Friday April 27th marked a very special day – it had been 25 years since Sri Chinmoy founded and inaugurated the World Harmony Run (then called the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run).

To celebrate this 25th Anniversary, members from our Auckland World Harmony Run team visited an enterprising family-school “Golden Grove Montessori Primary” for a full World Harmony Run presentation.

It was the first time the team had been to this school, however these students had attended and performed in several of our opening ceremonies in the city over the past few years, and when I arrived I saw the Senior Class children’s stories of this year’s opening ceremony (2 months ago) displayed along their school’s hallway.

New Zealand marked the very beginning of the Asia-Pacific section of the Run this year and the children were eager to hear from the team how the journey through NZ went, and where the World Harmony Run will end up finally.

After discussing the meaning of peace and harmony (which I have to say all these children understood really well), we sang the founder Sri Chinmoy’s World Harmony Run theme song together with actions. The Junior class led by teacher Pip Speedy on ukelele performed for us an entertaining and beautiful song about offering gratitude. We felt so grateful to be here!

We all made a Friendship Circle outside by holding hands and passing the peace torch around for everyone to put their special prayers and wishes into. It was a very solemn and yet exciting moment for the children!

All around the world today, on April 27th 2012, the World Harmony Run teams were visiting children and community members to celebrate this anniversary and many countries chose to pariticipate in One Minute of Silence to feel this peace and the contribution of working towards it in a tangible way by journeying around the world with the peace torch annually for the past 25 years.

Golden Grove children were completely silent and prayerful as we completed this minute, some with eyes closed and some gently gazing at the burning flame of the peace torch. What a moment! We realised that by living in New Zealand – we were the first country in all of the world to participate in this minute of silent peace today. 

The children chanted the motto with great belief “PEACE BEGINS WITH ME!” and then they set off running with the torch and the team all around their school grounds and playground – doing several laps and passing the peace torch to their peers all along the way – sharing the Light.

After watching a Dvd of the World Harmony Run in Europe to see what other countries have done in this event, the children presented our team with 25 coloured balloons and on each balloon they had written a virtue or special quality that the World Harmony Run embodied. “Peace” “Love” “Harmony” “Joy” were spotted. Thank you! Finally, the team ran off carrying all the balloons, the peace torch, banner, flags and a warm feeling in our hearts. We love your spirit Golden Grove!!

Video Message from Davidson Hepburn, President (2009 - 2011) of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for 25th Anniversary of the World Harmony Run and a vision for the decade: "Toward a Oneness-World".

Full Text of the 25th annversary message and link to 25 language informal Translations: http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/25

• Youtube video on African experience which illustrates IYY slogan "Our Year Our Voice" International Year of Youth - Zambia World Harmony. They surprisingly mention Presidents and UN Secretary-General in a unique way!

• Listen to the World-Harmony-Run song: 2 min version // 6 min

– Hridayinee Williams

Distance: 1 km

Team Members:
Hridayinee (Australia), Preetidutta (NZ), Daniel (NZ/RSA), Susebika (Thailand)

Gallery: See more images!