Before dawn, Native American elders gathered to create and bless a fire using wood that had been gathered from the grounds of the UN.
Later in the morning, dignitaries, including UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, UNICEF Chairman, Jim Grant, and UNICEF Spokesman Danny Kaye, joined in the ceremonies outside the UN General Assembly building, honoring the International Day of Peace and launching the First Earth Run. Among the many participants were a massed children's choir and a young girl who read an impassioned plea for Peace.