Promoting the Unity of Life 2: “Run4Unity”
Another project focusing on promoting the awareness of unity is “run4unity“, an initiative of the catholic Focolare youth movement present in 182 countries. The initiative calls itself “youth for unity”. “Run4unity” is a worldwide relay race as a sports event to promote and build peace together: On 10th of May 2008 they make the run at places all around the globe from 4pm to 5pm in the respective time zones.
They start at the time zone of the Pacific island of Fiji. At 5pm, by means of an internet link, they will pass the “baton” on to the next time zone. Over the course of the next 24 hours, the baton will pass through locations of every latitude and in each location personalities from the world of sport, culture, as well as civic and religious leaders will participate.
The sports activities will take place in locations symbolic of peace, or near areas of conflict and war, or in places of strong tension. The activities are linked together through the website “teens4unity“. May the awareness of unity find deeper roots than just an emotional feeling of a joint action for a short time.
They write: “We are Christians but also belong to other religions and cultures that do not profess a religious creed. We are united by one goal: to make universal brotherhood a reality by involving many other teenagers in the world in this project.”
They had done a peace race in 2005 with the participation of over 100.000 teenagers in 340 cities of 89 nations.
A flower arrangement at a fair in Berne, last Sunday
