Date of interview: 22 March 2005
Time of interview: 4.10pm
Radio Station: Newstalk 106 FM (Ireland’s only talk radio station)
Radio Presenter: Sean Moncrieff
For World Harmony Run: Paula Flood

Seán: You may not be aware of this but the World Harmony Run has reached Ireland. You may not be aware what the World Harmony Run is at all so let’s find out. On the line is Paula Flood to tell us all about it. Afternoon, Paula!

Paula: Hello Sean, how are you?

Seán: Not too bad. What is the World Harmony Run?

Paula: The World Harmony Run is a global torch relay which basically helps to promote international friendship, goodwill and harmony among people and nations. It started in Portugal about a month ago and it runs through 45 countries in Europe. So it lasts from March until October. The Run basically visits schools, local community groups, meets with politicians and government representatives, just to promote goodwill, international understanding. It is totally voluntary, run by a group called the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and they are the largest long-distance running organisation in the world.

Seán: Wow! And in what particular way do they think it’s going to spread goodwill and harmony through the world?

Paula: Well, this team of runners carry a torch through the various communities that they go through and on the way they stop and they talk to local groups and schools. They talk to them about friendship and understanding, promoting tolerance and they do exercises in the schools. So they teach children basically about how to respect each other, be more tolerant and just build harmony at a local level so each individual starts with himself and his friends or his family. In that way then we can, kind of, promote peace in the broader sense.

Seán: And they are carrying a torch, just like in the Olympics?

Paula: Yes, just like an Olympic torch. So they do it on a relay basis. They have got 2 vans and they have about 11 runners. There can be up to 3 runners on the road at any one point. Now today they are on their way from Athlone to Dublin. Tomorrow they are going to be in Dublin. So these 3 runners, say, at any one go, would carry a torch on different stretches so at any one time there is a runner covering, you know, say a 5 km stint at a time and so they cover the distance in a quicker time.

Seán: And are these Irish or did they start in Portugal?

Paula: There are about 11 different countries represented. Now, we do have Irish runners at the moment on the team. We have Austrians, French, Italian, from the UK, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, all running enthusiasts who do it on a voluntary basis.

Seán: Ah, right. And how much further do they have to go in terms of going round the world?

Paula: Well this is the European team so basically I think they have about 10 more countries in the Northern European region. They are going from Dublin up through Drogheda and Belfast and then get the ferry over to the UK, down through Scotland, England, Wales and then through to France, that’s their next country.

Seán: And are they planning to run through every country in the world?

Paula: Yes, they run through every country. Not every country, no sorry, 70 countries in the world.

Seán: Right, I was just wondering, like, the North Korean leg of that would be an interesting one, I would imagine…(laughs)

Paula: Which leg?

Seán: The North Korean leg of that run would be an interesting one.

Paula: (Laughs) I’d say they won’t be going through North Korea somehow.

Seán: I would have thought not, no. So are there any particular parts of Dublin if people want to keep an eye out for them?

Paula: Yes, they are going to be in Killester tomorrow from about 9.30 to 10.30 visiting St. Brigids National School and the next school is going to be St. Brendans in Artane. And they are also going to be running from the northside of Dublin through Drogheda and Dundalk so anybody who is in Drogheda or Dundalk can stop and either cheer them on or even join in. Usually we get the kids in the schools to hold the torch and even run after a torch bearer so they just get the whole idea. Children kind of intuitively know what it’s all about and it is really also about inspiring people to be active and fit and to transcend their own physical limitations. I heard you had someone on talking about Aristotle just earlier there, and really it is to promote the same kind of idea of, almost the spiritual aspect of reaching our full potential, having the leisure time to go running, to train, to basically transcend ourselves.

Seán: Indeed, I don’t think, though, you would have got Aristotle running around countries, somewhere or other…

Paula: No, I don’t think so (laughs).

Seán: Well the very best of luck with that…it sounds like…

Paula: Can I give you a website address, Seán?

Seán: Yes, indeed. Go on, fire ahead.

Paula: It’s www.worldharmonyrun.org and when people go on that website they’ll see where all the runners are at any particular point in time and there is also an Ireland site, there’s an Ireland section.

Seán: Ok, alright, www.worldharmonyrun.org, Paula Flood, thanks very much for talking to us.