2007 Youth Prayer Run for World Peace

The Wolakota Youth Council, is a grassroots organization of Native youth, we are working together with organizers from diverse communities to create understanding and unity in environmental and social justice, human rights, and world peace.  The 2007 Youth Prayer Run for World Peace, will take runners from El Paso, Texas to Mexico City, is the action behind our efforts to form a global community.  Together, as we bridge the gap between generations and peoples, we will create a healthy planet full of love, respect, justice, and peace.

This Year's Run:

The 2007 Youth Prayer Run for World Peace is sponsored by the Wolakota Youth Council, a grassroots organization of Native youth working together to protect our planet and our future.   This year's run will take us on a journey of over 1,600 miles.  We will meet in El Paso, Texas on June 2nd we will travel to Mexico City, Mexico, the site of the International World Peace and Prayer Day ceremony on June 21st.   Each day we will cover 40-70 miles, running relay style, with built in rest days.  We will be hosted the whole route by different communities who will share their ceremonies, dances, songs, prayers, and food.  We will have the opportunity to share our traditions with them as well.  We will also pick up runners from the hosting communities to join us on our journey. As we run, we hope to help open the eyes of the participating youth, as well as the communities we pass through.  The run will be difficult and the environment will reflect our struggle.  Our hearts will go out to the animals, the land, and the people along the way and we will offer what we can from our various traditions and spiritual ways. An important aspect of the run is bridging the gap between generations and peoples so we can understand each other and work together.

Our Goals are:

• Celebrate and share different traditional values and cultures while promoting respect.
• Empower youth so they can help work towards positive change in the world.
• Prepare youth for their future roles as peacekeepers and caretakers of the land.

We are encouraging a language component to be part of this year's run; both in the traditional language youth participants to share and use their language and also recognizing the point the Hispanic language is a prevalent in Mexico where the Run is taking place. Some of the USA youth participants are part Mexican, so this will assist them in their own language competence of their lineage. Since the Hispanic language has become the second language in the USA, so we feel this component is necessary

If you can assist toward sponsoring one youth or a donation:
We are seeking financial support to cover the cost of the run.

Budgeted Amounts are calculated for 1 youth