In 1999, English filmmaker Jeremy Gilley had an idea —  to create the first ever annual Peace Day with a fixed date and document his journey.  As a result of Jeremy’s efforts, in 2001, member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted a day of global ceasefire and nonviolence on September 21 annually.  Peace Day has now been proven to save lives and inspire and empower people everywhere to take action toward a more peaceful world. On Peace Day 2008, over 100 million people were actively engaged in Peace Day activities in over 200 countries. There were life-saving initiatives in 14 countries — including 80 activities in Afghanistan alone. Peace One Day was instrumental in helping to secure the conditions in which an estimated 3.2 million children were vaccinated against polio on and around Peace Day 2007/8.

Peace One Day's goal is to reach 3 billion people with the message of Peace Day by 2012. While Peace One Day’s programming is widely known abroad – it is not at all well known here in the United States. AC Cugini is committed to changing that by working to enhance  one of the organization's major activities – One Day One Goal – aimed at promoting soccer matches in all 192 member states of the United Nations on Peace Day 2009.  

AC Cugini is working with The Sheppard to develop a campaign to have soccer teams, clubs, and leagues throughout the United States dedicate their regularly scheduled soccer matches played September 19-21 in honor of Peace Day, September 21. Cugini is the first soccer club in the USA to dedicate matches to Peace day. Through our outreach work, we have gained the support of Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) for Peace Day as well as the Washington Area Girls Soccer league (WAGS). This is just the beginning of what we hope to be a nationwide effort in the years to come to engage the U.S. youth and adult soccer community in Peace Day and One Day One Goal!

One Day One Goal is a special opportunity for individuals, communities, and nations to rise above violence, conflict, and differences to celebrate a shared passion and a common goal. In 2008, soccer matches were played in 180 countries on Peace Day – from amateur youth matches to professional premier league games. Think of the possibilities here in the United States for million of soccer players to have the chance to unite with players around the world for one day to play soccer in the name of world peace and help save lives!

For more information on how your soccer organization can get involved in this life saving initiative, contact Cugini Executive Director Lisa Cherubini: executivedirector@cuginisoccer.com; 866.792.9433.