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DECLARATION ON AHIMSA
[Prepared by Dr N.P. Jain and adopted unanimously at the Ahimsa Varsh celebrations, New Jersey, USA on 14th April 2002 under the auspices of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and forwarded with 20,000 signatures to the Secretary General of United Nations. It was a major event in USA to mark the closing of 2600th Janm Kalyanak Celebrations of Bhagavan Mahavir.]
Preamble
The world of today stands on the threshold of a defining moment in history. Humanity is face to face with crisis of spirit. The new millennium has opened with the unnerving specter of terrorism and unbridled violence threatening to throw asunder cumulative gains of far-reaching spiritual, cultural and material progress.
WHEREAS human ingenuity, intellect and creativity has in the past millenniums built up civilizations which have enlightened and enabled human minds & hearts; at the same time the world has been plagued by hatred, mistrust, discrimination, exploitation and intolerance and ravaged by ongoing local, regional and global conflicts and wars;
WHEREAS religions and faiths have been fountain springs of spiritually inspired peaceful life ethics; at the same time interfaith rivalries and ethnic conflicts have spread violent bitterness and hostility;
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