Thousands of students from the San Diego Unified School District , the second-largest school district in the state of California, came together for peace and against all the hate and wars ravaging the world today.

Students of different backgrounds, nationalities, and grade levels were among the 30,000 children that participated in the Sri-Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, which is expected to pass through 155 countries and a thousand cities around the globe.
Porter Elementary School students were hugely excited by the arrival of the international team of participants who run not only to show the importance of peace among communities, but also the aspiration to become better people who respect one another and can coexist in peace.

The message, they said, could not come at a better time, in light of the messages of hate and xenophobia heard from U.S. President Trump.

“I would like for there to be more respect between people. We are all different, every person is different; each individual has their own positive attributes, so there has to be respect among everyone, because in the end we are all family,” said San Diego resident and race participant Pujari Scheaffer.

The relay race had four legs in San Diego – from Monday, March 20 to Thursday, March 23 – during which students from 12 San Diego schools painted peace symbols and took the torch, stating that it stood for unity among communities and inspiration to act better.

“We see children as the world’s hope, because it is these children who will grow up, who will guide the world. That is why we are visiting a dozen schools here in San Diego, to deliver a message of peace and unity in every action and every word,” added Scheaffer.

People from all over the world are running in the event, including participants from Colombia, Europe, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

“We have run throughout Europe, throughout the Americas, and here we are. I am from Colombia, but we have participants from Ukraine, from Russia, from Mexico, from Austria, from Canada, from everywhere,” said Peace Run participant Victoria Aguila.
They hope that after the visit of the relay race, which has accumulated 395,000 miles thus far, children and youth will understand the importance of peace within each person and the need to hold out a friendly hand to one another so we can put an end to all the conflicts arising from differences in place of origin and color of skin.