Team A

Dr Barry Jones, AO, Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, University of Melbourne

Barry Jones is not only one of Australia’s greatest minds, but is also one of its warmest hearts. We met Barry at the University of Melbourne, in order to present him with the World Harmony Run Torch-Bearer Award. Barry was as gracious as he always is, and kindly stated that he felt touched by the award and inspired by what we were doing on the World Harmony Run.

Barry spoke to us with great candour and magnanimity, as we touched on such challenges in the world as 'global warming', a subject he had brought to public attention back in 1984 in his book 'Sleepers Wake!'. As a well-travelled globally-aware person, Barry was interested to speak to the members of our international team such as Prabhakar, about Canada, and Runar about his country of Iceland. At the close of our meeting, we all agreed on one thing, that the world is definitely making progress in many ways.

The Australian members present all felt very happy and extremely honoured to meet with someone we have admired for so many years. Barry’s nomination can be viewed on the Torch-Bearer Award Gallery.

Team B

We arrived a little late to St Andrew's Primary School in Werribee

after having a slight mishap and losing a couple of runners! Finally we connected with them again and headed over to the school where we received a most fantastic welcome from the students.

They presented us with the most beautiful drawings and writings on the theme of harmony like this one:

Helpful makes our hearts happy.

All around the world they run.

Respect creates harmony.

Manners matter.

One and other come together.

Nothing will stop us helping others.

You and me believe in hope.

We were thrilled to see how much they had thought about the World Harmony Run and how encouraging they were about our journey. The students also recited the famous prayer written by St Francis of Assisi ("Lord make me an instrument of Your Peace...") which was very moving and reminded us of the prayers we had been saying when we temporarily misplaced our two team members!

Our visit to Werribee Open Range Zoo was an absolute delight!

We were welcomed warmly by Jenny Gray, the director of the zoo, and a team of zoo workers.

Jenny spoke to us about the vision of the zoo as a place embodying ideals very similar to the World Harmony Run – a place of harmony between people, animals and the environment .

We were accompanied by many of the zoo workers on a walk with the torch around a fantastic trail where sounds of African wildlife entranced us as we made our way through the grasses and trees.

We were then invited to take a bus tour of the zoo where we saw wild African animals at very close range. We homo sapiens were enclosed in the bus whilst the animals roamed free outside. Many members of our international team had never seen animals such as these at such close range!

Team C

The sky was completely clear, the air was a little chilly and, as the sun rose, we began our first stretch of running for the morning. We were joined today by Darren Brown and Atul Arora from Brisbane who gave the team a boost with their enthusiasm.

We ran on quiet roads, cutting through large plains of scrub on the way to Little River village.

At Little River, we visited the primary school. Many children came running gleefully to meet us at the entrance. They escorted us to the playground where the whole school assembled. We enjoyed talking to them about the Run and as we sang the World-Harmony-Run song, we were accompanied by three young guitarists who had learned the chords.

The children also shared their fantastic artwork with us, displaying an array of colourful drawings. Everyone had a chance to hold the torch and then we had a gallop around the playing field.

And finally one big school photo.

We also had special guests today: Kapila Moses, our Queensland Co-ordinator, visiting from Brisbane

and a super runner and good friend from Christchurch, New Zealand, Luke Armstrong.

We also wish to bid farewell to Anubha Baird who has been with us from the beginning and is now returning home.

– Prabhakar Street (Canada)

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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Team Members:
Mrinali Clarke (Australia), Kapila Moses (Sri Lanka), Sushmitam Rouse (Australia), Anubha Baird (Australia), Friederike Makowka (Switzerland), Nayaliya Lehonkova (Ukraine), (New Zealand), Angela Muhs (Germany), Luke Armstrong (New Zealand), Atul Arora (India), Darren Brown (Australia), Prabhakar Street (Canada), Edi Serban (Romania), Sandro Zincarini (Italy), Runar Gigja (Iceland), Misha Kulagin (Russia), Dima Lehonkov (Ukraine), Colm Magee (Ireland), Peter Elliot (Australia), Amalendu Edelsten (Australia), Rathin Boulton (Australia)

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

Gallery: See more images!

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