And fans can say Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles all they want–because, well, she was involved–but the fact remains that she and John Lennon held some of the most peaceful protests ever witnessed in history.

One such event was their “bed-in” in 1969, during which they did interviews from their bed in Montreal promoting peace. They also recorded one of the most monumental tracks about peace in our time that week–the unforgettable “Give Peace a Chance,” still played today at protests, vigils, and peace rallies worldwide.

Today Yoko Ono and Sean and Julian Lennon are extending the peaceful notions generated by their song in a way that modern people, untouched by (or having forgotten) the sixties, can understand–they’re using it to raise money.

A 40th anniversary digital single of “Give Peace a Chance,” officially by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band is available for downloading at iTunes for $1.29. All net proceeds will go to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.

“It is indeed a time when we are all getting more aware of the necessity of doing something to achieve world peace, no matter how small. I feel deeply that we are all one, regardless of where we stand,” says Ono.

An estimated 3,000 child soldeirs will be released. This marks a giant step forward towards true peace in Nepal, especially since the government is even calling for the release of all the child soldiers by November. And with the peace treaty signed over two years ago, it’s also a moment that should have arrived well before today.

While this is a huge victory for these children that should be celebrated, it reminds us not to forget the rest of the world’s innocents left in the violence. An estimated 300,000 children continue to serve as soldiers in the world today, continually robbed of their innocence and murdered at the front lines of bloody conflicts.

Of these, at least 24,000 have been confined in U.N. camps since the peace deal signing in November 2006.

What homes will these former soldiers be returning to–the places where they have seen and even caused more bloodshed than any of us could ever dream of, places where they have lost their entire families and friends? And what of the former child soldiers who are now adults; will they not be receiving some sort of aid and transitioning into whatever normalcy they might be able to find out of life?

There even remains a question of whether or not to integrate these now-adults into the current army! Surely they deserve better than that?

Perhaps it’s all they know at this point.

In hopes of spreading awareness and education, the site hosting the live footage also has a live chat available, as well as social networking tools to share the event and its message. Other pre-recorded videos, some featuring U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, are also available.

There are also texting options for users taking part, including an opportunity to make a $5 donation using a cell phone.

From 9 AM to 9 PM Eastern Time, site visitors will be able to see a glimpse into the world of  refugees receiving aid in Chad, Colombia, Pakistan and Iraq.

The camp in Djabal, Chad is the temporary home to more than 250,000 people displaced from the genocide in Darfur.

“Whether it be from Darfur, Myanmar or the Swat Valley, or some as yet unknown crisis, mass migrations will be a feature of our future. We must look beyond the simple numbers and instead at the individual,” says Jolie, touching on this year’s theme, “Real People, Real Needs.”

Indeed, while the word “refugee” may sound so foreign, any one of us could become one at a moment’s notice; just ask any survivor of Hurricane Katrina. The U.N. estimates that there are over 40 million refugees displaced from their homes right now, 80% of whom are in developing countries.

To learn more or to participate in today’s extraordinary event of global solidarity, click here.

Ebadi, 61, has kept her word. In light of the recent controversial Iranian election, she has called for peace, saying that she expects “the international community to prevent the pursuit of violence by the government.”

At a news conference in Geneva, she went on to say that she also expects the government to stop firing on the people of Iran, and that a new election should be held in Iran.

According to Amnesty International, up to 10 people have been killed in the violence, hundreds have been arrested, and street protests against the dubious election results continue.

Ebadi, a lawyer, says that those imprisoned should be released, and that protests should continue, though peacefully.

Through death threats and constant opposition, Ebadi has continued to lobby for human rights for all people. “I condemn all human rights violations. I am not an opposition leader, I am a human rights defender,” she says.

According to Ebadi, the closing of her Defenders of Human Rights Center in Tehran was illegal; however, though she has filed a complaint, it has yet to be addressed.

“But for the moment the authorities haven’t looked at our case.”

Hopefully her impassioned words will help end some of the violence in Iran.  U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay echoed Ebadi’s cries for peace at the same news conference, saying that the Iranian government should put a stop to the Islamic militiamen who are supposedly behind the violence.

Given that last year alone saw 300 natural disasters taking the lives of 236,000 people, the goal is a vital one to be met.

And as global warming continues, the issue is also likely to worsen.

In addition to loss of life, last year’s disasters affected a total of 200 million people. But natural disasters do not cost only human life; they also cause severe economical damages, of which last year’s totaled over $180 billion.

During the Second Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, specific targets were also identified to meet this goal. Some of these include establishing a minimum of 10% of all reconstruction and humanitarian funding to be appointed for disaster risk reduction; an evaluation, followed by a plan for action, of schools and hospitals in disaster-prone countries; and a plan for all disaster-prone major cities to adhere to disaster risk reduction guidelines in land and building codes.

Still, a 50% reduction is a dramatic objective, which the U.N. fully recognizes. “It is very ambitious, but it also can be achieved, I think. You cannot stop the disasters happening, but you can make an enormous difference to whether they kill people and to some extent at least how many livelihoods they destroyed,” says UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes.

The country has called out for international aid, and it has not been met with deaf ears. The United Nations sent in 120 tons of supplies on Wednesday, including emergency shelters, portable warehouses and much-needed mosquito nets.

Aside from the supplies, individual countries are answering the call with monetary help.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged 12 million euros to help these refugees in talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Paris.

Sarkozy was firm in his beliefs that Pakistan should continue its efforts to combat the Taliban’s insurgency, a belief that Zardari surely shares.

“It is not a short term affair, it is a long term affair. It is challenging our way of life, they are trying to create a new world order,” he recently said at a press conference. He also maintains that the battle will continue for as long as it takes.

The Europen Union is also stepping in with 5.5 million euros.

“Pakistan is facing not only a security threat but also a humanitarian threat,” says European Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, Louis Michel.

Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is echoing Zardari’s call for help, asking that nations over the world contribute as much as they can to aid the people trapped within this crisis.

To help with the humanitarian efforts in Pakistan, you can contact your representative and ask for help, donate, or organize a community effort to raise funds or needed supplies. To donate or send supplies, click here for a list of organizations that are helping with the aid efforts.

“The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors, within internationally recognized borders… I know how much you have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the turmoil that has afflicted this land for decades. My heart goes out to all the families who have been left homeless,”the Pope told his audience at the presidential palace.

He also said that he was praying for victims of the violence in Gaza earlier this year.

61 black balloons were released at the camp to represent the number of years the conflict has been raging. The name of a destroyed or abandoned Palestinian village was carried to the sky with each balloon.

As the solemn reminders drifted above, the Pope made his way through the archway memorial commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Naqba, what the Palestinians call the “catastrophe” of Israel’s founding.

The archway is also the home of the largest key in the world, a symbol of the keys of all the homes that Palestinian refugees where displaced from during the Israeli War of Independence.

March 14 the Pope will be meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Nazareth. Perhaps we can all travel with him in our thoughts; faith or creed aside, we can all send fellow thoughts of peace.