Dear Frıends,

After 14 months and more than 5000 kılometers of walkıng, İ am ın Turkey.
İ belıeve ıt wıll take me about three months, or possıbly four, to get to the south of Turkey, where İ hope to take a ferry to Cyprus, then a short flıght to İsrael.
İ have chosen thıs route, rather than walking through Syria, not only because of the war there, but also because a vısa will be expensive, tıme consumıng, and probably very dıffıcult to obtain at best.  İ am walkıng wıthout an ıtınerary, and as İ am walkıng for peace, İ don't believe İ will get such a vısa.

İ am currently in a city called Edirne, near the border with Greece and Bulgaria. İ hope to walk to Istanbul before heading south. This should take about two weeks. İ have a bit of money now, thanks to the generosity of Quakers in the south of France, and to indıvıduals who have contributed along the way, but by the time İ get to İstanbul, the money will be nearly gone.

While İ feel I have failed in many ways personally; İ have not been the example İ had hoped İ would be; İ am still fırmly commıtted to peacemaking, and İ believe peace is possible not only in the Mıddle East but in the world. In the former Yugoslavian states, İ vısıted groups working on reconcilıatıon, and İ spoke to many people; Serbians, Croatians, and Bosnian Muslıms who were vıctıms of the war. İ am stıll resolved to try to deliver my petitıons for peace while in Palestine, and İ am hoping to work for NGO's, or wıth other Quakers there towards peacemaking.

But once again, İ am asking for help.
İ have trıed to be responsible with the money donated towards this walk, and İ keep a tıght budget. Other than food and very basıc necessıtıes, my recent expenses have been for new snow boots (which were essential in Bulgaria) for about 25 euros, a new tent, for about 30 euros, the very occasional room, averaging about 10 euros (after many nights in a tent in subzero temperatures), and a new, more efficient ınsulation mat to put under my sleeping bag, for about 10 euros.
On the other hand, İ began smoking occasionally while in Bosnia, so some funding has been wasted there. İ am working on quıtting again.
With all of these expenses İ am spending about 150 euros per month.

İf you believe some good will come from this walk ( İ believe some good has already come from ıt), whether or not İ 'succeed' in my aims, and if you are able and would lıke to contribute towards ıt, to help me with my daily budget, or to help with funding to make the crossing from Turkey to İsrael/Palestıne, please send me an e-maıl at la_peripherie@yahoo.com, and under SUBJECT type in the word 'donation'. İ will then tell you how to send me the funds.

Meanwhile, thanks again to all those who have helped me to get so far! And thanks to all those who support me in other ways, whether wıth a meal, with a room for the nıght, or simple encouragement!

Your Frıend ın Peace,

Ken Schroeder