Walk for Human Values

2006 Walks for Human Values

Started four years ago by the Sathya Sai School of Toronto, the annual Walk for Human Values is spreading across Canada. This year, Sai devotees organized a Walk for Human Values in 12 different cities on 27-28 May. It's a grass-roots affair; devotees see the value in it and then organize a Walk in their own cities. They get the local citizens and government involved. This year, in Toronto, 3,00 people took part! This event is growing and growing and is making people of aware of the need to live by human values such as love, truth, peace, righteousness, and nonviolence.

In Toronto, two days after the event this year, the Hon. Balkissoon, MPP for Scarborough Rouge, made a statement about the annual Walk for Human Values in the Ontario Provincial Legislature. The text of this statement is given below, and you can listen to it here.

Three cities, Edmonton, Regina, and Saskatoon, proclaimed 27 May or 28 May Human Values Day in their cities. A thumbnail image of the Regina proclamation appears to the right. Click it to see a larger but-still-small version, and here is a large version (189KB) of it. Here is a letter (36KB) from the City of Saskatoon that announces the proclamation of 28 May as Human Values Day in Saskatoon.

The image in the upper right corner of this webpage is from the walk in Edmonton (click on it for a larger image). This pdf file discusses the Edmonton Walk for Human Values.

Text of the statement of the Hon. Balkissoon, MPP for Scarborough Rouge in the Ontario Provincial Legislature on May 30 on the occasion of the 4th Annual Walk for Values.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, May 28, the fourth annual walk for human values organized by the Sathya Sai School of Toronto took place in the Malvern Community of my riding in Scarborough Rouge River.

Minister Harinder Takhar and myself joined over 3,000 participants from across the GTA to walk in the name of peace, nonviolence, truth, and love.

One participant in the crowd, Miss Megan Bennett, traveled all the way from Foothill Ranch, California, with the goal of implementing a similar walk in her community in 2007.

Mr. Speaker, this walk has now become a trailblazer for cities across Canada, 12 of which held their own walk for human values on the same date.

The Cities of Edmonton, Regina, and Saskatoon proclaimed May 28 as Human Values Day in their cities.

Mr. Speaker, this walk was not about raising funds, or provoked by anger.

Instead it was focused on character building and encouraging role models in the community.

Walking together as kindred spirits, participants raised awareness of the need to practice the values of tolerance, understanding, and respect ---values that are gradually being eroded by negative forces.

The walkers conveyed their messages of human values through songs and decorated floats.

The participants' demonstrations of understanding, peace, and commitment to positive change show us all the importance recognizing our values. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Sathya Sai School of Toronto in their efforts in making a difference in our community, our province, an Canada through their walk for human values.

Thank you.