Tomorrow, December 23, the 30th annual peace walk will take place in Laugavegur, Reykjavík’s main shopping street. Pacifist and one of the walk’s organizers Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir said participation has been good from the start.
From Laugavegur. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
“Peace movements all around the world have organized such walks through time,” Haraldsdóttir told Fréttabladid. “The Anti-Military Base Union organized the walk [in Iceland] during the first years but later other peace-loving groups joined in, such as artists, physicists and physicians.”
The group is versatile, Haraldsdóttir said, but people are united in their wish for peace. “People are usually busy at this time of year, preparing the Christmas dinner and buying presents, and many people consider their participation in the walk as their contribution to make this a better world.”
“To walk together holding candles is both festive and people find it important. The collective hope of walkers is that the world’s problems can be solved with negotiations but not weapons,” she explained.
Haraldsdóttir said the weather forecast is good and up to 3,000 people are expected to participate in the walk tomorrow. It begins at Hlemmur bus terminal at 6 pm, where torches are for sale.
The walk ends on Ingólfstorg square where author Einar Már Gudmundsson will say a few words. Then the members of the Hamrahlíd choirs will sing, conducted by Thorgerdur Ingólfsdóttir.
This year the Icelandic Church Aid Youth Movement, Changemakers, the Association of Preschool Teachers, the peace and human rights fraction of BSRB (the Federation of State and Municipal Employees), the peace and human rights committee of the Youth Association of the National Church of Iceland, the World Walk for Peace and Existence Without Violence, the culture and peace association MFÍK, the peace movement of Buddhists – SGI in Iceland and The Anti-Military Base Union organize the peace walk.
