Student torchbearers run in harmony

The World Harmony Run torch has already been held by more than a million people this year and now Hamilton East School's Nawal Aided has joined the list.

The five-year-old student said she was happy to hold the heavy torch, when runners from the world's largest relay for world harmony stopped at her school.

Excited students lined the path as the six runners from Hungary, Rarotonga and New Zealand carried the torch into the hall.

New Zealand is one of the last stops for the run which begins in April each year at the UN headquarters in New York, before travelling over 100 nations and six continents, and ending up back in New York. The concept was launched in 1987.

Three teams of runners, en route from Cape Reinga to Bluff, visited schools around Hamilton and Cambridge to spread international friendship, cultural understanding and world peace.

Team member Uddipan Brown explained the aim of promoting world harmony: "We are members of the same family, one big human family that stretches around the world."

The children said the language barrier could be a challenge, as some of the runners came from non-English speaking countries, but there was always someone to help them understand.

Principal Allan Bull said the run was an inspiration for children at the school, which was ethnically diverse. "We encourage as many visitors and groups to come in, it fits with one of our key concepts of living in a global community."

Rotorua was the next stop for the relay.

- © Fairfax NZ News