In this video Sri Chinmoy speaks about why peace is so important him.
Highlights from the start of the 1989 Peace Run. From Kedar.
Video - SMP Sunari Loka, a school in Kuta, Bali celebrated our 33rd Anniversary in very special way. Making a beautiful banner, unveiling it after a soulful period of prayer and meditation.
Shambhu, who Sri Chinmoy referred to as our first and foremost Executive Director, made a couple of charming instagram stories. Listen to Shambhu's music here.
In 1987 Shambhu invited Narada Micheal Walden, Clarence Clemons and Carl Lewis to lend their star power to the Peace Run. They were all hugely enthusiastic and their support continues to be felt to this day. Listen to Narada's Peace Run anthem.
Video - Katya Bondareva from Russia made a very cute animation.
With the help from his running app, Dan, running through the streets of Seattle, spelled the words "Peace Run" Well done Dan, very creative!!!
From our dear friend Cathy Oerter, Chair of the Al Oerter Foundation,
"Congratulations dear friends on this 33rd anniversary of the Peace Run. It has been an honor to be a small part of your efforts to bring Sri Chinmoy’s higher vision of World Peace to communities around the world. Your life’s mission is to enable peaceful hearts and minds to bloom into beautiful gardens. Your seeds of Peace in every country, city, village and school have germinated flowers of joy and hope demonstrating a world community of oneness with thoughts of others.
My gratitude is full of admiration for your united service to the planet’s well-being. May you go forth with torch held high for all to witness its amazing power of true life consciousness.
In the spirit of Peace I leave you with my husband, Al Oerter’s quote that parallels your responsibility to the planet:
“I didn’t set out to beat the world, I just set out to do my absolute best.”
Tatya, a student from Sunari Loka, share's her thoughts on Peace. "World peace is the main goal of humanity." Yes Tatya, we enthusiastically agree!
A promising artist from Sunari Loka.
Neelabha and her 96 year old mother in Zlin, Czech Republic.
Neelabha's t-shirt collection.
Sadajyoti visits the Zlin zoo.
Brahmata from the Garden of Light, a beautiful gift store in Ottawa, made an instagram story for us.
Greetings from Halifax.
Mena from France is currently running on the European Virtual Peace Run, where the team members are running the miles from their homes. Here's the virtual relay the Europe.
Peteris from Latvia celebrated our 33rd Anniversary by celebrating his birthday. He is five years younger than the Peace Run. Congratulations Peteris!
From Varunavi: "In Geneva it was outwardly quite humble but inwardly very enriching. Two of us met at the Peace Mile plaque - Piloo and Varunavi. We had solar torches, invoked and meditated on peace, imagined flames in our hearts and listened to a recording of Sri Chinmoy speaking on the Peace Run. And then we ran for 5k, as part of the London virtual races series - this week dedicated to Americas." Virtual 5 km Race series can be found here.
Piloo joined Varunavi in Geneva for 5 km.
Vasudha from San Diego reports: "Garima and I did the virtual 5K today on a course that ended at the Sri Chinmoy Peace Garden in San Diego. We wore our Peace Run gear to commemorate 33 years of a great event that will continue to become more and more more momentous as time goes on. It did my heart good to "fly the Peace Run banner" today around the neighborhood; I felt goodwill all around me as I came across other (masked) runners!
Garima currently in San Diego is all smiles.
Kagni and Lilu reporting in from Helsinki, Finland.
Niharika from Vaasa, Finland next to statue of Peace Run founder Sri Chinmoy. Idabodha and Bhupendra were also there.
Nirjharini waves from the Eternal Peace Flame in Oslo, Norway. Here's some words to the song Sri Chinmoy wrote for the Peace Flame, "The Eternal Peace-Flame, mankind's oneness game. Here in Norway's Oslo, the smiles of the world glow."
The Eternal Peace Flame in Oslo, Norway. From a different angle on a different day - but a lovely photograph nonetheless.
Harashita behind a bandanna in Kyoto, Japan.
Harita writes, "Pragati and I went all out and gave three live FaceTime concerts of the World Harmony Run song on ukuleles. Listeners in Ottawa, Seattle and Bali appeared spellbound, and the Peace Run Spirit was spread in an unprecedented way!"
Suren from Iceland reports, "As we are fortunate enough here in Iceland that we are still allowed to have meetings, the members of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run in Iceland got together on Sunday, April 26 to observe the 33rd anniversary of the Peace Run."
Suren from Iceland reports, "We printed out photos of ourselves from past Peace Runs and proudly displayed them. At one point in the meeting, we lit the Peace Torch while listening to a rendition of Sri Chinmoy singing the Peace Run song. This was preceded by a peace meditation and listening to audios of Sri Chinmoy speaking on the Peace Run."
Emanuels from Latvia gives the whole thing a thumbs up.
A good friend and founder of Redwood Coast Montessori Terri Little share's what peace means to her. "Snuggling a snoozing youngster is peaceful."
Albert from Estonia lights a candle for peace.
Gabriela from Community Health Academy of the Heights in NYC writes, "Peace means being free and having the time of your life. It means letting go and just living life. I just mind my own and focus on me. Peace is like living your best life."
Stacey from Community Health Academy of the Heights in NYC writes, "To me peace means knowing you are okay and feeling relaxed , the artwork I have done means peace to me because when a women is pregnant if they are going through a hard time they somehow still feel calm when they remember they have a baby on the way and that they have to be strong for them."
Monica from Community Health Academy of the Heights in NYC writes, "I made this photo to represent peace. In the photo, it shows white doves, butterflies and deers. White Doves symbolizes peace, fidelity, love, luck and prosperity. Deers symbolizes kindness, softness and gentleness. And butterflies symbolize hope and life. In nature you could hear birds singing, hear sounds of lakes and waters, smell fresh air and look at gorgeous animals. Nature is a place that can be calming and peaceful."
Melvin from Community Health Academy of the Heights in NYC writes, "This photograph of a river represents peace to me. It represents peace to me because it symbolizes a place free from all disturbances."
Marion, a stand up paddle boarder holds the Peace Run flag in front of the Heidelberg castle. Photo from Vasanti.
From Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the Peace Run, "Today's chaotic world cannot forever remain chaotic. World harmony, world peace: these are not mere dictionary words. These are the realities, divine realities and supreme realities."
In New York Arpan holds a torch from 1987 while Salil points to the location of the first Peace Run office located above the City Deli. This was the office Shambhu created in 1986 as he and a team worked on building this global event.
Arpan writes, "It is a very nostalgic and emotional moment being in this spot where we spent months preparing for this immortal event. We also departed from this very spot in our vehicles to the exciting opening ceremony in lower Manhattan with the Founder of the Peace Run, Sri Chinmoy, exactly 33 years ago. Standing here evokes some of the strong emotions like gratitude, excitement and enthusiasm, as well as a bit of the nervousness that I felt as we embarked on this very long four month ‘maiden voyage’.
However, with absolute faith in the vision of the Founder of this epic peace adventure, Sri Chinmoy, I also felt confident and safe in being part of this most auspicious and important worldwide initiative. It was, and still is, an unforgettable experience to relay a torch of peace, which symbolizes sharing and spreading peace, hand to hand and heart to heart, with people of all ages throughout this country as others are also doing simultaneously all over the world.
Now, 33 years later, the ever-mounting flame of inner and outer peace is still growing and glowing tremendously in the hearts and minds of millions of peace-lovers worldwide. It is a wonderful opportunity and a great honor to witness and to be part of this unfolding and ever evolving peace-reality as it continues to blossom beyond anything we could have imagined in those very early days. As reflected in the words of Sri Chinmoy before the start of the first Peace Run 33 years ago: “This Oneness-Home Peace Run is the very beginning of something infinitely, infinitely greater than we can ever imagine...”
