This Sunday, people from more than 200 different countries will participate in a global film project called “One Day on Earth.” The purpose of the project is to film the perspectives of people from all over the world and present the array of diversity, conflict, tragedy and triumph that can occur in just one 24-hour period.

Thousands of stories that would normally go untold will be brought to life in this project, which is the largest participatory media event in history. It is free and available to people of all cultures, beliefs and nationalities who wish to share their stories.

“This is a great opportunity for students to be part of something on a global scale,” said Carly Palmour, a junior in New College studying documentary film production. “It’s not just for experienced filmmakers. Anyone can pick up their cell phone or camera and videotape something that is important to their life or culture.”

Those interested in contributing to the project can sign up at onedayonearth.org to create a page for submitting their films and can also donate to the cause at 101010donate.org. One Day on Earth has also created an interactive online community for those who wish to connect with others around the world throughout the year.

The videos submitted on Oct. 10 will be posted for viewing by the public on the website’s archive system and will be featured in a full-length documentary expected to be finished in 2011.

“For my own submission I will be filming some of my classmates as they create short film projects of their own,” Palmour said. “A lot of people don’t consider Tuscaloosa, or Alabama for that matter, a great place to be a film student, so I would like to show that there are people here working hard to put Tuscaloosa on the map.” 

A few other stories that are expected to be highlighted in the project will follow African citizens, who immigrate to the U.S. voluntarily or through exile to fulfill their dreams; children in the Philippines searching for copper cables to earn enough money for a meal; and Dutch environmentalists who are riding on bamboo bicycles from Alaska to Argentina to raise awareness about the global water crisis.

“One Day on Earth will permit us to view the world through diverse lenses,” Kathy Eldon, founder of the Creative Visions Foundation, a sponsor for the project, said in a press release. “We hope the tremendous archive of footage gathered will offer a unique, unfiltered perspective on countries and cultures that are often seen only through the eyes of outsiders.”

More than 450,000 students from all over the world are expected to share their footage in the project, from America’s leading universities to isolated school houses in impoverished countries.

“I haven’t met anyone else who is involved in the project on campus, but I am aware of a handful of people across the state who are participating,” Palmour said.

Sponsored by the United Nations, American Red Cross and others, One Day on Earth will receive footage for the documentary throughout the entire day Oct. 10, and every person who has a story to tell is encouraged to do so.

“Together, we are creating the first worldwide film, where each contributor can be publicly acknowledged in an open forum,” Kyle Ruddick, founder of the One Day on Earth, said on the project’s website. “All are welcome to participate; the greater the quality and quantity of participation, the greater our impact on society.”