Kindness Films, the makers of Free Trip to Egypt, have today welcomed the enormous nationwide response to their #PledgeToListen Day of Unity on June 12, 2019.
The event will bring diverse communities from across the US together for one day, in order to jointly watch a screening of Free Trip to Egypt, followed by a telecast featuring celebrities, thought leaders and politicians, live from Washington D.C.
With around 500 cinemas confirmed, and over 10,000 guests expected to attend, the #PledgeToListen Day of Unity will be delivered in collaboration with a range of partners. However, organizers are keen to point out that there is still time to register to host a screening.
Liz Ogilvie, Outreach & Engagement lead for the campaign, said:
"Whether you’re a small rural community organization, or an NGO working to build dialogue, we want to hear from you so that we can make as big an impact as possible."
"Individuals are also welcome to host a screening at their local cinema, and we’ve managed to make the process as open and hassle-free as possible in order to facilitate that. All you need is an ability to draw a crowd at your local theatre, and to share our desire to promote a kinder world in which people from different backgrounds come together and listen more."
Kindness Films have already secured a network of partnerships that is truly representative of the many organizations working to build inter-faith and inter-community harmony across the country. These include the Alliance for Peacebuilding, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Jewish Fellowship for Peace, Charter for Compassion, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Kids for Peace, and many more.
Kids for Peace is a global youth organization whose mission is to empower kids to create peace through hands-on service, global friendships and thoughtful acts of kindness.
Staff at the NGO cited Free Trip to Egypt’s ability to “encourage people to see the possibility of a kinder, more compassionate world” as a key factor in their involvement.
At a community level too, the Day of Unity has been met with enthusiasm. Blair Forlaw, of Alexandria Builds Community, in the city of Alexandria, VA, explains why her group decided to participate:
"Many of us are anxious and deeply concerned about rising animosity and distrust in our country today. We rally, protest, speak out, petition for change. The results of these efforts will be more sustainable if built on a strong foundation of interpersonal understanding and respect."
"Free Trip to Egypt provides a powerful experience to bring people together to lay that foundation. That’s why I am happy to help make it happen in my community."
For those working in conflict resolution, such as Libby and Len Traubman, co-founders of the long-running Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue project in California, the film is an object lesson in how seemingly disparate groups can be brought together:
"In our 40 years of bringing so-called 'enemies' face-to-face – around America and across oceans – we've never seen a better film than Free Trip to Egypt to show us everyday citizens how we will heal today's human disconnections."
Another group who have come on board for the Day of Unity are The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, which aims to build bridges, fight hate, stereotyping & prejudice in order “to change the world, one Muslim & one Jewish woman at a time!”
Samara Weinstein, from the group’s chapter based in Arlington, VA explains what drove the group to take part on June 12:
"When we heard about the #PledgetoListen Free Trip to Egypt event and how Tarek's goals were very much aligned with our mission. we jumped at the chance to host a screening and inform our members about this opportunity."
To find out more about how you or your community group can participate in the #PledgeToListen Day of Unity, click here and get in touch today.