Media

16May, 26

I am deeply honoured to have been invited to contribute to Australia’s 100 Days of Peace, a national contemplative initiative bringing people together in shared silence from 13 June to 21 September 2026, culminating on the UN International Day of Peace.

Each evening at 9.00pm AEST, Australians from all backgrounds are invited to gather online for a brief three-minute reflection from a contributing voice, followed by 10 minutes of collective silent meditation.

It is simple, free and open to all. One hundred days. One hundred moments of reflection. One shared invitation to return to stillness, presence and peace.

To be invited to offer a reflection as part of this initiative feels deeply meaningful, especially alongside respected contributors including Dr Ian Gawler OAM, Paul Roos, Dr Tami Roos, Justin Langer AM, Father Lawrence Freeman OSB, Ric Thorpe, Simon McKeon AO, Professor Craig Hassed, and others.

The initiative has been coordinated through Calm in the City, building on many years of meditation, peacebuilding and contemplative gatherings. At its heart is a beautiful conviction: that when people gather in shared silence across faiths, generations, cultures and communities, something begins to soften.

Something becomes possible. The body settles, the heart opens, the mind becomes quieter, and from that place, we can begin to meet ourselves, each other and the world around us with more presence, compassion and care.

When I was invited to contribute, I was asked to reflect on two simple questions:

How do you find and return to peace in any moment?
And:
What message of hope, prayer or reflection would you offer before the time of silent meditation?

For me, peace is not something we have to chase, grasp or achieve. It is a state of being. A quiet presence we can return to within ourselves.

Peace lives in us all, though at times it can become hidden by the intensity of being human, the stories we inherit, the walls we build, and the ways we learn to survive. But beneath all of that, there is stillness, there is calm, there is strength. There is a place within us that remembers awe, wonder, love and our connection to life and all its mysteries.

I find peace by coming back to the breath, to the body, and to the quiet knowing that I am part of something much greater than whatever is unfolding around me.

To me, peace is coherence. It is mind, body, heart and spirit living in harmony. And I believe the peace we return to within ourselves becomes an offering to the world. It shapes the way we speak, listen, give, care and respond. It ripples into our homes, through our communities, and into the collective field we all share.

I would love to warmly invite you to participate in Australia’s 100 Days of Peace.

You can join online each evening at 9.00pm AEST from 13 June to 21 September 2026. There is no cost and no need for anything formal. You can come once, come often, or make it part of your evening rhythm.

Simply arrive as you are, breathe, listen and allow yourself to be part of a shared moment of stillness.

To learn more or join the meditation, visit 100 Days of Peace through Calm in the City.

Peace is both a gift and a practice, a remembrance and a return.
Moment by moment, breath by breath, together.