2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 18

Commending the Walk for Peace.

Agreed to by the Senate, January 29, 2026

WHEREAS, the Walk for Peace is a 2,300-mile spiritual and patriotic pilgrimage by a group of Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., that has inspired communities throughout the southern United States; and

WHEREAS, this historic journey was undertaken by 19 Buddhist monks, led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, to spread a message of kindness, harmony, and nonviolence during a time when communities across the nation have been affected by various challenges, deepening divisions, and global uncertainty; and

WHEREAS, the Walk for Peace serves as a powerful reminder that peace begins within individuals and radiates outward to families, communities, and nations; and

WHEREAS, the Walk for Peace embodies the timeless values of the Buddhist tradition—wisdom, compassion, and mindfulness—while also honoring deeply held American principles of unity, personal responsibility, and mutual respect; and

WHEREAS, the Walk for Peace extends an open invitation to people of all faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs to join in a shared aspiration to live with greater compassion and understanding; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Walk for Peace hereby be commended on the occasion of its passage through the Commonwealth in 2026; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bhikkhu Pannakara, leader of the Walk for Peace, as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for its mission to foster unity, healing, compassion, and peace in communities throughout the Commonwealth and across the nation.