am One in a Billion campaign was created as a medium for citizens to stand together and ask for action for climate change mitigation through non-confrontational and clear communication. I am One in a Billion aims to mobilize citizens to contact the governments that represent them to enact effective policies for combating the side effects of climate change. It is recommended that, "Once you have contacted political leaders at the local, regional, and/or national level, continue your participation by connecting with others in our member forum, leading an event about climate change in your community, or displaying the campaign logo on a piece of clothing or an accessory." Pax Christi observes the International Day of Peace Pax Christi International is a non-profit, non-governmental Catholic Peace movement working on a global scale on a wide variety of issues in the fields of human rights, human security, disarmament and demilitarization, just world order, and religion and violent conflict.  Each year Pax Christi International Member Organizations join thousands of other organizations worldwide to mark the UN International Day of Peace on the 21st of September.   The Pax Christi Movement is a global Peace movement and a Faith Based Network uniting over a hundred non-governmental organizations around the world.  As a Global Network, Pax Christi International works in five continents and in over 50 countries. Each of Pax Christi's member organizations is a unique collection of people working locally in their community on issues of peace and justice, following their own methods of organization according to the local situation, but working simultaneously towards the common goal of a Peace on Earth, making  Pax Christi a movement and a network of unity through diversity, working locally and globally on issues of concern to all humankind. Friendly Reminder Please post your events on theInternational Day of Peacewebsite. There are already hundreds of events listed there.  People all over the planet rely on our website - and the event locator - to find out about all types of activities, all over the world - including yours. Thank you for your commitment and  participation. Please share any and all of this information on your web sites, in your newsletters, on your Facebook posts, or in other media.  Also please invite others to sign up for this newsletter so they can receive the information directly. Thank you!   Building pathways to Peace toward a Culture of Peace for the Common Good. May Peace Prevail On Earth! Sincerely,   David Wick, Team Leader and the CPI Team:  Michael Johnson, Melvin Weiner, Jean Trudel and Avon Mattison   About the Culture of Peace Initiative and Pathways To Peace The Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) is a cooperative local-global Peacebuilding Initiative uniting the strengths of organizations, networks, projects and people to realize a Culture of Peace for the Common Good. The CPI also serves as a vehicle for bringing to light many previously unseen and unheard Peacebuilders working along diverse paths, who are embodying the emerging Culture of Peace within Humanity.  The annual highlight of the Culture of Peace Initiative is the International Day of Peace, which provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to work together, on a shared date, to create practical acts of Peace with a year- round impact. This newsletter is offered by Pathways To Peace (PTP), International Secretariat of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) which was inaugurated in 1984 and received a UN Peace Messenger award from the UN in 1987. CPI is inter-generational, inter-cultural, and has Participants in all regions of the world. PTP has consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC), (DPI). PTP has worked with the UN to observe and promote the International Day of Peace since it's inception in 1981, and has nurtured this occasion from a single event of a few hundred people into an annual global observance that now reaches hundreds of millions of people. PTP has created and maintained the dedicated websites for the International Day of Peace and the Culture of Peace Initiative, including event locators for all to use; we produce this newsletter and also provide daily updates on the International Day of Peace Facebook page; we held a successful campaign to have the International Day of Peace printed on calendars across the globe; and we are continually involved with communications and planning about this event both inside and beyond UN circles. To learn more about our programs, networks, campaigns and support materials please see our web sites or visit our Facebook page. Thank you. Pathways To Peace is a nonprofit (501c3 U.S. tax exempt) organization, whose work would not be possible without our volunteers and your support. To help our efforts, please donate and click PayPal button on the left column.