A Moment’s Peace – Newsletter AMP/1983-04 Jul / Aug 1983

Filed under Moments peace - Update Pub & Archive

Content Highlights:

NON-ALIGNED STRENGTH – Excerpt of  address of Secretary- General Perez de Cuellar to the Non-Aligned Summit Conference…

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day  23-24 June in the UN North Garden, the commemorated the 38th anniversary of the signing of the Charter. Forty missions and over 200 staff and delegates, representing about 70 countries, participated in the event-…

MEDITATION AT THE UN (questions and answers)

  • Question: How can staff at the United Nations with seemingly insignificant jobs contribute to world peace?
  • Question: Is there an inner connection between UN employees and the soul of the United Nations?

SONG – WE know our UN soul.

MEDITATION GROUP PUBLICATIONS

CALENDAR

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A MOMENT’S PEACE   – MG/AMP 83-5 SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1983

UNITED NATIONS : The Heart-Home of the World Body

NEW PERSPECTIVES  – NON-ALIGNED STRENGTH

From the address of Secretary- General Perez de Cuellar to the Non-Aligned Summit Conference-:

We are gathered here at a time of stress and tension when we must ask ourselves whether our present approaches are adequate to the challenges we face …

• Great problems remain unresolved and threaten the world community with dire consequences if they are not tackled in the manner in which they should be. As the Non-Aligned Movement now comprises a vast world-wide constituency, I believe that the part played by it is crucial to any serious enterprise of the United Nations ••••

Up till now the Non-Aligned Movement has devoted its best efforts to identifying goals for the world community to pursue. I believe, however, that we have now reached a stage in -world affairs where the methods and strategies of pursuing these goals assume a critical importance and must be thought through with renewed care. In my first annual report on the work ·of the Organization, I suggested that we now need to develop the United Nations more as a forum for negotiation and agreement and less as a place of confrontation and endless debate. This does not mean that the United Nations should weaken its stand on the great issues it has dealt with. Quite the contrary, I believe that the stand of the United Nations could be greatly strengthened by an approach to such problems which would be or oriented towards negotiation and consensus and generate practical proposals to that end. I would like to see the Security Council, in particular, develop further its capacity for serious, discreet and, if necessary, forceful negotiation with the full backing of all the groups of members represented in it. In fact, the members of the Council are already discussing this matter among themselves. I would hope that, with its very different composition and constitutional role, the General Assembly could follow a similar approach on many problems. I think we have to recognize that the policies of many Governments, especially those which feel themselves in a minority or in a situation of insecurity, are governed to a very large extent by fear for their security and by the anxieties arising from their domestic opinion. In the present political circumstances, we must devise means of persuasion and pressure in order to achieve agreed objectives. We must, by our actions and our words, encourage the forces of reason and conciliation which exist in all societies, and try to make it possible for Governments to comply in confidence and dignity with the well-founded decisions of the world community. I believe the Non-Aligned Movement could play a leading, even decisive, role in promoting a more constructive use of the United Nations. I am sure that the resources of statesmanship commanded by this Movement, fully applied in the wider forum of the world Organization, will greatly benefit the world community as a whole.

PEACE WALK FOR UN CHARTER DAY

Held on 23-24 June in the UN North Garden, the Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day commemorated the 38th anniversary of the signing of the Charter. Forty missions and over 200 staff and delegates, representing about 70 countries, participated in the event, whch was organized by Sri Chinmoy: the Peace Meditation at the UN and co-sponsored by ten Permanent Representatives.

In relay fashion, walkers from the various nations made a single loop around a section of the North Garden in a silent, contemplative spirit. A copy of the Preamble to the Charter, the document which gave life and form to the United Nations, was carried by a member of each national group and passed to a member of the succeeding country. The walk ended with an “international” loop and a brief ceremony in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium at which Assistant Secretary-General Robert Muller represented the Secretary-General.

The walk was chosen as a means to recall the spirit of hope and progress with which the Organization. began, and with which it can continue. As Sri Chinmoy stated, “The United Nations is a cry, a movement, a forward march, a forward adventure. The United Nations is crying for peace, and this very act of crying is its real capacity.” As an additional commemoration of the signing of the Charter, an evening concert for peace was held on 27 June in the Dag Harnmarskjold Auditorium.

Organizers stated that due to the success of the Peace Walk they hope to make it a semi-annual event and thus call attention to other significant days in the UN calendar.

MEDITATION AT THE UN (questions and answers)

Question: How can staff at the United Nations with seemingly insignificant jobs contribute to world peace?

Sri Chinmoy: In the outer life there are significant jobs and insignificant jobs, significant people and insignificant people. But in the inner life everybody is significant, everybody is meaningful, everybody is fruitful, every job is significant far beyond our imagination. There is no such thing as an insignificant job in the inner world. It is not the work as such, but how we accomplish the work, how we fulfil our task, that is of supreme importance. The divine attitude of the worker is of paramount importance.

In the inner world significant things are achieved only if we have the proper attitude, and significant workers are those who are fully awakened to the lofty messages of the United Nations. According to the soul of the United Nations, the seeker-workers who want to serve the world sincerely and sleeplessly are far better and more important than those who hold high positions but do not care to dive within to become one with the Source or abide by the dictates of the Inner Pilot of the united Nations. Those who are awakened, those who are ready to serve the world body devotedly and soulfully in any capacity – no matter how insignificant, will glorify the United Nations. Those who are truly self-giving – no matter in which capacity they serve the United Nations – are the real UN servers. It is they who will continuously add glory to the achievements of the United Nations.

Question: Is there an inner connection between UN employees and the soul of the United Nations?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes, there is definitely an inner connection between the employees of the United Nations and the soul of the United Nations. Only this connection may take a little time to develop. As soon as one starts working at the United Nations, that person will not necessarily have an inner connection with the soul of the United Nations. No, the person has to work here for some time and has to consciously grow into the vision of the United Nations. Then only will he be able to develop an inner connection – which is at once illumining and satisfying – with the soul of the United Nations. This inner connection manifests itself in the form of two prophetic utterance made by both the soul of the United Nations and the souls of its workers. The soul of the United Nations in silence says to the soul of those who work here: “I shall show you the goal of universal oneness.” The souls of the employees say to the soul of the United Nations: “We shall unreservedly become your choice instruments so that God’s Hope for a new world, a new creation and new perfection in man need not and will not remain a far cry.”

SONG

J = 88 Moderate

We know– our U. N soul—-, and its God–de-creed role—-.

We know our U. N. life——- that braves ig-nor-ance– –knife– – – – –.

 We know our U. N. cry———: A quest for the one——-ness–sky———-

_ . Da capo without repeat

 

MEDITATION GROUP PUBLICATIONS

The following books and magazines available through the Meditation Group feature talks delivered at the United Nations by Sri Chinmoy during the period 1970-1983. They represent the author’s significant dedication to the UN during a critical period of the Organization’s history.

* GARLAND OF NATION-SOULS

* TEARS OF NATION-HEARTS

* UNION-VISION .,. REALITY-DREAM

* FLAME-WAVES AT THE UNITED NATIONS

* MEDITATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS: A monthly magazine available through subscription.

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CALENDAR

Please confirm all scheduling.

– 16 August – Premier UN performance of “The Son”, a play by Sri Chinrnoy.

– Introductory meditation classes

– Silent meditations led by Sri Chinmoy, twice weekly

 

Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations is an association of UN delegates, staff, NGO representatives and accredited press correspondents who believe that inner reflection and meditation can bring us in touch with the founding spirit of the United Nations and inspire renewed dedication to its ideals. In operation since 1970, the Meditation Group has had since its inception the kind guidance of Sri Chinmoy, internationally renowned philosopher, meditation teacher, artist, musician and author of over 500 books on meditation and related subjects.

This information is presented as a service and does not necessarily represent the official views of the United Nations or its Agencies.

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