Nonviolence at a Higher Level: An arrival at the Nevado de Toluca Volcano in Mexico

Peace re-emerges from the altitudes. A group of mountaineers planted a new flag of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence at the summit of the Nevado de Toluca volcano, which towers over 4600 meters above sea level in Mexico. The expedition was conducted on October 17th and was attended by a schnauzer dog and more than 15 people. Those attending included members of the World March, World Without Wars, Humanist Proposal, the Community for Human Development, the World Center of Humanist Studies and Pangea.

The team had to cope with harsh climatic conditions such as freezing temperatures, snow, rain, fog, and strong wind gusts. However, they managed to plant the flag of the World March on Eagle’s Peak, the second summit of the mountain. The volcano is a popular reference for many legends and is a sacred place for native peoples. In 2007, a team of archaeologists discovered a ceremonial center dedicated to the god Tlaloc. Opposite the crater there are two gaps: the Sun and the Moon.

It is not the first time that the flag of the World March has flown from the top of the mountains. Less than a month ago, a pair of Argentine climbers reached the Lanin Volcano’s summit (3776 meters) to demonstrate for Peace and Nonviolence. Previously, other adherents climbed the legendary Mount Ararat in Turkey. To continue the trend, at the end of December another group of climbers will do the same on Mount Aconcagua, the base of which being where the World March concludes.

*(Translation provided by Matthew Oleson)*