Walk for Values is a walk for you and I, our families and community, held with a purpose to promote Human Values.
Walk for Values involves no money. Participants don’t raise money for any cause. Rather, we will make the world a better place by pledging our commitment to practice a human value of our choice.

Within 2 years of its existence, it became apparent to the families and friends of Toronto’s Sathya Sai School that these children were interacting differently and positively in various situations in life. Their level of maturity and loving approach spoke of wisdom beyond their years. Deeper enquiry attributed these positive changes to the influence of the human values that were integrated into their school’s curriculum. Investing in a transformative and service learning was paying off huge dividends of peaceful, happy and caring individuals and home environments. In 2003, the grateful parents decided to share their joyful discovery with the larger community by urging them to try their hand at embracing a values-oriented lifestyle.

We can make a difference by our collective will and leadership to act. By walking together as kindred spirits, we can achieve two things:
we can raise awareness of positive human values such as love, truth, non-violence and peace;
and more importantly, we can bring attention to the urgent need to practice them in our community and halt the social and environmental ills that plague our lives.

Take a moment to reflect and zone in on a positive human value of your choice that will make you a more caring, concerned and happy person. When you are more socially responsible and aware, you make our community a better place and our planet a healthier one.
Human Values are the core attributes of our personalities that do not change with time and place. These are the inborn traits which drive superior human behavior and nobler choices. While different people use different words to voice their values, these concepts can be distilled into a set of five basic values:
Pledge to practice that value and show up, ready to walk on May 31st 2009 at Dundas square – 10:00 a.m. is registration, walk begins at 11 a.m.

Mahatma Gandhi said: Become the change you want in the world. To show your resolve to be an example of the change you want, you will be required to wear a badge which labels the value which you plan to practice. For example, if you are impatient with your children as a parent, you may wish to choose the value “Patience.” If you wish to contribute to the health of the earth, you may wish to choose: “Conservation.” If you are always running late, you may wish to pledge to “Punctuality”. Every patient parent, environmentally conscious citizen and punctual colleague can make our world a better place.

Values are the positive qualities inherent in each of us. They are the natural state of our being. They are universal and not restricted to national borders, cultures or faith groups.
Human Values are the core attributes of our personalities that do not change with time and place. These are the inborn traits which drive superior human behavior and nobler choices. While different people use different words to voice their values, these concepts can be distilled into a set of five basic values:
LOVE: caring, compassion, reverence, forgiveness, generosity, kindness, enthusiasm, tolerance, dedication, devotion, unity.
PEACE: contentment, discipline, humility, patience, satisfaction, self-control, self-confidence, self-respect, understanding, modesty.
TRUTH: honesty, integrity, understanding, empathy, optimism, excellence.
NON-VIOLENCE: gentleness, consideration, moderation, co-operation, brotherhood, equality, cultural respect, social justice.
RIGHT-CONDUCT: courtesy, gratitude, perseverance, determination, responsibility, sacrifice, initiative, leadership, courage, duty and ethics.

The Walk for Values is a barriers-free invitation, open to ALL, regardless of your age, profession, faith, culture, language or race, for it promotes values that have no borders.
These inherent values need to be promoted and practiced among individuals, families, communities, political bodies, leaders, corporations, social groups, businesses … everyone who believes in the sanctity of all life forms, personal accountability and social responsibility.

This walk creates:
Awareness of values in a spirit of camaraderie
Platform to share positive experiences about values
An opportunity for self-assessment and transformation by pledging to practice a value of the Participant’s choice

Pick a value that you need to focus on
Pledge to practice that value during the walk along with friends and families
Practice the chosen value going forward till it becomes a part of your personality.

The Sathya Sai School of Canada was founded in the year 2000. It is a unique learning model that integrates values into the Ontario academic curriculum. This unique blend of Character Education and Academic Excellence has resulted in some very happy and bright young students who are practicing higher values and bringing the good environment home.
In the year 2003, their grateful parents wanted to share this joy and express their gratitude for the positive impact of human values on their children and, by extension, their homes. Hence they thought of spreading the message of human values to the larger community by holding a walkathon that celebrates these values. Ever since, the Walk for Values has become an annual community event.

We usually have over 6000 people who join us in this walk every year. This year we hope to have a bigger participation.

The Parent Council of the Sathya Sai School of Canada sponsors the Walk for Values. The Sathya Sai School of Canada is an independent school located in Toronto’s east-end. It integrates the Ontario Curriculum with the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values. This model strives to create awareness of the values inherent in all human beings and build exemplary and model global citizens of sound character.

The Sathya Sai School of Canada is an independent school specializing in Character Education. It is not faith based.
It is founded by Universal Teacher Sri Sathya Sai Baba who says that there is only one race, the race of humanity and only one religion, the religion of love.
The human values that form the core of the Sai education model are values without any borders as they are universal in relevance and appeal. Based on Sai Baba’s vision, the school is open to peoples of any economic, cultural, racial, religious or spiritual background. The school’s motto is “The End of Education is Character.”

Sunday, May 31st 2009, at the Yonge-Dundas Square, opposite Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto Registration starts at 10:00 AM Walk begins at 11:00 AM Starts and ends at the Yonge-Dundas Square The distance we walk is less than 3 kilometre

Yes, this is our seventh year holding this unique community event. This walk has now become a much anticipated annual event that serves to lovingly remind participants and spectators of the need to practice with greater intensity the human values that are present in each of us.

Although it was born here, today, a dozen cities across our great nation, from Vancouver to Ottawa have been inspired by Toronto’s example to hold the same walkathon locally.
Another dozen cities across the world have also taken a cue from Toronto’s lead and are replicating the event in their communities. These include cities in the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and Trinidad.

A well frequented location such as the downtown core delivers the message to a bigger slice of Toronto’s population. Having reiterated the message to the Malvern Community for 4 years, the organizers felt the need to expand its impact. The downtown location provides the opportunity to create greater awareness of the values to more businesses, offices, shoppers, commuters … nice folks like you.

From 2003 to 2006, the first four Walks for Values were held in Toronto’s east-end – at the Scarborough Civic Centre and Malvern Community Center.

The walk is a pleasant and short one. The experience is very powerful though. The actual time taken to complete it will be about an hour to an hour and a half. We will be walking a total of approximately 3 kilometres.
The walk will start off with some warm-ups and end with a carnival waiting to welcome you back with loads of entertainment from various groups, in addition to free face painting, henna tattoos and stalls selling mouth-watering food. You name it we’ll have it to make it worth your while. Your pledge to improve will be richly rewarded.

Of course you can! This walk is for you, your family and friends and your community…feel free to bring everyone along. All are welcome. The more the merrier!

This walk will cost you absolutely no money, only your commitment to take charge to be the change you wish to see in the world around you. However we do sell t-shirts for the walk for $10. You are welcome to buy them if you so wish. It makes a great souvenir but its purchase is not mandatory.

No, you don’t have to buy a t-shirt which costs $10. You can certainly participate without the Walk for Values t-shirt. There are absolutely no strings attached to this walk, except for your commitment to become a better, happier, more caring person.

Stepping forward boldly to improve ourselves, our community, city, world and the planet is indeed an honour and a privilege. It’s a nice opportunity to live up to our reputation as good, caring, concerned and responsible human beings. Indeed, goodness is its own reward.

Walk is a 3 hour event. However, the participants are encouraged to practice the pledged value for the rest of the year.

The actual walk will be for about an hour. We will be walking a total of 3 km. The event constitutes
Sharing importance of values
Recognize those who promoted values
Cultural programs by children, community members and cultural groups
Free face painting, henna tattoos for children, world cuisine available at stalls.

To help participants understand the benefit of practicing values, our theme for 2009 is:
“Go Green – the values way”. Together, we can make a difference to save our planet from being plundered due to our insatiable greed.

Weather appropriate clothing is advised.

Bottled water is provided free to all participants. Food stalls will be selling international foods at the end of the walk, as a part of the carnival.

There is underground parking available right below the Yonge-Dundas Square and also various parking lots around this location. Even the Eaton Centre across from it has plenty of parking spaces. All the parking facilities are paid parking.

Please visit our website at www.walkforvalues.com or view the Contact Us section to speak with a Walk representative.

There are many committees that are working with a lot of energy and we can use all the help we can get. Please drop us an email at the Contact Us section on our website www.walkforvalues.com indicating your areas of interest. We’ll get back to you at our earliest.
Most importantly, please register online and do join us at 10 AM on Sunday, May 31st 2009 If you are a last minute participant, we will be happy to register you onsite at the Yonge-Dundas Square at our on-location Registration Counter.

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