Sri Chinmoy Oneness home peace run participants in Esperance on Saturday. Photo: Geoff Vivian.
An international group of runners stopped in Esperance on Saturday as part of a 15,000 km run around Australia.
Rather like an Olympic torch relay that never stops, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness home peace run has been going since 1987 and has visited every continent.
Runner Rathin Boulton from Canberra said it had been run in 140 countries around the world and was happening in several countries at present.
“The message is ‘yours is the first step’,” he said.
“I think peace is paramount in everyone’s consciousness these days and we all wish there was more of it in the world.
“Just by talking about it, maybe we can help spread peace.
“Anyone’s free to join. You can run one step or a marathon.”
On Saturday morning they met Shire president Ron Chambers, who addressed them with enthusiasm.
“A lot of people think that peace is the decision of leaders of countries,” he said.
“Peace actually starts with just people being aware of other people around them and removing that conflict and being at peace with your neighbour, with your community, with all of those.
“It starts at a ground swell, we’ve seen that here. We know that it’s within our community to do that.”
Mr Chambers said this is what Esperance had seen, every time where was a major incident.
“When we get a major incident, you can see that community band to together and what they can create and what they can achieve in those times is absolutely incredible,” he said.
“If we could continue that feeling through, this town would be such a glowing example, it would be sensational.”
Mr Chambers said this principle extended to all communities.
“We know it’s there. We know they have the capacity,” he said.
“We just need to make people aware that that’s where we need to be going, and that’s what we need to try and achieve.”
The runners had crossed the Nullarbor before they arrived in Esperance, and planned to run to Albany and Perth before tackling the top end and the east coast.
They aim to finish in Melbourne on August 13.
