Jonathan Meier braces his elbows on his knees and grins shyly on the couch of the Main Street Magazine office. He carries nothing with him but a small backpack and water bottle, which he rests at his feet. For the second time in two years, Meier is embarking on a cross-country walk to promote peaceful resolution to international conflict. He walks in support of Dennis Kucinich, a democratic presidential candidate who he believes represents the ideals that will lead the United states down a path of peace. " I walk as a pilgrim. I have no money, no sleeping bag, warm clothes, that's it. That creates a situation where I'm in an intimate situation with the people I'm working with. I rely on them to keep me alive. There's a strong sense of communion with it that opens up the way to peace," he said.

A recent graduate of Iowa State University, Meier was motivated to walk for peace for the first time in response to the impending war in Iraq in 2001. On October 17th, Meier began another journey that will lead him from Portland, Maine to San Francisco, California. He hopes to reach his destination by February 29, 2004: two days before the CA primary election.

There I was stranded outside of a town in Ohio, six miles from my destination and it was getting dark. It was a windy mountain road, without much of a shoulder and I had no way of getting to the town ahead.

Meier admits that his walk is sometimes perilous. In the past, he has struggled with finding places to stay before nightfall. He has relied heavily on church congregations to put him up for the night. "Sometimes [congregations] only have five hours notice," he says nonchalantly. He has also had to deal with hazards such as the narrow shoulders found on New Hampshire's winding mountain roads. He tells this story from his last journey on foot: "There I was stranded outside of a town in Ohio, six miles from my destination and it was getting dark. It was a windy mountain road, without much of a shoulder and I had no way of getting to the town ahead. I called the person in charge setting up a place to stay and he said he was busy, he was a pastor at a Methodist church. He had made a reservation for me at a local hotel.

I resorted to asking for help at a local gas station-it was the first time I had ever asked for a ride. Finally this guy said he'd take me. He was very poor, uneducated. He was with his girlfriend and her two children in this old, falling apart van. He really impressed me. He said very humbly and innocently that he was probably the nicest person in town.

When we pulled into the town and he saw the hotel that I was staying at, he looked-- not jealous-- but like he wouldn't mind taking a vacation there. I got into the hotel and it was a dive. My room was above the bar, an eight-by eight-cubicle with the bathroom down the hall to the right. Springs were sticking up out of the mattress. American flags decorated the room. It really opened my eyes at the time. We've got to listen to these people who have these experiences. When I was growing up I was poor but I wasn't that poor. A man named Henri Rouwen said once that "the seeds of peace are planted in the oppressed." I feel that they are the way to peace."

This journey will prove easier for Jonathan because this time he has Kucinich supporters to go ahead and book lodging and nourishment for him if he needs it. Furthermore, growing numbers of Kucinich supporters have pledged to join the walk in various states. Fredrick Lancaster, who provided Meier housing and joined him on the first leg of his walk from Portland to Durham, New Hampshire said that Meier will be anticipated by well wishers on his future stops. "It's different with this campaign. I'm sure he has housing all across the country. He's only walking during the day. He's in good hands."

Fifty-seven year old Kucinich the oldest of six children. His father was a truck-driver, and he grew up so immersed in poverty that often sent the family to look for new housing. At times the Kucinich family lived out of their car. At age 31, Kucinich was elected mayor of Cleveland Ohio, the youngest Mayor ever elected in the United States. Kucinich is spoken of as "The Peace Candidate," being the only candidate of the nine running on the democratic ticket that voted down the decision to wage war on Iraq. Kucinich also established legislation for the formation of a Department of Peace. "I have followed Kucinich and I've noticed that he dosen't move back and forth on issues. He speaks the truth," said Meier, "I appreciate his idea for a Department of Peace. He wants to create a department where non violent resolutions and tactics are the guiding principle for domestic and international disputes."

On October 20, Kucinich called for a small gathering made up mostly of UNH students, in order to discuss their concerns. Main Street Magazine was present, along with representatives from SEAC, Students for Choice, the college Democrats, WUNH and other student organizations, and also a number of concerned students. At this confrence, Kucinich spoke on various issues from education to reproductive rights. He made clear his intention to withdraw from NAFTA and the WTO, citing a six month's notice withdrawal clause available to the United States President. While discussing the U.S.'s role in the conflict between Israel and Palistine, Kucinich shifted the spotlight to his own country's participation in wars. "We cannot put our foot on the excelerator of war and simultantiossy try to apply the brakes of peace in another place. Our ambitions of attacking iraq created conditions whre we made it that much more difficult to create peace anywhere in the world. War is like a virus, if you promote it anywhere it can pop up everywhere."

Of his decision in Congress to vote against a military strike on Iraq, he said, "they never showed us anything. It was all a bunch of baloney. So we now stand at a point in history that if we don't get out of iraq we are standing on a lie. The men and women who are honorable and loyal to their country…we need to bring them home."

Kucinich then made known that he would cancel plans to go home to Washington D.C. in order to join a piece rally in Montpeiler the following day. He further shared his intentions if voted into the presidency before fleeting to Phillips Exeter Academy where he would speak to students that night. "Its about a world where we really connect with the nations of the world and we work to sustain the world by getting rid of all nuclear weapons, really affirming the principles of the non-proliferation treaty, As president I'll sign the biological weapons convention, the chemical weapons convention, the small arms trheaty the land mine treaty join the international criminal court so that we participate fully in an international system of justice, sign the Kyoto climate change treaty, and call it rejoining the world. I mean, It would be nice for America to rejoin the world."

Of Meier, Kucinich said, "What a powerful testimony that someone would use their own physical expression of self by walking, to be peace. He's literally carrying that message across the country for us. I'm very grateful and very inspired by what he's doing."