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Cycling for a cause: Friendship sans borders The Times of India - 3 September 2005 In just three days, Americans John Silliphant and Mark Peters have cycled across the length and breadth of the city and taken their message of ‘Friendship Without Borders' to over 1 lakh people. Guided by the volunteers of the peace and environmental NGO, Yuvsatta, the two-member team covered a dozen schools, spoke with 20,000 students, and received about 7,000 cards, poems, and letters all carrying messages of peace, love, and friendship for Pakistan. On Day 2, they visited Moti Ram Arya Senior Secondary School , Government Model Senior Secondary School , St. Xavier's and Government Model Senior Secondary School , Sector 16. Again, the idea of reaching within as the best way to reach out proved contagious. “Everyone of us can make a difference. Each and every card created will have a direct impact when it is received. When you multiply this by 10,000 or 1 lakh or 10 lakh, then this impact can no longer be ignored,” says Silliphant. “Gandhi once said that ‘it may be long before the law of love will be recognized in international affairs.' Perhaps this is a good time to experiment, he adds. On their last day, again riding on bicycles taken from Yuvsatta's Greentire programme, they visited Government Model School , Sector 21, and Government Model Senior Secondary Schools , Sector 33-D and 40-B and St. Soldier's, Sector 28. Again, they were greeted warmly by thousands of eager participants from whom they collected many more beautifully designed cards. Despite the outpouring of gratitude, Peters and Silliphant insist that they were lucky and privileged to be gathering so many good wishes from students, teachers, and principals. “The response has been overwhelming in India ,” remarks Peters. “We're now looking forward to sharing these messages with all the good people in Pakistan .” Not bad for three days work. The duo will continue to gather letters throughout the country until they leave fro Pakistan in late October. |
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It may be long before the law of love will be recognised in international affairs. The machineries of government stand between and hide the hearts of one people from those of another. -- M.K. Gandhi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||