Mindshare promotes peace with World Anthem

Fort Collins foundation seeks to increase brotherhood

FORT COLLINS — In a time of war and violence around the world, a Fort Collins-based group is trying to shine a light on peace and the common bonds that all people share.

The Mindshare Institute, founded about one year ago, is putting its energies behind the World Anthem Project, a musical composition that aims to promote world peace and understanding.

“I thought if there was a time that we needed a song that all nations could share, this was it,´ said Ed Goodman, who founded Mindshare in August 2001 with Carter Rowley and Paul Jensen.

The idea for a World Anthem was first developed by Denver composer and author John Guillot with help from collaborators Stephen Biggers and David Cope. The song had its debut on Dec. 31, 2000, during the city of Denver’s New Year’s Eve celebration.

Using a special artificial-intelligence program, the song blends musical notes and lyrics from 193 national anthems from around the world.

With a grant from the Tommy E. Short Charitable Foundation, Mindshare was able to hire the Prague Studio Symphony Orchestra to record the instrumental portion of the 2.3-minute song and enlisted soloists and a 48-voice choir in Los Angeles to record the lyrics.

A CD was produced, and Emmy Award winning film producer Brian Doubleday joined the project to produce a video with photos contributed by more than 200 photographers from around the world.

Mindshare is now working to get the World Anthem played at events as diverse as high-school graduations (it was played at Poudre High’s graduation in May) to the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C., in June. The group would like to have it performed at future Olympic gatherings and at a planned commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Promotional materials for the World Anthem call for the song to be adopted as “the official anthem of the world.” Goodman said that may not be realistic, but the idea remains to have the song “recognized” by a world body such as the United Nations and played at international events and celebrations around the world.

Rowley said the World Anthem is serving to attract attention to Mindshare and its other programs, which include Student Ambassadors for Peace and the NASA Seeds in Space Project. “It’s kind of becoming the theme or centerpiece of what we want to do,” he said.

Mindshare is focusing on educational and cultural-awareness programs with kids in mind, according to its founders.

“If you look at the song alone, it’s not going to change the world,´ said Mindshare member Bill Van Eron. “It needs these underlying programs.”

The group is working with Poudre School District and other schools around Colorado and in other states to bring out messages of international understanding and cooperation.

“We’re trying to set up a model in Colorado that other parts of the country can follow,´ said Van Eron.

The group is hoping to obtain financial support for its programs and the continuing promotion of the World Anthem through public and private donations.

“We’re a working foundation,´ said Goodman. “We literally are working to seek grants, contributions and sponsorships” to fund Mindshare’s mission.

With America involved in an ongoing war with international terrorists, some might say that the timing isn’t right to promote a song of world peace and brotherhood. But Mindshare members say the timing perhaps couldn’t be better.

“The song isn’t saying America shouldn’t be out there getting rid of terrorists, it’s about America not giving up its position as a leading advocate of peace in the world,” Van Eron said.

Nor do the Mindshare Foundation members want to be viewed as naïve peaceniks in an often hostile world.

“We’re saying let’s find out what we can agree about,´ said Goodman. “At the end of the day, wouldn’t it be nice if we thought we could have a better future for ourselves and the next generation?”

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