PEACE TRAIN UPDATE

As the application period ends for Peace Train participants, about 70 participants will take part in the trip. Where do they come from? About 30 are Koreans, and over 30 others – 1/3 from coming from African nations and 1/3 from Germany, with the other third from 2 other European countries, India, Australia, and New Zealand, Brazil, US and Canada. With 5 or 6 staff members, they will be the Peace Train.

One interesting thing is that very few of these people are going to the WCC General Assembly at the end of the trip, Busan. But they all will share in preparation of the Madang display which will be set up at Bexco, and thereby give all the delegates of the Assembly an opportunity to share in this 10,356.75 km (6,435.38 m) long Peace Pilgrimage.

We are presently sending invitations to the participants which we trust and pray will enable them all to get visas for the countries we are travelling through. Our partner, the Russian Orthodox Church is making arrangements with the government in Russia for issuing visas.

There seems to be a clear possibility that the group will divide when the train arrives in Beijing, part of the group going to North Korea and part staying in Beijing, then rejoin for the final leg of the trip to Busan.

The Peace Train Committee was very pleased to receive the following letter of support from Archbishop Seraphin Kykkotis, of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, writing from Zimbabwe to the General Secretary, Rev. Kim Young Ju:

“Christ is Risen! Thank you very much for your letter on behalf of the Korean Host Committee for the WCC 10th Assembly about the Peace Train. On behalf of the Greek Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa and my Patriarch Theodoros II and the members of the Holy Synod and the members of the Orthodox Church in Africa I like to confirm to all of you that we pray for the success of the Peace Train as well as for our 10th Assembly in order to see the visible Unity of the Holy Body of the Korean Peninsula according to the divine will of God.”