On foot from Perugia to Assisi in a testimony of friendship and brotherhood

Peace Times 12

Taking part in the Perugia-Assisi peace march on Sunday the 16th of May, was indeed a very tiring experience; however, it certainly was worth every effort. We spent eight hours travelling overnight by bus from Alba, in Piemonte, before walking 20 miles under the scorching sun together with some one hundred thousand people.

Coinciding with the Kosovo war, the event became a very moving testimony of peace. The Umbria district is particularly beautiful and the city of Assisi is truly unique: there is an atmosphere of tranquility and spirituality which is most condusive to getting in touch with one’s inner self.

Those who participated in the Perugia-Assisi march helped each other on the way with the common objective of creating a serene environment. A lot of young people and entire families took part, all of different nationalities and, surely not casually, many Kurdish flags were held up high.

This was the first time that whilst taking part in a mass demonstration, no one present felt any climate of tension, anxiety, potential violence against someone or something. The peace march was just that, peaceful, as all together created a harmonious environment: this was the kind of demonstration which, despite the following day’s politically motivated tabloids, showed that a great number of people deeply cultivate the refusal of war and the wish to live peacefully.

Peace is a conscious choice which can revolutionise all of our lives, it is not a people’s optional.

In Assisi we all found traces of this inner awareness in the marvellous climate of brotherhood and solidarity. Peace goes beyond ideas and ideologies, and this because it is first and foremost an inner state of being.

Get-together days such as that of the Perugia-Assisi peace march can truly help one to be optimistic about one’s own future and that of the entire humanity.

Paolo Foglino