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The second speaker today comes from Jodhpur, a place in India that gave its name to the trousers people wear when riding horses. I don't believe Sydney has ever been given to any article of clothing; is anyone wearing their Sydneys today? No one has heard of such a thing. But we have the pleasure of hosting His Royal Highness the Maharaja of Jodhpur. His Highness has worked to preserve wildlife biodiversity in India. He has initiated and supported sustainable development projects, particularly the ancient practice of rainwater harvesting. I think we all need to do a better job at that, Your Highness, as there is a great need for more rainwater harvesting, a practice as vital here as it is in India. He has also long been committed to tourism and serves as president of the Indian Heritage Hotels Association. Furthermore, as I have experienced myself, His Highness occupies one of the most incredible palaces I have ever seen. He has authorized me to invite you all to visit him, though we cannot all go at once. Rachel, would you please welcome His Highness, the Maharaja of Jodhpur? As I have been informed, you are all indeed welcome, though I cannot house you all at once. Please do let me know your plans. Oṃjī, respected spiritual leaders, Commissioner for India Rajnath Singhjī, other country representatives, panelists, and delegates for peace. I have been invited to address this conference on a concern fundamental to us all, to our well-being and spiritual well-being. I claim no special scholarship on the subject. What I share comes from my own learning, life experience, and what I have absorbed from leaders and ordinary people, teachers and students, in my country and across the world. I therefore seek your indulgence. At this juncture, the world is poised in a precarious and dangerous process, marked by environmental loss, the loss of human life and property, and a failure of reason and understanding. This conference does not aim to point fingers or apportion blame to any person. But we must stop this and face the realization that we are witnessing a colossal collapse, a time of deep crisis. This conference could not be more timely to help us reflect and resurrect ourselves. The most basic human right is the right to life—not merely physical existence, but a life of meaning and dignity. This must be informed by the realization that one is not alone in exercising this right; as the Bible says, "No man is an island." The pursuit of this right must be guided by the overwhelming consideration that in doing so, we do not harm anyone else's right, either intentionally or accidentally. If we do, we must be prepared to face appropriate consequences. This is the basis of all ethical systems governing civilization, at its simplest, and it defines moral behavior. Such consideration leads to the quest for human and humane values for individuals and societies. An abiding adherence to it would also ensure sustainable development. Let me illustrate with a mundane example: we all wish to celebrate what gives us joy. I have noticed in my own country that these celebrations are taking on an increasingly raucous form, disrupting the everyday activities of those not involved. If celebrants conceded the right to reasonable peace and quiet to their neighbors, their joy would not diminish, and they would not earn the ill-will of the disturbed. Truly, I have seen a disturbing, somewhat militant tendency in observing certain religious or social practices. Those who display them claim it is their right, ignoring or defying the similar right of others. The result is confrontation with the potential for disastrous outcomes. Our own society long recognized the peril of such behavior. For instance, Hindu religious processions accompanied by musicians would mute their instruments while passing mosques, in deference to the Muslim proscription of music at their place of worship. This respect led to amity and peace. This noble behavior, which went beyond mere tolerance to epitomize mutual respect, was enshrined as Sarva Dharma Sambhava—equal respect for all faiths. At its deepest, it implies that my being a devout, pious person is in no way diminished if I respect your right to believe and follow your own religion. Our ancient sages said, "The truth is one, but its seekers interpret it." If this is so, how can one insist on a dogma that demands acceptance of one's interpretation above all others and defines non-subscribers as infidels? How can one embark on crusades to enforce dogma at the point of a sword? How can one consign non-believers to a life of purgatory, here on earth or in the hereafter? Religion is but one trait where intolerance manifests. We encounter chosen races, communities, ideologies, and economic systems, all lending themselves to discriminatory arrangements that trample the rights of those considered beyond the pale. I am saddened, and I am sure all of you here are, that we are increasingly divided into such groups and expected to wear these distinct labels as badges of honor. In doing so, we subordinate our basic human rights to those of the group and its narrow identity. The group does not necessarily respect its individual members, believing the group is larger than any constituent. This often worsens the situation. The group justifies its separate identity in confrontational terms against other groups. The policy of the group's interests requires its members to contest those of opposing formations. Thus, we reach a point where we must justify exercising our basic rights at the expense of others'. This directly violates the basic ethical principle I stated earlier. I recapitulate: the exercise of one's human rights must at all times be informed and circumscribed by respect for the rights of others. The towering personality of the 20th century, Mahatma Gandhi, was an apostle of this observance. Indian independence in 1947 was marked by unprecedented communal carnage in Bengal and Punjab, both of which were partitioned. Gandhījī took no joy in celebrating the independence he had struggled for all his life. Instead, he went to some of the worst-hit areas of what was then East Pakistan to heal the victims' wounds. Later that year, when Indian government leaders contemplated withholding payments due to Pakistan amid mounting tensions, Gandhījī opposed this as immoral, stood his ground, and the government abandoned the plan. This is among the finest examples of unqualified, absolute adherence to basic human rights and values as the guiding principle for all behavior, individual and collective. We need to learn from Gandhījī and Mandela that humanity is one and indivisible. Narrow sectarian interests have never achieved worthwhile results. All great discoveries in science and technology, advances in philosophy, and achievements in the creative and performing arts arose from nothing other than human values. We share not just a common heritage, but also a very fragile spaceship called Earth. Its resources are limited, be they essentials like pure air and water, or materials for our other requirements. Even the most stringent laws cannot prevent the damage one part of the settled Earth can cause to another. We saw the universal euphoria, grief, and tragic loss from the space shuttle Columbia and its brave crew, transcending national, political, economic, religious, or gender bounds. In much the same way, the seven continents travel together on this spaceship called Earth, the only one its passengers know. We must realize we cannot escape being affected by the sickness of any one of us, no matter how well-insulated our figurative spacesuit is. Similarly, if the spaceship is damaged, it takes everyone down; there are no rescue vehicles. Thus, logically, our concern for our own rights must extend to everyone's rights everywhere. We must create a future for coming generations, so they may enjoy what we do: our majestic rivers, our beautiful wildlife. May they enjoy drinking from pristine mountain springs, seeing the beauty of coral reefs in clear blue waters, listening to joyous bird calls, and witnessing great formations of migratory birds. Will the Taj Mahal become for them just a name, or a gambling casino, rather than a magnificent edifice? All because we, and our ancestors, squandered our heritage. --- Recording location: Australia, Sydney, World Peace Forum 2003