Today, April 27, in Queensland's sun-drenched capital city of Brisbane, history was made, a long-cherished dream realised and a 15,000 kilometre odyssey begun. In the City Botanic Gardens some 400 spectators turned out to celebrate the most ambitious World Harmony Run ever attempted in Australia, a 111 day epic journey around the circumference of this vast continent. The culmination of months of planning and logistical challenges, the morning send-off ceremony drew a large cast of performers to the River Stage sound shell - including primary school children, cultural groups and the World Harmony Run Choir.

Rotary provided the backdrop of assorted national flags -– representing the 100 nations participating in this year's global relay – as Master of Ceremonies Peter Buckley greeted the seated VIPs and the grass embankment's assembled families and onlookers. Onstage entertainment now featured a Sierra Leonan dance troupe, the Duna Hungarian Dancers, Ukrainian and Russian children performers and the Watkins Academy of Irish Dance.

 

An enthusiastic audience of well-wishers, Premier Anna Bligh among them, applauded each and every performance.

National co-ordinator Prachar Stegemann introduced the World Harmony Run and founder Sri Chinmoy's inspirational vision, then invited one minute of silent meditation on our common dream: a world of peace.

Then the World Harmony Run Choir flowed onto stage to offer a powerful rendition of "My Australia," Sri Chinmoy's prayerful homage to the nation's heart and soul.

Now, a powerful moment, young athletes from 16 countries appear with their national flags, an inspirational sight in their official team tracksuits and air of joyful purposefulness, each announcing their home nation to the crowd.

Australia's vast distances beckon – some of them will be running on our nation's roads and highways for months at a stretch from the eastern seaboard to the remote outback.

Now Queensland's Premier and World Harmony Run Patron Anna Bligh takes the stage and speaks eloquently and enthusiastically about the relay's contribution to a more peaceful world. A keen runner herself, she holds aloft the World Harmony Run Torch to much applause.

Tatiana Grigorieva joins the Premier – the pole-vault Silver Medallist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and star of the TV hit series "Gladiator" has helped the World Harmony Run extensively in her role as an official spokesperson and athlete ambassador for the Run.

Other participating celebrities include Australian cricketer Michael Kasprowicz; Joey Wright, coach of the Bullets basketball team; Aliyah Johnson, our under-11 State record holder in the Triple-Jump; John Athier, Queensland Under-20 5000 metre champion; and Kate Walker, a member of the "Fireballs," the Australian national netball team.

The ceremony is nearing completion and Peter Buckley introduces the Coorparoo State Primary School which performs an original and striking arrangement of Sri Chinmoy's World Harmony Run theme song, to the delight of the audience.

Now Anna Bligh leads the celebrities on a symbolic lap of the amphitheatre where relay stations symbolise the outposts of the World Harmony Run in Australia.

What a perfect beginning!

Under wide blue skies our teams headed south to the Gold Coast, our first night's stop-over, the lead vehicles navigating the tangle of city and suburban roads in search of the long straightaways and open highways of the coming days.

If the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, our Australian adventure has begun with Sri Chinmoy's single and transcendent vision, a dedicated team of talented and inspired runners and a belief in the message of the World Harmony Run that world peace can and will one day blossom in hearts and minds everywhere.

Together we can make a difference.

Yours is the first step...

– Jogyata Dallas (New Zealand)

  

 

Recochem National Marketing Manager Chris Mayo, his wife Georgi and son Fletcher got a chance to hold the World Harmony Run torch at the opening ceremony in Brisbane on Sunday. Chris had kindly delivered the first instalment of fuel to be used to power the torch as it makes it way around Australia. The fuel is a Bio-fuel product made entirely from vegetable products (can’t get much greener than that). Recochem have generously donated 600 litre of this product, which will fuel the torch for the duration of the Australian event.

– Prabuddha Nicol (Australia)

If you would like to place a link or a write a story about the World Harmony Run on your website, click here to Link to Us. We'll be happy to place a reciprocal link and list you on our Friends Online page.

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Distance: 107 km

Team Members:
Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania), Standa Zubaty (Czech Republic), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Marichi Clarke (Australia), Misha Kulagin (Russia), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Veeraja (Uppal (Australia), Angela Muhs (Germany), Anubha Baird (Australia), Nataliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), Garbitashri Webster (New Zealand), Atul Arora (India), Amalendu Edelsten (Australia), Noivedya Juddery (Australia), Rathin Boulton (Australia), Prachar Stegemann (Australia), Peter Elliot (Australia)

Harmonemail:
You can send a message to the runners or read the messages.

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