Nepalese activist Pushkar Shah has cycled through 142 countries in an effort to promote peace (Photo by Thameen Kheetan)
By Thameen Kheetan
AMMAN - Having escaped kidnappers, bullets and theft, Nepalese cyclist Pushkar Shah has only eight countries left to visit before completing his international peace-promotion tour.
Having arrived in Amman over the weekend, Jordan became Shah’s 142nd destination since embarking on his project 11 years ago, with a goal to collect 150 flags to place on Mount Everest.
This symbolic activity will mark an end to Shah's global tour, throughout which he has addressed mayors, politicians, civil society organisations and local residents concerning the lack of peace around the world, he told The Jordan Times in an interview in Amman on Monday.
"I try to encourage people to stand against war and fighting," he explained, adding that even in a country where there is no war, people can still be affected by conflicts in other parts of the world.
"We have peace in Jordan but the country's neighbours are fighting," Shah said, in reference to struggles taking place in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Lebanon.
"We have one sun, one moon and one world… it is our one home and we are all family in this home," the 41-year-old biker said of the essence of world peace.
Hailing from a remote area near the Himalayas, the cyclist said the lack of asphalt roads in his village motivated him to first learn how to ride a bike when he was 21.
Shah said he was inspired to start his journey in 1996 after his father was killed by South Indian separatist rebels while serving with Nepali peacekeeping troops in the area.
"There is not much peace left in this world, everywhere we are fighting for power, politics, land and religion… we are killing each other," he said.
In 1998, the activist finally set off on his bicycle with a mission to reach 390,000 kilometres in 11 years.
Shah does not have sponsorship or any other source of income to support his initiative. Instead, his strategy is to survive day by day, depending on aid from passers-by he encounters on his journey.
An American citizen who admired his venture offered him hotel accommodation and food during his stay in Amman. Otherwise, he said he would have used his tent for shelter.
Shah considers himself a survivor, noting that he has not always been met with hospitality.
In Mexico, Shah said he was kidnapped by two men who took him into a forest.
At the beginning, he thought the kidnappers would offer him food and accommodation, but it soon became apparent that they planned to kill him.
“When I thought I was going to die, I decided to fight," he recalled, adding that he hit one of them and ran away, leaving his bike and belongings.
The cyclist has also been the victim of 10 thefts, seven of which occurred in African countries, many of which were at gunpoint.
Despite the risks, the activist said his cause has been more than worth it. Shah’s travels have made him a media sensation in many of the countries he has visited, and the activist now boasts an extensive archive folder of news clippings from around the world.
In Amman, Shah said he didn’t have the opportunity to talk to many politicians or civil society organisations, but he did receive the Jordanian flag from Haitham Jweinat, deputy city director at the Greater Amman Municipality.
He will leave from a Dead Sea resort today, heading for the Palestinian territories and Israel, in his second visit to one of the world's main conflict spots.
After reaching Mount Everest, Shah plans to document his experience and adventures in a book, showcasing the commonalities among different cultures, peoples and places.
“I don't know about politics, but what I do know is that we should be one family," he said.
