In October 2025, an event for peace appeared in Washington D.C. after a long journey. In an act of awareness for tranquility known as the Peace Walk, 19 monks began their journey from Texas to Washington D.C., entirely on foot for 108 days. The movement became known and appreciated for its expression of positive sentiments in conflicted times. The Peace Walk gained a lot of attention, which led to many people waiting for and walking with the monks with appreciation and excitement. According to The Guardian, the walk’s purpose was “to raise ‘awareness of peace, loving-kindness and compassion across America and the world’ ”. People were inspired by them for their determination; the walk saw the monks endure harsh conditions like freezing temperatures, complex terrain, and even some injuries. While these challenges were hard to face, they did not halt the monks’ progress toward their goal.
During the end of the walk, there was a witness with an outlook of her own. Mrs. Taggart observes what the walk was like from her eyes. Mrs. Taggart and her son waited at a National Gallery for the monks until they arrived, then walked all together to the Lincoln Memorial. While at the Memorial, the monks led prayers, speeches, and meditative measures. Sources say that even when met with welcomed voices, they were also met with unwelcomed voices, such as criticism. In the midst of much discrimination, they still kept on walking. The monks stayed in Washington D.C. for two days then returned to Texas by bus and a monk left a message for everyone to hear: “[the walk was] not to bring you any peace, but to raise the awareness of peace so that you can unlock that box and free it” (CBS News). Mrs. Taggart believes that during the walk “everyone…seemed happy to be there, and so walks like these…maybe don’t create policy changes…instead [they] remind people of their own actions, [and] we can choose [peaceful] support over [violence]”. These messages aim to give people the courage to do good and to know that achieving peace is possible.
“We can choose support over [violence]…”
– Mrs. Taggart
The monks’ message was to bring social awareness of global harmony to see in the middle of so much violence and hatred. The walk ended when the monks left and everything returned back to normal except for the lingering message of peace. Mrs. Taggart believed that the main idea was “to choose peace over violence to be mindful about your actions and you are mindful, present…”. Every action has a consequence, whether it can be good or bad. Noticing actions is important for the long run. These monks had incredible determination and that strength is looked up to. Maybe in the near future, there will be peace and actions like these that can create that same kind of stability.
“It was just…it was really inspiring.”
– Mrs. Taggart
