JAI JAGAT : Oct 2 2019 (Delhi) - Oct 2 2020 (Geneva)

Jai Jagat was an ambitious global peace and justice march initiated by Indian social activists Rajagopal P.V. and Jill Carr-Harris. Spanning approximately 14,000 km across 10 countries, the foot-march began on October 2, 2019 (coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi) and aimed to reach the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on October 2, 2020. [1, 2, 3, 4]

🌍 The Core Mission

The primary objective of the movement was to appeal to global policy-makers by focusing on four key pillars aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): [1]

• Eradication of Poverty: Ensuring that every human's basic needs are met.
• Social Inclusion: Eliminating discrimination based on race, caste, gender, and ethnicity.
• Climate Action: Reversing ecological destruction and unsustainable consumption.
• Ending Conflict: Halting armed violence and promoting active, bottom-up nonviolent change. [1, 2, 3, 4]

🚶 The Route and Progress

A core group of about 50 international marchers departed from Gandhi's resting place (Rajghat, New Delhi) on October 2, 2019. [1, 2]

• India Leg: The marchers spent their first 121 days traversing India, reaching the historical Sevagram Ashram in Maharashtra on January 30, 2020.
• International Leg: The group then flew to Iran to begin their transnational trek. They crossed into Armenia and Georgia, carrying testimonies and conducting nonviolence training along the way. [1, 2, 3, 5]

🛑 Pandemic Disruption

Despite its ambitious timeline to reach Geneva by October 2020, the physical march was forced to halt in Armenia in mid-March 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the marchers returned to their respective countries. [1, 2, 3]

🌱 Legacy and Next Steps

Though the physical walk was suspended, the movement transitioned into a long-term, decade-long initiative. Organizers shifted their advocacy efforts to virtual conferences and webinars throughout late 2020 to continue promoting nonviolent economic and ecological policies. [1]

For the complete history, route overviews, and ongoing international initiatives, you can read the official Jai Jagat 2020-2030 Vision Document or explore the Jai Jagat International platform. Detailed historical insights into the route are also available in the Global Peace March Route Book hosted by the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council of Ottawa. [1]

Draft by Google Gemini, Date: 20.05.26

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Note: Here we planned to support, cover, and document JAI JAGAT 2019/2020. Unfortunately, we did get not get a reply nor input or help from Jai Jagat then. Therefore, we abandoned our initiative. However, see below ⬇️ for additional information on Jai Jagat ;-)