Several celebrities, sporting personalities, peace organisations, and meditation practitioners are expected to join in a virtual event this Monday, September 21, to “celebrate peace.”
This global movement aspires to bring 40 million people together in a special event to mark the UN International Day of Peace, with thousands of people participating from Australia as well.
The event will be broadcast in 25 languages at 8pm local time in each of the countries where people are participating from. Over 13 million people from the Americas, Europe, South Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Middle East have already registered for the free event.
The spiritual head of the Heartfulness Institute, which is spearheading this peace initiative, is simply known as Daaji. He says, “It is our collective intention and attention toward peace that will create peace. No individual can make it happen, otherwise it would have happened a long time ago.”
Heartfulness Institute is celebrating International Day of Peace by bringing people together in meditation Source: Supplied
Well-known personalities like Deepak Chopra, Bruce Lipton, film producer and director Shekhar Kapur, Sister B K Shivani, flautists Hariprasad Chaurasia and Shashank Subramaniam will be participating in the pre-event called ‘Celebration of Peace’.
They will be joined by Inter Milan football legend Javier Zanetti, Football for Peace, skier Marta Bassino, snowboarder Michela Moioli and other celebrities during the first hour, which will be followed by group meditation at a global level.
CEO of Heartfulness Australia John Smith told SBS Punjabi, “There are hundreds of practitioners based in Australia who will be taking part. Due to COVID restrictions, we won’t be able to come together in community halls - instead, most families will join from their homes.”
Some of the celebrities participating in the Celebration of Peace on September 21 Source: Supplied
“I know that apart from practitioners in major cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra, many people from regional towns like Bunbury, Busselton, Weipa, Wollongong, Newcastle, Byron Bay and more, will also be participating from their homes.”
Some people from across Australia have spoken to SBS Punjabi about the reasons which have inspired them to take part in this global event.
Karishma Desai from Sydney believes this will activate a "peace chain", saying, "In these challenging times, the world is crying for peace and we all have that opportunity to unite and peacefully sit together (remotely) with our family, friends and the larger global community."
Sudha Sharma from Melbourne says the events of this year have made her realise that "the need for peace is ever-increasing for my loved ones, near and far. This is the first opportunity in my lifetime to partake in a combined effort at this scale. I have read a lot about the profound effects of a large group with a single intention towards universal peace, and I look forward to experiencing it!"
Source: Heartfulness Institiute, India
Kumar Gandu, who lives in Toowoomba in regional Queensland says, "Toowoomba is celebrating 'Connecting For Peace' with community members including members from the Theosophical Society at East Creek centre, complying with COVID regulations. After watching the live stream at 8pm, we will continue on by sitting for a heart-centred meditation, joining 40 million others towards promoting peace on the planet."
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Find out what restrictions are in place for your state or territory.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at www.sbs.com.au/coronavirus
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