For more information or to support production of the film, please visit www.JourneyToPeace.org.

The Journey to Peace

JOURNEY TO PEACE, a feature documentary, explores how peace that begins in the heart of an individual can build a framework for creating peace in the world. JOURNEY TO PEACE tells the remarkable stories of Nobel Peace Laureates who had the courage and foresight to choose peace over vengeance in violent situations. The film illustrates by their examples that nurturing the seeds of peace within can make changes in our families, communities and workplaces, and open the possibility of lasting social and political change.

In intimate talks, sharing private struggles and details of their daily lives, the Nobel Laureates reveal why and how they made their choices—and the benefits those choices bring. Through their example, we discover how each of us can choose peace in our relationships, families, businesses and communities, and why it is more urgent than ever to do so.

We will talk with:
—AUNG SAN SUU KYI (Nobel Peace Prize 1991)
Founder of the National League for Democracy in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest in 1989 for her efforts to bring freedom to her country through peaceful means. Released in 1995 after six years of confinement, she was arrested again in 2000. She was denied visits and correspondence with her husband and their two sons living in England. Her husband was refused visitation even when he had terminal cancer and he died while she was in detention. Released again in May 2002, Aung San Suu Kyi works tirelessly for the peaceful establishment of democracy in her country. She will talk about how she has faced difficult choices without fear, and emphasize the importance of dialogue in creating understanding.

—MAIREAD CORRIGAN MAGUIRE (Nobel Peace Prize, 1976)
At age 32, Maguire watched her sister’s young children killed on a street in Belfast, innocent victims of the "troubles" in Northern Ireland; her sister later committed suicide. As a response, Maguire co-founded "Peace People," an organization devoted to ending political and domestic violence. Maguire will speak to the profound internal struggles and outside pressures she faced in making the choice for peace, and how an "ordinary" woman like herself was able to do so.

—ADOLFO PEREZ ESQUIVEL (Nobel Peace Prize 1980)
An architect, sculptor and teacher from Argentina, Esquivel was arrested and tortured by the Argentine military for his human rights activities. When he was first imprisoned, Esquivel was filled with anger. "My thoughts were like horses out of control," he said. "I had to take the reigns and control them." Esquivel will tell us how he managed his emotions in such a brutal environment, how he survived his torture, and why other prisoners—who broke down spiritually and emotionally—did not. Decades later, Esquivel’s strength of spirit fuels his effectiveness in the world: he stands as one of Latin America’s leading activists, working for social and economic justice through non-violent means.

— BETTY WILLIAMS (Nobel Peace Prize 1976)
Born to a Catholic mother and Protestant father in Northern Ireland, Williams co-founded "Peace People" and remains a passionate advocate on behalf of children. Williams, who now lives in the United States, she will speak to her deep sense of frustration and helplessness in the face of the violence around her, and explain how that frustration exploded into the choice for peace. She will talk about the challenges of keeping peace in relationships, and how doing so can transform our interactions with others.

—HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA (Nobel Peace Prize 1989)
The political and spiritual leader of Tibet, a man in exile who witnessed the destruction of his country by the Chinese, His Holiness will speak about the effect that making peace within ourselves has on the body, health, and society at large. "Even though it is difficult to try to bring about peace through inner transformation, that is the only way of establishing sustainable peace in the world." His Holiness will tell us how to neutralize these emotions, and speak to the consequences of permitting violence to escalate at this time in history.

All five Nobel Laureates have agreed to participate in the project. Research interviews are underway. Nelson Mandela of South Africa is also being invited to participate.

JOURNEY TO PEACE provides an intimate look into the minds and hearts of these public people. We will hear of their doubts and fears; the everyday challenges of living peacefully in societies that do not reward such behavior; why and how each of our subjects learned to live effectively and joyfully in a world of pain; of the "defining moment" in which each chose peace rather than violence.

In a world marked by increasing trauma, America has come of age. The subjects of JOURNEY TO PEACE, who knew the impact of violence long before September 11, will provide us with the guidance and tools necessary to survive the aftermath, thrive in spite of it, and live more fully—by making the choice for peace.

 

THE PROJECT TEAM

• Producer Valerie Mrak is an award-winning producer-director with wide-ranging experience in documentary, educational and corporate films.
• Producer Dr. Martha Howard, pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, is involved in research on ways in which violent and non-violent states of mind affect the health of individuals.
• Co-producer Rachel Lyon is an Emmy Award winning producer (for the documentary Men Who Molest, Children Who Surive), whose most recent production for the History Channel, Mr Dreyfuss Goes to Washington, features Richard Dreyfuss as narrator. Mrak, Lyon, and Howard joined forces in the production Shadow Over Tibet: Stories in Exile, which aired nationally on PBS.
• Segment Producer Liliana Dufour interviews international personalities for print and video and owns a multi-lingual communications services company.
• Writer Heidi Schulman has extensive experience as a writer, producer, director and editor, working in television, radio, print and online outlets for adult and youth audiences.
• Director of Photography Dyanna Taylor, an Academy-Award winning filmmaker and documentarian, has been director of photography for many feature documentaries and narrative film.
• Editor Greg Snider’s credits include National Geographic, The New Explorers for PBS, several independent feature films and music videos.
• Outreach Coordinator, Ginny Zerang, works in both live television and event production.
  
  

THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Advisory Council for JOURNEY TO PEACE includes:

• Joan Borysenko, nationally acclaimed author of books including Inner Peace, and founder of the Mind/Body Clinic at New England Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School;
• Jack Duvall, author and Director of the International Center for Nonviolent Conflict;
• Jean Bethke Eishtain, University of Chicago Divinity School Professor of Social and Political Ethics;
• Ela Gandhi, member of the South African Parliament and the ANC Party and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi;
• Larry Gerstein, Professor & Director of Doctoral Program, Department of Counseling Psychology, Ball State University;
• Brother Wayne Teasdale, author of The Mystic Heart and A Monk in the World and Adjunct Professor at DePaul University;
• Susan Singer, marketing and advertising consultant to major national corporations, founder and President of Field Trip Factory, which helps students learn valuable life skills that will help them make smart choices and live healthy lives.
  
  

AUDIENCE AND OUTREACH
JOURNEY TO PEACE is under consideration at PBS. In addition to the traditional PBS demographic of well-educated, generally professional, middle-class viewers, the program will have a unique appeal to a younger audience. One twenty-something stated, "Examining alternative, more peaceful methods for handling issues of conflict felt ‘refreshingly radical’".

Beyond the broadcast, outreach is planned to make JOURNEY TO PEACE available for use by schools, social service groups and in workplace training. The Hague Appeal for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee are including the documentary in their outreach and discussions are taking place for an international premiere at the Universal Forum of Cultures Barcelona in July 2004. Initial rollout will include three large and three medium market cities, with a grass roots initiative available through our website, www.journeytopeace.org. In addition to creating buzz for the documentary, it will include interactive components, and ways for people to share ideas on how to nurture a cultural shift toward peace.

BUSINESS PLAN AND TIMELINE
We are approaching foundations, individuals, industry organizations and corporations for support as a not-for–profit project through a 501 (c) (3) fiscal agent. Foundations we are considering include Sundance, Ford, Robeson, Kemper, Pew, Cummings and Davis, among others. Our fiscal agents are the International Documentary Association and TIBET center of Chicago. To date, we have raised $145,000 in cash and in-kind support.

We anticipate ongoing fundraising throughout the project, with the majority of fundraising efforts in the next 12 months. Development is well underway as we’ve secured our main interviewees. Pre-production is slated for May-October 2003, productions for August 2003-January 2004 and post-production February-May 2004. JOURNEY TO PEACE will be available for broadcast and distribution in June 2004.

The documentary is endorsed by the Hague Appeal for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee among others.

For more information or to support production of the film, please visit www.JourneyToPeace.org.