Opening Remarks by Karin Tag at the 3rd Congress of the Council of World Elders on September 28, 2013, at the Congress Center of the Kurhaus Bad Homburg, Germany


Ladies and gentlemen, dear audience, Mr. President, Consuls and Ambassadors,

I would like to thank you for supporting the Council of World Elders with your presence here, and I would like to take this opportunity to explain the background and goals of this congress.

I have invited you all here to reflect together with you on how each individual can stand up for our planet Earth and inspire the various peoples to draw closer to one another as if they were a single family. In these extraordinary times, we all sense that living conditions on Earth are changing drastically, and the consequences—such as environmental destruction—are becoming clearly evident. Environmental pollution and ecological interventions that have occurred worldwide have left tangible consequences that will pose massive challenges for future generations. We all live in a society that is increasingly distancing itself from ancient cultural roots and is slipping ever deeper into a destructive attitude toward our Earth’s natural resources.

The knowledge and cultures of the Earth’s indigenous peoples are receiving less and less attention, and the guardians of ancient traditions are slowly dying out. Thousands of animal species are disappearing from our planet, perhaps eradicated by us forever.

Children are growing up in an environment where, in our industrialized world, they learn more about computers than about individual indigenous tribes and their vital wisdom regarding nature, the environment, medicine, and ecological thinking.

Throughout our history—the history of humanity—there have been repeated instances where peoples were driven from their lands and murdered in order to gain access to land, precious metals, oil, and other resources. Forests were cleared, oceans were destroyed, and knowledge of natural solutions to many problems was wiped out. With the displacement of peoples—for example, from the rainforest—important medical insights are irretrievably lost to humanity, insights that could perhaps save the lives of millions of people.

Healing methods that laid an important foundation for our modern medicine today are being irretrievably destroyed in the process. Plants are being destroyed that would have given future generations a healthy and happy future.

The destructive force is so heartless and vast that even in every tiniest corner of this earth, trash, toxins, and life-threatening, genetically mutating radiation are carelessly spread. One gets the feeling that humanity is in the process of destroying itself because its heart is closed off to the earth, the animals, the plants, and the people who share this habitat. In industrialized countries, respect for life and for the aging is being lost, and children are being raised to focus solely on material gain. It has often made me angry and desperate when I have witnessed firsthand just how closed-minded people are, especially toward ancient cultures.
 Museums in Western countries are full of collected works of art that bear witness to unique cultures which have succumbed to societal pressures through war and murder. During my time working at renowned European museums, I saw for myself how overflowing the collections are with the most diverse objects and artifacts from a forgotten world. These cultural objects are preserved there for their material value. Often, while looking at the works of art, I have asked myself: Who made these objects? What purpose did they serve? Where are the peoples who managed to erect structures with the simplest of means—structures that even modern machinery cannot replicate today?

We must all be aware that immense knowledge is woven into ancient cultures, like letters in a text that simply needs to be deciphered. If we try today to engage with cultural traditions beyond the ethnological framework, our hearts open to perspectives that make the unimagined possible.

The wisdom of indigenous peoples extends far beyond the realm of medicine. It contains traditional solutions to social problems of all kinds and offers the chance for a peaceful life in ecological balance with nature. In the past, it was the elders who imparted the most important messages and teachings to the children, helping them lead balanced lives in harmony and unison with nature.

Industrialized society has unwittingly contributed to a collective forgetting of values and spiritual development through the brutal destruction of indigenous peoples, which has had catastrophic and tangible consequences.

People such as the Guarani Indians in Brazil have been deprived of their habitat and torn away from their traditions. They drown their uprooted sorrow in the dust of the streets, in suicide and alcohol. Around the world, indigenous peoples are being displaced and robbed of their land. The world’s forests are disappearing, and children are losing their knowledge of plants, herbs, and natural fruit and vegetable cultivation. I have met children who genuinely believe that hamburgers grow in a refrigerator!

All of this has moved me deeply, and I have felt a deep pain in my heart. I have children of my own who no longer have grandparents to tell them stories from which they can draw wisdom and comfort. I have felt this to be a profound loss.

Suddenly, the heart of a mother awoke within me, and I asked myself what must happen to avert all this foreseeable misfortune for planet Earth. As a single individual, can I help make amends for a part of my ancestors’ past—ancestors who contributed to the massacre of peoples based on their ethnicity? I set out in search of the knowledge and wisdom contained within individual cultures like a precious treasure. My curiosity compelled me to spend over 20 years exploring the meaning inherent in all things. I traveled the world and met people with open hearts and eyes full of love for planet Earth. I not only experienced cultural encounters, but my heart also opened to the empathetic way of perceiving the planet as a mother—a fundamental insight shared by every culture. I lived among these people and shared with them the realization that only with an open heart can one understand what it means to love Mother Earth.
 I began to regard Mother Earth as my own mother, and I came to see the many simple, nature-loving people as friends, as family, as brothers and sisters. Whether in India, Nepal, Peru, Brazil, Africa, or Australia—everywhere, hearts were open to my desire to have a family that does not ask about ancestry or religion. I was welcomed with open arms, no matter which people I visited, and now I am privileged to call many tribes from the most diverse cultures my friends. On the one hand, this made me very happy, but on the other hand, it wasn’t enough for me. I was friends with people who belonged to different tribes, some of which were at war with one another. Yet both sides were my friends. All I wanted was peace among the different parties and peoples, because I had grown fond of them all. I mustered the courage to bring them to the table, to invite them to talk with one another, and in doing so, I achieved peace.

It was an incredibly joyful feeling. Looking people in the eyes and knowing that they now considered themselves one family was one of the most beautiful moments of happiness in my life. I wanted to share this experience, and I realized how important it is to invite representatives of all the world’s cultures—the elders of their peoples—to engage in dialogue. I came to realize that the solution to many social and environmental problems can only be achieved together. In politics, I could not find this insight in my own country.

So I set out on an adventure in which you are participating today.

This weekend, you are sharing with me the idea of bringing together representatives of different peoples and letting them speak. They speak of solutions and ideas that are non-denominational and serve the cause of peace. You all share my belief that a single person can indeed draw attention to something more precious than money and power. It is about the lives of our children and our children’s children. It is about our mother, Planet Earth, and peace among the peoples of the Earth. Over the past three years, I have tried, with all my modest means, to bring about some good. All the people who have come here today have understood my wish and heard my prayers.

It is not easy to start with this idea as an individual. I can tell you that. When you start here in Germany by inviting the shamans and elders of various nations so that people can get to know them, that nasty, toxic, suspicious, and racist mindset still flourishes. A thorn that pierces deep into the wound of peace. Either people believed I was running a cult, labeled me an esoteric, or accused me of having material interests. But none of that mattered to me. My heart was so wide open to the idea that even as an individual I could make a difference that I fought for over 20 years to ensure such prejudices could be laid to rest. I am incredibly delighted that, through the Council of World Elders, we have been able to implement very successful projects for the past three years. I have built bridges to help children get to school, planted trees, built wells, and promoted ecological projects. And I have given a voice to the representatives of the peoples of the Earth. It is important to me that future projects continue to serve the purpose of keeping ancient cultures alive. Artifacts, such as those we have the privilege of viewing here in the foyer today, are historical testimonies to the knowledge we owe to the ancient peoples. I am grateful that we are able to display these objects here today, and I hope that we can ensure these valuable works of art are returned to their homeland.

As a mother to my children, I have invited you here today to share my love with you. 
It is a love for our planet and for peace on every level. This planet needs our love; it needs a shift in how people relate to one another.

I am deeply moved that you, my esteemed President, and you, my fellow ambassadors and consuls, are here and that you have accepted this invitation from my heart. Esteemed Mr. President, you have accomplished what my heart desires for all the peoples of this earth. You have brought peace to a country by giving meditation and its calming power an official space in your nation to foster peaceful forces. You have shown that it is indeed possible to change the world through alternative means, for which you have my unreserved respect and my whole heart. By being here, you are showing respect and attention to the elders of all the peoples of the earth, for which I thank you very much. Exactly what I had hoped for has come to pass. My special wish that the elders of the earth be given a voice has been fulfilled to a great extent by your presence here, free from any political or material ulterior motives. I offer my highest praise for this significant gesture and the honor it bestows upon the members of this Council. I also extend my thanks to the ambassadors and consuls for this recognition of our vision of solidarity among peoples. I hope that other leading political figures will follow their exemplary example and honor the voices of this Council’s representatives. Likewise, we will welcome additional elders from other tribes into the Council in the future to give Mother Earth an even more powerful voice.

The Council of World Elders is not intended to pursue religious or material goals. Together, we aim to ensure that we act as a force for peace and balance in times of crisis and that humanitarian aid is provided in a way that preserves—rather than damages—the cultural framework of each people.

As President of the Council of World Elders, speaking on behalf of the members of this Council, I would like to urgently call upon the peoples of all nations to strive for peace today. I call on every single person in this auditorium to reflect, following the example of this Council, on the fact that it is worthwhile for each individual to stand up for peace. Meditation, prayer, and faith—regardless of the religious context in which they are practiced—are means of transforming people’s consciousness and fostering peace. President Chissano himself will tell you about this. You will meet people whom I have come to love over the past few years. Among them are chiefs, tribal leaders, and kings, but above all, they are united by one thing: they are filled with love—love for planet Earth and its beauty. In their own humble way, they are fighting alongside me for a better world for our children and our children’s children.

You will see that even a desert can be turned back into a paradise if one understands nature and has the love to shape and heal it. You will discover possibilities that command my deep respect, for they will guarantee our children in the future food, water, and a healthy environment. You will embark on a journey through the most diverse cultures of this Earth, which will reveal to you that there is something very important to be done. A task that demands our full dedication and attention. Together, we must try to rouse the world and dare to undertake the seemingly impossible task of healing the Earth at any cost, so that we may make amends for the wrongs we have committed in the past. Speaking on behalf of this Council of Elders, I call upon all people on this Earth not to close their eyes—and above all, their hearts—to Mother Earth.

Do not look away when the last indigenous peoples lose their homeland, or when the Earth’s last giant trees must give way to the thoughtless construction of concrete structures. Open your heart for just a moment and realize that it is time to take action. Almost everywhere, policymakers need guidance. Perhaps we can succeed in providing advisory support through a neutral institution in a process that affects the entire world population. Perhaps you’re wondering how a single person can make a difference in this vast bureaucratic machine. Perhaps you doubt that one person can bring about change. I’m proving it to you right at this very moment. My faith, my heart, and my desire for a solution have brought these people here. Perhaps I’ve merely set a tiny stone in motion that, without me, can bring about something great in the future. Just as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings on the other side of the world can trigger a tornado. This isn’t about me—it’s about my greatest love. It’s about my mother. About Mother Earth and her beloved children. I want my mother to feel at ease and know that she has a chance to get well. I want her to know that I’m fighting for her and will do everything in my power to protect her. I want the trees to know that I’m their friend, and I want the peoples of the Earth to know that I come in peace and consider them my family. We all sleep under the same sky on the same Earth, no matter what religion we practice or what color our skin is. PLEASE, I beg you from the bottom of my heart: let us bury our prejudices and recognize together, at this very moment, that we need solutions that mean more to all of us than money and power. So far, this path has been rocky and difficult, but with every congress, my hope grows that, through the unity of this Council’s members, people will have hope for real, honest change. Please understand that the members of this council have no religious or materialistic motives. They come with sincere, open hearts to contribute to humanity and its peace. They have all traveled here to prove to you that, with open hearts, they are ready to share their experiences and find common solutions before it is too late.

When the last trees have been cut down and the last tribes have been wiped out, there will be no one left to advise us. If time runs out without us having made an effort to listen to the last representatives of indigenous peoples, their knowledge will be lost forever. When the last ocean is poisoned, there will be no time left to remember peace.

On behalf of this Council, I ask all of you not to let this moment pass and to give this idea a chance to grow. We need support, because I cannot do this alone. This Council deserves to be supported. If you feel called to help us, then this project can bring about lasting change in the world—I believe this, and I will fight for it for as long as I live. This congress is meant to open our hearts to what the elders can tell us, so that we may learn to understand how to preserve our future. I earnestly ask you to recognize the significance of our gathering and respectfully request your support. My friends, the members of the Council of World Elders and their supporters, extend their hands to you in peace and tell you that we are one family.

I thank all the helpers who organized and helped shape this conference—the volunteers, the organizers, and you, the audience, for giving me the joy of being here. I funded this conference because I know it is time for change. Let us share in and shape it together.

I want the Earth to know my name when I eventually pass away. I want it to have felt my love through the trees I planted. I want it to have seen through the laughter of the children’s hearts that I saved. My wish is that, through all my deeds, the Earth will have felt that I love it and its Creator. If, as I close my eyes, I can say that I know the laughter of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren is at peace, then I, too, will be at peace. Then I will know what I lived this life for.

Karin Tag, Founder of the Council of World Elders
September 28, 2013

THIRD CONGRESS OF THE COUNCIL OF WORLD ELDERS

LECTURE

BY

HIS EXCELLENCY JOAQUIM ALBERTO CHISSANO

FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE

AND GLOBAL ADVISOR TO THE COUNCIL OF WORLD ELEDERS

DELIVERED

AT

CONGRESS CENTRE KURHAUS BAD HOMBURG

GERMANY

ON THE THEME

GIVE TO THE CHILDREN OF THIS EARTH A HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL WORLD: ALTERNATIVE IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

 28 September 2013

Honorable Members of the Council of World Elders

His Royal Highness King Togbui Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah, the King of Hohoe Gbi, Traditional Ghana

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen 

I am honored to be here attending the 3rd Congress of the Council of World Elders on the theme: “Give to children of this earth a healthy and peaceful world: alternative ideas and solutions for the future”. In the same breath; I would like to take this opportunity to thank the World Council of Elders for their tireless work on preserving and sharing authentic indigenous wisdom to encourage world peace. I am confident that their wisdom will be shared for years to come in order to preserve a sustainable future for our children, as Plato once said; “Let parents bequeath to their children not riches but the spirit and knowledge of reverence.”

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are having our meeting in Germany, where H.E. Angela Merkel was just reelected to serve a third term as Chancellor. I take this opportunity to congratulate her for her reelection, which gives her a clear mandate to continue to lead her country and play an important role in helping Europe to emerge from the economic crisis is going through.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world we live in today is undergoing great transition. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and other international human rights instruments, there has been a greater understanding and appreciation of the need to preserve humanity. Yet despite efforts to create a culture of peace, love and understanding through international diplomacy, the world still experiences, wars, hunger, disease, poverty, violence, and slavery.

We all know that these issues have a significant and lasting effect on our children’s lives. Children of today will face even greater consequences as a result of climate change than we do today; the world’s children will face greater risks of being associated with armed conflict. They are most likely to die of hunger, face displacement, and experience challenges in accessing health and education among other social ills. All this calls for a new approach to global problems.

More than ever, the predominant issue of debate nowadays is “security”. Nations and individuals are talking more about security in search for a peaceful world. States are paying more attention to preventive diplomacy.  The United Nations has deployed peacekeeping missions to different states, and our efforts to support democracy and promote human rights and particularly child rights are also looking into children’s rights in emergencies. In addition, individual citizens everywhere, men and women in every society, are working to relieve suffering, and to build bridges between people of different faiths and cultures, and there is a vast potential for change. If we read between the news headlines it is apparent that people are more aware and concerned about the state of the rest of the world than ever before. The religious and traditional institutions, the international community and citizens alike are constantly lobbying governments to take action on issues such as climate change, hunger, poverty, disease, exploitation and conflicts. Global corporations are introducing community volunteering programmes, meditation and personal development schemes, at unprecedented rates. And in the past few years, more people have come forward to state their desire for peace than ever before in history.  There is a vast potential for change to positively impact the societies we live in. Humanity has become closer than it has ever been to harness this vast potential for change. The degree of unity we have witnessed today is not an unexpected or an accidental occurrence. I believe it is typical of a new paradigm towards unity and cooperation that is sweeping across the world.

However, in addition to human rights and diplomatic solutions, I believe there are also alternative ideas and solutions to achieving world peace and this begins with an individual.

Distinguished Participants,

Ladies and Gentleman.

Creating world peace for the future of our children takes many forms, but surely it begins with an individual’s inner peace and quest for love and unity.

When the Taj Mahal was being built in India, one workman was heard to say, “I am building a wall with cement and stones” while another said, “I am building a monument to the greatness of the human spirit.” You could look at the need for peace and stability and say it is just a small aspect of human life. Or you could look at it as the greatest asset we can leave for our children – a culture of co-operation, unity and peace. It is essential that we help our children perceive peaceful alternatives. We need to consider these troubled times as an opportunity to create a new vision for the future.

I wish to ask the question which, I would like to think, many of us are asking.

What are the principles that govern our ability to achieve this goal of creating a healthy and peaceful world for children?

Distinguished Guests

“Is it merely the absence of its opposite, violence?  I would like to submit that we must aim for a world in which nations can live harmoniously side-by-side, with equal opportunities and development available to all.” However, if we seriously want this kind of world, we must undertake some self-scrutiny and ask why international peace negotiations sometimes do not achieve lasting peace. When we deeply understand what peace is, our actions arise from a state of inner conviction. Once the shell of negativity, prejudice, judgement and competitiveness are bypassed, this inner conviction lies like a pearl at the centre of every human being. External peace is the result of an inner peace. Angry people cannot negotiate peace. People who feel hatred cannot negotiate peace. Greed, ignorance, and intolerance, all contribute to barring our pathway to peace.

If we really want to achieve a global peace that makes life on earth a valuable and rewarding experience, not only for us but also for our future generations, we must look closely at the virtues that bring out the highest qualities within us. I am talking about honesty, integrity, non-judgement, equality, compassion, empathy and kindness, just to mention a few. “A culture of peace requires a commitment to dialogue and to mutual knowledge and understanding between civilizations, religions, cultures and peoples.” If we are to achieve a culture of peace, each of us must nurture and build on the principles of diversity and dialogue. We should consciously address old prejudices and overcome historical mistrust and suspicions.

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen;

The human mind has proved itself to be capable of achieving great things, of taking us into space, of enabling us to stand on the moon and gaze back at our own beautiful planet. And perhaps if we could have been in Neil Armstrong’s shoes and seen our planet set like a jewel in the crown of the universe, it would be easier for us to entertain higher thoughts such as respect, gratitude and love for humanity. “Every human being carries these highly-charged positive qualities, and they carry a power all of his own. In contrast, anger or hatred diminishes the individual and family, eroding life wherever they occur. Empowered individuals need not manipulate anyone and their perspectives become far-reaching, visionary and effective.

Our decisions are based upon our judgements, yet when we make a negative judgement about a person or a nation we imprison them in a cage of limited perceptions, thus weakening the whole process of decision-making and denigrating ourselves. Decisions based on such negative judgements cannot create the best outcomes for children.  When instead we honour and empower each other, all cultures, all religions and all nations, we bring peace both to ourselves and to others. When we live in peaceful existence, we are making a lasting impact for our children.

I would like to point out that, it is our choices that carve out our destiny. A healthy society is created by self-empowered individuals making strong and self-responsible choices about how they want to live and express themselves. Every day we wake up and are challenged to stand up for what we believe in. Every day we are asked to be honest, upright and true, and not betray ourselves in our business dealings and decision-making. To stand firm to our personal truth requires integrity, honour and endurance.

In my view, we can never operate harmoniously without an awareness of the greater whole, for as Gandhi said, no culture can survive if it attempts to be exclusive. When we are prepared to make our lives serve the larger community and not just ourselves, our separate, individual mind expands to encompass the greater, global mind, thus giving us access to the power of the whole. When we make a commitment to serve the interests of others, we transcend that illusion and gain access to an almost unlimited power for good.  We depend very much on each other. We are so interdependent, so closely interconnected with each other, that without a sense of universal responsibility, a feeling of universal brotherhood and sisterhood, and an understanding and belief that we really are part of one big human family, we cannot hope to overcome the dangers to our very existence – let alone bring about peace and happiness for our children.

“We find that everyone who has harnessed this power to effect positive change has done so out of compassion and love.” Gandhi maintained that love is the only remedy for hate and Thomas Merton said, ‘If you have love you will do all things well.’ Instead of craving political or military power, we must learn to crave the power of peace and service to the whole. This is not weak sentimentality. Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela and many others described this power as an unconquerable and irresistible force that eventually transforms everyone it touches.  And when we study their lives, we find that each of these people have stated that any one of us can achieve what they achieved, if we have the same faith, trust and commitment that they had.

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen;

Dare we, as individuals sitting here today, tear open our hearts on behalf of our children and reach out for the same strengths they reached out for? “They too, often felt imperfect or inadequate of their tasks. Yet they changed history by not allowing political, religious, tribal, racial and class differences to cloud and influence their thinking and decision-making. We can each in our own way, also make an enduring contribution to the world, by taking after their good example”

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen;

We must want this peace. We must sincerely desire this peace. The power of our humanity lies in understanding fully that peace cannot be delegated. Peace begins and ends with you and I, and the decisions we make on a day-to-day basis impact the future of our children.

As long as children are affected by conflicts, as long as preventable deaths among children still remain unacceptably high; children suffer from chronic malnutrition; a significant proportion of children are excluded from secondary school or are unable to complete their school; adolescents remain ill-equipped and inadequately prepared for employment; children continue to face violence and exploitation in their homes, at school, in their communities and across borders; – we cannot rest and our collective efforts need to be accelerated, scaled-up and expanded to address both the existing challenges and emerging  problems that threaten peaceful and healthy existence for our children.

With these remarks, let us now reflect further and deeper on why we must create a peaceful and healthy environment for our children. Children must be at the centre of our quest to achieve peace on this earth.  We must personally confront violence, bigotry and hatred with the same determination that we attack the causes from which they spring – conflict, ignorance, poverty and disease. This will enable us achieve the world we seek, where every child can grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity – in short, achieving a world fit for children.

Peace is a gift from God; but men and women must first accept this gift in order to build a peaceful world. People can do this only if they have a childlike simplicity of heart. This is one of the most profound aspects of the Christian message: “to become child-like is more than just a moral requirement but a dimension of creating a condition of peace and tolerance.”

So we should not leave a gathering such as this without pausing for a moment and making a commitment to take at least one new action, every day, that will add to peace, either in our family life, our work place or in the greater world around us. We must reflect on the notions of unity, togetherness and wholeness, which are common to all our cultures and religions. We must focus on doing well for our fellow human beings. We must take care of our families, our environment, and our communities.

As we gather in our assembly, let us each resolve to promote peace, to prevent violent conflict and to raise public awareness on creating lasting solutions for lasting changes for the benefit of our children.  Today is meant to get people not just thinking of peace, but also doing something about it for the lives of our children and children’s children. Let us pledge our direct support for a peaceful and healthy existence for our future generations. Let us reflect further and deeper on the need for developing alternative ideas and solutions for the future of our children.  Let us all take a moment to celebrate peace, love and unity. We owe it to the children we bring to this world to create a healthy and peaceful earth that they can also pass to other generations to come.

 

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before I conclude, let me talk a little bit about my country and share with you some of our experiences. Mozambique was forced to endure long periods of violence, first in her struggle against the Portuguese colonialism and in less then 9 months into Independence a war of destabilization imposed on us by the minority and Apartheid regimes that then existed in then Rhodesia and South Africa using Mozambicans as instruments.

The agreement that put an end to the war was signed in 4 October 1992, in Rome, between the Government of Mozambique and the then rebel movement RENAMO. The war, with its chain of destruction and deep suffering, is always a catastrophe for the affected country. Only those who suffer the horrors of a war can fully appreciate the value of peace. When talking about peace, I think we have to resist being too simplistic or trying to draw some kind of magic and infallible formulae. Instead we have to accept the challenge of apprehending and understanding all facets of this complex issue, including particular historic features, idiosyncrasies and other characteristics of entire peoples, communities, families and individuals.

 

These features and characteristics combine and interact, quite often in a subtle manner, to produce unique dynamics, which need to be taken into account when dealing with peace matters.   In the case of my country, from the dark nights of colonialism and the war of destabilization, the most common long standing desire of the Mozambicans was to fight and defeat those evils, with the aim of winning peace and take the road of national development.

The concept of national development, here perceived as positively affecting every citizen, community and the all nation, has always been assumed as the goal to be reached. Indeed, all Mozambicans were aspiring to live a better life. Thus, colonialism and the so-called civil war were seen as obstacles to be overcome, in order to reach that individual and collective goal of living better lives. In this context, in the common effort of  searching for peace in Mozambique, everybody was involved, from political, religious and community leaders at different levels, to academics and simple citizens, all united in preaching for peace.

Even today, when the Government of Mozambique and RENAMO are engaged in a difficult dialogue, the message from different quarters of our society is to encourage both parties to commit themselves to responsible and productive dialogue, avoiding to put the hard won peace in danger. We can say that today peace is gaining deeper roots as a cultural value in our society.

In the tortuous process of searching for peace those days, the Mozambicans  received valuable contributions from different parts of the world, ranging from political entities, academics, religious and civic groups, including NGO’s and business. These contributions did encourage them to pursue a difficult, quite often, frustrating path for peace in the country. One of the most important contributions I will mention here came from the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who sent a team to introduce the practice of the Transcendental Meditation in Mozambique, in late 1992.

Although the peace agreement had already been signed between the Government of Mozambique and the then rebel movement RENAMO, in 4 October 1994, its successful implementation was a formidable challenge ahead, given a deep lack of trust and other negative feelings between the parties, in a process with so many uncertainties. To complicate the matters further, the peace process would culminate with elections, with the associated risks of reopening the wounds and scars of the recently terminated war.

The practice of the Transcendental Meditation by many groups, including the police and the armed forces, decreased the level of stress in the society during that sensitive period, thus creating an environment conducive for the tenure of peaceful elections and its aftermath.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

When I retired from the Government, I decided to create, in 2003, the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, as an instrument to help me to continue being active in the Mozambican society and beyond, through philanthropic work. The objectives of the Foundation are as follows:

the promotion of peace, in Mozambique,  the African Continent and the world at large;
The promotion of economic and social development, as a way to strengthen peace. This deeper-rooted peace will, in turn, foster more economic and social development, in a virtuous cycle;
The third objective of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation is the promotion of the Mozambican culture, which is essential social glue, uniting together all Mozambicans of the different ethnic, linguist, religious and racial groups who compose our society.
In the area of peace promotion, we have been involved in Guinea Bissau, assisting the political actors to create an environment conducive to peaceful elections in the year 2005, following the coup d’état that overthrown the Government of the late President Nino Vieira in 2003, as the culmination of a rebellion against him. In the Democratic Republic of Congo the challenge was similar to that of Guinea Bissau for their 2006 general elections: here too, it was necessary to persuade and lead all parties to agree on the basic conditions for the tenure of peaceful elections.

In the Northern Uganda the objective of our participation was to persuade the Lord Resistance Army to stop fighting and sign an agreement with the Government of Uganda.  This objective was almost reached, but it collided with the decision of the International Criminal Court to indict the leadership of the rebel movement, in spite of their acceptance to sign a peace agreement and being judged by the national courts of Uganda. For this reason, the conflict, which could had been stopped back in 2007, still continues this day, which is very much to regret, to say the least. However our efforts succeeded in pushing the area of operations of the rebels to regions far from the borders of Uganda which enabled the Government to start a process of reconstruction and development in the north of the country. But killings still occur in the neighbouring countries such as the Central Africa Republic, DRC and South Sudan.

In 2009, I was invited by SADC to lead the mediation team for Madagascar, following the overthrow of the Government of President Marc Ravalomanana. After a long negotiating process, the Roadmap paving the way for a shared transition culminating with the holding of the presidential, legislative and local elections was signed in 2011. The presidential and legislative elections will take place this year in 25 October and 20 December respectively, while the municipal elections have been scheduled for the first semester of 2014.

In another peace initiative, in 2012 I was invited to lead a team of three former Heads of State and Government, from the SADC region, who are members of the Africa Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government that I chair, to mediate the border dispute between Malawi and Tanzania, in the Lake Nyasa/Malawi..

This dispute is an illustration that colonialism, although has come to the end some time ago now, its legacy is still there, haunting the peoples of Africa. Indeed, the agreement which originated this dispute was signed in 1890, between Britain and Germany (the called Heligoland Treaty).  The mediation process has started, with the mediation team assisted by a group of seven legal and other experts, to advice in technical matters.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Joaquim Chissano Foundation takes a long term view on peace matters and sees education as a key factor in producing citizens embedded with values of peace and social justice and harmony. In this framework, the Foundation has established with a local university the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, whose objective is self-explanatory.

Another initiative is the annual participation of the Foundation in the Ukraine Festival for Children, which takes place in the city of Artek, with a delegation of around seven children. The Festival is aimed at the promotion of the ideals of peace and non-violent behaviour to the world’s youth.

For us this is an important event, for exposing our children, at an early age, to the values of peace and tolerance, in a multicultural environment. Through these children the mentioned values permeate their families and peers, in their schools, churches and neighbourhoods. In order to multiply the impact of this education, the Foundation is looking at ways and means to create an annual national festival, to be attended by children coming from all districts of the country.

In the environmental front, one of the challenges Mozambique is confronted with, is the degradation of the wildlife, due to poaching of rare species of animals, particularly of rhinos and elephants, for the extraction of their horns. Rare species of flora are also being decimated, through the cutting of logs, without replanting the trees.

Recently, the Joaquim Chissano Foundation has signed an agreement with the Government of Mozambique, which creates the conditions for its active participation in the national efforts to protect the areas of conservation, through the implementation of community development projects, aimed at reducing the vulnerability of those communities, particularly the youth, to recruitment for poaching. The second objective is the promotion of the security for those areas, being the third one the promotion of research and policy studies aimed at increasing their sustainable development.

In November, the Foundation is going to launch “The Joaquim Chissano Foundation Wildlife Initiative”, with the objective of raising the necessary resources for the implementation of this program.

At the regional level, I am a board member of the Peace Parks Foundation, based in South Africa, which was created in 1997 with the objective of facilitating the establishment of trans-frontier conservation parks (also known as “Peace Parks”) in the SADC region and develop the human resources in those areas.

In short, I can say that environmental protection is an important concern for our Foundation, but we need your support to successfully carry out the mission we have assigned to ourselves.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

By sharing some of the Mozambique’s experiences with you, I just wanted to illustrate the fact that our individual and collective actions, no matter how small they may be, they can make a difference for the many. Therefore, I believe that we all have an important part to play. We can build a better world for succeeding generations, if we only summon the will. You are all, in your own way, nurturing the culture of peace for the sake of our children and grandchildren. I appeal to each and every one of us to use some of the greatest gifts we as human beings have been given, those of compassion and kindness. Unlike the stock market, these commodities can only increase in value the more we spend them.

To the World Council of Elders, I say thank you once again for contributing to building the future for our children and generations to come. We appreciate your efforts for being the world’s ambassadors for peace.

I wish to leave this podium with a profound statement by Dr. Kofi Anan:

„There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace.“ 

 

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The greatest gift we can give to our children is to raise them in a culture of peace.

THANK YOU

Give the children of this world a healthy and peaceful world

–
Alternative Ideas and Solutions for the Future

 
Under this motto, elders from around the world gathered once again in 2013 at the Council of World Elders Congress, which took place successfully for the third time in Bad Homburg near Frankfurt at the end of September.
 
This year, attendees once again had the opportunity to meet some very interesting personalities, including, as a highlight, prominent figures such as the former President of Mozambique, who captivated the audience with his speech—which also touched on his experiences with meditation during his time in office.
 
Day 1 of the Congress
 
The first day of the Council of World Elders’ congress began at the Kurhaus in Bad Homburg with the ceremonial entrance of the members of the Council of World Elders, as well as the African delegation—including former President Joaquim Alberto Chissano, the Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique from Berlin, and four other government officials from Mozambique.
 
Karin Tag, the founder of the Council of World Elders, who has now organized the third congress with great passion and professionalism, opened the congress with a moving speech. In it, she poignantly revealed the motivations that have driven her to devote her whole heart and all her financial resources to preserving the health of the Earth and promoting world peace. (Note: The full speech is available at www.council-of-world-elders.de).
 
She then introduced the Council of World Elders, through which she is continuously building a global network for peace and the preservation of cultures.
 
Several members of the Council of World Elders briefly introduced themselves: Mohan Rai, a shaman from the Himalayas in Nepal, Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales, a healer and tree shaman from the Peruvian rainforest; Sepp Holzer, an organic farmer and agricultural rebel from Austria; Lama Tshewang Dorje, a Buddhist monk from Bhutan; Swami Isa, a yogi from India; and Galsan Tschinag, a Tuva tribal leader and multiple-time literary award winner from Mongolia.
She then introduced the Council of World Elders, with which she is continuously building a global network for peace and the preservation of cultures.
Some of the members of the Council of World Elders briefly introduced themselves: Mohan Rai, a shaman from the Himalayas in Nepal, Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales, a healer and tree shaman from the Peruvian rainforest; Sepp Holzer, an organic farmer and agricultural rebel from Austria; Lama Tshewang Dorje, a Buddhist monk from Bhutan; Swami Isa, a yogi from India; and Galsan Tschinag, a Tuva tribal leader and multiple-time literary award winner from Mongolia.
Bob Randall, an Aboriginal Australian who, due to health issues at his advanced age, was unfortunately unable to make the long journey to the congress at the last minute, was connected via a live phone call with Karin Tag and the audience. He also sent a very moving video message addressed directly to the members and congress guests just one day before the congress began.
 In addition to his courageous spirit and his moving words about Aboriginal philosophy—which is based on peace, harmony, a sense of responsibility, and unconditional love—the film footage set directly in front of Ayers Rock, the sacred mountain of the Aboriginal people, his ancestral land and home, was also deeply impressive.
 
Joaquim Alberto Chissano spoke as an ambassador for world peace and made a powerful appeal for peace within ourselves, among one another, and in our interactions with the children of this earth. The former President of Mozambique, who governed his country from 1986 to 2005 and successfully led it out of civil war, spoke about his time in office, his experiences with meditation, his peace projects with children, his foundation’s wildlife initiatives, and his role as a member of the Peace Parks Foundation. (Note: Peace Parks are vast, transboundary protected areas that not only preserve nature and culture but also ensure peaceful cooperation between neighboring tribes and states.) Joaquim Chissano was the first former African head of state to be awarded the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Prize for Good Governance. He is credited with helping to end the civil war, advancing democratization and economic development, and reducing poverty. The prize carries a larger cash award than the Nobel Peace Prize and, according to the foundation, is the most lucrative award in the world. Currently, in his role as mediator on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Joaquim Chissano is working very successfully to promote democratic elections and combat corruption and extreme poverty in Madagascar. (Note: You can view Joaquim Alberto Chissano’s full speech on the Council of World Elders’ website at www.council-of-world-elders.de.)
 
As a special honor for his achievements in promoting peace, democratization, and social justice in Africa, Karin Tag, on behalf of the Council of World Elders, ceremonially presented President Joaquim Alberto Chissano with the Peace Feather. The Peace Feather Award consists of a donation to support further peace projects, a certificate of recognition, and a precious Peace Feather—a feather cut from rock crystal and adorned with an engraved gold bow. Miss Germany (West) presented the Peace Feather on behalf of the Council of World Elders.
 
Accompanied by the traditional music of his people, the Ewe, His Majesty King Togbui Céphas Bansah, King of Hohoe Gbi Traditional Ghana, entered the convention hall. In his usual cheerful and warm manner, he interacted with the audience, introducing himself and his work in Germany and Ghana. King Bansah reigns over the Ewe tribe, which makes up about 13% of Ghana’s population. As king, he stands at the head of twelve chiefs who govern the approximately 210,000 inhabitants of Hohoe, Ghana. At the congress, he presented, among other things, his current project in Ghana: the construction of the “Bridge of Peace.”
 
The new bridge, which Karin Tag is financing out of her own pocket, is intended to prevent children and women from having to continue wading through the dangerous water to cross the river.
 
As a special honor for her commitment to international understanding and world peace, King Bansah awarded Karin Tag the title “Royal Attaché of the Kingdom of Hohoe, Ghana.” He ceremoniously presented the certificate to Karin Tag at the 3rd Congress following his speech.
 
After a short break, the program continued with the annual raffle for a trip. A ticket raffle is held among all congress guests. The lucky winner will receive a trip with Karin Tag to England to visit the Stonehenge stone circle.
 
As a special highlight, Eva Jacobs—one of the legendary “Jacob Sisters”—joined Karin Tag on stage with her two poodles to draw the winner from the raffle drum. The two women radiated a shared zest for life, making for a delightful performance. The lucky winner accepted her gift certificate and expressed her heartfelt thanks.
 
Immediately afterward, the event continued with the auction of a painting. Ms. Anne Würzberger, acting as a patron, kindly donated a painting by the Bad Homburg artist Nikola Tomin. The proceeds from the auction were donated to the projects of the Council of World Elders. We thank Ms. Würzberger for her generosity and her support of the Council of World Elders’ global peace projects.
 
Sepp Holzer’s presentation was met with enthusiastic applause. The audience was captivated by his directness, honesty, and courage. With conviction and without beating around the bush, he called on the audience to learn from nature, live in harmony with it, and have the courage to explore unconventional approaches to renaturation. Sepp Holzer, an organic farmer who, in his home country of Austria, faces some resistance due to his revolutionary ideas—and is therefore also referred to as an “agricultural rebel”—has earned great recognition on the international stage. Thanks to his understanding of the interconnections in nature and his resulting ability to restore and regenerate degraded landscapes, he is a sought-after expert worldwide. By creating lake landscapes integrated into the natural environment, he has already transformed many deserts into paradises in Spain, Portugal, Ecuador, and many other countries.
His presentation at the 3rd Congress was his first speech as part of the Council of World Elders. Sepp Holzer has been a member of the Council since the summer of 2013.
 
This was followed by a presentation by Galsan Tschinag, a literary award winner, recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit, author of more than 30 books, shaman, and tribal leader of the Tuva, a Turkic-speaking ethnic group in Mongolia. He spoke about his tree-planting project in Mongolia, which aims to plant 1 million trees to counteract the desertification of Mongolia. The first 300,000 trees have already been planted. He also spoke humorously about his homemade “rainmaker,” which he has been using for several years as a shaman to summon rain for his country. Galsan Tschinag took the stage a total of three times during the 3rd Congress at the Kurhaus in Bad Homburg and deeply moved the audience with his contributions, which were at times amusing and at times very moving.
 
At the end of the first day of the congress, Karin Tag and Lama Tshewang Dorje surprised the guests with a short concert. The two singers harmoniously performed Buddhist mantras that touched the hearts of the audience.
 
 
Day 2 of the Congress
 
After Karin Tag opened the second day of the congress, H.H. Swami Isa took the stage. The yogi from South India, who was attending the Council of World Elders’ conference for the third time, presented, among other things, his charitable work—particularly his numerous projects aimed at supporting children, their education, and meaningful activities. Swami Isa also led a workshop on consciousness and energy, rounding out his teachings of wisdom with the recitation of sacred Sanskrit mantras.
 
Lama Tshewang Dorje, who traveled to the congress from Bhutan with his daughter Pema, presented the construction of a peace stupa to the interested audience. With the construction of the peace stupa, he is fulfilling a Buddhist prophecy that foretells great happiness and worldwide peace as the energetic effect of the stupa. The project comprises a vast complex consisting of a 41-meter-high Buddhist stupa, eight additional 8-meter-high stupas, and 108 smaller stupas. The complex includes a two-story monastery with classrooms and dormitories for the education of 200 children and students who practice the awareness of world peace both internally and externally. By building this temple, Lama Tshewang Dorje aims not only to make his personal contribution to peace in Bhutan and throughout the world, but also to offer the children of Bhutan a safe and secure home and provide them with a framework for developing their mental and spiritual awareness. Karin Tag, who has been supporting the project for some time, will soon be filming the construction of the Peace Stupa to raise public awareness and generate donations.
 
Don Pedro Guerra Gonzales is a tree shaman from the rainforests of Peru. He has dedicated his life to preserving the trees and plants of the Amazon rainforest. At the conference, he captivated guests with fascinating accounts of his experiences in the seclusion of the rainforest and his encounters with plant spirits. A tree shaman derives his spiritual medicinal knowledge from the spirit of the ancient jungle giants. Don Pedro told the conference guests about the messages from the spirits and his encounters with his master on a spiritual level.
 
Tree shamans are regarded as bearers of the knowledge of the ancient world, embodying the spirit of the Amazonian healing peoples in its most powerful form. At his camp in the Peruvian jungle, Don Pedro has been cultivating a medicinal plant garden for reforestation for quite some time now, through which he advocates for the sustainable use of the plant world and the vast Amazon rainforests. He fights with every means at his disposal to preserve the rainforest, which is falling victim to ever-increasing deforestation due to the sale of land to industrial companies.
 
Mohan Rai focused his speech on the importance of shamanism for people and their connection to nature. Mohan Rai comes from a long tradition of shamans in the Himalayan region. His father was a shaman at the court of the King of Bhutan. Today, Mohan Rai heads an institute for shamanism in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, where he trains students in the traditions of shamanism. For him, the connection to ancestral spirits is of central importance.
Another member of the Council of World Elders is Ngema Lama. Ngema Lama is one of Nepal’s most famous healers. She comes from the Tamang people, who have Tibetan roots. At the age of eight, she was called to be a healer by the ancestral shamans and initiated into their knowledge.
 After completing her training in the tribal tradition, she began practicing at the age of 11. Today, Ngema Lama lives as a respected shaman and healer in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, where she receives many people every day. Due to her stay of several months in the U.S., she was unfortunately unable to travel to Germany for this year’s congress, but she has been announced as a speaker for the upcoming congress.
 
Dr. Masaru Emoto, who made a point of traveling to the conference despite his health condition, gave a lecture on the connections between God and water. He presented to the audience his life’s work: the development of water crystal images and the resulting successful visualization of water’s structure. Through his photographs of water’s crystalline structures, Masaru Emoto has succeeded in demonstrating how water quality can be altered by prayers, mantras, or the power of thought. For this research on water, Karin Tag, on behalf of the Council of World Elders, awarded Dr. Emoto the Peace Feather Award—honoring his life’s work—as early as 2010.
 
Dr. Emoto’s lecture was met with a thunderous standing ovation. It should be noted that Masaru Emoto traveled from Japan to attend the congress despite being in a state of acute weakness. The Elders then decided to bestow strength upon him through prayers and healing chants on stage, which Dr. Emoto gratefully accepted. The audience played its part and wholeheartedly supported this moment.
 
The final presentation was given by Reza Maschajechi. Reza Maschajechi represents Iranian culture. He is a fairy-tale teller, storyteller, and reciter with a deep love for Persian literature and poetry. At the 3rd Congress of the Council of World Elders, he poetically recited the wisdom of Rumi. For many years, Reza Maschajechi has been deeply engaged with “Rumi’s mystical love.” Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi is the most significant poet of Persian-Islamic mysticism. Poets hold a high status in Persia, much like the great composers do in Europe. These are mystical texts that are not meant to be grasped by the mind, but through the devotion of the heart. With his presentation, he touched the hearts of the audience in a special way.
 
At the conclusion of the 3rd Congress, all members of the Council of World Elders gathered once more on stage. Karin Tag distributed the donations to the members for the individual projects in their respective countries. To collectively express their commitment to world peace, each elder recited a prayer or sang a song for peace in accordance with their own culture, tradition, and religion. All in all, it was an extremely successful event with a special supporting program—varied and rich in cultural diversity, traditions, and customs. It was a very moving weekend, as one felt connected to the members of the Council and driven by the desire to make the world a little better and to bring peace to the children of the earth. “Give the children of this earth a healthy and peaceful world”—this wish is surely now held in the heart of every congress participant. Thank you for the moving weekend!
 
Dirk Finselberger, October 2013
 
Support the Council of World Elders!
Peace begins in the heart; nature conservation begins with a shift in consciousness. To implement aid projects in this area, the flow of energy in the form of money is very helpful and supports the peace process worldwide.
 As part of realizing this vision of peace and nature conservation, you can make a significant contribution through the Council of World Elders by donating any amount, large or small. We assure you that every monetary donation will be used exclusively for the sake of world peace and the preservation of nature.
 

Galsan Tschinag Foundation, for planting 1 million trees in Mongolia

Emoto Peace Project, for blessing the waters in Fukushima and worldwide

Shamanistic Institute, for the preservation of shamanism in the Himalayas

The Isa Viswa Prajnana Trust (India), for social projects in South India

Construction of a World Peace Stupa and Buddhist monastery in Bhutan

Reforestation project featuring a medicinal garden in the Peruvian rainforest

"Bridge of Peace" construction project in Ghana

Chissano Foundation (Mozambique), for world peace projects

“New Consciousness of the New Earth”
Report on the 1st Congress of the Council of World Elders
Author: Armin Risi

The Council of World Elders, founded in 2009, met for the first time on the weekend of September 24–25, 2011, and made its public debut at the congress in Bad Homburg. Around 300 people attended the congress and experienced two meaningful and inspiring days: two panel discussions featuring all eight Council members in attendance, a presentation by each member, two guest lectures, and the presentation of the Council of World Elders’ Peace Feather Award. The conference, which will also be remembered for its flawless and audience-friendly organization, was a benefit event. At the conclusion of the congress, the proceeds were donated to the various projects of the Council members. Karin Tag, the congress director, all members of the Council, and all organizers work on a volunteer basis. The next congress will take place on September 29–30, 2012, and is expected to be held again in Bad Homburg.

The Council of World Elders now has nine members from eight nations. They are (in alphabetical order): Coco Vizcarra from Peru, Galsan Tschinag from Mongolia, Hunbatz Men from Mexico, Karin Tag from Germany (founder of the Council), Masaru Emoto from Japan, Mohan Rai and Maile Ngema Lama from Nepal, Ruben Saufkie from the U.S. (representative of the Hopi), and Swami Isa from India. With the exception of Ruben Saufkie, all members of the Council were present in Bad Homburg. The two guest presentations were given by Axel Wenzel of Greenpeace Frankfurt and Armin Risi, representing the Council’s Global Advisors.

The Founding of the Council of World Elders
The Council of World Elders was founded in 2009 on the initiative of Karin Tag, who serves as the Council’s chairwoman. Fifteen years ago, Karin Tag traveled to South America to seek treatment for health issues from local healers (curanderos). During these encounters, she was chosen and called by Inca shamans to work toward uniting peoples, and for this purpose she was given an ancient crystal skull on loan, with which she is now active worldwide in accordance with the training she received from the Inca shamans. Her travels led to contacts with leaders and elders of various indigenous peoples and, subsequently, to the founding of the Council of World Elders. At the congress, it was evident just how much respect these representatives of diverse traditions have for one another. It is both astonishing and heartening that these individualistic and, in some cases, traditionalist men from Asia, Central, and South America accept 42-year-old Karin Tag as chairwoman and coordinator of the Council and fully support her. Given that many of these ancient traditions are male-dominated, this reflects a development that is still largely foreign to some religions today.

The Goals of the Council of World Elders
The Council of World Elders in Bad Homburg (from left to right): Karin Tag, Masaru Emoto and his interpreter, Swami Isa, Hunbatz Men, Coco Vizcarra, Galsan Tschinag, Ngema Lama, Mohan Rai.
The Council is a growing body to which many more members from around the world will join over time. The Council is intended to serve as a platform for outstanding representatives of indigenous peoples who practice and impart traditional knowledge for world peace and the healing of our planet. The Council organizes international conferences and lectures, plans the publication of yearbooks, films, and other materials, supports nonprofit projects, and advocates for the preservation and restoration of sacred sites and cultural monuments. It also advocates for actions that unite peoples, for international understanding, and for the promotion of renewable energy and environmental protection, particularly in the countries of indigenous peoples. Another goal is the establishment of an ethnological museum and a library for the writings of ancient wisdom teachings and traditions, combined with a site for the practical and contemporary transmission of this knowledge.

Symbolic Reconciliation of Peoples
During the opening panel, as all members of the Council introduced themselves, a spontaneous and deeply moving scene unfolded. The best-known person among those present was undoubtedly Dr. Masaru Emoto, whose photographs of water crystals have been impressing, inspiring, and, in some cases, provoking people worldwide for twelve years. Karin Tag introduced him by mentioning his birth year (1943)—which was unplanned—but without that detail, what followed would not have happened. Galsan Tschinag picked up on the mention of the birth year and said that he had been born in the same year as Dr. Emoto. “We are children of war, and our nations were enemies. As children in Mongolia, we played games like ‘Beheading the Japanese’ and ‘Beating the Pritzen.’ ‘Pritzen’ was our term for the Germans, who were called ‘Fritzen.’ But since we don’t have an ‘Fr’ in our language, we said ‘Pritzen.’ And now, here in the land of the Pritzen, I meet a Japanese man my own age.” Masaru Emoto and Galsan Tschinag embraced on stage. This emotional start to the congress showed the path that will lead peoples to true healing and reconciliation.

An Ambassador Between East and West
Galsan Tschinag, a child of the Tuva nomads in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia, surprised the audience with his perfect German. He had come to Leipzig at the age of 19 (in 1962), where he learned German and then studied German language and literature at the university. In 1968, he returned to Mongolia and began teaching German at the university in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. He is the author of numerous short stories, novels, and poetry collections, most of which he writes in German. He has received several book awards, including the Federal Cross of Merit in 2002 for his work in fostering cultural exchange. His works have been translated into more than ten languages. For the past ten years, he has also been traveling throughout Europe as a shamanic ambassador and healer. In 2006, he founded a foundation to support cultural projects in Mongolia—such as a Tuvan elementary school—and to provide financial assistance to nomadic families in need in the Altai Mountains.

Until thirty years ago, about one-fifth of Mongolia’s land area was forested. This primeval forest of larch, pine, fir, aspen, and other trees has since been largely cleared. The main cause is gold mining. This overexploitation has led to one-third of the rivers and one-quarter of the lakes drying up. Rain has failed to fall, and the grassy steppe has withered. A handful of industrialists have become multi-billionaires as a result of this development, but the people are suffering today more than ever before. In the capital, people are even living in sewer manholes.

To counteract this misery, Galsang Tschinag decided three years ago to plant one million trees in Mongolia. To this end, he supported biological studies and tree nurseries. 200,000 trees have already been planted and entrusted to the care of the local population. The elderly play an important role here, as they can serve as gardeners and landscape stewards. Additional projects are also aimed at bringing back the rain, utilizing both shamanic methods and alternative scientific approaches.

The Earth’s Green Lungs
Greenpeace spokesperson Axel Wenzel elaborated further on the topic of rainforest deforestation. “The Earth’s Last Seven Rainforests” was the title of his presentation. The idyllic images of the rainforests still standing today stood in stark contrast to the images of rainforest deforestation and the pasture and soybean fields laid out with clinical precision. After three years, the soil cleared by deforestation is depleted, and what remains of the former rainforest is sandy soil. Today, about 80 percent of the Earth’s original forest has been cleared. Every two seconds, an area the size of a soccer field disappears; annually, this amounts to two to three times the area of Switzerland. Deforestation is primarily caused by the timber and meat industries. Herds of livestock destined for slaughter graze on the pasturelands. The soybean fields (planted with genetically modified soybeans) provide feed for livestock destined for slaughter in the U.S. and Europe.

“Aylu Masi Kunapa”
In the wake of these stirring Greenpeace photos, Coco Vizcarra took the stage and sang a song in his native Inca language (Quechua) to “Pacha Mama,” Mother Earth. The condor feather that is part of his traditional costume holds deep symbolic meaning. “The only part of us that can fly are our thoughts. And in our thoughts, we see a better world.” He, too, describes how destructive the impact of industrial civilization is, citing several examples from his homeland, Peru. He senses in Germany that the two world wars still have a traumatic effect today, and his people, too, are traumatized, for five hundred years ago they were nearly wiped out by genocide, and the discrimination continues to this day. “The people who do this are also our brothers and sisters, but they are sick. They are crazy. For what they are doing not only destroys my people—it will also destroy them.”

Coco Vizcarra sees himself as an ambassador for his ancestors, the Incas.
He speaks fluent German and frequently guides tour groups through Peru. He launched the “Kusi Kawsay” school project in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. There, Inca children learn both the Quechua language and Spanish and English and are prepared for life in the modern world so that they can thrive in it without losing their own roots.

Coco Vizcarra has supported and encouraged Karin Tag since the very beginning of her work with the crystal skull. He often quotes the Quechua saying Aylu Masi Kunapa: “We are all related to one another.” People are connected simply by the fact that they all live on the same planet and breathe the same air. What is initiated at this congress should also take place worldwide. “Every connection brings us together. When we are one, there is no separation, no division. Then you feel what I feel, and I feel what you feel. And we feel what the Earth feels. Aylu Masi Kunapa.”

Ancient Shamanic Traditions
Mohan Rai and his sister Maile Ngema Lama are practicing shamans and healers from Nepal. Mohan Rai is 83 years old, but you’d guess he’s only about 70. He speaks with great enthusiasm and devotion about Himalayan shamanism, which he learned as a child from his father, who was from Bhutan and was a famous shaman among the Kirati people. He was also the court shaman to the King of Bhutan. Mohan had seen how his father was sometimes away from home for weeks at a time because he was called from one village to another, and so at first he did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps. But this profession was a calling, and so he became his father’s successor. He founded the Shamanistic Studies and Research Center in Kathmandu, Nepal, which he still directs today. He works with shamans and healers from all over Nepal. Thanks to his eloquent advocacy, the tribal cultures that still live traditionally are increasingly receiving attention and support from the government. Mohan Rai speaks over ten languages and has written several books that have been published in various languages.

Mohan Rai’s sister, Maile Ngema Lama, was something of a child prodigy in shamanism and, after completing her training, began her work as a healer at the age of eleven, following in her father’s footsteps. Today she is one of Nepal’s most famous healers and works primarily at the center founded by her brother.

“Indigenous Knowledge and Today’s Shift in Consciousness”
This was the title of the lecture by Armin Risi, the final presentation on the first day of the congress. I mentioned the Native American prophecy that the condor and the eagle will come together again and that, when this happens, a new era will begin. The eagle symbolizes the indigenous peoples of North and Central America, while the condor symbolizes those of South America. Another, newer part of this prophecy states that the transition into the next era will only be possible through a joint effort, particularly with support from the other side of the ocean. This is why the crystal skull Corazon de Luz came to Europe, a development that led, among other things, to the founding of the Council of World Elders, so that the voice of the indigenous peoples could reach the global public. For these peoples represent the roots of humanity, and they are the guardians of the ancient traditions as well as the ancient artifacts that remind us of our origins.

The prehistory of humanity is quite different from what materialistic science posits today. Modern biology recognizes only the plant kingdom and the animal kingdom and classifies humans within the animal kingdom. From a spiritual perspective, however, we see the world as a living being and recognize the diversity of the different kingdoms. There is the mineral kingdom, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, the human kingdom, the kingdom of elemental beings, astral beings, beings of light, and so on.

All of the world’s indigenous and mystical traditions teach that the cosmos is multidimensional and that the reality of life is not limited to physical matter. Spirit shapes matter. Behind every material form lies information—that is, consciousness: the spirit of water, the spirit of the mountains, the spirit of plants and animals, the spirit of the Earth, the spirit of the Sun, the spirit of the universe, and so on. All indigenous peoples and all mystery schools teach that the physical world—and thus also humankind—emerged from these higher dimensions of the living cosmos.

I then mentioned the symbolic and mythological images that describe humanity’s spiritual origin and what this “ancient” new knowledge specifically means for our present time: a paradigm shift. Not least, it also means that human history must be rewritten, starting from the very beginning, because if you make a mistake at the start of a calculation—which is the case in materialistic theories about the origin of life—you end up with a wrong result, even if you continue the calculation correctly after that single error. Humanity’s indigenous and metaphysical knowledge offers us a perspective that connects our distant past with our immediate future.

Peace-Feather Award to Lex van Someren
Since 2010, the Council of World Elders has presented the crystal Peace Feather annually as an award to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to international understanding, world peace, and a shift in spiritual consciousness. In 2010, Dr. Masaru Emoto received this award. In 2011, the Peace-Feather Award went to singer and musician Lex van Someren* “in recognition of his artistic and musical achievements in connection with the concerns of Mother Earth.” His vocal range spans four octaves. He usually sings in a “language of the soul,” meaning he sings by combining syllables that sound like a language but are not limited to any specific earthly language. At his concerts, he creates musical moods drawing on cultures from around the world, for example, in collaboration with a dervish dancer or a Mongolian bass singer.

Lex van Someren came to Bad Homburg in person for the award ceremony and expressed his gratitude that evening with a solo performance, during which he sang two songs together with Karin Tag. This largely improvised concert, too, was an experience that “got under your skin.”

Spirituality in Practice
The first lecture on the second day was given by Swami Isa. To attend the congress, he left India for the first time and boarded an airplane for the first time. He is the founder of the charitable organization “Swami Isa Foundation” (Isa Viswa Prajnana Trust). In 1998, he founded a school based on a new educational concept that is now being implemented in many places in India and is also gaining international attention. Through his foundation, he is also committed to supporting the socially disadvantaged, particularly by promoting the education of children from these underprivileged communities.

In 2000, he founded the Global Energy Parliament (GEP), an international body of scientists, experts, and leaders dedicated to fostering a holistic understanding of energy in order to promote justice and peace on Earth. The first GEP Congress took place in 2010 in Trivandrum, southern India.

Swami Isa spoke about his projects but emphasized from the outset the importance of the spiritual perspective, which allows us to recognize that we are all part of the divine whole. What was striking—and initially somewhat confusing from a linguistic standpoint—was that he does not use the word “I,” but instead speaks of himself in the third person using his given name: “Swami says,” “Swami does,” and so on. Regarding his lifelong commitment, he says: “Service to others means first renunciation, then the fulfillment of duty. What does renunciation mean? Being able to see God in everything. That is the true beginning of selfless service.”

The Maya Between the Past and the Future
Hunbatz Men is a member of the Maya-Itzá Council of Elders in Mexico and was recognized and trained as a child in his calling as a preserver of the Maya-Itzá tradition. He travels around the world to support the networking of indigenous peoples and to spread Maya knowledge. His book *The Sacred Culture of the Maya—Their Atlantic Origins, the Calendar System, and Its Alignment with the Pleiades* was recently published in German. Hunbatz Men founded and directs the Maya Ceremonial, Cultural & Educational Center in Lol Be as well as the Cosmic Initiatic University of Yok’hah Maya in Mérida, Yucatán. Also present at the conference in Bad Homburg were Hunbatz Men’s wife and their 18-year-old daughter, who will increasingly take on leadership roles at these schools.

During his lecture, he greeted the audience with the words: “I am very happy to see you again.” After all, this is not the first time we have met. “We are here to continue the work of our ancestors. The teachers are returning today to bring cosmic wisdom so that we may know what to do to save Mother Earth.”

He explained that the Maya understand time because they understand the sun and because they understand the cosmos. The cyclical patterns of the sun and other cosmic reference points—especially the Pleiades—trigger corresponding cycles on Earth, and each transition leads to major changes, just as there have been several in the past. The history of ancient cultures, including that of the Maya, has been written by Western scientists from a non-spiritual worldview, and this account does not correspond to the facts.
He distanced himself from the fixation on the date December 21, 2012, because this is a hypothetical calculation by academic scientists. (“2012” is a symbol for the time of transition that is already underway.) He also specifically emphasized that it does not correspond to their worldview to claim that humans were once primitive and that extraterrestrials then brought culture to humanity.

“Every human being embodies a part of the spirit of the Earth. We are the descendants of our ancestors and their earlier cultures.” Because of their access to spiritual sources, these ancestors possessed comprehensive knowledge of the correspondences between the cosmos, the Earth, and humanity. The calendar, as dictated by astronomical factors, has its correspondences in the human body. The Tzolkin is also the calendar of our body. A lunar cycle lasts 28 days, and we have 28 finger joints. There are 13 lunar cycles in a year, and the human body has 13 major joints. The 20 nahuales (daily signs in the Maya calendar) correspond to the number of fingers and toes on a human body.

Through the smaller time cycles, we can understand the larger cycles, for the smaller ones are parts of the larger ones. The sources from which the Maya derived their knowledge of calendar systems also provided knowledge about the natural order of society and human coexistence, as well as knowledge of healing and sacred sounds. He explained the various types of sacred sounds and said that these are comparable to what is known among Indians as mantras. The Maya also have mantras for ritual and religious purposes, mantras for healing, and mantras that—to put it in modern terms—awaken human genetic memory.

Hunbatz Men strives—as was also evident in this lecture—on the one hand to convey traditional Maya knowledge, and on the other hand to establish connections to other indigenous traditions as well as to modern esotericism. This openness is the reason why Hunbatz Men and his Maya Mystery School are criticized by certain Maya lineages and, in some cases, even rejected.

Digression: Differences of Opinion and Divisions Among the Maya Elders
Five weeks before the Council of World Elders congress, a Swiss organizer invited four Maya elders and organized two major events with them, one in Zurich and one in Bern. In the run-up to the event, I mentioned both occasions in all my lectures and assumed that there was a collaboration between them. Both events (evening gatherings lasting about three hours, with a 50-franc admission fee) were each attended by about 1,000 people, but the subsequent congress was not mentioned. On the contrary, the Maya representatives present there emphasized that only Maya people can pass on Maya knowledge and that everyone else had merely used Maya knowledge to make money. They even mentioned José Argüelles by name, who had passed away shortly before. They also explicitly mentioned the crystal skulls and emphasized that the crystal skulls are sacred to the Maya, but that they would never travel the world with them. Once again, the issue of making money was brought up.

They also spoke about the massacres that the Maya had to endure in Guatemala as recently as the second half of the 20th century. This account was harrowing, and it is understandable that the Maya would resist the commercialization of their name and distance themselves from the 2012 hype. To the critical listener, however, it quickly became clear at these events in Zurich and Bern that “fundamentalist” Maya representatives were on stage. The accusation that all non-Maya people merely wanted to make money off Maya knowledge was sweeping and also disrespectful. After all, José Argüelles had been honored with awards and titles by various Maya tribes. One can criticize his interpretation of the calendar, but it is undeniable that, over the course of some 30 years, he made Mayan knowledge known throughout the world. Without José Argüelles’s work, 1,000 people would not have attended these evenings either. Probably just as few would have come as if Olmec, Zulu, or Tuva representatives had organized an event.

In retrospect, it is clear that this faction of Maya representatives cannot accept a Council of World Elders, nor a European woman as the Council’s leader and coordinator and as the guardian of a crystal skull. In contrast to these Swiss events, only positive knowledge and constructive criticism were shared at the congress in Bad Homburg. The issue of discord among certain indigenous groups was mentioned only once—and, of course, without naming names—but not in a tone of opposition or rejection, rather in a spirit of reconciliation and connection: “May peace reign among all Maya!”

The revolutionary potential of water—and hemp!
The final lecture of the congress was given by Masaru Emoto. His appearance startled us at first, as he arrived in a wheelchair. Dr. Emoto immediately explained, however, that he was not suffering from an illness, but had been in an accident during the major earthquake in Tokyo, in which he broke his big toe. With that, he got straight to the point and asked why, especially now, there were more and more such earthquakes and water-related disasters. “People have strayed far from living in harmony with nature,” and this is causing the elements to become increasingly turbulent. He did not shy away from saying that there is a “water god”: the consciousness or spirit of water. “I am here as an ambassador of water, and I believe that water is an ambassador of God.”

He recounted how he had learned to listen to the signs of synchronicity, and that synchronicity was also the reason why he was a member of this Council. Until 2008, he said, the phenomenon of crystal skulls had been completely unknown to him; he hadn’t even known that such a thing existed. But then, within a very short time, he encountered this topic three times, and shortly afterward he received a letter from Karin Tag in Germany—and immediately sensed that this was something very important.

With a brief PowerPoint presentation, he documented how his work over the past twelve years has had a global impact. Three times in a row, while he was participating in nature ceremonies (at Lake Baikal, in Spain, and in Vancouver, Canada), a rainbow appeared in the sky even though it hadn’t rained. During a ceremony in the heart of Mexico City, in which Hopi shamans also participated, an eagle suddenly appeared above them and flew six circles. None of those present could recall ever having seen an eagle over this city of 20 million people. Just as impressive as this visual documentation were, once again, the images of the water crystals.

He played several pieces of music and illustrated them with films showing the shapes of water crystals that form in response to these sounds. Most impressive were the images accompanying an aria sung by Maria Callas.

Dr. Emoto went on to explain that four points in particular are suppressed today and that great truths are hidden precisely within these four points.

Historical Research: He stated that humanity’s past is taught differently than it is today. This is also evident in how modern historiography portrays Japan’s past while omitting its spiritual component. Long ago, he noted, Japanese high culture maintained contacts around the world, and he cited several specific examples to support this.
Calendars: People today live according to an artificially constructed calendar that is not in harmony with natural cycles. We speak of months (“lunar cycles”) and base our calendar on twelve months, yet in nature there are 13 lunar cycles per year. A calendar in harmony with nature would therefore have 13 months. He mentioned July 25, which is “the day out of time” [in José Argüelles’ calendar system: 13 × 28 days equals 364 days, and the 365th is the transition day, which in Argüelles’ 13-Moon calendar is July 25] . For many years, Dr. Emoto has always performed a water ceremony on this day. On July 25, 2011, he conducted it in Fukushima.
Water research: Any research suggesting that water has a memory and can store information (which is applied in homeopathy, for example) is discredited, if not outright suppressed. This also applies to research showing that engines and technologies previously powered only by gas or oil could be replaced by water-powered mechanisms.
Hemp: All politicians talk about the importance of sustainable development and renewable energy, but they all avoid the topic of the most important of all renewable energy sources: hemp. Hemp has been a sacred plant in Japan for millennia. It is the fastest-growing plant, is free of pests, and provides food and raw materials for textiles, building materials, fuel, and so on. Hemp could solve many global problems at once, and yet hemp cultivation is severely restricted worldwide. However, the ban on hemp does not mean that marijuana is no longer being consumed. Humanity is being flooded with drugs. So the ban on hemp must have other reasons, and the question arises as to why politicians avoid this topic.

Closing Remarks by Karin Tag
“We are all related to one another.” Karin Tag also came to experience the significance of this truth. She described how, as a Western woman, she came into contact with the shamanic path and how the indigenous sages she encountered reacted to her. “I felt ashamed before them, because I am white, and we all know what white people have done to their peoples. But they didn’t see me as white. They looked into my eyes and into my heart.” Through various experiences, it became increasingly clear to her how important a platform is for the heritage and knowledge of Indigenous peoples—and that we Europeans, in particular, have a role to play in this. She described the events and twists of fate that led her to finally dare, as a woman and a white person, to lead a ceremony for the first time among a circle of Indigenous representatives.
She also mentioned how difficult it was to find people as positive as those who are now the first members of the Council of World Elders: people who are committed to mutual respect, healing, solutions, and a shared future. “We feel that we are at the beginning of something very special here.”

Everyone present could confirm this. We sensed the uniqueness of this gathering and the great blessing that rested upon this congress. There was hardly anyone who wasn’t close to tears during particularly intense moments. A family-like atmosphere prevailed among the participants, and everyone was able to receive and take home lasting inspiration. Karin Tag’s request for support—because she has now reached the limits of her capacity as an individual and mother of two young children given the scale of this project—will certainly not fall on deaf ears. New Council members will join, as will additional volunteers and, hopefully, sponsors as well. This first congress had been announced in advance by only a few magazines, but the next congress on September 29–30, 2012, will certainly be covered by many more. For the global shift in thinking that is needed today will emerge from the connection between ancient wisdom and the latest insights. And this connection is the primary concern of the Council of World Elders.