The United Nations Peace Bell will ring three times at the spring equinox, 1.49am New York time on 20 March 2004. Throughout the world, schools and other communities will ring bells to remind us that peace is a common desire for people everywhere. Take part in the Peace Bell initiative!

Schools participating in Spring Day in Europe are invited to take part by ringing a bell three times on 23 March at 10am CET (Central European Time). Any kind of bell can be used: a church bell, a recording of a bell or simply the school bell.

After ringing the bell, schools could observe one minute of silence for peace.

The spring equinox is the moment where day and night are the same length all over the world. At the moment of the equinox, the sun is setting at the South Pole and rising at the North Pole. On the equator at noon there is no shadow.

10am CET is:

9am in Dublin, London and Lisbon
11am in Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Bucharest, Sofia, Istanbul and Athens

http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/earthday/peacebell_2004.asp

Update: Watch a recording of the United Nations Peace Bell ceremony (in Real Player format)