Siddhachalam NJ 1990 04 Mahavir Jayanti

Author(s): Siddhachalam NJ
Publisher: USA International Mahavir Jain Mission Siddhachalam

Page 35

GURUJI JOINS GLOBAL FORUM IN MOSCOW
H. H. Acharya Sushil Kumarji Maharaj participated in a Global Forum on Environment and Development in Moscow January 15-19, 1990. The forum, hosted by the Supreme Soviet, all faith communities in the USSR, the USSR Academy of Sciences and the International Foundation for the Survival and Development of Humanity and organized by the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival, gathered 1,000 people from 83 countries. Participants included spiritual leaders, parliamentarians, scientists, journalists, educators, artists and business and industry leaders.
The purpose of the forum was to find fresh approaches to the global environmental crises, by involving the two pillars of our communities -- our spiritual and parliamentary leaders-in an intensive dialogue on critical survival issues and then reaching out, worldwide, through the news media and other forms of communication. The Global Forum believes religious and political leaders are central to the process of positive change because they are the opinion-makers and policy-makers who work most closely with people at all levels, from the local to the global.
Among the political leaders participating in the Moscow Global Forum were Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez Cuellar, Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland-the former Prime Minister of Norway and Chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Dr. Karan Singh-Indian Ambassador to the US, Indian MP Sat Pal Mittal, four US Senators as well as Cabinet members and Speakers of many nations' parliaments.Spiritual leaders included the Grand Mufti of Syria Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro, Metropolitan Pitirim of the Russian Orthodox Church, Paulos Mar Gregorios-Metropolitan of Delhi and the North Syrian Orthodox Church of India, and many elders of traditional indigenous tribes of North and South America and Africa.
The forum opened with an address by UN Secretary-General Javier Perez
Jain Education Intemational
SHANTI
de Cuellar and closed with a major environmental address in the Kremlin by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
H. H. Acharya Sushil Kumarji Maharaj opened the plenary session on January 17 with a Jain prayer and meditation. Throughout the week he participated in study commisions, press conferences and television, radio and newspaper interviews. Following the closing ceremony in the Kremlin Acharyaji presented Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev with a Lord Mahavir Peace Medal.
The Forum ended with a historic two hour television program broadcast direct from the conference by satellite. Rolland Smith, anchorman of WWOR-TV in the US acted as the global anchor in Moscow, leading a team of international reporters. The show featured live coverage at the conference and environmental reports from various locations around the world via Intelstat and Intersputnik, the two global communications networks.
MAHAVIR JAYANTI SOUVENIR
3.h
GLOBAL FORUM ON HUMAN SU COV 990
GURUJI OPENING PLENARY SESSION OF THE FORUM
MAHAVIR JAYANTI SOUVENIR For Private & Personal Use Only
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