Peace Run
The Timorese Government, through the State Secretariat for Youth and Sports, and along with Sri Chinmoy Oneness Home Peace Run, organized a Peace Run, on November 9th, 2014.
The race began at the location where the Sri Chinmoy statue is erected, in front of the National Parliament building. A route around the city was followed whilst carrying the peace torch and which finished in front of the Government Palace building.
The main objective of the race program was to promote peace and harmony in the within the country. There was wide participation, gathering both Secondary and University students, the general population and international community. This initiative was included in the National Youth Day celebration program.
The President of the National Parliament, Vicente Guterres, expressed the sympathy of the sovereign entity he leads, towards such a significant initiative as is organizing a race for peace: “Peace is not confined to the race; one must know how to cultivate it every day, in the heart of each and every one, within each family, and shape it from the little things, such as avoiding the use of harsh
expressions, replacing them with other more delicate ones; Peace begins at home, within the country and in all religions of the world.”
Vicente Guterres also made an appeal: "I ask all sovereign entities to respect the separation of powers in support of peace, since cooperation between us is needed to strengthen our Country, to advance our democracy and give shape to justice. It is for the State to ensure Peace to every citizen through the proper functioning of state entities, based on Justice and the Law. This is the correct meaning of peace. "
On the same occasion, the Executive Director of Oneness Home Peace Run, Salil Wilson, considered this race as a means to promote Peace, Concord and Harmony, throughout the world: "These are difficult terms to find in a dictionary, but which have become a reality through the experience of the initiative that has been held he
re."
Salil Wilson, also said: "We are grateful for your participation in this activity, which joined everyone in mutual cooperation. It was an expression of great kindness towards us, which we find it difficult to express through writing, but can only do it by feeling. Timor-Leste, despite being a small country, has known how to keep love and peace within itself. "
"We have already gone through over 140 countries, but none of them impressed us as much as this joyful participation in Timor-Leste, which conveys well the message of Sri Chinmoy. I take this opportunity to spread the word of our founder, pronounced when he was here on a visit, in January 2004: "I salute the Timorese spirit, praise our heroes, who resisted in prolonged struggles on behalf of their countries", recalled the Executive Director for Oneness Home Peace Run.
