U Thant Peace Award 1991 (a) Sept 28 – Overview Prof. de Marco - Historical Repository for Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

U Thant Peace Award 1991 (a) Sept 28 – Overview Prof. de Marco

Contents

Background on U Thant, Island and Award:

U THANT PEACE AWARD TO PROFESSOR GUIDO DE MARCO

Summary Overview:

Welcome and highlights of Professor de Marco’s life and contributions
- The recent 45th session of the General Assembly
- Education , National and International service
- Support for rights, multicultural and international understanding

About the Award:

Some previous Recipients:
Group offering the award, motivation and respect for U Thant

Cooperation of mind and heart towards integral life of Oneness

Quotations by Honoree:

idealism of the past with the realism of the present:
new sphere of responsibility
importance of individual commitment
world-uniting concern.

Award presentation by Sri Chinmoy

Songs in Recipients Honor

GUIDO DE MARCO: PEACE-HOME-RESIDENT

Quotations of Professor de Marco set to music by Sri Chinmoy

A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY
HUMAN RIGHTS
FUTURE GENERATIONS

Dedication of Song to Country of Malta

Award Recipient Response:

INFORMAL REMARKS

short video shown of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run
Concept of oneness – common home
Love thy neighbour as thyself,
Limitations of “Brains” alone

Presentation and Expression of Thanks

Presentation of watch to Prof. de Marco
Book : War: Man’s Abysmal Abyss.
Thanking the singers
Professor de Marco’s assistant, Mr. WaIter Batzan, presented a token of the Meditation Group’s appreciation

About Sri Chinmoy and the Peace Meditation at the United Nations

Media Coverage Excerpts from:

THE TIMES of Malta, FRIDAY October 4 , 1991 “DeMarco receives U Thant Peace award”
THE NORTH WEST FACTS, The Nothtwest’s largest African American Owned Publication. Vol. 31 No. 62 – October 16, 1991

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Some Background on U Thant, Island and Award:

U Thant, the third UN Secretary-General; himself a life-long practitioner of meditation, appreciated Sri Chinmoy’s work and encouraged his dedication to the spiritual idealism of the world body.

The Peace Meditation Group arranged to have a small island in the East River, directly facing the UN, renamed in honour of U Thant.

In 1982, the Meditation Group established the U Thant Peace Award to acknowledge. appreciate and admire distinguished accomplishments toward the attainment of world peace, reflecting the lofty spiritual ideals and vision of the late Secretary-General.

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Ramaniya

Sri Chinmoy greets Professor Guido de Marco at Annam Brahma Restaurant; Queens, New York.

PRESENTATION OF U THANT PEACE AWARD TO PROFESSOR GUIDO DE MARCO

Summary Overview:

On 28 September 1991, Sri Chinmoy: The. Peace Meditation at the United Nations presented the U Thant Peace Award to the Honourable Professor Guido de Marco, President of the Forty-fifth Session of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as Deputy Prime Minister of Malta and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Justice.

Below is a transcript of this presentation as well as excerpts from an informal conversation that followed between Professor de Marco and Sri Chinmoy.

Welcome and highlights of Professor de Marco’s life and contributions

Mr. Adhiratha Keefe, Master of Ceremonies: Last year was a remarkable one for the United Nations and the world community; it was one of failures and victories, of war and peace. Throughout this remarkable year, a remarkable man served as President of the General Assembly – the Honourable Professor Guido de Marco, Deputy Prime Minister of Malta and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Justice.

The recent 45th session of the General Assembly

During the 45th General Assembly, Dr. de Marco offered the world community a caring, concerned and yet dynamic leadership at a time when the evolution of a new multipolar environment was emerging. This unique leadership came at the point when the world community was ready to recognise its own increased spiritual dimension and inherent unity.

(More) includes: Education , National and International service, Support for rights, multicultural and international understanding

About the U Thant Peace Award:

The U Thant Peace Award is a symbolic presentation by Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations to acknowledge, appreciate and admire distinguished accomplishments toward the attainment of world peace.

Recipients of the award must reflect the lofty spiritual ideals of the late Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant. Previous recipients of the U Thant Peace Award Include:

(More : some previous recipients, Group offering the award, motivation and respect for U Thant)

The U Thant Peace Award was so named in honour of this contemplative world leader’s exemplary devotion to peace in both his personal and his political life.

Sri Chinmoy garlands U Thant on 25 May 1973, when he was guest of honour at the premiere of Sri Chinmoy’s play, Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha.

Cooperation of mind and heart towards integral life of Oneness

In the present day it is becoming ever more clear that a brilliant mind lacking the guidance of a luminous heart may prove to be a dangerous weapon rather than a constructive tool. On the road to peace, great minds may clash, but when governed by good, wise and magnanimous hearts, they can work tirelessly together in the spirit of oneness.

Many in the General Assembly have commented on Professor de Marco’s wisdom, and we feel here, once again, his magnanimous heart.

In the words of U Thant, “Pure intellectual development unaccompanied by a corresponding moral and spiritual development will lead mankind from one crisis to another. Moral qualities of friendship, humility and the desire to understand the other point of view are as important as intellectual excellence.“

U Thant was, himself, an Ideal exponent of this integral life. He made time every day for silent contemplation in the midst of his pressing duties as Secretary-General. His example continues to remind us that an awakened Inner life Is possible, practical and, Indeed, essential for the peace-builders of today.

It is thus extremely fitting that we invoke his name today in honouring Professor Guido de Marco, who once again proves that a truly practical and effective life dedicated to world-transformation derives boundless power and Inspiration from the luminous spiritual heart.

1959-oct-01-hammarskjold-uthant-14th-Session-UN-General-Assembly-un-photo-60999.jpg

Former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld and U Thant.

Quotations by Honoree:

About War:

In Sri Chinmoy’s recent publication War: Man ‘s Abysmal Abyss·Plunge he writes: “War Is the utter disgrace-failure of hostile minds.”

In his speech to the General Assembly during the general debate on 26 September 1991 , Professor de Marco said, “Taking up arms Is In one respect also a sign of failure-the failure to find alternative, non-violent means of solving our differences.”

We would like to quote several particularly inspiring and eloquent excerpts from Professor de Marco’s recent remarks to the General Assembly which demonstrate the breadth of his vision and the depth of his wisdom.

1991-09-28-21-3-1-readings

1991-09-28-20-3-scaled-readings

Members of the Peace Meditation read excerpts from Dr. de Marco’s recent speeches.

(See More: other relevant Quotations including on:

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Like you, we In the Peace Meditation Group firmly believe that the dedicated commitment of one individual, one group, one society or one nation can and will inspire and energise the world toward the establishment of a fruitful and lasting peace.

Award presentation by Sri Chinmoy

And so, it is our privilege to request Sri Chinmoy to present the U Thant Peace Award to His Excellency Professor Guido de Marco, for:

his exemplary dedication to the complementary goals of peace and human rights;
his determined effort to revitalise the UN General Assembly, which symbolically unites the human family;
his remarkable synthesis of the highest qualities of the powerful intellectual mind and the soulful spiritual heart in a lifetime of devoted and illumining service to his nation and to the world at large.

Ramaniya

Ramaniya

Ramaniya

Ramaniya

Sri Chinmoy presents the U Thant Peace Award.

Songs in Recipients Honor and from his words

1991-09-28-19-2-scaled-songs

After the presentation, singers sang a song composed by Sri Chinmoy in Professor de Marco’s honour, as well as songs composed by Sri Chinmoy to Professor de Marco’s own words set to music by Sri Chinmoy.

(See more details on songs performed including on : A Turning Point in History, Human Rights, Future Generations)

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Dedication of Song to Country of Malta

Sri Chinmoy: You have just heard our best singers sing.

Now our youngest singers will sing a song which I have just written about your country.

I am dedicating the song to you, the beloved son of Malta.

(See more details on songs performed)

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Award Recipient Response:

Professor de Marco: Sri Chinmoy and dear, dear friends, little would I have thought when just a year ago or so I took over the Presidency of the General Assembly, that this year would be such an interesting year, a year of such changes, a year also of such difficulties.

But another thing happened this year. I got to know you, and this was simply not in my programme. It was not in my programme because I had no knowledge of this Peace Meditation Group within the United Nations, which at the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy has been working so hard for many years.

Your mission is the power of the spirit. No matter the changes in society, no matter the changes in the international scenario, no matter all the things which make yesterday not like today and today nothing like tomorrow, yet there is something which Is permanent. And this is the power of the spirit, the power of the Inner self.

I think that Sri Chinmoy and all of you here are trying to bring out a sense of permanence in humanity, the humanity which, In spite of all the apparent changes, can only realise itself due to the inner power, the power of the spirit. This I think is the essence of what humanity, after all, is all about; …

… I want to thank you for this prize inspired by that great Secretary-General U Thant, who realised and who taught us the great power or the spirit in our day-to-day affairs. …

Sri Chinmoy, may I thank you so much for giving me this great opportunity to get to know you and also to know those who are working with you, trying through their meditation and their meetings to bring the power of the spirit to our dear United Nations. Thank you so much. (more of award recipient response)

Sri Chinmoy: Most soulfully and most devotedly we are receiving your blessingful message, which is flooded with light. We shall always treasure your blessingful presence and your illumining message. we shall always carry your heart of sleepless self-giving in the very depths of our own gratitude-hearts.

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INFORMAL REMARKS

After the award presentation, a short video was shown of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, a biennial international torch relay, and Professorde Marco and Sri Chinmoy spoke informally.

Love thy neighbour as thyself,

Professor de Marco: … This is the great lesson of love from Buddha, from Christ, from Mohammed. Christ would say, “Love thy neighbour as thyself,” and this is a great message. But perhaps even in Christianity, what really brought in a difference was when he said, “Love thine enemy.” This was, I think, the greatest of revolutions, because you can love your neighbour as yourself, and it Is very important. But to love your enemy goes against the grain, against normal human reactions. And that is, I believe, the real message. If you can arrive at that state where you love your enemy also, then you can reach a state where there will be no enemies.

Sri Chinmoy: …An enemy is not only someone who is trying to kill us or destroy us. An enemy can also take the form of poverty, sickness, illness and misunderstanding. Misunderstanding, I feel, is our worst enemy; we don’t understand each other. But if we love each other and become one, then the question of misunderstanding does not arise.

So we can solve these problems by loving others in spite of their weaknesses and shortcomings. Also, through prayer and meditation we can secretly and sacredly offer illumination to the persons or the nations that right now are our enemies.

Professor de Marco: I think these are words of great wisdom that you have said, Sri Chinmoy. I think this is the essence of how humanity has to look at itself. We sometimes think that with our brains we can solve everything.

Limitations of “Brains” alone…

Brains do solve a lot of things, but certainly not everything. Brains can create great scientific achievements. Brains can create the masterpieces of literature, the satisfaction of paintings and all these things. But they cannot create an inner peace, and this, as you pointed out, has to come from the heart, if we are to have a sense of belonging to humanity.

…We are reaching this through the Peace Meditation Group at the United Nations. I think this does help a lot. Not only does it help everyone who participates, but it radiates from this inner self also to others who come in contact with it. Thank you so much. (more of informal remarks)

Sharing a light moment…

Sri Chinmoy presents a commemorative watch with Professor de Marco’s picture on it.

Professor de Marco reads from Sri Chinmoy ‘s book, War: Man’s Abysmal Abyss.

Professor de Marco thanks the young singers.

Sri Chinmoy offers Professor de Marco’s assistant, Mr. WaIter Batzan, a token of the Meditation Group’s appreciation as Ms. Diksha Arturi; Programme Coordinator, looks on.

About Sri Chinmoy and the Peace Meditation at the United Nations

In 1970 Secretary General U Thant and members of the United Nations community invited Sri Chinmoy to serve as leader of a meditation group which meets twice weekly at UN Headquarters to pray and meditate for world peace.

Under Sri Chinmoy’s guidance the scope of the group has expanded to include a wide variety of political, cultural and spiritual activities in service to the United Nations.

An international ambassador for peace, Sri Chinmoy has offered hundreds of free peace concerts worldwide, has written prolifically on peace, and has inspired biennial global peace runs. He has met with many religious and political leaders, such as Pope John Paul 11 and President Mikhail Gorbachev, to discuss the spiritual dimensions of the quest for world peace and to express support for UN principles.

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Media Coverage Excerpts from:

THE TIMES of Malta – FRIDAY October 4 , 1991
THE NORTH WEST FACTS, Vol. 31 No. 62 – Oct 16, 1991

(More on U Thant Peace Award – 1991- Media Coverage: Malta & USA)

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About the Meditation Group at the United Nations:

Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations is an association of UN delegates, staff, non-governmental organisation representatives and accredited press correspondents holding twice-weekly peace meditations and other programmes at United Nations Headquarters.

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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U Thant Peace Award 1991 (a) Sept 28 – Overview