After walking for 73 days, sleeping in 50 different locations and meeting thousands of people we have arrived in Canberra.

This has been a journey where we have connected with many community groups and cross pollinated our knowledge and passions by sharing stories, experiences and insights about how Australia can become more peaceable, sustainable and nuclear free.

A big thankyou to everyone who was involved in FootPrints for Peace.  Thankyou to the local and regional organisers, thanks to the people who walked with us (more than 250 people), thanks to the people who organised accommodation, thanks to the chefs and cooks, thanks to the people who promoted and organised a community event, thanks to the media, thanks to the people who took an interest in our walk, thanks to the people who tooted their horns as we walked.

This journey has been a challenge not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.  Walking on the land and seeing the different terrain, feeling the different energies of the land and connecting with the land certainly is a powerful experience.  I have had the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding about the aboriginal culture, a better sense of myself as well as others.  I have certainly felt the highs and lows of this adventure but am totally heartened by the simple joys of this beautiful country and the people that have been attracted to this walk.

As I return home, I am uncertain of what I am going to do next.  I know that I want to continue being involved in connecting people, talk about things that are important to me and do my best to make this world a better place.

In Peace,

Cassie McMahon

Thanks to all those people who have sent us emails and text messages and those joined us in Canberra.  We have been conserving our energy to finish the walk ... we have stopped walking and now have the energy to update you of what happened.  

I woke everyone with a celebration that "Today is the last day of walking" repeatedly.  Woohoo today is the last day of walking.  I was feeling excited about having a break from pounding the pavement, roads, beaches and highways day in, day out.

The peace walkers finally came to my part of the Central Coast. As a local I am reasonably familiar with the area and instead of leaving footprintsforpeace on the long and winding Old Pacific Highway to Mooney Mooney, we walked to Patonga where our wonderful and most reliable supporter and benefactor Glenys had organised a boat trip to Kangaroo Point for us.

The Prime Minister has declined our request to meet us in Canberra and has suggested we meet with Minister for Housing and Womens Affairs.  We requested the meeting in November 2009. 

This is a sample letter that has been sent to his office from the people on the Gold Coast.

Thanks to all who have responded in a similar fashion...

The walk is going well and we are still on schedule.  There are many people we've connected with on the walk joining us in Canberra for our final days of this wonderful mission.  

24th May - We will be walking into Canberra join us for the final few kilometres at the Canberra Railway Station in Kingston at 1pm.  There will be activities at the Tent Embassy.   We have requested many appointments with Members of Parliament and on Friday we were informed the the Prime Minister would not be able to accept our "invitation" and has referred our request to Minister for Womens Affair and Housing.  Not sure how knowledgable she will be about the nuclear cycle, sustainability or peace.

When I read these words on the ‘FootPrints for Peace’ flyer I knew that I had to join the walkers.  This is such an important message! Another World is possible and we can all help make it happen!   

Listening to and reading the stories it is clear that this walk has been an amazing catalyst bringing together so many different groups and individuals around this vision that ‘ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE’.   A world without nuclear weapons and with a sustainable future is a vision that so many Australians already hold dear and want to share with wider and wider circles of people, sparking their imaginations too.

It was the idea of one of the Dunghutti Elders, Auntie Mary,  when I was telling them about Footprints for Peace and how we, Macleay Nuclear Free Alliance, were organizing an event to  welcome the women walking for peace and a sustainable, nuclear-free future when they passed through Kempsey on their way to Canberra. I was trying to arrange for an Elder to do the Welcome to Country at the beginning of the event.

THANKS TO LM, PROTOCOL, CLR TORNAI AND LEE RHIANNON

BUT REAL THANKS GO TO THE WOMEN WHO HAVE WALKED THE HARD MILES TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT DANGERS POSED BY THE URANIUM AND NUCLEAR INDUSTRIES.

NOW MORE THAN EVER WE HAVE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE DANGERS OF NUCLEAR POWER BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY IS SET TO PROMOTE ITSELF AS THE ANSWER TO CLIMATE CHANGE. AN ANSWER WE KNOW WILL ONLY CREATE MORE PROBLEMS AND MORE DANGERS.

THIS IS AN ANSWER THAT WILL LEAD THE WORLD AWAY FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES TO AN INDUSTRY THAT IS MORE TOXIC AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS THAN PEOPLE IMAGINE.

On Sunday, May 9 2010, I hosted a civic reception at Sydney Town Hall and presented a Message from the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, MP to the walkers. I have reproduced a copy of my speech below to further signify my support for Footprints of Peace.  

“Good morning everyone and I extend a warm welcome to Sydney Town Hall.    I would also like to acknowledge members of the Legislative Council, City of Sydney and Local Government Councillors and especially to all participants in the ‘Women’s Walk for Peace’.  

I had just lit the evening fire at my home in Bundabah, on Monday (the 25th of April.) I went out to the shed to get some wood and there was a van in our street covered in peace and anti-nuclear stickers – the peace walkers had arrived! I was expecting the walkers the following day. I had been looking forward to the peace walk coming through Port Stevens and I was planning an event for the walkers in Newcastle on Friday the 30th of April. What a wonderful experience it has been to meet June, Cassie and Dawn and to walk with them for a few days.