The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : The `peacehiker' from Slovenia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 17, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

The `peacehiker' from Slovenia

Special Correspondent

Matej Sedurak has covered 19 countries across three continents in 18 months

Matej Sedurak. — photo: k. murali kumar

Bangalore: He has seen more of the world than most 21-year-olds do. Alone, on foot or by hitching rides.

Matej Sedurak from Slovenia calls himself the "peacehiker" and has a website, already filled with chronicles of his wandering: www.peacehiker.com. Eighteen months of wandering through 19 countries across three continents.

Mr. Matej began his journey in July 2004. "When I was 20 I just wanted to be happy... now I have realised that others need to be happy too, if I am to be happy," he says. Behind that is a zeal to create, what he calls, "a world without visas, without frontiers and differences between people."

The long journey has made him realise that all people, behind their ethnic and cultural differences are similar to each other. He has found this out travelling through Europe, the United States of America, Mexico, "all over Central America" and Cuba, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and now India. "I spent exactly 25 minutes in Pakistan because I did not have a visa, I was escorted to the Indian border," he says with a smile. Asked which are the places he visited in these countries, Mr. Matej says: "Places are not important, people are. I started with a backpack and now hardly carry anything with me. I have found the world is beautiful and there are good people everywhere. Many ordinary people have helped me, expected nothing in return." His philosophy is simple enough but far-reaching: "We need to dream about what kind of world we really want, and look at positive things around us."

He wants the youth in his country to think beyond themselves and reach out to other young people across the world. The President of Slovenia will be in Bangalore in a few days to attend the assembly to mark the silver jubilee of the Art of Living, and has been corresponding with him and has received emails in reply.

Mr. Matej is convinced that the Internet can bring the world closer. "There are millions already reaching out to each other on the Web and in time they will realise they are not different from each other though they live continents apart," he says with enthusiasm.

He has met spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama in Delhi. He does not want to preach any religion or even a new religion but people do listen to him when he speaks about that one world, he dreams about. "You can be a peacehiker too... All you need is to be a good person and people will take you seriously," he adds.

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