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A Message of Peace from Prague

A Czech parliamentarian delivers a message of peace at a conference, drawing on spiritual and historical themes.

"There is only one God, the universal God, only one religion, humanity, and only one nation, humankind."

"Peace among nations is dependent on peace in human beings."

The speaker, a member of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), opens by quoting from Swamiji's Yoga in Daily Life. He shares an observation of harmony at Prague's Christmas market as a model for the world, then outlines diplomatic efforts for nuclear disarmament and addresses global conflicts. He conveys greetings from the Czech Prime Minister and concludes by thanking those who seek inner peace through yoga.

Filming location: Prague, Czech Republic

Dear Swamiji, dear guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply honored to stand before you. Within me, I carry the message from Swamijī's book, Yoga in Daily Life. Four verses speak of the key factor for our future. I quote: "There is only one God, the universal God, only one religion, humanity, and only one nation, humankind." This profound wisdom was in my mind yesterday as I walked through Prague. I went to the Old Town Square and saw the Christmas tree standing there. Huge crowds of people were present. I overheard many languages from various parts of the world. There were families with children—so many people. Yet everyone in the crowd was smiling. No one was angry. It was a beautiful community. In that moment, I wished from my heart that the whole world could be such a place, like Old Town Square at Christmas, with people respecting one another. To achieve this, it is not enough for people alone to desire it; the political leaders of our world must also want it. It is therefore a great pleasure and honor for me to attend this conference on peace. I am also honored to convey a message from the Czech Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, along with his wishes for a successful conference and his desire that we all achieve peace in the world. Now, if you will allow me, I will add a few words of my own. I welcome you to Prague, and I am very proud to see Prague as a city from which a message of peace is going out to the whole world. Historically, this is not new. As far back as the 15th century, the Czech King George of Poděbrady sent peace delegations across the world. In 2009, here in Prague, Barack Obama expressed his vision of a world without nuclear weapons. Two years later, the START II agreement on nuclear non-proliferation was signed between Barack Obama and the then-President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev. Just a few days ago, a conference called the Prague Agenda followed up on these very activities. I know our world is currently full of terrible civil wars and local conflicts. The international community is afraid and concerned about climate change and its impacts. While local conflicts can be addressed through legislation and diplomacy, climate change is being tackled through a long-term, agreed-upon global effort. Weapons, potential terrorist attacks, and cyber-attacks are dangers in themselves. The Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), of which I am a member, strives for a world free not only from biological weapons but also from the last category of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons. The first steps proclaimed by this organization, as well as by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, involve countries pledging not to be the first to use these weapons and to reduce their own capacity to use them. Fifty-four countries, including nuclear powers, have joined this mission. If more countries were to join, the risk to the entire world would be reduced. I ask for your support for these goals in your own striving for peace. To conclude, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to quote the Czech author, painter, and anti-fascist fighter, Josef Čapek: "Peace among nations is dependent on peace in human beings." I thank all of you who struggle and strive for inner peace through yoga every day. I thank you all and offer you my best wishes.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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