Source: theworldmarch.org
This Friday, October 2, 2009, the World March for Peace and Nonviolence (also known as the Peace March) kicks off in Wellington, New Zealand, marking the start of the world’s first 93-day, six-continent world march for peace and nonviolence, calling for the elimination of wars, nuclear weapons and violence of all kinds.
President Barack Obama has not yet endorsed the Peace March. He and the First Lady, Michelle Obama, will be in Copenhagen, Denmark on 2 October 2009 to convince a majority of International Olympic Committee members that their adopted hometown of Chicago is the place to hold the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. In the President's absence from the United States, cities from San Francisco to New York will celebrate the call for world peace in their own way, from participating in peace walks to forming a human peace symbol.
The Peace March begins in Wellington, New Zealand, on 2 October 2009, on Gandhi's birthday, with an international core team of 25 marchers who will cross through Asia, Europe, Africa, and North and South America before reaching Punta de Vacas, Argentina, on 2 January 2010. The group will carry the Hiroshima Flame for the duration of the journey. In 98 countries, 1 million people have signed up to participate in various activities in their own countries to promote world peace. Ten million people are participating virtually.
Launched by the international organization, World Without Wars, the Peace March has been endorsed by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter and other Nobel Peace Prize winners, Noam Chomsky, seven presidents, hundreds of world leaders, including Sarah Obama, President Obama’s Kenyan grandmother, and celebrities like Yoko Ono, Cate Blanchett and Viggo Mortensen, and thousands of organizations including Mayors for Peace, Abolition 2000, Veterans for Peace, Code Pink, and more than a million citizens.
Chris Wells, US spokesman for the World March for Peace and Nonviolence:
We’re living in a highly dangerous moment. We’re all threatened by nuclear weapons. Young and old, rich and poor, all colors and faiths, all of us. And the spread of this technology is more and more out of control. There can be no peace as long as nuclear weapons exist and to avoid a future catastrophe, we must act today.
The World March for Peace and Non-Violence is a wonderful idea, a fitting commemoration of Gandhi's legacy on the centenary of his birth. It could hardly be more timely, and should serve as an inspiration to those who seek to fulfill the noble ideals that Gandhi's life and work symbolized in ways that are rarely approached.
It is surprising the number of people who believe that armed intervention is the best solution to some of the problems facing the world. Yet if a small share of the money spent on weapons and armed conflict was directed to the elimination of hunger and poverty, many of the root causes of these conflicts could be solved. For the future of our children, [we must] speak out in favor of peace, nuclear disarmament and the end of violence.
Actress and activist Jane Fonda:
The need to end wars and occupations, and to end all forms of violence against people no matter what their age, gender, sexual preference or religion, and to learn to help and heal rather than hurt our fellow human beings and this planet we live upon.
In the US, the march kick-off will be marked by dozens of events around the country, including:
- The formation of a human peace symbol in Santa Monica, California
- An interfaith blessing ceremony at the New York Harbor
- An environmental peace walk in Richmond, Virginia
- In classrooms around the country, teachers will focus on nonviolence as a way of responding to conflict
Between November 30 and December 3, 2009, the international marchers will visit several U.S. cities, beginning in New York City and proceeding to Washington DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles. For more information, including a complete list of events, visit www.worldmarchusa.net (national) and www.theworldmarch.org (international).
ABOUT THE WORLD MARCH
The World March for Peace and Nonviolence was officially launched at the Symposium of the World Center for Humanist Studies in Punta de Vacas, Argentina, on 15 November 2008. It was initiated by World Without Wars, an affiliated organization of the Humanist Movement that is internationally active in the fields of peace and disarmament.
The Peace March has five goals:
1. abolition of nuclear weapons worldwide
2. immediate withdrawal of invading troops from occupied territories
3. progressive and proportional reduction of conventional weapons
4. signing of non-aggression treaties between countries
5. renunciation by governments of the use of war as a means to resolve conflicts
Related articles:
First World March for Peace and Nonviolence, 2Oct 2009 - 2Jan 2010, 98 countries, 300 cities (video)
World March for Peace and Nonviolence: Kick-off events on Sept 20 - Oct 2, 2009 in New Zealand
World March for Peace and Nonviolence: Tune the world in C# with your voice on 2 October 2009
The World March for Peace and Nonviolence: Bridging cultural divide for world peace and unity
World March for Peace and Nonviolence: International filmmakers join hands to document peace (video)
Related websites:
The World March for Peace and Nonviolence
World March for Peace and Nonviolence (Main Page)
By Gina Alzate, who is also the National Interracial Relationship Examiner and the Philadelphia Romance Examiner. She is a Travel Consultant and a Cruise Planner with World Tours and Cruises, and she leads Angel Communication workshops with Holistic Life Designs.
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Comments
I guess games are more important than peace. Go figure. There is no profit in peace unfortunately.
"There's a chance peace will come in your life please buy one" Melanie.
May it be.
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