Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

UNICEF LEADER GIVEN  U THANT PEACE AWARD NEW YORK –

SEE ALSO: 1994 U Thant Peace Award to James Grant, Exd. UNICEF. Sep 20 – SUMMARY:

James P. Grant, executive director of UNICEF, received ‘ the U Thant Peace Award Sept. 20 at an interfaith prayer breakfast at UNICEF House. The award, presented by Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations, cited Grant’s lifetime of exceptional world service, calling him an “inspirational example” of (‘compassion, concern and tireless energy in service to the world – family.”

When Sri Chinmoy, leader of the Meditation Group, made the presentation, Grant said it was a privilege to receive the award “from such treasured hands and from such a treasured group.”

The prayer breakfast, organized by The Peace Meditation at the U.N., included brief prayers and remarks by members of six religions. Sri Chinmoy opened the event with a silent meditation. The breakfast is held annually in conjunction with an early morning “Peace Walk through the streets of Manhattan by U.N. delegates and staff carrying their national flags.

The Peace Walk is one of more than 70 similar events held worldwide, coordinated by the Meditation Croup, to commemorate the opening of the U.N. General Assembly.

James P. Grant, the executive director of UNICEF greets Sri Chinmoy at the Prayer Breakfast at UNICEF House.

– above excerpt from Anahata Nada “the soundless sound” – VOLUME 24 AUG-MID-NOV 1994.

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Introduction to U Thant Peace Award and recipient James P. Grant on 20 Sep 1994

IT IS A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE AND PLEASURE TO WELCOME TO THIS PRAYERFUL GATHERING MR. JAMES P. GRANT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNICEF.

TODAY, SRI CHINMOY: THE PEACE MEDITATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS RESPECTFULLY PRESENTS TO MR. GRANT THE U THANT PEACE AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF A LIFETIME OF EXCEPTIONAL WORLD SERVICE.

WHEN WE HONOUR SPECIAL INDIVIDUALS, IT IS WE WHO ARE INDEED HONOURED by their presence..

THIS IS CERTAINLY TRUE TODAY FOR ME , AS A MEMBER OF THE PEACE MEDITATION GROUP AND AS A UNICEF STAFF MEMBER.

FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS, JAMES GRANT HAS OFFERED ME, MY UNICEF COLLEAGUES and the UN Community, A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF ENERGY AND DEVOTION.

MR. GRANT, UNDER YOUR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP UNICEF HAS SAVED THE LIVES AND IMPROVED THE HEALTH OF COUNTLESS OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN IN THE MOST PRACTICAL AND COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS. YOU BOLDLY ASSEMBLED A RECORD NUMBER OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT HERE AT UNICEF FOR THE 1990 WORLD SUMMIT FOR CHILDREN, LAUNCHING NATIONAL PROGRAMMES OF ACTION IN SOME 120 COUNTRIES TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT GOALS FOR CHILDREN BY THE YEAR 2000.

TODAY WE RECALL THAT YOUR SERVICE TO UNICEF BEGAN AFTER 35 YEARS OF WIDE-RANGING DEVELOPMENT WORK BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES, STARTING IN 1946 UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION. INDEED, YOUR STERLING CAREER HAS SPANNED THE LIFE OF THE UNITED NATIONS. YOU SERVED THE US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND VARIOUS OTHER US AID PROGRAMMES, WITH POSTINGS IN CHINA, TURKEY, SRI LANKA AND INDIA.

YOU HAVE DIRECTED NUMEROUS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND WRIT!EN EXTENSIVELY ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES. THE AWARDS AND HONORARY DEGREES YOU HAVE RECEIVED ARE MANY AND VARIED–MOST NOTABLY AND RECENTLY, THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM, THE HIGHEST USA CIVILIAN AWARD. (

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN PRIVILEGED TO SERVE UNDER YOUR GUIDANCE AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A SMALL WAY IN THE FULFILLMENT OF YOUR SWEEPING GOALS, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE LIBERTY OF RECALLING A FEW INCIDENTS THAT, TO ME, CAPTURE YOUR SPIRIT.

A United Nations Development Programme STAFF MEMBER REMARKED THAT HE WAS ONCE SITTING BEHIND YOU ON A PLANE. HE DECLINED TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF, BUT COULDN’T HELP OVERHEARING YOUR CONVERSATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBOUR. YOU ASKED THE YOUNG MAN ABOUT HIS JOB, AND HE ASKED YOU ABOUT YOURS. “WHERE DO YOU WORK?” HE INQUIRED. YOU REPLIED, “I WORK FOR UNICEF.” “WHAT DO YOU DO THERE?” YOU SAID, “OH, I DO EVERYTHING.” THE YOUNG MAN NEVER SUSPECTED THAT HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. the UNDP staffer, sitting behind, Was DEEPLY IMPRESSED AND TOUCHED BY YOUR HUMILITY AND YOUR GENUINE INTEREST IN OTHERS.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE, WHEN YOU CONGRATULATED ME FOR SWIMMING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, YOU WHIMSICALLY PUT ON MY GOGGLES, AND THAT DELIGHTFUL MOMENT WAS RECORDED BY A PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE DIPLOMATIC WORLD BULLETIN!

YOUR STAFF CAN RECALL ANY NUMBER OF CHARMING AND AMUSING INCIDENTS IN ADDITION TO THE INSPIRING RECOLLECTIONS WHICH REFLECT THE QUALITY OF YOUR SERVICE TO US, TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND TO THE WORLD AT LARGE.

FOR ALL THESE REASONS, I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME YOU TODAY, MR. GRANT, HERE IN Our UNICEF HOUSE, TO RECEIVE THE U THANT PEACE AWARD FROM SRI CHINMOY. MR. GRANT, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME UP?

Introduction to the U Thant Peace Award:

THE U THANT PEACE AWARD IS A SYMBOLIC PRESENTATION BY THE MEMBERS OF THE PEACE MEDITATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS TO ACKNOWLEDGE, APPRECIATE AND ADMIRE DISTINGUISHED ACCOMPLISHMENTS TOWARD THE ATTAINMENT OF WORLD PEACE.

THE MEMBERS OF THE PEACE MEDITATION GROUP WORK FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES AND HAVE MADE AN ADDITIONAL PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE HIGHEST GOALS OF THE UNITED NATIONS.

THE AWARD WAS NAMED FOR THE LATE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN HONOUR OF THIS CONTEMPLATIVE WORLD LEADER’S EXEMPLARY DEVOTION TO PEACE -IN BOTH HIS PERSONAL AND-HIS POLITICAL LIFE.

THE RECIPIENTS ARE INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS REFLECTING U THANT’S LOFTY SPIRITUAL IDEALS, AND THEY INCLUDE UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR ZENON ROSSIDES OF CYPRUS; DR. JORGE ILLUECA, PRESIDENT OF THE 38TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND PRESIDENT OF PANAMA; AND PIR VILAYAT KHAN, HEAD OF THE SUFI ORDER IN THE WEST.

{ TODAY, [READing from the PLAQUE]

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The U Thant Peace Award

is presented to Mr. James P. Grant,

Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund, in recognition of:

• his extraordinary efforts to promote the health and welfareof countless children throughout the world;

• his lifelong dedication to international development, which is essential for global peace; and

• his inspirational example to others to act with compassion, concern and tireless energy in service to the world family.

 

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