Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk
By Nefertiti Allen Myrick

In a world that appears to be everything but peaceful, a small team of people are daily giving birth to a big vision that defies all appearances. It hasn’t been what you’d call an “easy” birth. Yet, the team is supported by thousands of “midwives” around the planet who share their vision of a world restored to wholeness and peace. And they are making it happen through the Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk (TDWPW).

The TDWPW is a 3 ½ year global outreach program of the Spirit of Truth Foundation to promote world peace among people in communities from six continents. The goal is to raise global awareness of the consequences of conscious choice-making and to provide the opportunity for people to experience and actually see the outcomes of their choices through community service and relationship-building workshops, sharing stories, and introducing peace initiatives to improve the quality of life for all.

The walk originated from Atlanta, Georgia, in October 2005 with four full-time walkers and an elder, “Mother Natalie,” who is confined to a wheelchair. T he team first joined the Katrina Recovery Efforts to help individuals and families in Alabama and Louisiana in need of food, water, and supplies. During the first leg of the walk (from Oct. 2005-Dec. 2006) the team also volunteered at food banks; worked on a sustainable ranch community project; cleaned up grounds in various communities; joined community walks (e.g. the Alzheimer's Walk in San Francisco with a seniors group); and engaged in meaningful dialogue with indigenous communities and wisdom keepers of the lands.

In addition to walking an average of 4-6 hours a day, they meet with community, spiritual and youth leaders to help implement strategies for conflict resolution, sustainable living practices, and healthy lifestyle choices—including walking every day. To date, the team has given over 250 presentations and workshops at schools, colleges, community-based organizations, churches, and conferences as well as several media interviews.

Altogether, the team has outreached to more than 6,000 children, students, and adults in cities and rural communities across mainland U.S., British Columbia, Mexico, and the Hawai’i Islands. In 2006, the TDWPW hosted the Beyond the Global Divide International Young Leaders Summit intensives in Palenque, Mexico and the Big Island of Hawai’i for young leaders, indigenous elders, and healers around the world.

The team began the second leg of the walk in January, 2007, in the Fiji Islands, New Zealand, and Australia. The TDWPW will proceed to India in March, then onto Yemen, the Suez Canal, Syria , Turkey, Greece, and the Netherlands, where the TDWPW will host the 5 th International BGD Summit in October 2007 at The Hague. The third leg of the walk (Nov. 2007-Dec. 2008) includes visits to Israel , Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Fasso, and Ghana . The final leg will depart from Ghana to New York, Washington, D.C., and full circle back to Atlanta, GA.

The TDWPW is ultimately a demonstration of ordinary people showing up to engage in an extraordinary journey of the human spirit that will impact the lives of generations to come. Please visit www. td worldpeacewalk.org and make a donation online to help move the vision forward.

“One step at a time … we do change the World.”   Audri Scott Williams