Entries Tagged '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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The 2010 World Harmony Run began in spectacular style from the top of Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala.

Lighting of the torch

The World Harmony Run, founded by Sri Chinmoy, will be covering 56,000 Kilometres during 2010 as it passes through over 100 countries.

The 2010 launch began with lighting the torch from the molten lava of an active Volcano in Guatemala. The team in Guatemala includes runners from around the world including countries such as Ukraine, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Iceland and Mongolia as well as Guatemala.

To follow the 2010 run in different parts of the world visit World Harmony Run for all latest updates.

A life-sized bronze statue of World Harmony Run founder Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) depicted holding a World Harmony Run torch was inaugurated in a festive ceremony on the evening of November 26, 2009 in Mazatlan, Mexico.

The statue is right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean ringed by palm trees in a location adjacent to a coastal plaza featuring other statues and lookouts over the ocean. Eventually its environs will be landscaped with benches and will include additional information about the late spiritual leader’s contributions in various fields.

Other statues by the same sculptor, British artist Kaivalya Torpy, are located in Norway, Bali and the Czech Republic. The statue unveiled in Mazatlan is the first in the Americas and the first ever of the spiritual leader holding a torch — the symbol of the World Harmony Run.

The Mayor of Mazatlan Jorge Abel Lopez Sanchez was in attendance to unveil the statue and he was presented with the World Harmony Run Torch Bearer Award during the ceremony. Students of Sri Chinmoy representing various countries also were in attendance. The Mazatlan Fire Department Band and Gymnastics Team performed a stirring drum and trumpet performance and ascended heavenward with gravity defying human pyramid formations. The World Harmony Run torch was held aloft from atop one such human pyramid.

Activities continued the following day with visits by the World Harmony Run to three elementary schools culminating in the school children running the torch to the foot of the statue where they were greeted by the Secretary of the Mayor.

A World Harmony Run ceremony including school children also visited a large Mazatlan shopping mall where Sri Chinmoy’s Jharna-Kala artwork was on exhibit inside the mall.

The local daily newspaper Noroeste featured an article about the statue dedication in the November 28th edition of the paper and a second article about the World Harmony Run festivities also appeared on the sports page in the same day’s paper.

Read more at WorldHarmonyRun.org.

Recently, the World Harmony Run visited Mexico for for five days, visiting local schools and spreading a message of peace and harmony. The run was enthusiastically received by local people who appreciated the opportunity to join in the spirit of the Harmony run.

World Harmony Runners

A video compilation of the Mexico tour can be viewed on the World Harmony Run website here

” This mind is the doubting mind, and in the doubting mind we can never feel the presence of peace. We can feel the presence of peace only in the loving heart. The doubting mind leads us to total frustration. The loving heart leads us to complete satisfaction.”

- Sri Chinmoy

Mexican Dancers who greeted the run

The Irish World Harmony Run got off to an auspicious beginning on 21st March. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern offered the runners his appreciation for their mammoth task of running around the coast of Ireland in 14 days.

Irish World Harmony Run opening ceremony

The team is running 1400km around the coast of Ireland, visiting Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Limmerick amongst many other smaller towns and villages. The international team includes runners from US, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Europe.

You can follow the run at the website – Ireland World Harmony Run

For the first two days the run has benefited from dry sun, often a rarity for Ireland at this time of the year!

On October 6, 2008. The World Harmony Run, a rely run which seeks to cultivate harmony by passing a burning torch among people of different cultures, finished its European journey  in Prague.

9-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis and deputy Mayor of Prague Markéta Reedová ran together with the World Harmony Run team for the final kilometers. They carried the World Harmony torch over the Charles Bridge and to Old Town Square.

“The World Harmony Run, founded in 1987 by Sri Chinmoy, who was the most peaceful person I knew, has inspired millions in Europe and all over the planet to take a step for harmony and a better world,” Carl Lewis said at a reception of the team at the House of Parliament, Senate and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

The delegation of runners headed by Carl Lewis, the World Harmony Run spokesperson, started this morning from Prague Castle at 10 AM to run to the House of Parliament, where they were received by members of Parliament headed by Anna Čurdová. In the Senate, the torch was received by the deputy chairman Jiří Liška. He symbolically ran with Lewis and the team in the Valdstejnska Garden. After another reception, this time at the Ministry of Education, the torch was accepted by the deputy minister Jan Kocourek who then headed with the runners to Mostecka Tower. There he passed the torch to the Prague deputy Mayor Markéta Reedová.
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The World Harmony Run, is currently passing through New Zealand. The route involves a 3,544Km journey around the north and south islands. The Run will pass through some of New Zealand’s stunning scenery and also touch thousands of people along the way.

The Run at Whangarei Falls

In Auckland, the run was greeted by a variety of people and groups including a traditional Maori greeting. – a solo warrior’s challenge, a welcoming group haka, songs and a prayer. The World Harmony Run team also offered songs in return.

A Maori warrior

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The Auckland Boy’s Grammar School perform on the percussion. (Founder, Sri Chinmoy in background)

• More photos and reports from the Run – Auckland WHR
• NZ – World Harmony Run

On April 27th, the Australian World Harmony Run team began an epic journey around the entire coast of Australia. The World Harmony Run team from 16 different countries will be running in relay more than 15,000 km in over 100 days. They plan to finish by mid-August. You can follow the Australian harmony run here:

Australian Harmony Run team meeting with local schoolchildren

The team have met with a wide range of people and stunning scenery along the way. People from all walks of life have joined in supporting the message of the Run – to promote harmony and friendship amongst people.

Meeting the local mayor

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