Peace Road: Full Speed Ahead
The road to peace is closer than you think. This summer thousands of people will gather in cities around the world to ride bicycles and walk in the name of peace. From the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to Santiago, Chile, Unificationists and friends in 120 countries are taking part in the Peace Road initiative in support of the unification of Korea and lasting global peace, the lifelong goal of Peace Road initiator Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
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Unificationists are participating not just as a tribute to Father Moon but also as an important tenet of faith: to be global citizens and make a difference in the world. Father Moon described this as the “Third Blessing” that God gave to humankind. For Unificationists, to “have dominion” means being good stewards of the earth and compassionate citizens of the world.
One World, One Road
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The Peace Road originally was envisioned by Father Moon as an international highway that physically would connect all peoples of the world. In 1981 at the International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences in Seoul, he suggested the construction of a highway between Korea and Japan, two former enemy nations. From 2005 onward he began to advocate an even more ambitious project: the building of a Peace Tunnel to cross the Bering Strait, connecting Alaska to Russia and making it possible to travel by car from one continent to another. In an address at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, he said: “This tunnel can help make the world a single community at last. … Think of how much money the world is wasting on war. The time has come for nations to work together, pool their resources and, as the prophet Isaiah taught, beat our swords into plowshares and pruning hooks.”
A Lasting Legacy
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2015 marks the ten-year anniversary of that address, as well as the third anniversary of Father Moon’s ascension to the spirit world. Though Father Moon’s vision for a physical road connecting all peoples has not yet come to pass, the Peace Road events keep the vision alive and span the globe not with steel and concrete but with hope and love. Though they can’t actually ride or walk on a single road around the world, participants in each city set out on treks that piggyback off one another. On May 30, the Peace Road journey kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada. From there, the Peace Road flag has been passed around the world, eventually circling back to North America where events were held in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. The West Coast trek will continue with events in Alaska and conclude at Nome on the Bering Strait on August 3. Then, in New York City on August 4, the United Nations will host a Peace Road exhibit, and on August 6 there will be an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
The Peace Road 2015 journey will conclude officially with a ceremony at the Korean National Assembly in Seoul on Rev. Moon’s Third Memorial Anniversary.
Join the Ride!
Peace Road in Tanzania
Peace Road in Tanzania Today more than ever, we see the need for a bold peace initiative. Become a part of this historic event! Find out how you can participate in a Peace Road event or read the blog to follow along from home.