Town of Osoyoos councillor Sue McKortoff signed an official proclamation last week supporting the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run. Hundreds of thousands of participants from more than 140 countries have participated in the Peace Run over the past 27 years. The three visitors included, from left, Kanala Bolvanska, Brahmata Michael and Kaneenika Janakova. (Keith Lacey photo)
Participants in an event and celebration of peace that has been taking place in more than 100 countries around the world for the past 27 years made a brief pit stop in Osoyoos late last week.
The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run has seen hundreds of thousands of participants run in countries around the world to promote world peace.
Three participants of a 12-member team that started a leg of the run in New York City back in mid-April dropped into Osoyoos last Thursday afternoon.
Town councillor and acting mayor Sue McKortoff greeted Kanala Bolvanska, Kaneenika Janakova and Brahmata Michael and read a proclamation voicing the town’s support for the peace run.
Bolvanska and Janakova are both originally from Slovakia. Bolvanska still lives in Slovakia, while Janakova has lived in New York City for the past several years. Michael is originally from Calgary, but has lived in Ottawa for the past couple of years.
Bolvanska said the Sri Chinmoy Peace Run is all about bringing people from around the world together in a united effort to promote world peace.
“What we are trying to do is spread the idea that you can have peace in this world,” she said. “Peace begins with each individual citizen of this world. It won’t be governments that bring about peace, but it will be through each individual.”
The 12-member group touring the South Okanagan last week started this section of the North American Peace Run in New York on April 19.
The various members take turns running long distances with a peace torch.
Their tour took them through California, the Midwestern United States, southern and southwestern Ontario, through every state in the United States, small sections of Mexico and now through most of British Columbia.
“Some run through the entire four month tour, while others come out for several weeks,” said Bolvanska. “The entire tour will cover 7,000 miles.”
An extended Peace Run has taken place in the United States and Canada every second year for more than a quarter century, she said.
With more than 100 countries now holding their own events, the peace run has been taking place somewhere around the world for most of the past 27 years, she said.
The Sri Chinmoy Peace Run is humanity’s largest and longest grassroots effort to promote world peace, she said.
Since its inception in 1987, the peace torch has visited more than 140 nations.
People in tens of thousands of communities ranging from children to senior citizens, working people to world leaders and celebrities, have joined the runners by carrying the torch a few steps or few miles, she said.
“Everyone can participate,” she said. “Athletes and non-athletes, young and old alike.”
All it takes is an individual commitment to take a step towards world peace, she said.
Founder Sri Chinmoy established the Peace Run in 1987. The Indian philosopher, athlete, artist, musician, poet and long-distance runner dedicated his life to the ideals of world peace and oneness.
Chinmoy spent many years running long distances, including ultra marathons that would last for days, and eventually realized the his efforts to promote peace could best be accomplished by organizing a global peace run, said Janakova.
Many world leaders, including Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and many others, have supported the peace run.
Anyone wanting more information can go online and visit the website located at www.peacerun.org.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
