Peace Road 2022 Kicks Off Across America
Photo courtesy of Randy Francis
The 2022 Peace Road USA campaign, “A Safer Community, A Safer World,” kicked off on July 27 in the nation’s capital. The local Peace Road team gathered at the National Wall of Remembrance dedication ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC.
“It was amazing to connect with our veterans [at the dedication ceremony] who have defended our freedoms and fought for a better world,” said one local participant. “It was an honor to share with everyone about Peace Road and our mission to unite all people.”
The packed itinerary also included a prayer at the Lincoln Memorial, a trip to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and an afternoon bike ride to the Arlington National Cemetery and U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial. The DC program concluded at a nearby pier.
In Baltimore, Peace Road continued on July 30 with a unity walk at the Baltimore Harbor. The local Peace Road team partnered with the city’s Safe Streets program, which advocates bringing peaceful solutions to the surrounding communities. Peace Road participants also enjoyed a BBQ cookout and rally hosted by Safe Streets, as well as a jazz festival at Curtis Bay Elementary School. “It’s important to work together and continue to build and strengthen our community relations,” said a local Peace Road organizer. “This year’s Peace Road theme is all about cultivating safer communities, which creates a safer world.”
Photo courtesy of Randy Francis
Initiated in 1981, the Peace Road project is True Parents’ longstanding vision for a high-speed transportation artery linking the entire globe, connecting the world as one village linked by one road. Earlier this year, True Mother asked UPF leaders who sponsor Peace Road to address the nation’s issue of gun violence. As Baltimore reportedly continues a devastating seven-year trend of gun violence, Peace Road organizers said this movement for peace is increasingly critical across U.S. cities.
“We’re so grateful for this time with Peace Road launching all over America,” said UPF International President Dr. Michael Jenkins. “The Korean War was a very epic battle between the God-denying forces of Communism and the free, Democratic and God-affirming forces centering on the United Nations ... We pray that the whole world will become free.”
Since 2015, Peace Road has annually held treks in major cities worldwide in promotion of globally connecting and uniting humanity. With some 125 nations involved and promoting a more peaceful world, tens of thousands of people continue to walk, bike, and drive in support of Peace Road every summer.
A local Peace Road program was also held in Jersey City, New Jersey, on July 28, in Chicago on July 30, and in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 2. Peace Road continues in Little Rock, Ark. and Las Vegas on August 6.
Stay tuned for more Peace Road updates. You can learn more about the 2022 campaign here.