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bounties for immediate material gains without caring to replenish it, regenerate it or enrich it. The feeling of oneness with the Universe was lost because humanity exploited Nature disobeying the Natural laws of balance and equilibrium and did so with arrogance and presumption. The crisis is global. We need to tackle it with a global perception and Universal vision. An attitudinal change is needed in our thinking, in our expressions and in our actions. Emergence of a new Earth Ethics is the need of the hour.
I thank this distinguished assemble for entrusting me with the task of drafting the Declaration of Sacred Earth Gathering and of acting as Rapporteur General of the Conference. I have enjoyed this assignment and have gained a lot in my own perceptions as a result of wide-ranging consultations I engaged in, while drafting the text. I am happy that the text has now been adopted.
The message of the Declaration is timely, important and valuable particularly on the eve of the Earth Summit. It is good to have Mr. Maurice Strong, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development II with us today. It is deeply satisfying that he has accepted the need for considering ecological questions in their ultimate spiritual dimensions as well. I would particularly like to invite your attention to the reference to the call in the declaration for transformation of our attitude and values:
“The ecological crisis is a symptom of the spiritual crisis of the human being, arising from ignorance. The responsibility of each human being today is to choose between the force of darkness and that of light. We must therefore transform our attitudes and values, and adopt a renewed respect for the superior law of divine
Nature".
Mahatma Gandhi waged a successful struggle against the British colonial rule in India based on non-violence. It was a unique experiment and a successful one of using non-violence as a means to attain a political goal. The world of today and tomorrow needs a non-violent struggle to save the planet from ecological disaster. The culture of
Ahimsa: The Ultimate Winner
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