World peace organization calls for silence, reflection
In Kosovo, the Albanians are fighting the Serbs. In the West Bank, the Jews and the Palestinians constantly wrangle over land. In Kashmir, the Muslims and the Hindus are struggling over land sovereignty.
Events such as these are the driving force behind Seven Minutes of World Peace, an event scheduled for Saturday that is sponsored by a group of the same name.
In 1984, under the guidance of guru Sri Chinmoy, the group initiated a worldwide seven-minute observation of meditation and silent prayer as a means of spreading the spirit of peace on earth.
The mission statement of Seven Minutes of World Peace aims to focus global attention on the need for international peace and the inter-faith spirit of the United Nations.
USF senior Thucdoan Nguyen, a disciple of Chinmoy, said through worldwide participation she is optimistic that her dreams of world peace can become a reality. Nguyen said the seven-minute meditation affects each individual differently, but typically the reaction is joy and delight.
According to Tilvila Hurwit, an organizer for the Seven Minutes of World Peace in the Tampa Bay area, the cultivation of peace may have far-reaching effects.
“World peace starts in everyone’s heart,” Hurwit said. “Peace starts with one person at a time?”
Seven Minutes of World Peace believes that inner peace may lead to outer peace and consequently to worldwide peace.
In Tampa, this global observance will be held at Martin Luther King Plaza beginning at 1 p.m.
■ Linda Man
Published in THE ORACLE, University of South Florida, Vol. 36, No. 43, Friday, October 23, 1998