[DCW Note of 2Dec03] -- I have been severely criticizing this Steps for Peace walk across the USA
for not living up to its potential, claiming Gandhi inspiration but not
strongly living Gandhi's "Truth Force" (Sathya Graha) philosophy
and instead being too much of a "political" walk instead of a spiritual
peace walk, ie, "polite" at expense of "truthful," but this sincere effort
by very devoted young people deserves everyone's attention and
support since they are of the same mindset as all of Americans who
compromise conscience daily for "practical reasons," ie, expediency.
[[2Dec03 Disclaimer - Based on experience since 14Oct03 -- including numerous emails until they refused to read and respond to mine any longer, the phone conversations with walk coordinator Amy Kaplan, and a few hours of phone conversations with the initiator Jonathan Meier in the few days before he started walking alone 17Oct03 -- they have "tapped into" the "spirit of the peace walk genre," but are confused by its power since this is so far "just a political" walk more for personal agrandizement of themselves and their candidate (evidenced by their Gandhi Statue event in DC 11Nov03 "worshipping" his image instead of following his example) than a truth force walk, so far not responsible to accountability, ie, "polite" over "truthful" -- AND THEREFORE, a Wonderful Vehicle for introducing spirituality into politics by demonstrating the power of determined religious faith in the absolute nature of truth. If and when their pattern changes due to what is learned in coming days, this disclaimer will be modified, but until then just be careful about this walk per above advice, ie, unreliable integrity (keeping commitments to schedule, etc) so far, but "good people" worthy of respect and all the good help they can get. This disclaimer is here because of big problems from my excessive belief in their capabilities combined with intensity and quick timing of many arrangements made towards major media covereage of this walk which went awry due to above impacting my reputation with mayors, media, prominent figures, etc.]]--DCW
The Steps for Peace Walk Across America from Maine to California started October 17, 2003, in Portland, Maine, originally named the Walk for Dennis, in support of, and inspired by, the spiritual political leadership of US Congressional Representative Dennis John Kucinich (D-OH), 2003 Gandhi Peace Award recipient, Co-Chair of the US House of Representatives Congressional Progressive Caucus, initiator of the idea for the US Department of Peace legislation endorsed in September of 2003 by Nobel Peace Prize winner His Holiness Dalai Lama who, according to the New York Times report, said "it is a fine idea," and 2003-2004 Candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of The United States (#44 in 2004).
This walk was renamed Steps for Peace (after extensive lobbying that "the spirit of peace should take lead" to that the walkers and Dennis Kucinich and everyone else could then better follow it to global peace) before it reached New York City for its main event walking October 31, 2003, from the Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial in Central Park to the United Nations to present to the public Dennis Kucinich's plan for peace by getting the US out of Iraq and getting the UN in to Iraq to administer new government formation, oil contracts, etc.
Steps for Peace left Washington DC on November 13th after lobbying for the US Department of Peace on November 12th, walking to Pittsburgh for the first Global Peace Sunday, November 23, 2003, to Cleveland for Thanksgiving, to Chicago, to Des Moines Iowa for Christmas, to Lawrence Kansas for New Years time, to Oklahoma City, to Albuquerque New Mexico, to Flagstaff Arizona, to Las Vegas and nearby Nuclear Test Site, to Tehachapi and Keene California nearby the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation La Paz Community, to Bakersfield, Sacramento, and ending in San Francisco at United Nations Plaza on February 29, 2004.
See the official walk website for updates and messages and schedules, news articles about the walk and walkers, etc, at: Steps for Peace Walk Across America
See more about Dennis John Kucinich and his Prayer for America Campaign for US President at: http://www.kucinich.us
Use the unofficial Steps for Peace supporters group list for public archives of posts of the historical record on the evolvement of this project, updates of coordinated support efforts separate from the Kucinich for President Campaign, and overall plan to "Make a Peace Mountain out of this Peace Molehill" at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Steps-for-Peace
You may subscribe to that list at that public archives list homepage site, or returning the yahoogroups confirmation email after sending a blank email to:
We are The only One who Will make this happen! -- Let's Do It! -- For Global Peace Now!
To help make this Steps for Peace Walk Across America from a "Peace Molehill into a Peace Mountain," use print/copy the basic American Peace March 2003-2004 Peace Relay Walker's --
"All in One" Flyer, Poster, Peace Walk Sign, and "Peace Relay Walker ID Card" -- at:
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/AmericanPeaceMarch.doc
See also the fast moving project, the "Blitzfrieden -- Lightning Peace"
Campaign, at above link and more at the main group list (posted before time can
be later taken to update these pages) ie -- See Public Archives -- by date and
subject from Messages index, or subscribe for the very latest fast breaking
information updates at the American Peace March Announcement List:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/American-Peace-March.
