Montreal, June 15-2015.
The Run This Way school program announces that running events organised from September 2014 to March 2015 by various schools in Quebec, France, Equator and Argentina have accumulated 12 000 kilometres. These kilometres were ran, danced and walked for peace and nonviolence by more than 8000 students!
This year students are running for a future without wars and for the well being of students and their families in wars zones. Run This Way students understand that people living in conflict zones are losing their homes and schools. They also understand that conflicts are destroying not just the infrastructure, but also the hopes and aspirations of millions of people and a part of humanity ‘as a whole’. According to Anne Farrell, School program volunteer chief: “We are living in a tough time but the new generations understand the emergency situations in which tens of millions of people live. Students that have participated in our program want to live in a world where solidarity is still possible, in a world where leaders practice active non-violence and dialogue to resolve their conflicts and conflicts between nations. ”
More people living as refugees than at the end World War Two
According to the head management of UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) today more people than at the end of World War Two are living as refugees from war or persecution. In 2013 the number exceeded 50 million people. In the past two years more conflicts and persecution have emerged in various zones and countries around the world: Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Ukraine, Libya, Sudan, Burma and others.
Unifying for peace resolution
This year Run This Way proposals are aiming at the well being of students and their families in war zones. To support this proposal the 12,000 kilometres ran, danced and walked by students will be symbolically donated to the United Nations General Assembly asking for the application of Unifying for peace resolution (resolution 377). This resolution states that because of lack of unanimity among the security council permanent members or/and if the council is failing to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security the General Assembly can take up the matter itself. (The General Assembly (GA) is the main deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the UN).
What about Run This Way?
Run This Way running events were launched by the Italian branch of World Without Wars and Without Violence, international organization in 2010. The Run This Way school program was launched in 2011 by the International Humanist Network of Quebec. The school program supports global consciousness for Active non-violence and proposes an open dialogue among youngsters from diverse background, religions and cultures. Run This Way’s main proposal is to built relations with others according to the best possibilities and abilities of oneself and the environment; to learn to denounce violence and discrimination and to resist to violence within oneself and outside of oneself.
About resolution 377 – Unifying for peace, consult the following document: http://bit.ly/1L4kCjD
Source: Anne Farrell
Volunteer Chief School program