UN International Day of Non-Violence, with Keynote Address by Ambassador P.A. Nazareth, 2 October 2012

A programme organized by H.E. Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, commemorated the UN International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October 2012 in the ECOSOC Chamber at UN Headquarters in New York. H.E. Mr. S.M. Krishna, External Affairs Minister of India, presided, and H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the General Assembly, was the guest of honour..Ambassador P A Nazareth, author of the widely acclaimed book, Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership, delivered the keynote address on “Gandhi: The Non Violent Revolutionary,” which featured a section highlighting Sri Chinmoy’s work at the United Nations. An excerpt from Ambassador Nazareth’s remarks appears below:

Commemoration of the UN International Day of Non-Violence on 2 October 2012 in the ECOSOC Chamber at UN Headquarters in New York.

Table of Contents

“Gandhi : The Non-Violent Revolutionary”

Excerpt from the Keynote Address by Ambassador P.A. Nazareth for the UN International Day of Non-Violence, 2 October 2012

“An enlightened effort to initiate this ‘new manner of thinking’ at the United Nations was made by the farsighted and deeply spiritual former UN Secretary General U Thant in 1970 by inviting Sri Chinmoy, the Indian spiritual master, to conduct regular meditation sessions at the UN, for diplomats, delegates and staff members representing their countries/working at it. Said meditation sessions and related activities such as lectures, seminars, plays, art exhibitions and sports have continued unbroken since then, even though Sri Chinmoy passed away in October 2007. A biennial World Harmony Run instituted by him in 1987, now traverses 70,000 kilometers in 100 countries in all continents and has internationally renowned athletes and Olympic Gold medalists like Olivier Bernhard, Carl Lewis, Katrina Webb, Paul Tergat, Tatyana Lebedeva and Tegla Loroupe participating in them. After one such run Carl Lewis declared ‘When I carried the flaming torch, I felt so much oneness with all the people of the world.’

Ambassador P.A. Nazareth delivers the keynote address at the Commemoration of the UN International Day of Non-Violence, 2 October 2012.

While Ambassador P.A. Nazareth speaks about Sri Chinmoy’s activities at the UN, Sri Chinmoy’s photo is displayed on a large screen behind him in the ECOSOC Chamber.

“The tragedy of the contemporary world is that there is too much religion, particularly of the fundamentalist kind, and too little of the spirituality it so greatly needs. Spirituality that is deeply rooted in Truth, Justice, Love and Universal Brotherhood could contribute substantially in changing the untruth, injustice, religious and racial hatred plagued international scenario and in due course bring about the global spiritual renaissance which the revered U Thant firmly believed was an essential requisite for a real and enduring world peace.

“Sri Chinmoy’s memorable quote about this is ‘ World Peace can be achieved when, in each person, the power of love replaces the love of power’. Those who doubt this and prefer to rely on bombs, missiles, drones and such other lethal weapons to achieve peace would do well to recall the prophetic words of Jesus Christ: ‘He who raises the sword will perish by the sword’.”