Sri Chinmoy completes two-month Peace Tour of South Africa
NEW YORK — New York-based peace leader Sri Chinmoy returned to New York recently after a two-month goodwill tour of southern Africa which included meetings with Nelson Mandela recently and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on New Year’s Day. About 300 members of the Sri Chinmoy Centres International, including 100 from New York City, accompanied Sri Chinmoy.
President Mandela was presented with the U Thant Peace Award by Sri Chinmoy at the ANC National Headquarters in Johannesburg. While offering the award to the President, Sri Chinmoy said, “Your life of unconditional sacrifice and your beloved country’s miracle-transformation are inseparable ... Your triumphant peace-loving and oneness-building spirit the entire aspiring world shall forever love, cherish and adore.”
President Mandela responded to Sri Chinmoy, “This U Thant Peace Award from you is one that I am going to respect a great deal and which encourages me in the difficult work that we are doing. To be appreciated by an organization like yours is a real shot in the arm. I cannot express in words my joy. What you are doing is in the interest of the entire humanity and the world.” A group of Sri Chinmoy's students performed songs composed by their teacher in honor of the 76-year-old South African leader and Nobel Peace Laureate.
Published in The Gary Crusader, Volume XXXIV No. 41 – Saturday, February 24, 1996