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The Shinnyo-en Foundation is trying an unusual visibility event to launch its global Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative today: a full-day Path to Peace event in New York City’s Times Square that asks people to pledge to promote harmony and peace through meaningful acts of service. Those pledges are streaming live on the Reuters interactive screen above Times Square, where they can be viewed and added to later on www.sixbillionpaths.org. Simply text PEACE to 334455 and reply to the message received with your “personal path commitment,” if you want to participate. A literal “path to peace” has been built in busy Times Square and will stay open until 6 p.m. EDT as a way to show that regardless of the world’s seemingly anonymous bustle, you can find simple ways to positively influence others around you.

Research by the foundation found that 69 percent of people already believe that individual acts of kindness promote a sense of peace in their communities. Six Billion Paths to Peace aims to raise awareness of how such daily actions by each of the six billion people on this planet can lead to peace. The organization hopes its effort will focus people on our interconnectedness and the tremendous impact of creating a positive ripple. The initiative aims to inspire one million people to pledge their Path to Peace in one year.