Nitin Sonawane

Jai Jagat
I am Nitin Sonawane, a 35-year-old engineer, Gandhian, truth seeker, peace walker, and world traveler from India. For the past decade, I have been promoting the message of nonviolence, peace, human unity, and environmental responsibility inspired by Mahatma Gandhi through long-distance walking and cycling journeys across the world.
Born in the small village of Rashin in Maharashtra, India, I grew up in a humble family where my mother worked tirelessly selling fish in the local market to support our family and raise three sons. My first lessons in interfaith harmony did not come from books. They came from my own home. While my family is Hindu, my mother embraced Christianity, my father observed fasting during Ramadan, and my grandmother followed a Sikh tradition. Growing up in such an atmosphere taught me the values of religious harmony, mutual respect, and appreciation for different beliefs from an early age.
At the age of seventeen, I became deeply fascinated by questions about the nature of truth, life, and the universe. Inspired by the teachings of Gautam Buddha and India’s rich spiritual traditions, I briefly left home in search of answers. Although I returned the next day to continue my education, that experience ignited a lifelong journey of self-discovery that continues to guide my path today.
I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Sinhgad Academy of Engineering in Pune in 2013. After working as an engineer in the telecommunications industry for six months, I realized my true calling lay elsewhere. In 2015, I joined the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in Pune as a volunteer under the guidance of Dr. Kumar Saptarshi. During my time there, I immersed myself in Gandhian philosophy and worked on issues related to caste discrimination, communal harmony, peace education, social justice, equality, and nonviolence.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that personal transformation and social change go hand in hand, I began a global peace journey in 2016. Since then, I have traveled through 51 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Central America, South America, and the Middle East. Along the way, I have walked more than 30,000 kilometers through 31 countries and cycled over 25,000 kilometers through 20 countries, covering a combined distance of more than 55,000 kilometers.
My journeys have included walking from Tokyo to Hiroshima in Japan, crossing multiple African countries inspired by the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, traveling through Central America, and walking 5,142 kilometers across the United States from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. These experiences have taken me through remote villages, deserts, mountains, forests, and major cities, allowing me to meet people from diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds.
I believe walking is one of the most powerful ways to connect with people, cultures, and the natural world. Walking slows us down, creates space for meaningful dialogue, and reminds us of our shared humanity beyond borders, religions, and national identities. Through these journeys, I have learned that despite our differences, people everywhere share the same hopes for peace, dignity, justice, and a better future.
Throughout my travels, I have received support from Gandhian organizations, peace groups, environmental organizations, Indian communities abroad, and countless individuals who believe in building a more compassionate world. I have delivered talks and participated in discussions at schools, colleges, universities, community centers, and public gatherings across many countries, engaging thousands of people in conversations about peace, nonviolence, social responsibility, and global citizenship.
Indian embassies in several countries have also supported my mission by organizing speaking engagements, connecting me with local communities, and helping spread the message of peace and human unity. These opportunities have enabled me to build friendships across cultures and strengthen people-to-people connections around the world.
My work has been featured in television, newspapers, magazines, and digital media platforms internationally. In recognition of my efforts to promote peace and nonviolence, I received the Maja Koene International Peace Award. In 2020, I also wrote a weekly column for Maharashtra’s widely read newspaper Sakal Saptranga, sharing stories of different countries, inspiring individuals, and lessons learned through travel.
Alongside peacebuilding, I actively collaborate with environmental organizations and advocates to raise awareness about the deep connection between peace and environmental sustainability. I believe that lasting peace cannot exist without ecological responsibility, and that humanity must learn to live in harmony with nature while protecting the planet for future generations.
My journey is guided by a simple belief: peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, compassion, understanding, and respect for all life.
My mission is to serve humanity, build friendships across borders, promote dialogue between cultures, address social challenges, and share the timeless values of truth and nonviolence with people around the world. As long as my health and circumstances allow, I intend to continue walking across the world, building bridges between people, learning from different cultures, and sharing the message that humanity is one family.
Jai Jagat – Victory to the World.