Category: world harmony Run

Peace Prize for Desmond Tutu

Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu was recently presented with the first Sri Chinmoy Peace Prize  for his dedication to fostering the ideals of peace in the hearts and lives of millions worldwide.

Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu with Sri Chinmoy Peace Award

Sri Chinmoy met with Desmond Tutu on numerous occasions.

Sri Chinmoy Desmond Tutu

In 2004, Sri Chinmoy offered Archbishop Desmond Tutu the ‘Lifting up the World with a Oneness-Heart Award‘ During a private in meeting in Capetown, 1995, Sri Chinmoy said of Desmond Tutu.

Father Tutu, you perfectly embody both contemplation and action, and thus you serve as a radiant example for God-lovers and peace-seekers everywhere in today’s world. In your compelling words: “The most important, the most cardinal fact about our life is the spiritual-that encounter with God in prayer, in worship, in meditation.” Far from providing an escape, religion for you sounds a clarion call to the service of truth. 1

After receiving the Sri Chinmoy Peace Award, Desmond Tutu expressed his gratitude saying:

“Thank you so much for this very special award which I shall treasure. Please pray for us. I wish to say that world has got very many ugly things—war and poverty and disease. But it also has beautiful things…. Sri Chinmoy was one of God’s very best fellow workers, working for harmony and peace, and we thank God for his tireless service.We pray for God’s Blessings on all who follow his teachings to plant the seeds of peace and harmony throughout the world.”

Desmond Tutu also held aloft the World Harmony Run torch which is committed to the ideals of spreading peace and harmony throughout the world.

Read More at World Harmony Run

Related

  1. Sri Chinmoy, link ↩

Message of Encouragement

Davidson Hepburn, President of the General Conference of UNESCO offered a message of support and encouragement for the World Harmony Run.

Davidson Hepburn
Davidson Hepburn with World Harmony Run torch

Davidson Hepburn offered his appreciation for the values, ideals and activities of the World Harmony Run, founded by Sri Chinmoy.

I note with admiration the many inspirational events supported by the World Harmony Run in over 100 countries during recent years. The Harmony Run Torch, passed from hand to hand, has encouraged millions of individuals to aspire for a world of oneness and peace.

Harmony and peace are not mere “buzzwords”. As we look toward the future, I am reminded of the message of my dear friend Sri Chinmoy, founder of the Run, which can strengthen us on our way forward. He said that world harmony and world peace are “the realities, divine realities and supreme realities.”

Read More of Speech and Video of Message from David Hepburn at World Harmony Run

Inspiration from Africa

Earlier this year, the World Harmony Run passed through some of the most beautiful landmarks in South Africa, and helped to unite many people in working towards a more harmonious and positive future.

Members of World Harmony Run Team by Victoria Falls

see more at Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls

The World Harmony Run, was founded by Sri Chinmoy, as an initiative to encourage world peace and friendship amongst the different peoples of the world.

The initiative has been supported by African leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

Nelson Mandela and Garcia Mandela with Sri Chinmoy, 1998

“My Brother in peace, we acknowledge the tremendous contribution which you and your peace movement are making to promote global peace.”

– Nelson Mandela 1

“I am happy to support your Peace Run for justice, peace and reconciliation. The world must know that God wants us to live amicably as brothers and sisters, members of one family, the human family, God’s family.”

– Desmond Tutu 2

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Children hold the Torch on a recent visit of Run, through South Africa.

“The absence of war is not and cannot be the real peace. Real peace is the unmistakable establishment of celestial harmony and universal love.”

– Sri Chinmoy (Founder of World Harmony Run) 3

Related

  1. World Harmony Run – Torch Relay for Peace and Harmony p.118. New York: Agni Press, 2010 ↩
  2. World Harmony Run – Torch Relay for Peace and Harmony p.118. New York: Agni Press, 2010 and World Harmony Run, S.A. ↩
  3. Sri Chinmoy. Perez de Cuellar: Immortality’s Rainbow-Peace, New York, Agni Press, 1989 ↩

World Harmony Run Australasia

The Australasian leg of the World Harmony Run began on 13 October in Christchurch New Zealand and is currently passing through New Zealand before crossing over into Australia.

The Run, founded by Sri Chinmoy,  will finish with a closing ceremony in Canberra Australia on November 20th. During the next few weeks, the run will traverse up the two islands of New Zealand before transferring to Australia (see: Itinery 2010)

Some of the testing conditions the runners have to pass through

What does peace do? Peace blossoms.
What else? Peace spreads.
What else? Peace illumines.
What else? Peace fulfils.

– Sri Chinmoy [1]

Follow World Harmony Run

Related

[1] Excerpt from Peace by Sri Chinmoy

USA World Harmony Run 2010

Between April and August, the US World Harmony Run, travelled through  all 50 US  states meeting people from all walks of life, spreading a message of goodwill, peace and harmony.

A picture from the Run on the last day. From – Closing ceremony of WHR 2010

The run began in New York, before travelling down to Florida. Then it passed through the mid west of Oklahoma and Sante Fe, then on the to the east coast of San Francisco to Seattle, before returning back to the East coast finishing outside the United Nations, New York in August. See: Map of Route

Sri Chinmoy

Lighting the World Harmony Run torch.

The World Harmony Run was founded by Sri Chinmoy who taught that peace and harmony could easily be spread, once we can feel it in ourselves:

“…Inside, if we feel a good thought, an illumining and fulfilling thought, then that very thought we will express and offer to our friends and dear ones. Our illumining, soulful, fulfilling thoughts will enter into our dear ones and then they, too, will have peace. So when we have inner peace, automatically it expresses itself. It spreads its qualities or capacities throughout the length and breadth of the world.”

(From: Inner Peace and World Peace, by Sri Chinmoy


An Oregon sunset

The international team of runners were joined by many people along the way, as the run visited some breathtaking scenery and touched the lives of many people. See: Harmony Run Team

Related

Mongolian World Harmony Run

The World Harmony Run recently passed through the mountainous country of Mongolia, the scenery providing a wonderful backdrop to this initiative to promote world peace.

mongolia

Flags flying in the wind. Photo Pranlobha.

Sri Chinmoy, the founder of the World Harmony Run, visited Mongolia in 2007 where he was given an award by the President Nambaryn Enkhbayar See: Sri Chinmoy Mongolia visit

mongolian

Pranlobha Kalagian from Seattle, writes about her experience participating in the World Harmony Run across Mongolia. Mongolia dreaming

Photos from Mongolia by Pranlobha

Photos from Mongolai by Erdenebaatar

Video of Mongolian Harmony Run

WHR

“The majestic Mongolian landscape plays a feature role in this beautiful coverage of the World Harmony Run’s travels across the country, meeting school children, soldiers, track runners, city officials and large gatherings. “

Video and Edit: Erdenebaatar Gankhuu. Postediting and Coding: Kedar Misani

Video also at: Sri Chinmoy TV

Statue of Sri Chinmoy Dedicated in Vaasa, Finland

A statue of Sri Chinmoy holding the World Harmony Run Torch was dedicated in Finland on Sunday June 13, 2010. The statue is located in a park on the outskirts of the city of Vaasa on the west coast of Finland overlooking the Bothnian Bay. Vaasa is a bilingual city with street signs in Finnish and Swedish and about 1/4 of the city’s residents speak Swedish rather than Finnish. The Vaasa Sri Chinmoy Centre has a long affiliation with this park as there is a Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile with a plaque located in the park and the Centre’s Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team also holds 2 mile races in the park.

Sculpted by British artist Kaivalya Torpy, the life-size statue of World Harmony Run founder Sri Chinmoy is the second in the world to be dedicated in which the visionary is depicted holding a World Harmony Run Torch. The first such statue is located in Mazatlan Mexico.

The statue in the park in a photo at 11 pm. At this time of year truly the land of the Midnight Sun.

Local park officials, politicians and members of the Vaasa and Helsinki Sri Chinmoy Centres joined together for the dedication. Sri Chinmoy Centre members from other countries such as Norway, Sweden, Russia, Italy, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Austria and the United States were also present at the statue unveiling in the park.

World Harmony Runners representing Russia ran into the park with the Torch and a musical group from the Czech republic sang a song composed by Sri Chinmoy about the country of Finland.

The large nature attraction, called Sand Bay Park in English, contains tall trees and winding paths through the woods for hiking and biking. A beach pavilion is nearby and there are benches interspersed throughout the park providing views out over the water. The statue is located close to a Villa and gazebo available for rental for group functions and meetings. Participants gathered after the ceremony to share a meal and cake in the Villa nearby the statue.

Later that evening, a Songs of the Soul Concert was held in a concert hall in dowtown Vaasa with performances by Sangit Desh and Agnikana’s Group.

View more photos of the statue in Finland at Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries.

Plaque for Statue of Sri Chinmoy in Finland

US World Harmony Run 2010

On April 12th, 2010, the US World Harmony Run was launched at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, United Nations with members of the United Nations diplomatic community and local World Harmony Run co-ordinators.

whr
World Harmony Run 2010

Some of the runners from the many countries involved in this international event.

Guests from the United Nations and international community at the start of the World Harmony Run.

Further pictures and reading at World Harmony Run site.

About World Harmony Run

The Run was founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1987 and seeks to promote international friendship and peace.

“Right now fear, doubt, anxiety, tension and disharmony are reigning supreme. But there shall come a time when this world of ours will be flooded with peace. Who is going to bring about that radical change?”

– Sri Chinmoy (1)

Related

(1) Heart’s Salutations to Australia

Dublin Hosts Start of European World Harmony Run

Last Thursday, 25 February 2010, Dublin played host to the opening ceremony for the European leg of the World Harmony Run, the world’s largest torch relay for international friendship. At an event held at Dublin City Hall, the World Harmony Run  was launched in conjunction with Dublin European Capital of Sport 2010, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

At the Start of the Run

The European harmony run will carry the Harmony torch on a 24,000KM journey – visiting 49 countries before finishing in Moscow in September.

The European run will meet up with an Asian World Harmony run beginning in Japan, travelling through, Korea, China, Monglia and East Russia before the two runs meet in Moscow.

During the ceremony Irish running legend Catherina McKiernan received a Torch Bearer Award from the World Harmony Run for her services to the athletic community. The ceremony also featured readings from poet John F. Deane, founder of the Poetry Ireland Review and music from flautist Martin Doyle. The runners then embarked on a circuit of the city cheered on by the people of Dublin before setting off on their journey.

Dublin

Since its founding by Sri Chinmoy in 1987, the World Harmony Run has passed through over 120 countries. Every year, over one million people participate in the Run, passing along the torch from hand to hand and adding their hopes for a better world.

What does peace do? Peace blossoms.
What else? Peace spreads.
What else? Peace illumines.
What else? Peace fulfils.

– Sri Chinmoy (1)

More at World Harmony Run

In 2009, the World Harmony Run ran around the entire coast of Ireland in a 2 week, 1500 km journey.

Tribute to World Harmony Leader Sri Chinmoy Dedicated in Puerto Rico

World harmony leader Sri Chinmoy’s lifetime of service to bettering the world was recognized last week in Caguas, Puerto Rico when a 2 metre high statue was dedicated in the Botanical and Cultural Garden of Caguas. The life-sized statue sculpted by British artist Kaivalya Torpy depicts Sri Chinmoy in a dhoti with hands raised in prayer and  joins other statues previously dedicated around the world in places such as Bali, Norway and Mexico.

The Mayor of Caguas, William Miranda Marin, received the World Harmony Run Torch and was presented with the Torchbearer Award by Run organizers. During the ceremony, Mayor Marin stated, “Sri Chinmoy will live for eternity…It is a privilege for us to have this beautiful statue of Sri Chinmoy in these gardens. We are subscribers to the same philosophy that Sri Chinmoy promoted during more than 40 years of his service to humanity.”

An international choir performed songs composed by Sri Chinmoy in honour of Puerto Rico and a procession of representatives displayed the many nations represented within the group of Sri Chinmoy’s students in attendance.

Those present from the Sri Chinmoy Centres International found it significant and appropriate that a statue be dedicated in the place where his worldwide mission began. Sri Chinmoy founded his first centre for meditation in Puerto Rico in 1966 – they now cover the globe.

The statue is located in a corner of the botanical garden ringed with trees and near a small brook.  It will serve as a grove for reflection and cultural activities for the garden’s many visitors.

World Harmony Run in Colombia

Recently, the World Harmony Run visited school and runners in different parts of Colombia


Gagane from Iceland introduces the World Harmony Run to Escuelas Profesionales Salesianas school in Colombia.

colombia

Each of the 600 members of the school gained a chance to hold the harmony torch and offer their good wishes for world peace.

Earlier in the month, the Harmony Run team met up with world record holder and inspiration Lazaro Matinez Cruz. Lazaro set a world record by travelling by wheel chair from Buenos Aires to Paipa – a distance of over 6000 km which took him over the Andes mountain. From: Paipa 22 January

More info at World Harmony Run site