Senators Reid, Inouye, Reps. Conyers, Kucinich Call for Much-Needed Global Family Reunion January 1, 2010

Washington, DC (December 2009) - In the midst of the health care reform crisis, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Daniel Inouye took time to introduce a resolution urging all Americans to come together as one on January 1 to recognize and utilize a potentially powerful tool for greater human unity and understanding. S. Res 357, “A resolution urging the people of the United States to observe Global Family Day and One Day of Peace and Sharing,” is a unique initiative that will cost our government nothing as it helps to bridge our differences both here at home and around the world.

Global Family Day, (One Day of Peace and Sharing Every January 1) designed to create universally shared traditions for all the world’s families, was unanimously adopted by the U.S. Congress in 2000 and again in 2006. In 2001, right after 9/11, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that Global Family Day be celebrated annually. More than thirty sitting heads of state have personally endorsed this day, along with ambassadors representing two thirds of the world’s population, Recently twenty-two senior Members of the House led by the holiday’s co-founder, Congressman John Conyers Jr., wrote President Obama, requesting that he lead our nation as our nation leads the world in its celebration. This week a new House resolution will be introduced from Congressmen Conyers and Kucinich.

January 1 on the Gregorian calendar was designated the first day of the year in 152 BC (for non-religious reasons) and has eventually become accepted by most of the world. However, the celebration of New Years Day is largely individualistic with little social impact or power to unify humanity. January 1, 2000, was long feared due to prophecies, potential terrorism, computer failure, drunken rioting, etc. However, one hundred countries, one thousand organizations, countless Mayors from around the world, and twenty-six U.S. Governors joined to persuade the United Nations to declare “One Day in Peace January 1, 2000” and it worked. The 48 hour period that marked January 1, 2000 somewhere on the earth, turned out to be one of the most peaceful days on record.

“This human achievement, which every family in the world can be proud of, sets a precedent for starting each new year as a responsible and cooperative human society developing traditions of sharing that reflect the reality of our growing interdependence,” says Globalfamily Day founder Linda Grover. “And every family can help, just by participating in the holiday.”

As the Inouye, Reid resolution states, “Whereas family is the basic structure of humanity, thus , we must all look to the stability and love within our individual families to create stability in the global community.”

Zaccai Free, Communications Director for Globalfamily Day explained the organization’s strategy, “To insure that Globalfamily Day is recognized around the world on January 1, 2010, we are asking Nobel Peace Laureates to invite all the world’s First Families to in some way observe Globalfamily Day 2010, by holding a news conference, issuing a statement, ringing a bell or in some other way sending a message of peace to all the world’s families. Can we rally the world in the next two weeks? We think we can.”