AFRICA

Angola- Luanda

Hello from Luanda! “There were 200 of us here in our city, but other people will be running in the provinces too. We are very shy but we overcame our self-consciousness to witness to everyone, through many experience of life, our commitment to peace at school. We have gathered many signatures for the Signup4Peace campaign to ask that all wars may end. Our Time Out for peace was very deep and an important moment for everyone.”

Congo – Kolwezi

Running with us there were also 10 schools connected with the LIVING PEACE project! Representatives came from the local authorities, and from the departments for Education and Culture. The national anthem of Congo and our hymn for Peace started the programme. “After the words from the president of the WPF (world foundation for peace) there were poems and songs on peace and then we went off for the run! Each one of us (there were so many!) was given an attendance certificate which testifies to our commitment to build peace”.

OCEANIA

Australia e New Caledonia – Melbourne, Sydney and Noumea

“In Sydney it looked like it would rain… but we did not give up. We had a beautiful day playing games. Inspired by some key phrases said by important people we tried to give importance to every act of unity or fraternity.”

“In Melbourne, instead, the Run4Unity took place together with some migrant families. It was an opportunity to build bridges between our different cultures. There were young people and adults together and 60 children from a Centre run by the local government in our city, which takes care of migrant families coming from different countries, including Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia.”

“There was also a Run in New Caledonia!!! Young people and adults form different Christian Churches ran together.”

ASIA

India – New Delhi

People from four different religions met together to learn to live the Golden Rule. “In Delhi the Run4Unity was held at the Father Agnel School in Greater Noida, with 300 boys and girls from the ages of 5-17. Many have lost both parents; others are living in difficult family situations. Our aim was to make them happy and to spend a joyful day together. There were Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. We played games which helped us to understand the Golden Rule better and put it into practice. At the end, via WhatsApp, we handed on the Baton to Bulgaria.”

MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Young people in four different cities in Syria ran too. “We are running too!!! Everyone saw that we want peace. Thanks for your support; it is very important for us!”

Egypt – Cairo

It was an unforgettable day! “Not only did hundreds of boys and girls run with us but also our teachers and the heads of school! We drew strength from being all together from different schools involved in LIVING PEACE, to give greater visibility to our commitment to build a culture of Peace, which has been going on for 5 years now”.

“Hello everyone, my name is Salsabil, I am a Muslim girl. I am convinced that we young people are the main bearers of peace in the world. Even a smile in the morning and a friendly gesture can bring light. We know that we are different but this does not mean being enemies. I am sure that every true Muslim can put up their hand, wherever they are, and say: I support peace! Let’s start from here to be an example of unity wherever we are!”

EUROPE

Bulgary – Rakovski

Rakovski is a city in central Bulgaria formed from three villages, which are now three districts. Even now, after many years, they still retain their very strong identities, and there is often great rivalry amongst them.

“We wanted to help everyone to dialogue, to get to know one another and work together. This is why we chose to go through all three districts: on bicycles, on roller skates, skateboards and scooters; those who had more energy ran on foot! We handed on the torch of peace between one district and another.”

Spain – Castel D’Aro and Madrid

We had two “Olympics for Peace” in Spain, at the Mariapolis Centre at Castel D’Aro close to Girona and in Madrid. “At Castel D’Aro there were 20 of us boys and girls. The rules of our Olympics were the ones used in Sport4Peace, to do every sporting activity so as to build peace. We helped one another and those with more training helped the smaller ones. If there were problems we said sorry. Some young people came from the St Coloma di Farners School, which is part of the LIVING PEACE project. One of them, a girl aged 14, is an Ambassador for Peace, an award she was given by the Universal Circle of Ambassadors for Peace because of her particular testimony”.

“In Madrid on the 23rd April we began the third edition of the Youth for Unity Olympics. It was also a day of solidarity with refugees from Syria. We raised 720 Euros for them! There were about 60 young people helped by some adults from our community.

Great Britain – London

Promoting peace in the heart of London. “Our new style Run4Unity began with lunch, it was a picnic we had all together, teenagers, adults and families! Then, over a distance of 4 Km, we played games, with different challenges along the way. We were right in the heart of London and we walked part of the Princess Diana Memorial Walk in Kensington/Hyde Park. At the end we had Time Out and we all signed up; we also exchanged hats, which confirmed our commitment to sow seeds of peace around us.”

Italy

In Trent (Trentino) the Run4unity went through four squares. Christians and Muslims were involved in the run. The Archbishop of Trent was there too.

Christians and Muslims were together in Scicli (In Sicily) for a 2 Km march for peace.

In Porto Torres (in Sardinia) the boys and girls who did the Run4Unity gave people in their city the peace cube.

In Pisa (in Tuscany), which is the European City of Sport, the event was organised by Sportmeet, an international network of sports people for peace which involved about 15 different associations in the city and province from different sporting activities, including: volleyball, sitting volleyball, basketball, martial arts, pony-riding, artistic gymnastics and hip hop.