This is the motto of the "Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run" a global relay for peace, in which flaming torches of peace are passed from hand to hand and from heart to heart to strengthen the feeling of oneness and peace among people of all nationalities, cultures and religions. Its Vision is a "Oneness-Home" for a true "world-family". Everybody runner or non-runner is invited to join the Peace Run or one of its ceremonies. Everyone is invited to help organise or even initiate a local Peace Run event anywhere in the world.

Ironlady Natascha Badmann carrying the Peace Torch

History and Background The Peace Run was inaugurated in 1987 in New York by peace advocate, Sports enthusiast and spiritual master Sri Chinmoy (67) as one of his manifold activities to foster inner and outer peace. Since then it has been organised every two years in over 80 countries by "Peace Runs International" and the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, with growing participation and support from schools, Sports clubs, local communities and governments world-wide. So far the Peace Run has included about half a million people on all continents. Olympic Champion Carl Lewis, Paul McCartney, Nelson Mandela, Michail and Raissa Gorbachev, Queen Elisabeth II, the Dalai Lama, Vaclav Havel are only a few of the well-known personalities who have carried the torch or supported the run over the years. For 1999, leading up to the 3rd millennium the goal is to have Peace Run events in every single country in the world. In Europe the Peace Run 1999 will lead continuously from Lisbon on Jan. 1st through each European country to London on Dec. 31st . It will pass through all the cantons of Switzerland between Nov.16 and Dec. 12. on two different routes. Before that, however, one of the Peace-Torches will also come to the EVU Congress and the participants will be invited to take part in a local Peace Run event there. Carrying the Flame of Peace Running in the Peace Run and carrying the symbolic flame of peace gives participants a strong feeling of their relationship with the world of love, freedom and "one-ness" with the world and its inhabitants. A positive energy comes to the fore, which remains even long afterwards. The message of the Peace Run is that together we can change the world, step by step, and this change begins with me. It offers no ideology, only goodwill, and tries to bring forward and strengthen the good qualities, the longing for peace in others. So it is very fitting that the Peace Run should also visit the EVU congress which is striving to bring more peace into our eating habits and into our relationship with the animal world and to create an awareness of the benefits of a vegetarian diet for the welfare of the whole world. Sports can foster Peace The International Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team, which organises over 500 Sports events every year world-wide, is made up of students of Sri Chinmoy who share his view that meditation and Sports, "inner and outer running" go together and complement each other: athletics helps to develop qualities like dynamism, determination, inner poise and joy, which facilitate in turn the practice of meditation, especially for restless and active Westerners. Prayer and meditation help to establish inner peace, compassion and the oneness of the heart qualities which are the foundation for a true and lasting world peace. Sports, too, if carried out in the right spirit can foster peace, oneness and understanding. Running in the Peace Run definitely does so. Sri Chinmoy as well as his students live and advocate a vegetarian diet (which may, however include eggs and dairy products but no poultry or fish). The main reason is that when practising meditation or yoga, a meatless diet helps one to gain inner peace, clarity and awareness. The feeling of compassion for other living beings develops naturally from a sincere practice of meditation. Advocating Vegetarianism Sri Chinmoy as well as many of his students are proof that a vegetarian Ironlady Natascha Badmann carrying the Peace Torch diet and a spiritual way of life does not mean a loss of strength or an escape from the world. Sri Chinmoy himself has run 22 marathons and a number of ultra-marathons (e.g. 47 miles an his 41st birthday 20 years ago) and lifted incredible weights with one arm (up to 7000 lb.!). Probably more than 50 % of his students have completed at least one marathon. About 23 of his students (male and female) have swum the English Channel (including the author), some of them have done Ironman-triathlons or even longer ultra-triathlons and others completed the world ' s longest race: an ultra-marathon of 3100 miles! Quite a number of students of Sri Chinmoy all over the world own vegetarian restaurants, health food stores or health food companies like Soyana in Switzerland with its wide range of very fine vegetarian products from tofu, tofu-burgers and -sausages to rice drink, Chi and sprouted bread. More Information about Peace Run Europe: René Horlbeck c/o Soyana P.O. Box 8952 Schlieren / Switzerland Tel:+41 (0)1 731 12OO Fax: +41 (0)1 731 12 75 Vasanti Niemz