The non-profit organization Hiking for Peace (www.wandernfuerdenfrieden.org / www.hikingforpeace.org) is calling on people worldwide to participate in a joint candlelight event for tolerance, environmental protection, and world peace on April 6, 2026. Under the motto “Peace Wave Festival,” fires will be lit around the world on this day, candles will be lit in homes and places of worship, seas of light will be created in public spaces, and candlelight processions will be organized.

Interested parties are invited to register as soon as possible on the official website www.peacewavefestival.org and thus make a visible statement for a peaceful and sustainable future. The goal is to bring together over 1,000 registered light events by April 6, 2026. Currently (as of October 2025), 141 light events have already been registered worldwide – organized by civilians as well as Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Bahá’í, and indigenous communities. Discussions with Muslim and Jewish communities are also underway, and confirmations are expected shortly.

“We must believe together in a new era in which peaceful coexistence, an end to poverty and hunger, and the preservation of nature are possible. Together, we can use the lights to send a powerful message that politicians around the world cannot ignore,” explains Isabella Haschke, founder of the movement.

The association calls on governments worldwide to become more determined in mediating peace and ending armed conflicts. By cutting military spending, urgently needed financial resources could be used for social justice, education, poverty reduction, and environmental protection.

Vienna as a central symbol: Interfaith sea of ​​lights planned

A large Peace Light event will also take place in Vienna on April 6, 2026, featuring representatives of various religions, academia, and civil society. Those already confirmed to participate include:

  • – Auxiliary Bishop Stephan Turnovszky (Catholic Church)
  • – Anja Spengler (Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Austria)
  • – Episcopal Vicar Nicolae Dura (Romanian Orthodox Church)
  • – Superintendent Matthias Geist (Evangelical Church of Austria)
  • – Ermin Sehic (First Imam of the Islamic Faith Community of Austria)
  • – Ina Mehrfert, Blue Eagle Crystal Eye (Representative of Indigenous Traditions in Europe and Asia)
  • – Prof. Helga Kromp-Kolb (Meteorologist and Climate Researcher)

The first confirmations from mosques and synagogues are expected in the coming weeks. A Sufi group has already joined the initiative. The currently confirmed speakers can be found on the website.

The event in Vienna will feature inspiring speeches, an impressive “Sea of ​​Lights for Peace” and a musical supporting program. A dedicated, 20-person volunteer organizing team is already working hard on the implementation.

With this global light campaign, Hiking for Peace e.V. aims to highlight all those who, out of compassion and a sense of responsibility, are committed to preserving our planet and promoting peaceful coexistence – regardless of religion, origin, or ideology.