Feature photo by Raelee Sawmiller
By Raelee Sawmiller and Shelby Woodward
Nineteen Buddhist monks walked through downtown Raleigh on Jan. 24 as part of a 2,300-mile cross-country pilgrimage promoting peace, compassion, and unity.
From Fort Worth, Texas, all the way to Washington, D.C., the walk started on Oct 26, 2025, and took 15 weeks.
The Monks started walking through Raleigh, NC, on Jan 24, 2026. They started at the State Capitol building and walked through E. Jones St.
Monks participated in a Walk for Peace stopped in Raleigh as part of a journey aimed at promoting nonviolence and mindfulness. The Raleigh stop drew community members who gathered to show support for the monks’ message of peace.
Community members gathered quietly as the monks passed through the city, many observing the walk in silence. The event emphasized peaceful action and collective responsibility during a time of ongoing global conflict.
The Raleigh stop served as a moment for residents to engage with the monks’ message and demonstrate local support for peace-focused initiatives.
Crystal Sanders, a business owner and Raleigh native, attended the walk. She and her family own a few small businesses here in the downtown area, a nail salon and a thrift store.
“One of the things that I think they are bringing light to is that we need to bring down the barriers as it pertains to peace, because peace can only be had if we are all joined together in unity,” said Sanders.
Sanders carried a sign with “Free America from hate” on one side and “What kind of society do you want to live in” on the other.
“We are out here today just to be in peace with everybody else and to say that the resistance never quits,” she said.
Buddhist monks are ordained members of the Buddhist monastic community who have dedicated their lives entirely to religious or spiritual practices.
The Monks are walking to raise “Awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world,” as stated on their official Walk for Peace Facebook page, where they posted daily updates on their journey.
The journey was meant to embody peace in a calm manner rather than promoting continued violence seen at recent protests. The monks encourage reflection, compassion, and unity. Participants and observers are invited to reflect on peace both personally and within their communities.
During their journey, they faced many challenges, including winter weather throughout the South. One of the monks was struck in a hit-and-run accident; Phra Ajarnh Maha Dam Phommasan is in critical condition after having his leg amputated. He is now recovering and has returned to his home in Atlanta, Georgia.
“This is my purpose, to serve joy, walk for peace, he told the Houston Chronicle.
In Raleigh, the monks made a speech at the capital. Throughout their speech, the monks highlighted that no matter everyone’s diverse backgrounds, “There’s no difference between all of us.”
Bhikkhu Paññākāra, the verbal speaker of the monks, gave the speech at the capital.
On Feb. 10, the monks finished their walk in DC and concluded the moment with a march down the memorial mall and a ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 11.