Peace Train participants reflect on the journey

Now that the Peace Train is “over”—the actual train part, that is—what do Peace Trainers think about the experience? 

For Diane Mayba, what stands out is the “incredible generosity and good will we experienced throughout our whole journey.”

 

This includes the advisors, who “were so incredibly generous and willing to share their wisdom and experience with us,” others on the Train itself and supporters along the way.

 

“The trip on the train with so many amazing people was unforgettable,” she said. “I loved just about every minute of it.”

 

Of note for Diane were the Compassionate Listening workshops and time together at the Quaker House on Nov. 22. “I hope to carry those lessons learned with me,” she said.

 

John Mayba echoed everything Diane said, and added that, for him, the Peace Train “was a spiritual, life-changing experience.”

 

From the first time he listened to the Peace Train song in April until singing it on Parliament Hill, he felt he was joined with other members of the human family who are “committed to peace in our world.”

 

The train itself was the perfect vehicle for the experience, enabling people to get to know each other on the way to Ottawa. “Being on the train was like being at a four-day Kairos meeting, sharing meals, getting to know each other, planning, sharing stories and experiencing the vigils along the way as well as the amazing scenery of our beautiful country. When we got to Ottawa, we were ready to rally support for peace.”

 

He was especially glad for how the petition gave the Peace Train a voice in Parliament. If another petition is done, “we should make a real effort to get it out to people in every riding so that every MP has an obligation to present it and even more people are alerted to our project when they sign the petition,” he said.

 

For Sally Gerhard, Imagine—the song by John Lennon—is a new theme.  

 

For her, imagining peace is just the start, but that’s also how Keith and Bernie came up with the idea for the Peace Train. “I can only imagine the huge amount of  thought, energy, work, time, and dollars that went into the creation of something so much bigger than any of us imagined,” she said, adding her thanks to organizers Keith, Bernie, John and Diane—“and to all for the large and small contributions that we each gave and gained so much.”

 

“Let’s keep the conversations flowing!” she said. 

 

Deb Walker said that, for her, the Peace Train was like a call.

 

“As a person of faith, who has experienced a ‘call,’ I will admit that is what I felt when I first saw the advertisement for the Peace Train. I knew I had to participate and be on that train,” she said.

 

The experience filled and fueled her for her work as a minister focused on climate justice and reconciliation. “It is all connected,” she said.

 

When she watched the “land of Turtle Island fly by, I was amazed by the restorative nature of Creation herself. The turning towards re-growth, balance and starting over....as many times as necessary, and that the course of rivers changes over time, because they are meant to.”

 

She was also “deeply grateful” for the time on the train with others, “in deeply important conversation, and in rest, in laughter, personal revelation and easy observation. Intentional community at its best—shared space, shared task, shared vision.”

 

Deb came home feeling encouraged by all she experienced, committed to continuing to seek knowledge about compassionate listening “and to share my conviction that peace is always possible.”

 

Right from the sendoff at the Canadian Memorial United Church’s Centre for Peace, Norma Emerson felt blessed.

 

The train trip itself provided “breathtaking” images of the country, including one evening with a full yellow beaver moon.

 

“To see nature's forms in simplified tones of darkness gave strength and rhythm to the landscape,” she said, adding that in the morning light she enjoyed seeing fields and old and new homesteads that reminded her “of our pioneer ancestors, and of contemporary farmers who work to feed humanity. I felt so fortunate to be part of such a great country.”

 

The train itself was a “friendly incubator that grew and ripened relationships with other passengers and connected soulmates.” She also enjoyed conversing with other passengers, and “singing and dancing and speaking at whistle stops along the way.”

 

When Norma was at the rally on Parliament Hill, she saw a three-year-old child stamping his foot and slapping his thigh and “gleefully clapping with the biggest smile. His joy filled my heart as I held back tears thinking, ‘he is why we came. We want to hand over an improved world and environment.’”

 

On the way home with Brenda Riley, Norma saw huge letters at the top of a street. They read “AWATTO.” They were confused until they realized it was “OTTAWA” from behind the sign. “Perhaps this was a good metaphor for our quest,” she said. “Looking at life from a new perspective can lead to new solutions. Hopefully the Peace Train will have that result.”

For Duncan Etches, one insight from the trip was how many organizations have an interest and a role in the peace movement. 

“I was unaware of the Centre for International Policy Studies, for example. Or Walter Dorn's work on Defence Studies at the Canadian Forces College. Or the Canadian Peace Museum. Or the universities like Calgary and Ottawa that have departments that include Peace Studies.”

 

It might be interesting to see what kind of coalition could be made of Canadian peace oriented groups in order to give them a louder voice, he suggested.

 

John Peters was happy to find himself in a group “with a high level of trust among each other even though we had never met before.”

 

What surprised him was “how un-boring the prairies were. They were full of hills and ponds and included the impressive Qu'appelle Valley.”

 

His thinking changed a bit when he tried to be a compassionate listener to one of the Conservative MPs at the reception. “As long as I listened, he talked. What was going on? Not a dull time at all,” John said.

 

When Elisabeth Tanner first heard about the Peace Train, “I felt immediately drawn to participate. I am so glad I followed my ‘instinct’ and joined the group. Being part of a group that is so accepting, supportive, respectful, peaceful is an amazing experience. I feel inspired and hopeful.”

 

The beauty of the land the train travelled through “put me in awe,” she continued, adding that Cathy's teachings about compassionate listening “stay with me and help me every day to be a better person. Meeting face to face with politicians made me realize they are human just like everybody else and gives me courage to engage again.”

 

Singing and dancing together was another highlight, she said.