Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

1991 August to 2001 August

Partial List of programmes, events, countries, individuals participating in activities of Sri Chinmoy: the Peace Meditation at the United Nations.

This list is indicative of the types of activities but not exhaustive of all participation or events. Some times a consolidated or partial list sorted by subject-category, date, person or country. To be reviewed and updated. Eventually to have embedded links to actual programmes or photos where they are available

[Activities for the first part of 1991 are listed in the 60^th Birthday “America” book]

1991 part 2  – 7 August to 31 December

Closing ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, held on the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation of a number of Permanent Representatives to the UN, including

• H.E. Mr. Peter Wilenski, Ambassador of Australia;
• H.E. Mr. E. Besley Maycock, Ambassador of Barbados;
• H.E. Mr. Edward Kukan, Ambassador of Czechoslovakia;
• H.E. Dr. Diego Arria, Ambassador of Venezuela; and
• H.E. Mr. Aleksandr A. Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the USSR        –       7 August

A cappella performance of Sri Chinmoy’s Bengali and English songs    –   8 August

Poetry reading, in honour of special guest Professor Talat Sait Halman, Turkey’s First Minister of Culture  –   9 August

Dinner for H.E. Dr. Ananda Guruge, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France and UNESCO       –     7 September

Dinner and reception in honour of  Sri Chinmoy’s 60^th birthday; with remarks by

• Olympic legend Sudhahota Carl Lewis as well as by  distinguished guests from the UN community, including
• Professor Guido de Marco, President of the 45^th session of the UN General Assembly;
• H.E. Mr. IvanK. Sotirov, Deputy Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the UN;
•  H. E. Dr. Lamuel Stanislaus,former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN;
• Ms. Robin E. G. Mauala, Permanent Mission of  Western Samoa to the UN; and
• H.E. Mr. Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the USSR to the UN    –   11 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world   –    17 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 46^th Session of the UN General Assembly,  hosted by H.E. Ambassador Andre Erdos, Permanent Representative of  Hungary to the UN    –    17 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Lakhan Mehrotra, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of  External Affairs  –     22 September

Dedication of a Sri Chinmoy Peace Tree at Marymount Manhattan College, with a performance by the Peace Meditation choir     –    25 September

Meeting with Nepal’s Minister of Education, Culture and Tourism, H.E. Mr. Ram Hari Joshi, and H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN   –     27 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Guido de Marco, President of the 45^th Session of the UN General Assembly, and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Malta  –  28 September

Meeting with the General Director of the Tokyo Symphony, Mr. Shigeto Kanayama, before the Meeting with the Honourable Mr. Sergey V. Lavrov, Director, International Organisations Directorate, USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the USSR to the UN, at the USSR Permanent Mission to the UN     –   30 September

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy answered questions about the UN    –  18 October

Peace meditation; in which Sri Chinmoy answered questions about the UN     –  22 October

Meeting with Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Deputy Foreign Minister of the USSR, at the Permanent Mission of the USSR to the UN   –  23 October

Flowers and inspirational quotes offered to UN delegates and staff as they entered the Secretariat  for UN Day     –   24 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 8 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations  –  24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day –  October

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers for Ambassadors’ wives at the home of Mrs. Savitri Nandoe, wife of H.E. Ambassador K. Nandoe, Permanent Representative of  Suriname to the UN  –  1 November

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy answered questions about the UN   – 1 November

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy answered questions about the UN   –    5 November

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers to celebrate the festival of Divali       –   6 November

Dinner in honour of Prince Sigvard Bernodette and Princess Marianne of Sweden    – 18 November

Celebration of the release of a bilingual Hindi and English volume entitled Poems of Sri Chinmoy, hosted by the UNSRC Society of Writers, with readings by

• Dr. P. Jayaraman, Executive Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (USA)  –      19 November

Meeting with Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Deputy Foreign Minister of the USSR, at the Permanent Mission of the USSR to the UN  –     22 November

Thanksgiving programme and reception in honourof the 46^th Session of the UN General Assembly, with remarks by

• H.E. Ambassador Stanley Kalpage, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN;and
• H.E. Ambassador Perezi Karukubiro Kamunanwire, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the UN –  26 November

UNSRC Society of Writers featured in its literary journey Reflections a poem by Sri Chinmoy Entitled “The Golden Flute”  –   December

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the USSR to the UN, and his wife, Valentina  –   3 December

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy and luncheon to usher in a peaceful holiday season      –   6 December

1992

Sri Chinmoy offered the opening dedication at an Interfaith Programme to commemorate the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary held at the UN, with special guests: The Honourable Mario M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, and his wife,   Matilda  –       29 January

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme and dinner honouring

• Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs; and
• Mr. Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN      –   4 February

Celebration of the National Day of Sri Lanka, with H.E. Ambassador Stanley Kalpage, Permanent  Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN, at the Sri Lankan Mission  –   5 February

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy answered questions about the UN; with special guest Mr. Gary Fannelli, world class marathoner  –   7 February

Announcement about the appointment of Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, celebrated with special prasad at Aspiration-Ground  –  9 February

Luncheon for Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, and his wife, Valentina  –  12 February

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy answered questions about the UN   –  14 February

Meeting with Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, at the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN –   14 February

Meeting with President Gorbachev’s daughter, Irina , at the New York Hyatt Hotel     –  14 February

Meeting with President Gorbachev’s daughter, Irina, at JFK airport   –   15 February

Meeting with Mr. Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit), and his wife, Hanne  –    25 February

Observance of the anniversary of  Sri Chinmoy’s meeting with Secretary-General U Thant, held at the UN   –  28 February

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to Secretary-General U Thant, held in Queens      –      29 February

Peace meditation, with special guest Mrs. Hanne Strong       –    3 March

Meeting with H.E. Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, and Mrs. Mira Petrovsky at the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN   –  5 March

Dinner and programme to welcome Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, on the occasion of his appointment as UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and his wife, Mira  –  17 March

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring Mrs. Mira Petrovsky, following  the welcome programme  – 17 March

Meeting with the President Arpad Goncz of Hungary at the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the UN     –   18 March

Presentation of a signed book by Mr. Üner Kirdar, Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme  –   27 March

Dinner for Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, International Organisations Directorate, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs  –   3 April

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters   –  4 April

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, International Organisations Directorate, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs   –   4 April

Meeting with Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, International Organisations Directorate, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs    –      5 April

Spring Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Usha Acharya, wife of  H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN   –   7 April

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy and cultural programme in honour of Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, at PS 86   –     8 April

Dinner for Mrs. Mira Petrovsky in honour of her birthday, held at Hunan Balcony  –  11 April

Mrs. Mira Petrovsky was special guest at a parade in honour of Sri Chinmoy’s anniversary of coming to the West  –   12 April

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy for the 22^nd anniversary of the Peace Meditation at the UN   –    24 April

Publication of a book of comments from the UN community on Peace Concerts offered by Sri Chinmoy at the UN on 24 April 1991 and 24 April 1992 –    May

Dinner for Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin. Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, and his wife,  Valentina,          1 May

Reception for UN delegates and staff at the Jharna-Kala Art Gallery in Manhattan displaying Sri Chinmoy’s “Paintings for Peace,” with UN Ambassadors and Representatives including:

• H.E. Ambassador Mulugeta Eteffa, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia;
• H.E. Ambassador Lamuel Stanislaus, Permanent Representative of Grenada (spoke);
• H.E. Ambassador Noumou Diakite, Permanent Representative of Mali;
• H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal (spoke);
• H.E. Ambassador Kriesnadath Nandoe, Permanent Representative of Suriname;
• H.E. Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the  Russian Federation, and his wife, Valentina, (the Ambassador spoke);
• Mrs. Mira Petrovsky, wife of UN Under-Secretary-General Mr. Vladimir Petrovaky (spoke);
• Mrs. Nana Apeadu, President, Pan-African Human Rights Association (spoke)           –       7 May

Private meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa Maximovna, and their daughter, Irina, followed by a visit to the Jharna-Kala Art Gallery by

• Raisa Maximovna and
• her daughter Irina; with special guests from the UN community including
• H.E. Ambssador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN; and
• Mrs. Mira Petrovsky       –    12 May

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the New York Games  and offered the gold medal in the long jump to champion Carl Lewis; members of the Peace  Meditation group assisted with the track and field events    –     24 May

Dinner in honour of Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky’s appointment on 1 May 1992 as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, and also on the occasion of Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky’s birthday, with his wife, Mira, at a Chinese  Restaurant   –  30 May

Meeting with Mr. Lakhan Mehrotra, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs      –     2 June

Lecture on “Music and Meditation” by Mr. Kalatit Baker, contemporary composer    –  4 June

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the UN community      –    6-7 June, 27-28 June and 3 July

Classical piano recital by Mr. Surashri Paradis, staff member of the Department of Administration and Management and member of the Peace Meditation group   –  18 June

Lecture on “Peace, Power and Energy” by Mr. Ashrita Furman, holder of the most Guinness world records   –    25 June

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 10 Ambassadors and  Permanent Representatives to the United Nations –   26 June

H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, special guest at a performance of the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers in honour of Kali Puja –  27 June

Dinner for Ambassador and Mrs. Aleksandr Razvin, in honour of Mrs. Valentina Razvin’s birthday –  29 June

Peace Meditation, with special guest Mrs. Mira Petrovsky, wife of Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, held at PS 86 –  8 July

Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, International Organisations Directorate, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is special guest at the Sri Chinmoy Masters Games –  11 July

Recital by pianist and composer Mr. Craig Urquhart, former musical assistant of Maestro Leonard Bernstein  –   15 July

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy performed and taught songs to the audience   –  21 July

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy performed and taught songs to the audience  –  24 July

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy performed and taught songs to the audience, with special guest Mrs. Mira Petrovsky –   31 July

Birthday dinner for Sri Chinmoy given by Mr. and Mrs. Vladimir Petrovsky at a Chinese restaurant  –    7 August

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy, with special guests

• H.E. Ambassador Tudor Pantiru,, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the UN, and his wife, Frania; and
• Mrs. Mira Petrovsky  –    22 August

Function, with Mrs. Mira Petrovsky as special guest     –    23 August

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, in which the Ambassador paid tribute to Sri Chinmoy’s Peace Concerts at the UN –  28 August

Programme in honour of Mrs. Irina Malikova of the Gorbachev Foundation, with performances of traditional Russian music  –   31 August

Concert by a Siberian Children’s Choir from Omsk, performing traditional Russian folk songs and spiritual music composed by Sri Chinmoy;

• also with music by the London-based music ensemble “Temple-Song-Hearts,” drawing on their repertoire from a 1991 good-will tour of Russia and the Ukraine; with special guests
• Ambassador Alexsandr Razvin of the Russian Federation and his wife, Valentina, and
• Mrs. Frania Pantiru, wife of the Ambassador of Moldova    –  3 September

Meeting with Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, International Organisations Directorate, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs  – 11 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world  –  15 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 48^th Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN  –  15 September

Meeting with H.E. Ambassador Jonathan Moore, US representative on the UN Economic and Social Council,and his wife, Katherine  –   15 September

Sri Chinmoy offered the opening meditation at a programme for the 123^rd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square, for the UN and diplomatic community  –   2 October

Meeting with the President of the 47^th Session of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria  –   5 October

Slide presentation by Sister Eileen Storey, Chaplain at Marymount Manhattan College, on her peace work for the children of Iraq  –   14 October

Meeting with H. E. Ambassador — , Permanent Representative of of Viet Nam to the UN   –  15 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 7 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations  –   23 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world   – 24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day   –   October

Dedication of the Presidential yacht “Honey Fitz” as a Sri Chinmoy Peace Yacht, with remarks by

• H.E. Ambssador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN;
• H.E. Ambassador Krishnadath Nandoe, Permanent Representative of Suriname to the UN; and with special guests
• Mr. Edward Marks, Deputy Representative of the United States on the UN Economic and Social Council, and his wife  –    25 October

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers to celebrate the Festival of Divali  –    27 October

Sri Chinmoy’s paintings exhibited at UNESCO, hosted by the Delegation of Sri Lanka to UNESCO   –  9-13 November

Dinner in honour of  UN Security Officers and their families     – 14 November

Dinner for Mr. and Mrs. Vladimir Petrovsky and daughter and son-in-law    –    16 November

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring the Petrovskys’ daughter, Yelena, while Mrs. Mira Petrovsky and Yelena were guests at Annam Brahma restaurant   –  19 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy and luncheon as a Thanksgiving offering to UN delegates and staff    –   24 November

Meeting with Mr. Sharma, UNESCO    –     29 November

UNSRC Society of Writers included in its literary journey Reflections an account of the programme  celebrating the release of Poems of Sri Chinmoy in Hindi and English  –    December

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok  –    15 December

1993

Peace meditation, during which Sri Chinmoy introduced and read from his 900^th book entitled Love, Compassion, Forgiveness  –   2 February

Peace meditation, during which Sri Chinmoy read from his book  My Lord Supreme, I Am Falling Asleep   – 5 February

Dinner for Mr. and Mrs. Vladimir Petrovsky at Annam Brahma Restaurant     –  16 February

Dinner for Mr. Anatoli Chernyayov and Mr. Pavel Palashchenko from the Gorbachev Foundation at Annam Brahma restaurant  –  26 February

Meeting with Mr. Anatoli Chernyayov and Mr. Pavel Palashchenko from the Gorbachev Foundation   – 27 February

Programme in honour of Princess Marianne and Prince Sigvard Bernadotte of Sweden, held in  conjunction with an art exhibit at the UN of the Prince’s works –   2 March

Presentation by Dr. Robert Muller, Chancellor of the University for Peace in Costa Rica, on the occasion of his 70^th birthday –  12 March

Dinner for Mr. Alexandre Gorelik, International Organisations Directorate, USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 13 March

Meeting with an official from the Gorbachev Foundation, at Annam Brahma Restaurant     –  27 March

Poetry reading by Sri Chinmoy, followed by a presentation by Mr. Hans Janitschek, President of the UNSRC Society of Writers, to Sri Chinmoy of the Society’s Award of Excellence  –  30 March

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters     3 April

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring Mr. Hans Janitschek, President of the UNSRC Society of Writers   –    3 April

Sri Chinmoy offered the opening dedication at a memorial service for Martin Luther King for the UN community –  4 April

Spring Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. to the UN –  5 April

Dinner for Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin and his wife Valentina in honour of the Ambassador’s birthday  –   5 April

Classical piano recital by Ms. Maria Cisyk, teacher and friend of the Peace Meditation group     –  8 April

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring

• H.E. Ambassador Stanley Kalpage, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN; and
• H.E. Ambassador Kriesnadath Nandoe,Permanent Representative of  Suriname to the UN, and his wife, Savitri   –   9 April

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa Maximovna, in the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia; afterwards, the President and his wife joined members of the UN community at an exhibit of Sri Chinmoy’s art work and for a performance by the singers of Sri Chinmoy’s songs dedicated to the Gorbachevs   –  15 April

Opening ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 1993, held on the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation of

• Ambassador Emilio J. Cardenas of Argentina;
• Ambassador Aleksandr Razvinof the Russian Federation;
• Ambassador Kéba Birane Cisse of Senegal; and
• Mr. Dragomir Djoki, Chargé d’affaires, Permanent Mission of Yugoslavia; as well as
• New York City Mayor David N.Dinkins,
• Albany Mayor Thomas M. Whalen, III and
• Rep. Nita M. Lowey, Member of US Congress     –   17 April

Concert held as a “Tribute to Israeli and Hungarian Friendship,” with special guests

• H.E.Ambassador Andre Erdos, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN, and
• H.E.Ambassador Gad Yaacobi, Permanent Representative if Israel to the UN  –  5 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy in honour of the 23^rd anniversary of the Peace Meditation at the UN ;

• dedicated to the memory of Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa; followed by a meeting with
• Ambassador Stanley Kalpage of Sri Lanka    –     11 May

Meeting with Mrs. Irina Malikova, Gorbachev Foundation       – 12 May

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the New York Games;

• members of the Peace Meditation group assisted with the track and field  events    –  22 May

Dinner for Mrs. Irina Malikova, Gorbachev Foundation      –   29 May

Meeting with Mrs. Irina Malikova, Gorbachev Foundation   –    30 May

Dinner for Mrs. Irina Malikova, Gorbachev Foundation   –   31 May

Breakfast for Mrs. Irina Malikova        –   1 June

Peace Meditation, with special guest Mrs. Irina Malikova, Deputy Director of the International Relations Department of the  Gorbachev Foundation –  1 June

Dinner for Mrs. Irina Malikova, Gorbachev Foundation   –  1 June

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the UN community   –  5-6 June and 12-13 and 19 June

Dinner for Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin and his wife Valentina of the Russian Federation   –   12 June

Closing ceremony of the European section of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run held at the United Nations Office at Geneva,

• hosted by Director General Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, and
• attended by Mr. Christian Girobet, President of the State Council, and
• Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the State Parliament    –   15 June

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the diplomatic community; participants included

• H.E. Ambassador Emilio  Cardenas, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the UN;
•  H.E. Ambassador Jean-Marie Kacou Gervais, Permanent Representative of Cote d’Ivoire to the UN;
• H.E.Ambassador Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the UN; and
• other delegates and staff        –     19 June

Farewell dinner for Ambassador Aleksandr Razvin, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian  Federation to the UN, and his wife, Valentina, and celebration of Mrs. Razvin’s birthday    –  1 July

Peace Meditation, with special guest Mr. Russell Wilson, Congressional Aide of the United States Congress, Foreign Affairs Subcommittee   –   23 July

Special function at the UN in honour of Pir Vilayat Inayat-Khan, Head of the Sufi Order in the West, including a cello performance by the Sufi Master  – 6 August

U Thant Peace Award presented to H.E. Mr. Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Ambassador of India to the United States      –   8 August

Closing ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 1993, held at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation by UN delegates, including

• Ambassador E. Besley Maycock of Barbados,
• Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
• Ambassador Slavi Pashovski of Bulgaria,
• Ambassador Gad Yaacobi of Israel,
• Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya of Nepal,
• Ambassador Stanley Kalpage of Sri Lanka,
• H.E. Mr. Mgo Quang Xuan, Deputy Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the UN,
• H.E. Mr. Dragomir Djokic, Chargé d’affaires of Yugoslavia to the UN;  as well as representatives from
•  Austria, Belarus, China, Cuba and Switzerland. Other speakers included
• Mr. Hans Janitschek, President of the UNSRC Society of Writers;
• Dr. Moorhead Kennedy, President, MoorheadKennedy Institute;
• Rev. Wendell Foster, New York City Council; and
• Olympic goldmedalist Mr. Bob Beamon                 –  16 August

Presentation by Dr. Ananda Guruge, Sri Lankan Ambassador to France and UNESCO, at the centenary Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago  –      29 August

Concert by Akasha and special luncheon for the UN community held at the Jharna-Kala Gallery,

• hosted by Mrs. Usha Acharya, wife of Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya of Nepal to the UN, with special guests including
•  the wives of the Ambassadors of China, Croatia, Czech Republic,India, Japan, Lebanon and the Republic of Korea to the UN   –  31 August

U Thant Peace Award presented to Shri C. Subramaniam, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan  –   12 September

Classical piano recital by Ms. Clara Chieko Inaba, a member of the Peace Meditation group    –  15 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world  – 21 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 48^th Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Emilio Cardenas, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the UN  –  21 September

Sri Chinmoy offered the opening prayer at an interfaith service held at the Islamic Center of New York organised by Father Luis M. Dolan in honour of the opening of the 48^th Session of the UN General Assembly  – 21 September

Meeting with Mr. Alexandre Gorelik of the Russian Federation   – 24 September

Meeting with the President of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Kiro Gligorov, at the UN Plaza Hotel   –    28 September

Meeting with Mr. Harry Cahill, Deputy Representative of the US on the UN Economic and Social Council         30 September

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community   –   2 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world   –  24 October

Flowers and inspirational quotes offered to UN delegates and staff as they entered the Secretariat    –   25 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day  –   October

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his daughter, Irina, in Arlington, Virginia    – 10 November

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers to celebrate the Festival of Divali, hosted by Mrs. Usha Acharya, wife of H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, with opening remarks by Ambassador Acharya   –  16 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy,

• with remarks by Mr. C. V. Narasimhan, former UN Under-Secretary-General and Chef de Cabinet to three Secretaries-General;
• with special guests H.E. AmbassadorKarel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, and his wife, Noemi  –   6 December

1994

Visit to the official residence of H.E. Ambassador Karel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, and his wife, Noemi, on the occasion of the birth of their son, David  – 15 February

Luncheon for H.E. Ambassador Alexandre Gorelik, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN – 16 February

Classical piano recital by Mr. Surashri Paradis, staff member of the Department of Administration and Management and member of the Peace Meditation group – 21 March

Meeting with H.E. Ambassador K. Nandoe, Permanent Representative of  Suriname to the UN  –  22 March

Function in honour of Mr. Alexander (Sandy) Davidson, Principal Technical Adviser for the United Nations Development Programme, on the occasion of his retirement  –  22 March

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters –  2 April

Classical Indian dance performance at PS 86 by Mrs. Chandralekha Sreenivasan, wife of H.E. Ambassador T. P. Sreenivasan, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN, with the Ambassador as special guest  –   17 April

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Beijing Duck House  –  29 April

Spring concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Usha Acharya, wife of  H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN   –  10 May

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for members of the diplomatic community; participants included

• H.E. Ambassador Emilio J. Cardenas, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the UN;
• H.E. Ambassador Tauno Ilmari Kaaria, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the UN, and
• other delegates and staff    –   14 May

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the New York Games; members of the Peace Meditation group assisted with the track and field events  –  22 May

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the UN community     –    4 & 11 June

Dinner for Mrs. Noemi Kovanda, wife of H.E. Ambassador Karel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, and their son, David –  13 June

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Stanley Kalpage, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations –  15 June

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Tudor Pantiru, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova, and his wife, Frania  – 27 June

Peace meditation, with special guest Mrs. Barbara Nicholls, Publisher  – 19 July

Meeting with Ambassador Ananda Guruge  –  14 August

Meeting with the H.E. Ambassador (     ) of Yugoslavia, including a friendly tennis match between the Ambassador and Sri Chinmoy –  4 September

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers for Ambassadors’ wives at the home of Mrs. Lekha Sreenivasan, wife of the Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN – 19 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world  – 20 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 50th Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Jacques Louis Boisson, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the UN  –  20 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. James Grant, Executive Director of UNICEF –  20 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mother Teresa, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1979     – 1 October

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community  –   2 October

Meeting with H.E. Ambassador Alexandre Gorelik  –   8 October

Dinner with Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Beijing Duck House  –  8 October

U Thant Peace Award presented to President Mikhail Gorbachev, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1990 and President of the Soviet Union (1985-1991), New York Palace Hotel  – 16 October

Programme in honour and celebration of the life of Mr. Fred Lebow, international figure in the running world for 25 years and President of the New York Road Runners Club; with remarks by Mr. Benon Sevan, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Conference and Support Services, and UN Security Coordinator  –  8 October

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers to celebrate the Festival of Divali, hosted by Mrs. Chandralekha Sreenivasan, wife of H.E. Ambassador T. P. Sreenivasan, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN  – 21 October

Flowers and inspirational quotes offered to UN delegates and staff as they entered the UN Secretariat Building on United Nations Day  –  24 October

Dinner for Mr. Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Secretary of the Executive Council of UNICEF –  24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day – October

Peace meditation by Sri Chinmoy and a concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers at the residence of H.E. Ambassador Jayaraj Acharya, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN –  10 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Stanley Kalpage, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the  UN –  22 November

Dinner for Mr. Hans Janitscheck, President of the UNSRC Society of Writers, on the occasion of his birthday and his retirement; also attended by his son, Stefan   –  28 November

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Stanley Kalpage, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN, and his wife –   3 December

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador T. P. Sreenivasan, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN, and his wife, Chandralekha –    4 December

The first in a series of 50 Peace Concerts offered by Sri Chinmoy throughout the world in 1995 to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the United Nations was held in Yangon, Myanmar, the birthplace of the third Secretary-General of the UN, U Thant  –   5 January

(A few selected concerts are included here. A complete list of the 50 concert venues, along with dedications by Sri Chinmoy and tributes offered by distinguished guests, appears in My Prayerful Salutations to the United Nations. Additional comments on Sri Chinmoy’s  fifty Peace Concerts appear in My Heart’s Fifty Aspiration-Flames and My Life’s Fifty Dedication-Plants.)   –   1995

Song dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the United Nations composed by Sri Chinmoy   –  3 February

Meeting with Mr. Pavel Palashchenko of the Gorbachev Foundation  –     9 March

Dinner for members of the New York Road Runners Club at Annam Brahma  –  14 March

Indian classical dance programme at the UN by Mrs. Chandralekha Sreenivasan, wife of H.E. Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN –    24 March

Peace Run for the 50^th Anniversariy of the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters –   1 April

Spring concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Manel Yvonne de Silva, wife of H.E. Ambassador H.L. de Silva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN  –    4 April

Opening ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 1995, held on the  Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation of UN delegates  –    15 April

Programme in honour of the 25th anniversary of Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the UN  –    18 April

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky at the Empire Sezchuan    –     30 April

Sri Chinmoy invited by H.E. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, to attend a reception at the Permanent Mission  –  9 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the UN  held at the Cirque d’Hiver, Paris, hosted by

• H.E. Ambassador Keshav Raj Jha, Permanent Delegate of Nepal to UNESCO and Royal Nepalese Ambassador to France  – 12 May

U Thant Peace Award presented to H.E. Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi, High Commissioner for India to the United Kingdom –  13 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the UN held at the Wembley Conference Centre, hosted by H.E. Dr. Laxmi Mall Singhvi, High Commissioner for India to the United Kingdom  –  13 May

Nehru Medallion presented to Sri Chinmoy by UNESCO, conferral by Mr. Francine Fournier, Deputy Director-General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO  –    16 May

Peace Tree planting ceremony held at UNESCO, with remarks by Deputy Director-General Ms. Francine Fournier  –   16 May

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the New York Games; members of the Peace Meditation group assisted with the track and field events  – 21 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy, with a performance on 50 instruments in honour of the 50th anniversary of the UN, held in the General Assembly Hall Lobby; cosponsored by the Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of the Czech Republic, Bangladesh, Guinea-Bissau, India, Monaco, Myanmar, Panama, the Republic of Moldova and Sri Lanka; with welcoming remarks by H.E. Ambassador Karel Kovanda, Czech Republic      –    23 May

Publication of Oneness-World Peace-Blossoms, a commemorative book of statements and tributes from the international community on the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of the Peace Meditation group   –      May

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 17 Ambassadors and  Permanent Representatives to the United Nations   –   22 June

Sri Chinmoy’s song dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the UN performed by members of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America to celebrate United Nations Charter Day   –   26 June

Peace meditation, followed by a interview with biographer of Mother Teresa, Mr. John Cairns  –  14 July

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the UN Diplomatic Community    –  15 July

Over 50 mountains in the United States were climbed as “Peace Climbs” by Mr. Sunil Davidson and Mr. Shraddha Howard, members of the Peace Meditation Group, in honour of the 50^th Anniversary of the UN     –  7 January-16 July

Closing ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 1995, held at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation by UN delegates  –  14 August

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening of the World Music Festival held as a tribute to the United Nations at Madison Square Garden; Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers also performed  –   25 August

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Rafael Hernandez Colon, Governor of Puerto Rico  (1972-76, 1984-92)   – 8 September 1995

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the  world  –   19 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 50th Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Herman Leonard de Silva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN –  19 September

Sri Chinmoy gave the opening dedication at a classical music celebration in honour of the 50th Session of the UN General Assembly,

• hosted by H.E. Ambassador Istvan Nathon, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN,
• with performances by members of the New York Philharmonic and others – 19 September

Farewell function for Mr. Gajanan Wakankar, Consul General of India in New York, at the Indian Consulate, on the occasion of his appointment as Ambassador of India to Jordan  – 28 September

Peace meditation, with special guest H.E. Ambassador Alexandre Gorelik, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN –  29 September

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary,

• held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community,
• with remarks by the Indian Foreign Minister and Mr. Harsh Bashin, Consul General of India in New York  –  2 October

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Alexandre Gorelik, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN – 3 October

Publication of My Meditation-Service at the United Nations for 25 Years, a compilation of questions answered by Sri Chinmoy at the UN –  4 October

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy at the Centre Sportif du Bout du Monde, dedicated to Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, after a private meeting with Mr. Petrovsky at his official residence  –  5 October

Meeting with Austrian President Kurt Waldheim, Vienna    –  6 October

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at a dedication ceremony

• of a bronze elephant sculpture to be placed in the UN Garden,
• sponsored by the Permanent Missionsto the UN of Austria, Kenya, Namibia and Nepal –   13 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world  –   24 October

Flowers and inspirational quotes offered to delegates and staff as they entered the Secretariat – 25 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 13 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations   –  27 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day  –  October

Sri Chinmoy’s songs dedicated to the UN performed at a United Nations Global Community Day, sponsored by the United Nations Association in Washington, D.C. –    28 October

Meeting with Ambassador Ananda Guruge, UNESCO adviser, and his wife, Darshanika, in Los Angeles  –   29 October

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Margaret Touré, wife of H.E. Ambassador Boubacar Touré, Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the UN, in celebration of the United Nations 50th Anniversary  –   6 November

Dinner in honour of the 25th anniversary of the Peace Meditation at the UN, attended by UN Ambassadors and Representatives, including:

• Mr. Aleg M. Laptsenak, Counsellor,Permanent Mission of Belarus;
• H.E. Ambassador Edward A. Laing, Permanent Representative of Belize, and his wife, Margery;
• Mr. Alieu Badou B. Y. Samba, Attaché, Permanent Mission of the Gambia;
• Mr. John E. Aggrey, Minister Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative of Ghana;
• H.E. Mr. Ansumane Mane, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea-Bissau;
• H.E. Ambassador Boubacar Touré, Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau, and his wife, Margaret
• Mr. Harsh Bashin, Consul-General of India in New York;
• H.E. Ambassador Tudor Pantiru, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova, and his wife, Frania;
• H.E. Ambssador Herman Leonard de Silva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka, and his wife, Manel Yvonne;
• Mrs. Irma E. Klein-Loemban Tobing, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Suriname;
• Mr. Igor Goumenny, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Ukraine;
• Ms. Alina Bloomgarden, Director of Lincoln Centre Visitor Services; and Mr. Frederik Noonan;
• Judge Lerner and his wife;
• Dr. P. Jayaraman, Executive Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (USA)      –  10 November

Exhibit of Sri Chinmoy’s “Dream-Freedom-Peace-Birds” dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the UN displayed in the Russell Rotunda of the United States Senate, sponsored bySenator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island    –      14-17 November

Flute recital by Sri Chinmoy and performance by the Peace Meditation Choir at the closing of the art exhibition in the Russell Rotunda  –  17 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the UN held in the Washington, D.C. Armory, hosted by H.E. Mr. Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Ambassador of India to the United States    – 17 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy and luncheon for UNICEF staff held in the Labouisse Hall of UNICEF House in honour of the 50th anniversary of the UN and the upcoming 50th anniversary of UNICEF   –  20 November

A celebration of the release of Sri Chinmoy’s  book The Garland of Nation-Souls,

• hosted by H.E. Ambassador Jorge E. Illueca, Permanent Representative of Panama to the UN; featuring
• the performance of Cantata for the United Nations, a vocal work with instrumental accompaniment based on selections of music composed by Sri Chinmoy,
• arranged by Jeffrey Baker and
•  performed by members of the New York Philharmonic and others       –   30 November

U Thant Peace Award presented to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Head of the Anglican Church in South Africa; Archbishop of Cape Town; Nobel Peace Laureate, 1984   –  20 December

1996

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe    –   1 January

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa – 29 January

Farewell reception for H.E. Dr. Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Ambassador of India to the United States , attended by

• Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky,
• Ambassador Karel Kovanda of the Czech Republic to the UN, and  others  –     13 February

Members of the Peace Meditation group offered Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali 100 ideas for cost saving and improvement, after he requested staff to contribute ideas     –    7 March

Friendship Concert honouring the highest ideals of the Czech and Slovak Republics held at Lincoln Center, with remarks by

• H.E. Ambassador Karel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, and
• H.E. Ambassador Peter Tomka, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the UN   –  11 March

Mr. C. V. Narasimhan honoured at the UN for the publication of his new book highlighting his career at the UN. -. 9 March

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Karel Kovanda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic, and his wife, Noemi    –   26 March

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters, attended by the Ambassador of Brunei and other representatives of delegations –  6 April

Spring concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Manel Yvonne de Silva, wife of H.E. Ambassador H.L. de Silva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN  –    17 April

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Earth Summit) and Senior Advisor to the President of the World Bank  –    2 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy in honour of His Holiness Pope John Paul II on the occasion of his 76th birthday    –  13 May

Dinner in honour of the New York Road Runners Club      –  30 May

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 9 Ambassadors and  Permanent Representatives to the United Nations        –   26 June

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the UN community   –  29 June

Article entitled, “Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations – a UNICEF  Presence,” appeared in the March/April/May/June issue of UNICEF Staff News  –   June

Peace meditation, with remarks by special guest Dr. Robert Muller, Chancellor for the University for Peace   – 9 July

Sri Chinmoy’s exhibition of five million “Dream-Freedom-Peace-Birds” on display near the UN at the Jharna-Kala Gallery on East 44th Street    – August/September

Reception at the Jharna-Kala Gallery for the UN community hosted by Mrs. Edith Chimutengwende, wife of the Minister of Environment and Tourism of  Zimbabwe  –   21 August

Reception and luncheon at the Jharna-Kala Gallery hosted by H.E. Ambassador Herman Leonard de Silva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN   – 29 August

Visit to the Jharna-Kala Gallery by Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky    –  August/September (?)

Programme at the Jharna-Kala Gallery for the UN community with special guest  Mrs. Sita Gandhi-Dhupelia, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, offering reminiscences of her childhood with the Mahatma, followed by a performance by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers –   6 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. C. V. Narasimhan, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (1956-78) and Chef de Cabinet to three Secretaries-General   –   10 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 51st Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Robert H. Millette, Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN  –  11 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world –  17 September

Sri Chinmoy gave the opening dedication at a classical music celebration in honour of the 51st Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Gerardo Martinez Blanco, Permanent Representative of Honduras to the UN, held at the Lincoln Center Kaplan Penthouse  –  17 September

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Frania Pantiru, wife of H.E. Ambassador Tudor Pantiru, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the UN, held at the Jharna-Kala Gallery  –  19 September

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community, with remarks by the Indian Foreign Minister, Consul General and Ambassador to the UN  –   2 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 11 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations  –    24 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world    –  24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day   –      October

UNSRC Society of Writers featured in its literary journey Reflections a poem by Sri Chinmoy entitled “The New Year, 1997”    –     Fall issue

Peace Concert at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, with an introduction by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, special advisor to UNESCO, with informal remarks about the Buddha at a function following the concert  –    8 November

Peace Concert at the Miami Convention Center, Miami, Florida, with an introduction by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, special advisor to UNESCO   –   9 November

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, his wife, Mira, and Mr. Alexandre Gorelik at Shanghai Manor Restaurant  – 12 November

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence at an Interfaith Ceremony presenting the 1996 Declaration of World Thanksgiving to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali;

• Sri Chinmoy also presented the Secretary-General with a book after the ceremony  –   21 November

Members of the Peace Meditation group paid a courtesy call on H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury to congratulate him on his appointment as Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN   – 22 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy offered at the UN, the second in a series of 50 concerts held worldwide in celebration of the Golden Jubilee Year of India’s Independence, 

• with remarks by Mr. Üner Kirdar, Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme    –    25 November

U Thant Peace Award presented to Dr. Ananda Guruge, Former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, France and the US; Senior Special Advisor, Culture of Peace Programme, UNESCO  –   3 January

Introduction by Dr. Ananda Guruge, Special Advisor to UNESCO, at a Peace Concert held in the Okura Hotel, Takamatsu, as part of a series of 50 concerts Sri Chinmoy held worldwide in celebration of the Golden Jubilee Year of India’s Independence   – 4 January

Dinner in honour of Ambassador Lakhan Mehrotra and his family   –  2 February

Peace meditation, with readings by Sri Chinmoy from his New Year’s Prayers as well as poems from his book I Go Out, I Go In  –   4 February

Peace meditation, with readings by Sri Chinmoy from his New Year’s prayers as well as poems about Swami Vivekananda   –  7 February

Peace meditation, with readings by Sri Chinmoy from his book Science and Nature; Sri Chinmoy also taught a Bengali song he composed dedicated to the UN: “UN ekate swapan” –  11 February

Peace meditation ,with special guest Mr. C. V. Narasmihan   –   18 February

Programme for peace offered by Sri Chinmoy for staff of the United Nations Office for Project Services, with remarks by Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director Mr. Reinhart Helmke    –   26 February

Peace Meditation, with English songs taught by Sri Chinmoy, as well as readings by Sri Chinmoy of his answers to questions about God from a third-grade class  –   28 February

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, at his residence in Geneva –  17 March

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy taught songs in both English and Bengali that he had  composed to poems by Swami Vivekananda –25 March

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters – 5 April

Opening ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 1997, held on the United Nations General Assembly Plaza, with participation of UN delegates, including:

• H.E. Ambassador Pellumb Kulla, Permanent Representative of Albania to the UN;
• H.E. Ambassador Martin Andjaba, Permanent Representative of Namibia to the UN;
• H.E.Ambassador M. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN;
• H.E. Ambassador Alexandre Gorelik, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation;
• H.E. Ambassador Matia Mulumba Semakula Kiwanuka, Permanent Representative of Uganda;
• Mr. Bratislav Jovanovi_, Deputy Permanent Representative of Yugoslavia to the UN     19 April

Spring concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Nicolaas H. Biegman, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN    –  23 April

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence at an Interfaith Celebration of Commitment to the Work of the UN,

• with guests of honour Secretary-General Kofi Annan and
• H.E. Ambassador Bill Richardson, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the UN,
•  held at St. Bartholomew’s Church      –  25 April

Sri Chinmoy’s poetry recited during a programme at the UN – India’s Independence: Readings from Poets, with a performance by the Peace Meditation Choir  –  30 April

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director General of the UN Office at Geneva and H.E. Ambassador Alexandre Gorelik, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, at Annam Brahma restaurant   –   6 May

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Sudhahota Carl Lewis, 9-time Olympic gold medalist  –  7 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy offered at the UN as part of a series of 50 concerts he held worldwide in celebration of the Golden Jubilee Year of India’s Independence    –  12 May

U Thant Peace Award presented to His Holiness The Dalai Lama   –  28 May

Introduction by Dr. Ananda Guruge, Special Advisor to UNESCO, at a Peace Concert at the University of Philadelphia as part of a series of 50 concerts Sri Chinmoy held worldwide in celebration of the Golden Jubilee Year of India’s Independence    –   30 May

Function to honour Mr. Lakhan Mehrotra, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cambodia    –  11 June

Dinner for H.E. Ambassador Nicolaas H. Biegman, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN, and his wife  – 16 June

Dinner and programme in honour of the 19^th Special Session of the General Assembly on the Overall Review and Implementation of Agenda 21, adopted at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992; attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament and representatives, including:

• Ms. Allison Christie, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of the Bahamas;
• The Hon. Mrs. Sajeda Chowdhury, Minister for Environment and Forests of Bangladesh;
• H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh;
• The Hon. Mr. J.E. Afful, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, and Member of Parliament of Ghana;
• The Hon. Mr. U Ohn Gyaw, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar;
• H.E. Ambassador Win Mra, Permanent Representative of Myanmar; 
• The Hon. Mr. Valeriu Bulgari, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova;
• H.E. Mr. Berndt Ekholm, Member of Parliament of Sweden and Member of the Commissionfor Foreign Relations; (Sri Chinmoy sent an award to The Hon. Mr. Bo Kjellen, Swedish Ambassador for the Environment and international negotiator for environmental issues, head of delegation;
• The Hon. Mr. Chenhamo Chimutengwende, Minister of the Environment and Tourism of Zimbabwe (Nivedita’s husband)     –   26 June

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 16 Ambassadors and  Permanent Representatives to the United Nations   –   30 June

Peace meditation, with special guests Dr. Robert Muller, Chancellor of the University for Peace in Costa Rica, and his wife, Barbara    –     1 July

Farewell tribute to Mr. Üner Kirdar, Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, on his retirement after 25 years of service to the UN  –  11 July

Sri Chinmoy Tennis Classic for the UN community  –  19-20 July

Peace meditation, followed by a talk by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, special advisor to UNESCO   –  29 July

Talk by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka      –    30 July

Closing ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, held on the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation of UN delegates –  16 August

Remarks by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka at a celebration of Sri Chinmoy’s birthday. –  27 August

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 52nd Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Matia Mulumba Semakula Kiwanuka, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the UN   –  15 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world –16 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to I.K. Gujral, Prime Minister of India     –  21 September

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to the memory of Mother Teresa, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN  –  23 September

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community  –  2 October

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to the memory of Princess Diana, held at the United Nations  –   3 October

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his daughter, Irina, at a Delta Airlines private lounge in JFK Airport –  19 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored  by 13 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations  –  24 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world    –   24 October

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Rose Maria de Martini Herrera, wife of H.E. Ambassador Julio Armando Martini Herrera, Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the UN, in honour of the 52^nd Session of the UN General Assembly –  27 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day –   October

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky and his wife, Mira, and Mr. Alexandre Gorelik at Akbar Restaurant –  6 November

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky and his wife, Mira, at Sezchuan Empire, after the viewing of an IMAX film about the space station Mir  –    8 November

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy dedicated to the 52^nd Session of the UN General Assembly   –  21 November

Sri Chinmoy gave the opening dedication at a classical music celebration in honour of the 52^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Oscar R. de Rojas, Chairman of the Second Committee and Deputy Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the UN  –   1 December

Talk on the Buddha by Ambassador Ananda Guruge, Special Advisor to UNESCO  –   9 January

Peace Meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy performed and taught songs     –  27 February

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa Maximovna, in the Waldorf-Astoria Towards  (towers?) –   4 March

Sri Chinmoy’s poetry recited at a World of Poetry programme at the UN   –   1 April

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the  first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters   –    4 April

U Thant Peace Award presented to Dada J.P. Vaswani, Spiritual Head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission  –    5 April

The Heart of Gold Award presented to Sri Chinmoy by the President of the Society of Authors and Composers of Music of Mexico, Mr. Roberto Cantoral, at a ceremony held at the UN   –   17 April

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva at Agra Restaurant   –  19 April

U Thant Peace Award presented to His Holiness Pope John Paul II    –  17 May

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa Maximovna, in the Waldorf-Astoria Towers, New York   –  23 June

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 10 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations   –    26 June

The Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers offered a musical welcome to guest artist Mrs. Anuradha Paudwal and her orchestral group from India before their performance at the UN –   20 July

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Aksoltan T. Ateava, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN, in honour of the 53^rd Session of the UN General Assembly  –  3 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world – 9 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 53rd Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Pierre Lelong, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the UN  –  10 September

Memorial service for the victims of Swissair Flight 111, including nine members of the United Nations family –  11 September

Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run invited to lead the New York City Peace Walk, beginning in Harlem and ending with a ceremony on the UN General Assembly Plaza  –  15 September

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence at an Interfaith Celebration of Commitment to the Work of the UN, marking the opening of the 53rd Session of the UN General Assembly, with guests of honour Secretary-General Kofi Annan and GA President Didier Opertti Badan  – 16 September

Meeting with South African President Nelson Mandela and First Lady Graça Machel, during the President’s visit to New York to address the UN General Assembly  –   20 September

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community  –   2 October

Lecture by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, special advisor to UNESCO     –    2 October

Meeting with friends of Ambassador Ananda Guruge  –  3 October

Luncheon for Ambassador Lakhan Mehrotra and Ambassador Ananda Guruge and their families  –    3 October

Programme honouring South Africa and President Nelson Mandela,

• with keynote speaker Comrade Jacob Zuma, Deputy President of the African National Congress,
• and special guest H.E. Ambassador Khiphusizi J. Jele, Permanent Representative of South Africa  – 16 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 13 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations  –  23 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world   –   24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day  –    October

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the 20^th annual International Friendship Run, held at the UN for 10,000 international runners, in conjunction with the NYC Marathon, featuring welcoming remarks by Secretary-General Kofi Annan  –  31 October

Private presentation to Mr. Kofi Annan by Sri Chinmoy of his song dedicated to the Secretaty-General, which was then performed by the Peace Meditation Choir  – 31 October

UNSRC Society of Writers featured in its literary journey Reflections a poem by Sri Chinmoy Entitled “The Year 1999”  –   Fall/Winter issue

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Claiborne deBorda Pell, United States Senator from Rhode Island   –  15 November

Sri Chinmoy gave the opening dedication at a classical music celebration in honour of the 53^rd Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Andre Erdos, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN  –   23 November

Celebration of Sri Chinmoy 13^th  weightlifting anniversary; with United Nations ambassadors and delegates among the special guests who were honoured by Sri Chinmoy  –  27 November

Function in honour of Ambassador Ananda Guruge’s birthday –  6 December

U Thant Peace Award presented to King Tuanku Ja’afar of Malaysia   –   30 December

1999

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Mahathir Mohammed, Prime Minister of Malaysia – 4 January

U Thant Peace Award presented to Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal    –   1 February

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy read excerpts from his book entitled The New Millennium  –  19 February

Peace meditation, with a poetry reading by Sri Chinmoy    –   12 March

Prayerful homage to the legendary Maestro Yehudi Menuhin,

• with violinist Ms. Edna Michell,the Maestro’s lifelong musical associate, and
•  performers from the Mannes College of Music      –  19 March

Programme to honour former Puerto Rican Governor and U Thant Peace Award recipient Mr. Raphael Hernandez-Colon and his wife, Lila   –   27 March

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy taught some of his songs on the New Millennium     –    30 March

Opening ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 1999, held on the United Nations General Assembly Plaza, with participation of UN delegates , including

• Mr. Marcos Prado Troyjo, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN;
• Ms. Illunga Maryse Tupe-Muni, Permanent Mission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo;
• Mr. Vice Skra_i_, Permanent Mission of Croatia to the UN;
• H.E. Ambassador Haile Menkerios, Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the UN;
• H.E. Ambassador Lamuel A. Stanislaus, Deputy Permanent Representative of Grenada;
• H.E. Ambassador Thorstein Ingólfsson, Permanent Representative of Iceland to the UN;
• Mr. Ko Ko, Deputy Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the UN;
• Mr. Gerhard Theron, Permanent Mission of Namibia to the UN;
• Mr. Paras Ghimire, Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN;
• Major Klaas Roos, Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the UN;
• Ms. Elena Pechalova, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN       –     17 April

Dinner and function for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, and his wife, Mira     –   30 April

Special peace meditation for members of the Division for Public Economics and Public Administration, Department of Economic and Social Affairs  –  21 May

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 16 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations  –  25 June

Classical piano recital by Mr. Surashri Paradis, staff member of the Department of Management, and member of the Peace Meditation group   – 8 July

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy read from his book My Morning Soul-Body Prayers  –  13 July

A prayerful homage celebrating the life and work of John F. Kennedy, Jr.  –   27 July

The Peace Meditation choir invited to perform on the occasion of the retirement of Mrs. Neylan Bali, Director of the Security Council Affairs Division   –  30 July

Talk by Ambassador Ananda Guruge, UNESCO adviser  –  30 July

Lecture by Ambassador Ananda Guruge, UNESCO adviser, on spirituality and art    –  1 August

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his daughter, Irina, and grandchildren in Muenster, Germany   –    7 August

Closing ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, held on the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, with participation of UN delegates, including:

• Major Pol Vanden Berghe, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Belgium to the UN;
• Mr. Marcos Troyjo, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN;
• Mr. Shawki, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN;
• Mr. Tatang Razak, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN         –    14 August

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers hosted by Mrs. Enny Sekarwaty Wibisono, wife of H.E. Ambassador Makarim Wibisono, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN, in honour of the 54^th Session of the UN General Assembly     –  2 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the opening of the 54^th Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Peter Tomka, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN    –    9 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world    –   14 September

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence at an Interfaith Celebration of Commitment to the Work of the UN, marking the opening of the 54^th Session of the UN General Assembly, with guests of honour Secretary-General Kofi Annan and GA President Theo-Ben Gurirab, held at St. Bartholomew’s Church  –  16 September

Meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, in which Sri Chinmoy presented her with a song he had composed in her honour – 17 September

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening of soccer tournament to celebrate the UN International Day of Peace, sponsored by several Ambassadors and NGOs in cooperation with Mr. Henry Stern, NYC Parks Department Commissioner    –   19 September

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters    25 September

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Prime Minister of Nepal                29 September

A Prayerful Homage to Mrs. Raisa Maximovna Gorbachev, with a tribute by Mr. Vadim Perfiliev, Director of the General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division  –   1 October

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community  – 2 October

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Ted Turner, Founder of CNN, Time Warner Vice Chairman and Chairman of the United Nations Foundation    –   6 October

Peace meditation, with special guest Mrs. Kate Zuma, wife of the Deputy President of South Africa; Sri Chinmoy composed a special song in her honour and taught it to the Peace Meditation choir  –  19 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 16 Ambassadors and  Permanent Representatives to the United Nations     –  22 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world   –   24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day    –    October

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy taught songs to members of the audience    –  2 November

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, at the Maharaja restaurant   –     4 November

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the 21st annual International Friendship Run,

• held at the UN for 10,000 international runners, in conjunction with the NYC Marathon;
• the Peace Meditation choir also performed Sri Chinmoy’s songs for marathon champions Ms. Tegla Loroupe of Kenya and Ms. Grete Waitz of Norway    –  6 November

Celebration of Sri Chinmoy’s 14^th weightlifting anniversary; with members of the United Nations community honoured, including

• H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, and his wife, Mariam;
• H.E. Ambassador Vladimir Sotirov, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria;
• Mrs. Shashi Tripathi, Consul General of India in New York;
• Mrs. Beatrice Warji, wife of the Deputy Consul General of India in New York;
• Mr. Hazairin Pohan, Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Indonesia;
• H.E. Ambassador Jargalsaikhany Enkhsaikhan, Permanent Representative of Mongolia;
• Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, UNESCO Special Adviser, and his wife, Darshanika;
• and Mr. Anselmo Evans, UN staff member       –   17 November

U Thant Peace Award presented to H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN, at a Millennium Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy   –   23 November

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his daughter, Irina, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia    –   2 December

Talk by Ambassador Ananda Guruge, UNESCO adviser, on Russia     –   23 December

• Talk by Ambassador Ananda Guruge, UNESCO adviser, on Buddhism  –  24 December
• Remarks by Ambassador Ananda Guruge on Sri Chinmoy’s running one-mile  – 26 December
• Talk and question and answer session by Ambassador Ananda Guruge    –   28 December

Ambassador Ananda Guruge, UNESCO adviser, spoke and answered questions  –  1 January

Peace meditation in which Sri Chinmoy answered spiritual questions about the UN       –  22 February

Telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Nepal     –  2 March

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Svenn Kristiansen, Deputy Mayor of Oslo, Norway   – 27 March

Spring concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by Mrs. Marcela Galušková, wife of H.E. Ambassador Vladimir Galuška, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN     –  7 April

Song composed by Sri Chinmoy in honour of the 30^th anniversary of the Peace Meditation group –   17 April

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy, who performed on 30 instruments in honour of the 30^th anniversary of the Peace Meditation group –  18 April

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, President of the 41^st Session of the General Assembly and Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament  –   8 May

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Gary Ackerman, United States Congressman from New York    –  15 June

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 11 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations    –  26 June

Peace meditation, with special guests Mrs. Kate Zuma, wife of the Deputy President of South Africa Mr. Jacob Zuma, and her  children   –  11 July

Exhibition of 70,000 Peace-Bird Drawings by Sri Chinmoy on display in the UN Secretariat Lobby, dedicated to the Millennium General Assembly   –   17-28 July

Special reception to “Meet the Artist” at the Peace-Bird Drawings exhibition at the UN,

• with remarks by Ms. Ranjana Ghose, curator of Sri Chinmoy’s artwork    –    20 July

United Nations Radio interviewed Sri Chinmoy in conjunction with his art exhibition    –    28 July

Inspirational talk by Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, special advisor to UNESCO  –  30 July

Peace Run for the United Nations, an 18-mile commemorative relay run from the site of the first UN Headquarters in Lake Success, Long Island, to New York Headquarters –  5 August

Peace meditation, with reminiscences by Sri Chinmoy about his youth in Pondicherry,  which had just joined the Sri Chinmoy Peaace-Blossoms programme    –   8 August

Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, hosted by H.E. Ambassador Lamuel A. Stanislaus, Permanent Representative of Grenada to the UN, in honour of the 55^th Session of the UN General Assembly   –  23 August

U Thant Peace Award presented to Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder and publisher of Hinduism Today magazine and international Hindu leader   –    25 August

UN Radio programme featuring Sri Chinmoy aired worldwide in conjunction with the UN Millennium Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders  –  28-29 August

Dinner and function in honour of Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament     –    1 September

Peace Walk for the UN International Day of Peace held at UN Headquarters in conjunction with Peace Walks around the world     –  5 September

Meeting with President Mikhail Gorbachev and his daughter, Irina, at the NY Hilton Hotel –  6 September

Peace meditation, with the performance of the song dedicated to the Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms-Nations and the reading of some new proclamations        –  12 September

Interfaith Prayer Breakfast commemorating the UN Millennium General Assembly, hosted by H.E. Mr. Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN    –  26 September

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy in honour of the UN Millennium General Assembly, with a dedication to Mrs. Raisa Maximovna Gorbachev   –   27 September

Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers performed at a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, held at the Gandhi statue in Union Square for the international community   –  2 October

Peace meditation, with a short talk read by Sri Chinmoy, “Only Prayer Can Make the UN Strong” –  6 October

Dinner for Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, and his wife, Mira, at the Maharaja Restaurant  –   19 October

Peace Walk for United Nations Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 12 Ambassadors and  Permanent Representatives to the United Nations    – 24 October

Seven Minutes for World Peace observed at UN Headquarters and around the world    –  24 October

Sri Chinmoy Peace Race for the United Nations: Two-mile races held in over 140 cities around the globe to promote United Nations Day    –     October

Meeting with Mr. Geir Sjoberg, representative of the Permanent Mission of Norway to the UN serving on the Security Council     –   28 October

UNSRC Society of Writers featured in its literary journey Reflections poems by Sri Chinmoy entitled “Three Prayers for the Millennium, ” illustrated with a selection of “Dream-Freedom-Peace-Bird” drawings from the artist’s exhibit in the UN Secretariat     –  Fall issue

Sri Chinmoy offered a moment of silence for peace at the opening ceremony of the annual International   Friendship Run, held at the UN for 10,000 international runners, in conjunction with the NYC Marathon; the Peace Meditation Choir also performed Sri Chinmoy’s song dedicated to marathon world record holder Mr. Khalid Khannouchi    –  4 November

Sri Chinmoy gave the opening dedication at a classical music celebration in honour of the UN Millennium Assembly and the International Year for the Culture of Peace, hosted by Mrs. Yvonne Gittens-Joseph, Chairperson of the Third Committee and Deputy Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the UN    –    20 November

2001 Jan – Aug

U Thant Peace Award presented to Mr. Atal Bihari Vaj Payee, Prime Minister of India     –  13 January

Meeting with Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament  –   25 February

Peace meditation, with a special reading of commentaries on spiritual words         –     20 March

Poetry reading celebrating the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations,

• with a welcome by Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Interim Head of the UN Department of PublicInformation;
• an introduction by Mr. Giandomenico Picco, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the International Year of Dialogue among Civilizations; and featuring
• poetry read by Ms. Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Sri Chinmoy, Mr. Yusef Komunyakaa, Ms. Joyce Carol Oates and Mr. James Ragan –  29 March

Opening ceremony of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run 2001, held on the United Nations General Assembly Plaza, with participation of UN delegates   – 14 April

Spring Concert by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, sponsored by the wife of  H.E. Ambassador Dumisani Shadrack Kumalo, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN; with special guests H.E. Ambassador Joseph Mutaboba, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the UN, and Mrs. Mutaboba     –   23 April

Mr. Mark Malloch Brown,  Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, presented Sri Chinmoy with “The Heart of the UN Progress”  – 1 May

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring UN representatives, including

• Ms. Nicole J. Elisha, Second Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Benin ;
• H.E. Ambassador Husein Zivalj, Permanent Representative of  Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Mr. François Oubida, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of  Burkina Faso;
• Mr. Noel-Emmanuel Ahipaud Guebo, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of the Côte d’Ivoire;
• Mr. Reda Bebars, Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt;
• H.E. Ambassador Bob F. Jalang’o, Permanent Representative of Kenya;
• Mr. Phakiso Mochochoko, Chargé d’affaires a.i., Permanent Mission of Lesotho;
• Mrs. Marcela Aguirre, wife of the Mexican Ambassador, most recently to the Czech Republic;
• H.E. Ambassador Ousmane Moutari, Permanent Representative of Niger;
• H.E. Ambassador Klara Novotna, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovakia; and
• Mr. Jure Gasparic, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia   –   12 May

Peace Concert by Sri Chinmoy in honour of the 31^st anniversary of the Peace Meditation group      –  14 May

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring Presidents of the UN General Assembly:

• H.E. Dr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury (41^st session);
• H.E. Mr. Amara Essy (49^th session);
• H.E. Mr. Imre Hollai (37^th session); and
• H.E. Dr. Jorge Illueca (38^th session)    – with Daughter Marta     –  15 May

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme with honourees including

• Mr. Brian Gleeson of the United Nations Development Programme   –    19 May

Peace meditation, in which Sri Chinmoy taught Bengali songs and gave their translations    – 25 May

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme, with honourees including a representative of the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN –  26 May

A special reading of poetry, published subsequently as My Life’s Every Day Hope-Blossoms and Promise-Trees and If I Could Start My Life Once More    –  29 May & 1 June

Peace meditation, with special guests four-time Olympic discus champion Mr. Al Oerter and his wife, Cathy   –  1 June

Peace Walk for United Nations Charter Day, held in the United Nations Garden, cosponsored by 17 Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations    – 26 June

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme, honouring H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN   –   6 July

Peace meditation, with the children of Deputy President of South Africa Jacob Zuma as special guests  –   13 July

A prayerful homage celebrating the life and work of Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury,  President of the 41^st Session of the General Assembly and Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament      –    27 July

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme with honorees including

• H.E. Ambassador Srgjan Kerim, Permanent Representative of Macedonia to the UN,
• and Mrs. Nana Apeadu, President, Pan-African Human Rights Association         –   28 July

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme honouring Ambassador Ananda Guruge of Sri Lanka, special advisor to UNESCO, and his wife, Darshanika   – 30 July

U Thant Peace Award presented to The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, President, The Interfaith Center of New York, and Dean Emeritus, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine  –  31 July

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme, honouring Dean Morton and Mr. Wilfrid Grenville-Grey of the United Nations Association of the UK and author of UN Jigsaw   – 31 July

“Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart” programme with honorees including

• H. E. Ambassador Ibahim Gambari, Under-Secretary-General and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Africa;
• Dr. Kul Gautam, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director for Alliances and Resources, and his wife, Binata    ; and
• Professor Talat Sait Halman, Turkey’s First Minister of Culture, and former representative of Turkey on the Executive Council of UNESCO  –   4 August