Katie West, founder of the United States-based The Levity Project, believes that a simple smile can connect the world and change people. Demonstrating the principle, The Levity Project has launched the â€œOne World, One Smileâ€ video (www.thelevityproject.com) which is part of her micro-movement effort.â€œWe are living in a unique time,â€ says West, explaining part of her Levity Project philosophy, â€œwhen we really can create powerful and positive global change, and micro-movements are one place we can join together towards creating a more buoyant world.â€Micro-movements bring people from all over the world together without any time or location boundaries to participate in an online â€œflash mobâ€.Â  Â The Levity Projectâ€™s goal is to create a space where people shine as agents of positive change and the online video pulls individuals together to create a ripple effect into the world.â€œOne World, One Smileâ€ flashes from the World Cup in South Africa to children popping out of a lake smiling and laughing by a boat dock.Â  The common theme is they greet the world with a smile with Matisyahu playing a reggae peace song as the sound track.According to Ina Lukas, The Levity Projectâ€™s Operations Manager and the â€œOne World One Smileâ€ video producer, the Matisyahu song was the initial inspiration for their second in a series of micro-movements, which followed their Car Dancing international hit.Smiling faces flash on the screen as Matisyahu sings, â€œI am waiting for people to say stop the violence, stop with hate.â€Â Â  Young people, in South Africa, and a family in conflict ridden Pakistan pull together to touch international hearts.â€œIt had the corners of my mouth lifting at the first frame,â€ writes Ingrid Foy from England, â€œand by the end a broad smile which lifted my internal energy like wings.â€West says she experienced the connection of a smile one day when stopped at a traffic light. She saw a man in the next car, who looked like he had had a life of hardship. Sensing someone looking at him, he turned towards West and she, with the reflex of a society that inhibits direct contact, turned away.Â  But then turned back and smiled and he returned the smile brightening his heavily wrinkled face.Westâ€™s philosophy, embodied by The Levity Project, is that we are agents of change and the video closes after West flashes a big smile with the message: â€œWe hope that one day we will all smile together.â€The Levity Projectâ€œCreating social change through laughter, play and celebration.â€www.thelevityproject.com

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