Eleanor Roosevelt: Dedicated Server 1978 Dec 01

Filed under americas | Tributes and Expressions of appreciation

On 1 December 1978 a commemorative programme for Eleanor Roosevelt was sponsored by Sri Chinmoy Meditation at the United Nations, held in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium.

Shraddha

The programme opened with a very moving silent meditation conducted by Sri Chinmoy, followed by the song “Eleanor,” composed by Sri Chinmoy in her honour and sung by several members of the Meditation Group.

Guest speakers included:

Eleanor Roosevelt’s grandson, Mr. Curtis Roosevelt, now a Senior Programme Officer in the United Nations Department of International Economic and Social Affairs;
Ms. Estelle Linzer, a former personal assistant to Mrs. Roosevelt at the United Nations Association, now the NGO Representative of the Johnson Foundation, and
Mr. Allard Lowenstein, former United States Ambassador.

A section from a documentary film on the life of Eleanor Roosevelt showing her work on the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights concluded the programme.

For fuller text of event see Periodical Bulletin :”Meditation a the UN”

Dec 1978 : meditation-at-un-vo-06-no-12-27-dec-1978-bulletin/

(related scanned page images 7 to 15 are in Gallery 2 below)

Excerpts follow:

Sri Chinmoy bows before Opening Meditation

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Shraddha

Mr. Curtis Roosevelt, Senior Programme Officer, Department of International Economic and Social Affairs: Over the years I’ve heard many speeches about my grandmother, many talks both formal and informal, recalling what she said and what she did, but I must tell you with all my heart that the silent meditation followed by the singing is the most accurate and true expression we could ever give to Eleanor Roosevelt.

(Eleanor Roosevelt) was able both to represent her country as well as to maintain a certain personal integrity which the delegates respected .

I think she maintained this not through any intellectual virtuosity or manipulation, but because she gave love . She represented that essential human quality that lies within all of us.

Whether she was talking over a personal problem with a delegate or engaged in negotiating one of the sticky problems forming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, her thoughtfulness was always quite realistic.

There was a quality of love that enabled her to transcend the intellectual.

She was a very spiritual person with a deep inner spiritual life.

She would indeed have been much in sympathy with your meditation and singing today.

Eleanor, Eleanor, Eleanor, Eleanor!
U.S. mother pure,
The world’s sister sure.O heart of compassion-lore,
O soul of protection-shore!
Champion fighter for human rights,
Illumination of poverty-nights.

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Shraddha

Ms. Estelle Linzer, NCO Representative, Johnson Foundation: When Mrs. Roosevelt left the United States delegation to the United Nations, she became the world’s most famous volunteer.

She came to the American Association for the United Nations and said, “Now I want to volunteer. I have nothing to do.”

The idea of Mrs. Roosevelt not having anything to do was a little ludicrous, but we accepted her offer. And for the nine years until her death she traveled, she spoke, she corresponded and she wrote about the United Nations.

She was a very practical lady, a very realistic lady who never lost her ideals.

But she was a unique lady. She touched so many lives.

She started a career when she was over 60. She was a widow. She could have stayed home in her country estate and never have to do anything but garden and read and take care of her children and grandchildren forever. But she started a career.

Her second career was as unofficial ambassador, when she spoke about the U.N . and what she hoped her government would do in the U. N.

She was a great lady, she was a wonderful friend and she was an example that I live by.

And I hope many of us will do so.

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Shraddha

Mr. Allard Lowenstein:

When I represented the United States on the Human Rights Commission, just sitting in the chair that she had occupied entered into everything that I would try to say or do. the vibrations and hopes of Eleanor Roosevelt permeated the feelings of everyone on that Commission.

Of all the marriages of person and function that have occurred since the war, I suppose the most uniquely brilliant and lasting was her personification of what human rights is and must become.

It seems to me that what we need now is to try to get more of her spirit into each of us.

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