AMMA receives Gandhi-King Award

[Guest guest]

Here is the article on www.amma.org regarding the award received by

Amma earlier today.

 

AMMA HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

 

The Global Peace Initiative of Women Spiritual and Religious Leaders

Geneva, Switzerland

Oct. 7, 2002

 

The prestigious Gandhi-King award for Nonviolence was awarded to Sri

Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, in the United Nations at Geneva today. Amma

is only the fourth person worldwide to be presented with this award,

the previous recipients being Nobel Laureates and leaders of the 21st

century - Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, and

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, and world renowned

primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall.

 

In Her acceptance speech, Amma praised the work of both Mahatma

Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "This award is in the name of

two great beings who fearlessly devoted their lives towards the cause

of peace, harmony and equality. Amma accepts this award on behalf of

all those who pray and work for peace the world over. May this be an

inspiration for people everywhere to redouble their efforts in

bringing peace to our planet. Gandhiji and Martin Luther King were

able to fulfill their misson in life not only due to the support they

received from people but also because they had a pure heart."

 

A joint initiative of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious

and Spiritual Leaders and the World Movement for Non-Violence, the

Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence was founded to promote the

principles and practices of nonviolence in daily life and has been

awarded annually since 1998 to individuals who have made a lifetime

commitment to fostering non-violence.

 

The decision to present Amma with this award came as a direct outcome

of The Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual

Leaders where Amma spoke as an honored keynote speaker. This global

initiative is spearheaded by accomplished women from across the

world, who wish to see an end to conflict and violence by pursuing a

path different from the beaten one.

 

The goal of the Initiative is to build a strong global network of

women leaders committed to mobilizing their resources and expertise

to develop specific peace-building activities in regions of conflict.

 

A large part of the world adheres to some form of religious or

spiritual belief system. With this in mind, it seems imperative that

strong religious or spiritual leadership based on principles of peace

and nonviolence exist throughout the world, resolving tensions caused

by ethnic and belief differences as they occur. The Global Peace

Initiative is a step in this direction.

 

For Amma this is a brief intermission before She continues on Her

tireless labor of love in the European Tour. Her next stop will be in

Turin, Italy where thousands await Her annual presence in their

midst.

 

Oct.6, 2002: At Geneva, the Global Peace Initiative of Women

Religious and Spiritual Leaders opened its convention with a day of

meditation and prayer for world peace. Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi,

Amma, was the first to lead the prayer at the candlelight vigil for

global peace, held this afternoon at the English Garden at Lake

Geneva. Earlier this afternoon Amma also led a prayer session at the

Beau Rivage Hotel where the distinguished group first convened