URI Multiregion

On the Trail with the Trail of Dreams Team

By Audri Scott Williams

On the Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk we have  discovered that when people hear TDWPW everyone has a perception of what the walk is and most of these perceptions are in part correct.

TDWPWers Karen, Audri, Zenobia and Mother Natalie in Rabat

Thinking about this, provides me the opportunity to share from  my perspective, as visionary and member  of  the team, what the TDWPW is, and how this meaning gets translated or communicated into action.

The Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk is a  3 ½ year journey to fulfill a vision of walking around the world, holding an intention for global peace and transformation for the earth and for humanity. This vision came to me in April 2005. In the vision the basic route of the journey was given and  any changes  have come with confirmation in my prayers and meditation.

The vision indicated that it was time for me and those who felt the call of the vision, to “walk the talk”. It was no longer enough to speak of global peace and transformation; it was /is time to act, to step forward and be a demonstration of peace in action. Stepping forward into the vision would require a 3 ½ year commitment to follow in the path of the vision and trust implicitly that everything needed for the journey would come forward in the right moment;  trusting that Divine Grace would be our covenant. We, Mother Natalie Scott Williams, Karen Watson, Chandelle C. Binns, Lessie Pat Randal, Tony Shina and me, stepped boldly into the vision on October 21, 2005 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolence in Atlanta, GA.

The first 6 months on the Trail initiated an internal alignment, from my perception, of what the walk really was about. Primarily we had to submit to a ceaseless process of releasing and allowing ourselves to be lead. This was not easy because we each came with a preconceived notion of what this walk would be. Just like the Masters say, we had to learn to, “empty our cup so that it could be filled.” Walking and holding the vision for peace has proven to be quite an undertaking as the walk happens  both physically and mentally.

The Walk is our opportunity to walk with peaceful intention; to radiate love, joy, compassion, healing, abundance and peace.  To do so, we have discovered that we must always be aware of our feelings. We continue to learn that when negative or anxious feelings emerge they are generally related to us as a group embracing another level of trust, another level in our own healing, or even a foreshadowing of what is to come. Therefore, we must continually process as a group to identify issues as they arise and to call each other on our own stuff. This prevents us from having to face unnecessary obstacles along the way.

Trusting continues to require us to release our expectations and ideas about what the journey should be. Sometimes we may feel we should only stay in an area for 1 or 2 weeks but when we think it is time for us to move on, all of  our resources shut down. It is during these times that we must surrender and wait for the right moment – at the right time -  to move forward. When we attempt to take matters into our own hands, we are generally are met with disappointments and hardships. It is a delicate balance, like a dance, to learn when to push and when to surrender.

As for community engagement, it can look like many different things from actually staying in community; to visiting schools and community based organizations; to being invited to have dinner with families and to speak at various functions, and participate in community walks. PEACE ,  Passionately ; Engaged; Affecting; Compassion/Community Everywhere means learning to communicate effectively in other countries where we do not speak the language, learning the customs as we do not seek to offend (especially when invited to someone's home and into their places of worship), learning how to move through communities in a peaceful engaging manner.

In any given moment we may be: walking; praying; meditating; being still; researching; making travel arrangements; making contacts in the countries we are in, as well as, the countries we are heading toward; general maintenance on ourselves and our equipment; making phone calls and emailing for financial support; supplies; organizing special gatherings in communities, developing materials (flyer's , brochures, articles, power point presentations and videos); writing grants; networking; and building relationships.

Now, 2 ½ years into the Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk, our days flow like this:

l  Sunrise- Prayers & Chants, Yoga, Qigong

l  Juicing; Prep for the day ; Getting Mama Natalie ready, Breakfast

l  Walking 2-4 hours...Resting

l  Internet ; networking, grants research, sending out articles, developing presentations, etc.

l  Meet and Greet Communities, Networking

l  Dinner

l  Evening Prayers

l  Relaxation/ Ceremony

So when you ask me or any member of the team, “What we do?” Do not be surprised when we have a sort of glazed  over look in our eyes and a moment of hesitation before we babble on and on. Since we are   it  in many ways, we do not have someone to turn to who schedules our transportation; connects us  with communities; solicits financial support,etc. We have learned to wear many hats at any given time and to be extremely resourceful in all aspects of the walk. We are so full of gratitude and love for those who continue to support us financially, connecting us in various communities with organizations, families and friends, in their prayers, and who help us get through unexpected challenges along the way.

The Trail of Dreams Team is working on numerous projects including: the upcoming Beyond the Global Divide International Young Leaders Peace Summit in Ghana this summer, TDWPW  Brazil/Peru; creating relationships with communities for our return to the USA which includes a Trail of Dreams World Peace Walk-A-Thon from New York City to Atlanta, GA from January-April 21, 2008. Outcomes:  Since January we have written over 15 proposals, Karen has completed her healing meditation CD project, To God Be The Glory; Audri has written a chapter for a book soon to be published by Women of Spirit On line; Mama Nat is holding the energy; Rahfyia is working on BGD- Ghana and organizing BGD young leaders' participation in the URI Global Assembly which will take place in India in November; Zenobia continues to weave her web of love around people everywhere we
go. And, we continue to move forward on our path.     

Raphiya and Moroccon Children in the Park share a camera moment