Saturday 1 August 2026 is Day 50 of Australia's 100 Days of Peace.
Fifty evenings of shared silence. Fifty voices. Fifty small acts of collective pure intention, offered each night on behalf of each other and of the world.
“Across difference, across distance, the same 10 minutes hold us together”
We wanted to pause at this halfway point and share something of what we have been hearing — because the stories coming back to us are quietly beautiful.
A community finding its voice
Before we share those stories, we want to acknowledge something else that has moved us deeply.
When people sign up to receive updates about the 100 Days of Peace, they often share a few words. We cannot list them all — but the image above is a small sample of what they have written.
Words like stillness, collective intention, hope, healing, harmony, inner peace, compassion, kindness, gratitude — and phrases like "may peace prevail on earth," "little steps together make a difference," and "love and light to planet earth and all within her."
To everyone who has written in, signed up, shared this with a friend, or simply shown up at 9pm — thank you for reaching out and connecting.
The ripple that travels
Lyn Eadie shared that during the meditation she senses "waves of peace trickling into every corner and space in the world — like a soft protective blanket, uniting those who need calm."
When ten minutes becomes thirty
Tim James — one of our own contributors — told us that his ten minutes of meditation rarely ends at ten minutes. Many, many times, he finds it naturally continuing for half an hour afterwards. "It has been a deeply-felt special experience for my whole wellbeing," he said — made all the more meaningful by the unusual time of day, 9pm not being his typical hour to meditate.
The morning after
Greg Church has joined us before — this is his second time (after 2024). He writes:
"Apart from the enjoyment of having 10 minutes of peace at the end of my day — and I do — the main benefit I derive seems to come the next day, in my morning meditation. It is stronger, clearer and more focused. So not only do I feel like I'm contributing to peace in the world, but I am experiencing real personal growth."
Two children in a park
This one touched us deeply.
A participant joining from the UK — in the middle of the recent heatwave — paused her picnic in the park at noon (our 9pm) to sit in the meditation. Her niece, aged five, and nephew, aged eight, were with her. She explained what was happening, and invited them to join.
They went silent. They were transfixed for the full ten minutes.
When the meditation ended, the little girl quietly stood up, walked to a flower bed, and sat down beside it. When asked what she was doing, she said she was sending peace and love to all of nature.
Her brother — without a word — got up, picked up his water bottle, and emptied what remained of it over the plants. "I know the flowers need water too," he said.
Travelling the distance
Finally — a friend writing from a conflict zone.
"At many points of giving up, I suddenly feel waves of uplifting light energy coming to me. I would like to convey my thanks — I strongly feel that it is because of these nightly collective gatherings, travelling the distance."
In peace
If you have been joining us — thank you. If you have been meaning to — there are still evenings to come :).
And if the 100 Days has moved you in some way — however small — we would love to hear about it - please do share your experience with us here so we can share them on.
Fifty evenings in. More still to come. You are always welcome.
This initiative is offered in partnership with Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.
In peace,
The 100 Days of Peace team
MORE:
Calm in the City (CitC)
Melbourne: Meditation Centre, Bookshop and Quiet Room, 256 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Vic
Melbourne: Meditation Centre, Bookshop and Quiet Room, 256 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Vic
Calm in the City is a not-for-profit venture which listens and engages with the city communities to bring calm into the heart of the city. We respectfully acknowledge that all Calm in the City events in Melbourne take place on the lands of the Kulin nations.