By World BEYOND War, October 16, 2024
On October 6th, World BEYOND War’s (WBW) Education Director, Dr. Phil Gittins, successfully completed the Chester Marathon in England.
Personal Reflection
Reflecting on his marathon experience, Dr. Gittins drew parallels between peace and anti-war work and marathon running:
“During my months of training, and on the marathon day itself, I had a lot of time to reflect. I saw solidarity, friendships, and collaboration in action. No matter where people were from, there were others cheering them on, wishing them the best. It was a powerful reminder of what we need as peace workers — community support and a shared sense of purpose.
“In many ways, peace work and marathon running have a lot in common. Both require patience, perseverance, and the support of a diverse community working towards a common goal. In peacebuilding, that goal is to move the world way from a culture of war and violence and towards a culture of peace and nonviolence.”
Phill’s run was part of the larger “Move for Peace” challenge.
About the Move for Peace Challenge
The Move for Peace Challenge invites individuals and groups from around the world to engage in various physical activities — whether running, walking, cycling, or swimming — all while raising awareness and support for the mission of ending war and establish a just and sustainable peace. Learn more!
Participation and Contributions
A huge thank you to everyone who has participated in the Move for Peace Challenge so far, including WBW’s alumni, chapters, affiliates, and partners across the globe. Contributors include:
- Omid Wali, Ph.D. Research Scholar and Rotary Peace Fellow from Afghanistan, who escaped a war-torn country to move to the UK and cycles frequently.
- Iryna Bushmina, a young leader from Ukraine working for peace and anti-war efforts, who sent videos from Indonesia while engaging in peace-related activities.
- Vasanthi Ranganathan, a Rotary IEP Positive Peace Activator from India, who promotes nonviolence and youth peace work and shared a lovely message for peace during one of her walks.
- MacGregor Eddy, a seasoned anti-war activist and World BEYOND War alumna from the USA, who has been steadily increasing her swimming stamina.
- Fatoumata Sossia Djire, a peace activist and World BEYOND War Chapter Coordinator from Mali, who used the “Move for Peace” challenge to engage her community in peace work.
- Dr. Iván Velasquez, an author, development expert, and economist from Bolivia, who completed several runs, including a 20km race.
- Dr. Naheed S. Goraya, a scholar and Southeast Asian expert from Pakistan.
- Eva Czermak, an experienced project manager and mediator from Australia, who loves hiking and shared beautiful pictures from her adventures.
- Mu Yi Yang, Oxford graduate, green energy expert, and Rotary Peace Fellow from China, who sent images from his run around Wuhan Lake.
How You Can Contribute
There are several ways to get involved:
- Share your peace movements: Every time you walk, jog, run, cycle, row, use a wheelchair, or engage in any activity that moves you forward, document it and send it to us for sharing. Important! Please upload photos and videos of your peace-promoting activities here.
- Purchase to support the cause: To aid your personal or collective challenges, we have designed unique merchandise that looks stylish while raising awareness about the peace movement. Visit the Move For Peace Shop to make a purchase.
- Spread the word: Use various strategies and platforms, both digital and traditional, to encourage others to visit the Move for Peace 2024 webpage and become involved.
- Make a donation: Kindly donate here. When making your donation, please specify that you’d like your contribution to support the Move for Peace 2024 Challenge.
Funds raised will support World BEYOND War’s work, including the upcoming cohort of the Peace Education and Action for Impact program, which will train, mentor, and support young leaders, organisations, and communities beginning in February 2025.
