Pilgrimage for Peace

New book from veteran peace and environmental activist, Satish Kumar, shares the legendary and perilous quest of his youth – a two-year walk across the world, risking all to bring peace for people and planet

Pilgrimage for Peace: The Long Walk from India to Washington will be published by Green Books on 27 May, 2021

“Satish Kumar ought to sit on a council of elders, guiding us through real wisdom, to the utopia that his path has shown us is possible.”
Russell Brand, comedian

Satish Kumar is one of the wisest and most compelling advocates for nature and peace in our land.”
Isabella Tree, author of Wilding

“Satish’s whole life has been one long walk for freedom, justice, harmony and peace.”
Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse

Pilgrimage for Peace: The Long March from India to Washington – to be published 27 May 2021 – shares former monk turned environmental activist, Satish Kumar’s, extraordinary story of walking 8,000 miles without spending any money, and eating only vegetarian food, to bring peace to people and planet.

Beginning at the grave of Mahatma Gandhi and ending at the grave of John F Kennedy at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, Kumar – then aged 25 – and his friend EP Menon, weathered snow and sandstorms, treacherous mountain passes, hunger, extreme cold, countless psychological and physical hardships, racial aggression and the threat of death by bullets, to deliver their message of peace to the heads of state in the world’s four nuclear power capitals of Moscow, Paris, London and Washington.

Satish Kumar, now 84-years-old, recalls: “Our pilgrimage was a journey to make peace among people as well as peace with our precious planet Earth. Although we faced many excruciating challenges and hardships I found it a source of profound inspiration and joy. Crossing the continents over the mountains, across the deserts and through the snow storms was, paradoxically, torturous and terrific at the same time.

“During the pilgrimage, we delivered packets of humble peace tea to the Kremlin and to the White House with a message from a Georgian woman that a cup of tea is a cup of peace. ‘If you have any crazy thoughts of pressing the nuclear button, please stop for a moment and have a cup of this peace tea,’ we pleaded. ‘That will give you a pause to consider that these weapons of mass destruction will not only kill your enemies but the entire living world.’”

Becoming editor of the UK’s longest-standing green magazine, Resurgence, in 1973 (now called Resurgence & Ecologist), Satish evolved his life’s work as an emissary for peace, environmental sustainability and social justice, which has continued up to the present day. Over the decades he has authored several books, presented various documentaries including BBC TV’s Earth Pilgrim, and been the guiding spirit behind a number of internationally respected ecological and educational ventures including Devon’s Schumacher College. Now at last comes the book illuminating the remarkable odyssey of his youth which was to ripple his message of peace across the world and shape the rest of his life.

Dr Scilla Elworthy, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, praises Pilgrimage for Peace: “This book is exceptional. Do read it for your own inner journey, read it for the gems that are in the milestones, for the signposts to how life can be lived, for the inner fuel when the road is tough. Here you will discover the ways we can free ourselves from fear. This is our job in this present world because, as Satish says: ‘it is the responsibility of every citizen to free themselves from fear, then politicians for peace will emerge.’”

With war constantly in the news today, Pilgrimage for Peace is a timely testament which also holds profound implications for our current global crises of disease and climate change, as Satish Kumar explains:

“The world is facing two urgent challenges, the Covid crisis and climate catastrophe, which are the result of aggressive and violent human behaviour towards the natural environment. In response to these challenges we need to rise above narrow nationalism and make peace with our precious planet Earth.

“The story, message and spirit of my 8,000-mile pilgrimage for peace is more relevant today than ever. The whole of humanity must transcend from petty politics and join together to make peace among people and peace with the planet Earth, in order to mitigate climate change and safeguard the world from Covid-19.”