OCTOBER 8, 2007
120 children in Christchurch, Waitakere City in Auckland and Hiroshima joined in a ground-breaking live video link anchored by Mayor Bob Harvey of Waitakere (and also a vice-president of the world wide Mayors For Peace and chair of 1p1p Advisory Group); Hiroshima’s Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, President of the global network Mayors for Peace(2); Garry Moore(3), Mayor of Christchurch, New Zealand’s first peace city and Cam McPhee, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Education VLN network. The event showcased the Peace Pals, their collaborative projects and their spontaneous dialogue around their hopes and strategies for a more peaceful world, utilising a state-of-the-art, Kiwi designed communications technology platform. The project was the first global Peace Pal live link-up and was widely and enthusiastically welcomed and endorsed by teachers and principals. It also had the involvement of the majority of Apple Distinguished Educators in New Zealand.
SHOWCASING KIWI COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Several communications technologies were seamlessly combined by Asnet Technologies to provide a ground-breaking video link.
The platform constructed for the event incorporated a double, double gateway with all links running at 384kb. An ISDN link at Waitakere City Council Chambers dialed into the Wellington based Ministry of Education bridge, whilst a second link was established over a private IPO network to connect Christchurch, and a third ISDN link reached out to a global Crossing Bridge in the USA. From there, the GC Bridge “gatewayed” an IP (internet) call to Japan.
Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba – surrounded by Japanese Peace Pals – commented: “If you children start working for peace, I am sure the adults around you will support you. This is an important step towards better future .. you children are our future and we adults must support you to create a better world.
As Peace Pals you will learn to respect each other and the planet; learn how to communicate with people from foreign countries and make decisions together as a global community.. you will become a strong voice for peace and your voice will become stronger and stronger as more of you become involved.
I am proud that my city and our children are taking a leading part in building the powerful new movement for peace. This is the beginning of something that could change the world. This is a good time to begin, and One People One Planet is a good way to begin.
I will ask the 1800 Mayors of the Peace Cities to support this idea and host their own Peace Pal projects because it will be good for their children, good for children everywhere, and good for our planet.”
1. Sir Robert Harvey has since retired from these positions
2. Dr Akiba has since retired from these positions
3. Mr Moore has since retired as Mayor of Christchurch
4. Mayors for Peace currently 4400+ membership