Congress, peace bell, inter-religious dialogue & award: all in the name of peace

Peace Times 15

by Isthar D.- Adler

The globalisation of world economy and technological innovation in the field of transport and telecommunication we are witnessing at the start of this new millennium, has also broadened the spectrum of organised crime worldwide with devastating repercussions. Agreeing that organized crime has become too widespread for single Governments to fight, nations have joined forces in proposing a powerful new treaty -the draft UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and its three draft protocols against trafficking in illegal firearms, migrants and persons, especially women and children. The proposed treaty -currently being drafted by a special committee established by the General Assembly -will be a major item of discussion at the Tenth Crime Congress held in Vienna from the 10th to the 17th of April 2000.

On the 29th of January, Lama Gangchen met with Alfred Stingl, Mayor of Graz to congratulate the City for its invaluable contribution to interfaith dialogue and share the vision towards the creation of a spiritual forum at the United Nations. Mr Stingl has been for several years bringing different religious traditions together in the city, promoting the building of temples and edifices of different religious and spiritual denominations. There is already a mosque, a synagogue underway and a buddhist peace stupa in the city gardens. Mr Stingl expressed his appreciation for the Lama’s dedication to world peace; offering him the medal of the City, he said “I am trying to do locally what you are doing worldwide...we both share a common vision for peace”. In October 2002, the first Kalachakra “Wheel of Time” initiation for world peace of the Third Millennium in the West is planned to take place in Graz - European Cultural Capital in the year 2003.

On the 22nd of March,when North and South, East and West are equidistant to the sun, spring equinox was traditionally celebrated in a globally shared moment in time, with the ringing of bells around the world, simultaneously with United Nations Headquarters in New York and San Francisco. With the participation of children from Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, this year, Lama Gangchen rang the Peace Bell - donated by Japan - at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria, with Kaplan Paterno, a wellknown and much loved Austrian Franciscan monk.  The LGWPF has further pledged its support to realise and place a peace bell at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, hopefully for spring 2001.

The LGWPF “Peace Messenger 2000” award was presented to Austrian Airlines on the same day in recognition of the airline’s contribution towards a new global culture of peace in the Third Millennium through International friendship and service to humanity.