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DAY FIVE: MOMENTUM
Walk for Darfur, reduced to its very core, is about raising awareness regarding a truly abhorrent human rights situation in Sudan. The walk itself is a gripping physical struggle, but the movement's true power rests in an idea that a message of peace, hope and equality can reverberate amongst fellow human beings and that they can be inspired to make a difference. On Day Five, our travels throughout central Alberta have witnessed a swelling wave of momentum that gives hope to the potential of this movement.
Our day began with the understanding that we were now in the final half of our 8-day journey and that we had now traveled more kilometers than we had left to complete. What a realization! Coming over this mid-trip hump also left us with a renewed sense of purpose that we were here on this exhaustive walk to engage the communities, and most specifically the youth who are so passionate about understanding the world around them.
Out on the road, people have displayed tremendous resiliency. Unlike horses, who love to walk faster when they know they're on the home stretch, this physical act of walking does not get any easier for our team the closer we get to Edmonton. Nonetheless, our team is acutely aware that each step of this walk carries such profound symbolism about the history and hope for the people of Darfur. The response we have received from many drivers along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway has been so positive for us, and we hope that we can achieve that sense of solidarity and human empathy amongst everyone we meet on this journey.
The theme of the day was simple: get the message out. With our efforts needing to be redoubled, we managed to arrange no less than five impromptu presentations to students in Ponoka, speaking to hundreds of them about the situation in Darfur, what our walk is about and most importantly, what they can do about it. The reception at the schools was inspired as they rearranged their day's schedule to accomodate a ragged-looking group of presenters with an important message. We were also approached by local media and have been encouraged by the successes of other walks for Darfur in other parts of the province and the country. This is momentum, and it builds through the people we are able to reach. If everyone who watches or reads about the Walk for Darfur talks about the need for change in Darfur to five people, who each talk to five people, and so on...all of a sudden the world changes. We hope to see the roots of that change materialize on Sunday, May 4th with our Welcome Walk beginning at 1pm at IKEA at South Edmonton Common, and our rally at Grant MacEwan College's downtown campus at 4pm. See you there!
Momentum. Onward and upward.
For the people of Darfur.
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