Peace Road: Connecting Humanity Through Roads, Safety, and Ecosystem Restoration

The idea of the Peace Road initiative was first publicly articulated in the early 1980s, reflecting emerging international discussions on long‑distance connectivity and practical forms of cooperation. Conceived as a multilateral initiative aimed at strengthening practical connectivity between societies, the project highlights that humanity is ultimately One Family under God and that the physical linking of nations and continents can help dismantle barriers of fear and misunderstanding. This article examines the history, philosophy, and major activities of Peace Road and demonstrates how the initiative aligns with global efforts to protect life and rehabilitate the planet.

Historical precedents: Historically, long‑distance routes such as the Silk Road or the Roman road network enabled exchanges between regions. In the twentieth century, the U.S. interstate highway system illustrated how national infrastructure projects can shape economic and social development.

In 2005, at the inaugural UPF summit, the founders Dr. Hak Ja Han and Dr. Sun Myung Moon presented the idea of a Peace Tunnel across the Bering Strait that would connect North America and Eurasia. They emphasized that such a tunnel could help make the world one global community. He invited nations to redirect resources away from conflict and toward shared development, referring to Isaiah 2:4. The initiative subsequently expanded through forums, academic competitions, and international outreach.

Previously, in 1981, during a keynote address delivered alongside the Tenth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS) in Seoul, Dr. Sun Myung Moon outlined the idea of an International Peace Highway, proposing a potential tunnel between Korea and Japan, USA and Russia. This proposal reflected efforts at the time to ease historical tensions and encourage long‑term regional cooperation.

Since 2005, Peace Road has evolved into a global platform for symbolic journeys undertaken on foot, by bicycle, or by vehicle. Participants around the world walk or ride sections of the envisioned International Peace Highway, raising awareness and fostering unity.

The Peace Road initiative aligns closely with two significant UN Decades that shape the global agenda for our time.

The UN has set a goal of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by 2030. Any global infrastructure initiative must prioritize safety at every stage: design, construction, and implementation.

Global plan: The Decade of Action emphasizes safer roads and roadsides, improved legislation, and stronger emergency response systems. Comprehensive global corridors such as the Peace Road offer an opportunity to implement cutting‑edge safety standards.

System‑based approach: The UN strategy highlights five pillars: road safety management, safer vehicles, safer road users, post‑crash response, and safer road environments. Integrating these principles into the Peace Road is essential for its long‑term viability.

This decade focuses on preventing, halting, and reversing ecological degradation worldwide.

Restoration‑focused development: Large‑scale transport projects inevitably interact with the natural environment. However, Peace Road promotes a model of sustainable infrastructure that can include green corridors, ecological crossings for wildlife, and low‑impact construction methods.

Sustainable development: Healthy ecosystems underpin climate resilience, biodiversity, and human wellbeing. Integrating environmental stewardship into the Peace Road directly contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3.6 on reducing road deaths and SDG 15.1 on ecosystem conservation.

Mobilization of civil society, identified by the UN as a central component of ecosystem restoration, also finds practical expression in Peace Road events, which often incorporate educational or community‑level environmental activities.

Over four decades, the Peace Road concept has developed into a series of practical public events in many countries. These activities, ranging from local cycling routes to multi‑day relays, often highlight issues linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including safer mobility (SDG 3), resilient infrastructure (SDG 9), climate action (SDG 13), and ecosystem protection (SDG 15). 

After the founding of the Universal Peace Federation in 2005, the Peace Road initiative expanded significantly. Peace Road participants undertook super marathons spanning continents, including runs from Moscow to Paris, drawing inspiration from analogous long-distance endeavors such as the Peace Road bike tours, which featured routes exceeding 10,000 kilometers across Eurasian continent. Foot traverses across the USA, while in the United Kingdom, activities aligned with the Coast to Coast Walk, a 190-mile trail traversing three national parks, and the European Peace Walk promoting cross-border unity. Group cycling events were also organized in Africa and Asia, including Australia's bicycle rides emphasizing family and community ties, and the Balkans Peace Road, which spanned seven nations including Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even in 2018, Peace Road participants performed in Pyongyang. All these projects were intended to demonstrate love for neighbors beyond borders, while promoting safe travel, and the harmonious coexistence of people with nature by emphasizing ecological awareness in outdoor endurance activities.

Peace Road initiative exemplifies a profound commitment to bridging divides through innovative infrastructure and communal endeavors, fostering a vision of global unity rooted in shared human values. As participants continue to embark on these symbolic journeys, Peace Road serves as a enduring reminder that true progress emerges from collaborative efforts to safeguard lives, preserve the environment, and cultivate peace for future generations.