They say, “Health is wealth”. They might as well also add, “Wealth has any lasting value only in times of peace.”

Nelson Mandela not only understood this fundamental truth that peace is the cornerstone of everything else that human beings value and thrive on in life, but also lived it and preached it. Peace, health, human rights and justice as well as social and economic well-being of all people, were his life’s work and his cherished and steadfast goal. Following Nelson Mandela’s passing in 2013 at the age of 95, peace has also now become his vibrant legacy, budding reality and a baton of flowering hope that he has passed on to his supporters and the rest of the world.

Mrs Graça Machel, Nelson Mandela’s wife, Board Chair of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, co-founder of The Elders, the group of independent leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to work for peace, justice and human rights, is just such a lifelong supporter and trusted baton carrier. Mrs. Machel embodies the solidity of Mandela’s legacy and the youthfulness of his relentless efforts to sustain Mandela’s vision for peace for many generations into the future. With Mandela’s birth centenary fast approaching and the world’s ever unquenchable thirst for peace, Mandela’s lofty bequest to the world is only poised to blossom ever more beautifully with the passage of time.

It was imbued with these reflections that the Peace Run has benefited from this unparalleled opportunity to encounter Mrs. Machel following her exalted talk to the delegates of the World Health Assembly and the wider international community in Geneva, Switzerland (see above photo). Health and peace go hand in hand as humanity is charting its course towards a brighter future, with Mandela’s life serving as a beacon of hope for the world.

The Peace Run congratulates Mrs. Machel for her sincere efforts and high ideals. We wish Mrs. Machel much health, happiness and peace of her own as well as determination and strength as she continues to carry aloft Mandela's (and the world's) banner of peace and health for all.