PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Reissue – June 2025

lawrencelefcort
Jun 15
5 min read

Updated: Jun 17

In an Age of War: From a Papal Blessing to Glastonbury, Jerusalem, and Hiroshima — WWII Descendants Unite for Global Peace

As wars dominate headlines—from the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran to ongoing war in Ukraine—an extraordinary peace initiative is about to take place.

HOPE80, a global peace pilgrimage launched by the descendants of the very leaders who once stood on opposite sides of history.

On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Harry S. Truman, and Hideki Tojo will begin a historic journey together—carrying the Flame of Hope, a sacred fire born of sixteen peace flames, including those from Hiroshima, Bethlehem, and the Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal.

Their journey begins on June 18th with a General Audience with His Holiness Pope Leo at the Vatican, followed by a global itinerary of symbolic moments—from recreating the iconic Abbey Road photo in London, to addressing the Italian and UK Parliaments, London City Hall, and taking the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival.

“Our ancestors were once at war,” says Lucy Sandys, great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill. “Today, we travel together as friends—to carry forward their legacy, not of conflict, but of compassion.”

In a year already marked by rising violence in the Middle East, the return of trench warfare to European soil, and deepening divides across the globe, HOPE80 is a reminder of our shared humanity—and the urgent need to choose peace.

In 2025, HOPE80 will visit key global locations including Jerusalem, Hiroshima, New York, and the Osaka World Expo, culminating on September 21st, the UN’s International Day of Peace.

Also joining the tour is Jennifer Teege, the Black granddaughter of Nazi SS officer Amon Göth and bestselling author of My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me. Her presence adds an unforgettable reminder of history’s darkest lessons—and the personal courage needed to break generational cycles.

The journey is accompanied by a new mobile app, The Flame of Hope, which transforms positive actions into real-world aid for underserved communities around the world.

CONTACT INFO:

Dana Day

Press Representative

Positive TV

+44 7742 449395

danaammadaypr@gmail.com

Dr Alice Dalsass,

Vice-President, Flame of Hope Europe

+43 69911048522

alice.dalsass@flameofhope.net

Rev. Lawrence Lefcort

Executive Director, Flame of Hope International

+1 450 295 1470

lawrence.lefcort@flameofhope.net

IG: @flameofhope_net

Notes to editor:

Bios of each descendant:

Tushar Gandhi

Great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Writer and the founder of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation. He played in the films Hey Raam (directed by Kamal Hassan) and Road to Sangam. His book, Let's Kill Gandhi, was a bestseller in India for several weeks. In 2019, he was appointed to the board of the Gandhi Research Foundation.

Lucy Sandys

Great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill. After studying at university in Italy, Lucy spent time volunteering in Brazil, working with street children and now works as teacher of English to international students, and those with additional needs. She has a degree in modern languages and has recently completed her CELTA and a PGCert in SEN and Inclusion.

Through her experiences, and growing up with a knowledge of the history surrounding her great-grandfather, Winston Churchill, Lucy is keen to further the cause of peace at all levels in whatever way she can.

Clifton Truman Daniel

His grandfather gave the order. The sky over Hiroshima burned. Yet Clifton, the eldest grandson of Harry S. Truman, chooses a different path—one of listening, healing, and standing with survivors to fight for a world free from nuclear war.

In 2012, after attending the Peace Memorial Ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Clifton acted to support the hibakusha in Hiroshima. He is the author of Growing Up with My Grandfather Harry S. Truman.

Hidetoshi Tojo

Great grandson of former Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. Mr Tojo is a critic, businessman, and a researcher on shrines and Shintoism.

When he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, his mother took him to see a movie about the Tokyo Trials, and he became keenly aware that he is a descendant of Hideki Tojo. In elementary school, he had a traumatic experience when a teacher on the verge of retirement, who knew Hideki Tojo, ridiculed him for his surname. Currently, he is the president of the General Incorporated Association for the Promotion of International Culture. He is the author of several books, including Shrine Tourism.

Jennifer Teege

Granddaughter of SS Nazi concentration camp commander Amon Göth. Born to German and Nigerian parents, Ms. Teege was placed in an orphanage at four weeks old, grew up with her adoptive parents from the age of seven, and later graduated from Tel Aviv University in Israel.

One day, she found a photo of her birth mother in the library and began researching, and traveling back and forth between Israel and Poland. She eventually unraveled the secret of her origins and was shocked. After facing an unbearable amount of pain, she wrote two books, including My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family’s Nazi Past, which became an international bestseller.

Magali Brosh

Magali Brosh is the daughter of a highly decorated pilot of the Israeli army. Her mother survived the Holocaust and emigrated to Israel after the Second World War. Magali is a Tao Shiatsu therapist and teacher and the Middle East Flame of Hope Ambassador.

In 2015, the Flame of Hiroshima arrived in Palestine and Israel, and as a member of an international Flame of Hope delegation, Magali supported and encouraged the wish for peace. The Flame of Hope was brought to Israel in 2023 to be safeguarded as a symbol for a bright future for the region and to light occasions for peace in the Middle East. Magali is a human rights activist for Palestinian people and Israelis, as well as a mother and grandmother.

About HOPE80

HOPE80 is a global intergenerational peace initiative that began in March 2025 in Lumbini, Nepal—the birthplace of the Buddha—and continues throughout the year, with events in:

Rome, Italy – Vatican visit and the 2nd Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue
United Kingdom - London and the Glastonbury Music Festival
Jerusalem, Israel-Palestine – The People’s Summit
Alkmaar, the Netherlands – Liberation Festival and National Dutch Peace Week
Vienna, Austria – Interfaith Peace Prayer, Diocese Eisenstadt
Osaka, Japan – World Expo Forum

At Glastonbury, the Flame of Hope will be joined by a team of Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to peace who have worked for reconciliation and change in Israel, Palestine and globally.

Toward a Nuclear Free World

Summer 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This historic milestone makes the launch of HOPE 80 especially urgent—a timely opportunity to lay the foundation for a nuclear-free, peaceful future by transforming the suffering of the past into a brighter path forward for all.

Descendants whose ancestors were once enemies will travel together and become today's friends, hoping to act as living symbols, like the Flame of Hope, to create a new and brighter page of human history.