Letter to Kofi Annan
Excerpt from a letter
written by Sri Chinmoy
upon hearing the momentous news of the Secretary-General’s receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001
12 October 2001
Highly esteemed Secretary-General,
…This momentous and historical achievement of yours and of the entire United Nations — receiving the centenary Nobel Peace Prize — is truly an unparalleled achievement for all humanity… At a time of unimaginable suffering, today’s announcement has given precious hope and boundless joy to countless millions of peace-lovers and peace-servers throughout the length and breadth of the world. You offer a clarion call at every hush-gap for the family of nations to join together for the benefit of all… Through your stellar leadership and through a myriad of global programmes which you have initiated, the United Nations has become the heart-home of the entire humanity. Now the peace-loving world immediately and confidently looks to the United Nations to solve its most pressing problems…
Published in Kofi Annan: Cynosure-Eye
Letter to Professor Lundestad
written by Sri Chinmoy
with congratulations for presenting the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001 to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
12 October 2001
Dear Professor Lundestad,
Esteemed Director of the Nobel Peace Committee, I am extremely happy and my heart is absolutely thrilled to learn that you have offered the world's most significant peace award to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, and the United Nations. Definitely he greatly deserves this world-transformation-peace-award from the Nobel Peace Committee.
The Secretary-General is a peacemaker par excellence. Last December he made time in his extremely demanding schedule to appear on the popular educational children's show "Sesame Street". When the colourful muppets started arguing about whose turn it was to sing the alphabet song, the Secretary-General suggested that all of the characters sing together. The spirit of oneness prevailed, as they happily followed his wise advice.
When he was later asked what prompted him to take part in "Sesame Street", the Secretary-General replied, "I think it is wonderful to be able to reach the young, and reach them very early, and try to give them the spirit of the United Nations — a spirit of understanding, sharing and working together."
Kofi Annan offers all that he is and all that he has for peace-flowers to bloom and blossom on earth. In his case, unlike most other world leaders, the Secretary-General's childlike heart and his brilliant mind perfectly sport together.
Published in Kofi Annan: Cynosure-Eyes
Sri Chinmoy completes his 5,000th lift in his ‘Lifting Up the World with a Oneness-Heart’ programme when he raises Vladimir Petrovsky, former Deputy Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union. The lift takes place in the back garden tent of Annam Brahma restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, New York.