In a powerful display of global solidarity, peace advocates, community leaders, educators, interfaith representatives, and youth gathered to proclaim peace at the United States Capitol. The event commemorates the 12th Anniversary of the Declaration of World Peace and affirms a collective commitment to securing peace for future generations.
Hosted by HWPL and local partners, this year’s walk was held under the theme “Peace Is Possible: Securing Generational Peace Through Law and Dialogue,” on May 31. This peace walk also launched a new campaign entitled “A Piece of Peace”, which gathered local and international leaders to make tangible commitments to peace activities.
This year, HWPL in collaboration with the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) call on all women and youth around the Greater Washington area to join the movement, “proving that peace is not an impossible dream but a reality if we work in solidarity as women for the common purpose of world peace. With every footstep, we declare, peace, not war—that’s what we’re here for,” disclosed HWPL to TheAfricanDream.net earlier this month.
Markette Sheppard, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and speaker at this year’s HWPL peace walk shared her “piece of peace,” focusing on educating youth for peace through her scholarships via the Mason Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund that she has founded.
This gathering in Washington, D.C. is part of a larger global movement, with peace walks simultaneously taking place in cities around the world, from Seoul to São Paulo, amplifying the shared message that peace is not only achievable, but imperative.
These peace walks emphasize the urgent need to institutionalize peace through education, cross-cultural dialogue, and sustainable legal frameworks. HWPL’s Chairman, a war veteran, has long emphasized that peace should not be an empty hope, but an action and a lasting legacy that we leave behind for future generations.
His personal experience with war fuels his conviction that lasting peace must be pursued through dialogue, understanding, and legal measures that transcend borders. “This year’s Peace Walk is more than a march, it’s a movement,” said Regan Durkin for HWPL. “It’s a call to action for all of us to take part in building a legacy of peace that will outlast us, benefiting generations to come.”
As an international peace NGO affiliated with the United Nations, HWPL is dedicated to achieving global harmony through education, interfaith dialogue, and the establishment of international law for peace.
The organisation holds a special consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC) and United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN-DGC). With over 170 branches around the world, HWPL aims to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, working in all sectors of society.
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
