Coming-together of Nations

To uphold the peaceful coming together of nations during the 2024 Olympics, we spoke out the Nation Messages from the Ankerwycke Yew at Runnymede. There were owls tooting and midges biting over the River Thames as darkness fell...

These 220 Messages had been gathered from representatives from every UN nation plus a few less recognised ones - each Message an expression of bringing peace to the planet. They had  previously been spoken out up Mt Kilimanjaro and also during the 2012 Olympics. As ever they held a poignant power for peace.

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The Ankerwycke yew tree was witness to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 and is thought to be as old as 2,500 years - in ancient Celtic tradition a sacred symbol of immortality. A fitting place for a focus of Peace on Earth. Indeed this was where we had set off from on our Glasgow COP26 cycle mission.

We included the Message from the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres: "...I salute you activists and ordinary people for your courage and determination to build a better future..."

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And together tied a 'clootie' for peace, traditionally blessed like prayer flags

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A big thank you to Rima, Mo, Pam and Happy for your generous heart-light

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The way of peace...

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A few of the Nation Messages:

AUSTRALIA:  “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other” Mother Teresa. May we see only a peaceful, joy-filled world as we unite in love. JES SCHARBOW

BANGLADESH: I wish for every-one to be friends. NUNZIBA AHMED age 10

BARBADOS: It is you who is weaving threads of gold into the tapestry of life. AARON HAYNES 

BELGIUM: Lets work together and become one big unit in which we add to each other and celebrate our differences, enjoying the richness of each other’s culture. ERI OP DE BEECK

BHUTAN :  May we be united in a single flame of hope.  May peace prevail on earth. – CHIME WANGDI

BURKINA FASO:  When we are united, we have much more force. We can exchange ideas and reach a much better consensus than we would on our own.  AIGUERA ZAGRE 

CANADA:     S’ouvrir sur le monde!  (May we open our hearts to the world!) JULIE DAUSCREAN

COLUMBIA: I wish all the people in the world have food and drink whenever they want. FINN age 12

CONGO (DR): Arise world and make peace! MARIE  

EGYPT:  I wish that every animal is not in danger and Earth can live in Peace. ISLAM HEIDAR age 10

ENGLAND : “People! Just be kind to each other.”   JOANNA LUMLEY

‍ETHIOPIA: Now is the day for the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship and rule of international morality. ELIZABETH HAILEMARIAN 

JAPAN: Everyone of the world!  We are one family. NORIKO 

MONGOLIA: From the open spaces of Mongolia we send peace and freedom to all people. BULGAA ALTANGEREL

NEPAL: Tashi delek, peace, love and prosperity from our country Nepal.  Lots of prayers.  Namaste.  BASANT

PALESTINE: We will ask for peace from now till forever… it means living peacefully … it means no more blood, no more violence, nor more new orphans, and widows…Although there are lots of challenges, there is still hope to live in peace one day. HEBA ZAQOUT.(Peace will surely come through hope and determination. MM.) 

RUSSIA:  For peace to happen we must learn to walk the Earth together. ZANK RICHMON  age 13 

SINGAPORE: Peace is not something you wish for. It's something you make, Something you do, Something you are, And something you give away.  MARINNA MASJUDI

SOMALIA: I want to help the tigers. SHOAIB age 4 

SRI LANKA: I wish everyone can eat food. LUXANAN age 4 

SWEDEN   :   "May there be peace between all beings, everywhere on Earth." ANNA FALDT

SYRIA:  It doesn’t matter which religion you believe in. Everybody believes in something else. It doesn’t matter whether you are Christian, Moslem, Jew, Buddhist or someone other; we should all respect each other, because a human being is a human being. It doesn’t matter which faith he or she has.  MAHMOUD ASLAN 

TIBET:  I wish for nothing else but peace, love and understanding. No hatred in the name of race, religion or culture. May all living beings be free from suffering. KUNSANG LHAMO 

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The way of peace...

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