A recent interview on the Inner Way
Since they believe that the Peace in the world begins with the Inner Peace, the Canadian Mony Dojeiji and the Spanish Alberto Agraso decided to set it in motion by walking to Jerusalem. About 5, 000 kilometers for 13 countries instead of working for Microsoft (Mony) or for an insurance company (Alberto). They met in Finisterre more than 12 years ago just when they finished the Camino de Santiago. But soon, she decided to arrive in Rome, city of Eternal Love where to begin a pilgrimage of human Love to which Alberto would join to finish shaping WALKING FOR PEACE. Without twitter, without social networks, ten years ago, without logistical support. With a lot of heart and a goal ahead: Jerusalem.
LIQUID MOVEMENT: Do you think that today there is a greater flow of people moving around the world or simply social media, etc. do they look older?
MONY AND ALBERTO: We believe that there is mainly an internal search movement, whose concern is expressed in foreign travel that, today more than ever, is being undertaken. Either when we intentionally go to destinations popularly known as sacred or spiritual, such as the Camino de Santiago, or when we simply do it to any important or attractive place for us.
Sometimes it can be not only a trip, but a change of residence to go to study or work or to volunteer in a foreign community ... either temporarily or even definitely.
But always, in essence, is that we move away from the routine, from our known world, and enter a new one that keeps the promise, or at least the hope, of finding something that can give more meaning to our life. Social media are making known and facilitating this current, but they are not the origin of it. This movement that we see outside has its roots in the internal concerns of each person.
ML: What do you think are the reasons why these people leave their surroundings every day to undertake these trips?
MONY AND ALBERTO: As we mentioned before, the superficial motives can be many, but deep down we believe that they are all the same. We are currently living in a period of great changes, where our previous vision of what it meant to "live a good life" is crumbling everywhere, giving way to a new vision that we are still to discover. Our parents' dreams are no longer ours.
The security and stability that we defended so much has been seriously threatened by the economic crisis. The life they promised us would make us happy when we got a steady job, a good salary, a new car (or two), a big house (or two) and everything else ... it doesn't satisfy us anymore.
We feel that there must be something else in life that gives us that happiness we crave. There is a new consciousness that is waking up in the heart of humanity, a restlessness that is pushing us towards something unknown, towards something that can even arouse our fear in the beginning; but that, at a very deep level we know and intuit, it will provide us with the peace and harmony we seek.
ML: Is travel a fashion or a new way of life?
MONY AND ALBERTO : The trip and the traveler represent a way of life and will never be outdated.
ML: What should be the attitude of the traveler in a century like the XXI in which it seems apparently very easy to travel?
MONY AND ALBERTO : When you travel with an open mind, and an even more open heart, the experiences are much more rewarding. Curiosity and, of course, respect are fundamental. And so it is, in our opinion, not to completely plan every detail of the trip, to get carried away not only by our mental analysis, but also by our intuition.
It is also very important to remember that, after all, we take ourselves wherever we go, and it is convenient, therefore, to be especially careful with our own attitude, to be aware that if we look at life and people With a fearful look, we will surely live experiences that confirm this perception or belief that we have. But if we open ourselves, instead, to see the world through the sympathetic eyes of Love, the eyes of respect and even support for other ways of seeing and understanding life, our experiences will also confirm this look. Many people think that the trip or the place they are going to will change their life or way of thinking alone, and of course that happens; But we also believe and witness it, that when you offer the best of yourself to the world, life becomes an unforgettable adventure, even if we have not even left our circle.
And that needs a little (or big) extra effort on our part, or maybe and rather, quite the opposite: a surrender to life and allowing us to flow with it. Choosing our way but without resisting anything, driving the helm of our ship but without fighting storms or winds, but rather allowing us to flow with them. When we also get to travel with this predisposition is when miracles happen.
ML: What do you contribute with WALKING FOR PEACE to that new way of life?
MONY AND ALBERTO: We try to promote the inner path regardless of where we go. We see life in itself as a journey without beginning or end. He who understands this discovers the inner Way and becomes a pilgrim of Life.
Even if we do not move from home the inner journey is always happening, we are always moving forward, experiencing, learning, growing, always going beyond, towards the unknown inside each one of us.
Our pilgrimages along the Camino de Santiago and our march for peace of 5000 kilometers to Jerusalem, in addition to leading us to many wonderful places, both tourist and sacred, were always leading us to the same final destination: ourselves. Its highest purpose was to help us get to know each other better, to clean the fears, insecurities and prejudices layer by layer that make it difficult for the seeds of peace, love and happiness that we all carry in our hearts to flourish.
His valuable gift was to help us understand that we are much more than we think we are, that each of us is valuable in itself and has something unique and special to offer the world. And that the world, as wonderful as it may be, would be a little less without that contribution.
How to travel for peace inland. And to Jerusalem.
