Yasmin Sooka, Executive Director, Foundation for Human Rights, South Africa was the Key note speaker at the I Meditate Africa 2015, live webcast event in Johannesburg. Below is her key note address:
His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Good Afternoon, Dumelang, Molweni, Namaste, Vanakam, Absheni, Goie Middag Friends and colleagues It’s a great pleasure to be here amongst you today. I am truly humbled and honoured to have been invited to speak at the 2015 campaign for - I-meditate for Africa which was launched in 2013 on Africa Day. As you know Africa Day is the day we celebrate the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 by the newly independent nations of Africa.
53 years later as we celebrate our independence we do so knowing that despite having overthrown our colonial masters’ peace continues to elude us in this region. We live in an incredibly beautiful continent with abundant natural resources and mineral wealth and yet our continent continues to be ravaged by war and conflict; our people continue to live in poverty and inequality as our economic resources are pillaged by transnational corporations and corrupt leaders. Many of our people are so desperate to find a peaceful place to live that they are willing to risk their lives to corrupt human smugglers landing in Lampedusa in Italy where hundreds have drowned and thousands from our region have had to be rescued from the sea. The response of the international community is not hopeful with many governments not willing to assist. The desperation of the Rohingya boat people who are risking their lives at sea illustrate the desperation of people willing to escape from conflict. It also highlights the need for compassion and solidarity from us all.
I have spent the greater part of my life working on post-conflict countries with victims who have suffered the gravest of violations. I spent last week in Uganda with women who came from the Greater Horn of Africa most from war torn countries who spoke to their experiences of living in conflict and the continuum of violence in the post-conflict period. At this meeting were women from Burundi who watched their fellow countrymen being shot by live bullets as they protested at the fact that their President wants to stand for elections for a third Presidential term in complete violation of the Arusha agreement. Burundian women asked that we write a letter to the Leadership of the African Union to support their request that their president not stand a third time for election in contravention of agreements signed by Burundi and that we pray for peace in their country. Here in the land of our birth South Africa, twenty one years since the birth of democracy we are still grappling with our own demons. The transition to democracy which saw the enactment of the South African Constitution which is considered to be the most progressive Constitution in the world is based on the values of human dignity and equality. The Constitution affirms that human rights and the building of a human rights culture are the imperative goals for our society particularly given our own tragic past.
The establishment of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission which I was privileged to be part of, highlighted the legacy of pain and sorrow that apartheid and colonialism has bequeathed us. The work of the Truth commission also revealed that we are a deeply damaged and traumatised society and that the violence of our past continues not only to inform our present but also our future. Nowhere have we witnessed this more than through the xenophobic attacks of the last weeks against foreign migrants who have been displaced in the most violent of circumstances. As we struggle with the question ‘why’, we should also celebrate that the vast majority of South Africans have taken a stand saying “not in our name this is not who we are”. There is no doubt that our constitution is visionary and inspirational. However it has not been able to deal with the dehumanisation and trauma of our past which continues to haunt us. We have already lost two generations of people to war and conflict. We know that post-conflict societies pass on intergenerational trauma if not addressed. We cannot lose another generation and must find the tools to heal ourselves and our society. This is true for most societies emerging from conflict.
Conflict and violence continue to plague our continent. We know that military might alone cannot overcome the violence. This requires a non-violent approach to dealing with discord and which focusses on a more peaceful means of settling difference. Discord in the world stems from discord in our minds. We have also seen from the example of many countries that laws and policies do not heal the heart and the mind. It does not build harmony and peace-this can only come from within ourselves. We have to find alternative means of settling issues.
Today we gather to celebrate the “I Meditate Africa” campaign for peace in our region. I-Meditate Africa was first celebrated in 2013 when an estimated 10 000 people from 23 African countries, 30 African cities and 54 International countries participated in a peace meditation for Africa led by Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Last year this number increased with more than 100 000 people from 24 African countries meditating for Peace for the African continent. Most of the meditators came from the education sector across the continent. Today 25 African Countries will participate in the live meditation webcast. 18 free public events across Africa will broadcast the live webcast on 23 May. Over 230 000 Africans have meditated from 01 May 2015 with 5 public radio stations having broadcasted Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's guided 'Africa Peace Meditation', reaching out to thousands of people in Africa. As I speak I am told that more than 340 000 people have joined the event. This is indeed a triumph for the human spirit. Many say that when we pray we speak to God but when we meditate we listen to God.
I Meditate Africa is a continent-wide peace initiative to achieve the goal of a stress free, violence free Africa. It is a 4 year powerful campaign based on peace and human values led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, which is aimed at promoting peace in Africa by encouraging the use of meditation as a mainstream peace building tool for the continent. Gurudev’s words resonate at this time, “Even if one percent of the population meditates, it benefits the rest 99 percent”. Our beloved former president Nelson Mandela, who meditated himself once said, "I dream of an Africa, which is in peace with itself". This is a dream that all Africans carry in their hearts, and "I Meditate Africa", allows the ordinary person to play a small part in making that dream a reality in a big way. Scientists have carried out a range of experiments to explore the benefits of meditation. A group of Harvard neuroscientists ran an experiment where 16 people were submitted to an eight-week mindfulness course, using guided meditations and integration of mindfulness into everyday activities. At the end of the study, MRI scans show that the grey matter concentration increases in areas of the brain involved in learning and memory, regulating emotions, sense of self, and having perspective. Other studies also show a larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of grey matter for long-term meditators. Similar studies conducted by a number of universities have shown that regular meditation contributes to the development of intellect, a sense of deep wellbeing and happiness. Meditation has been shown to build a sense of compassion and solidarity which is integral to building peace in our society and which demonstrates the values of universality, interdependence and interrelatedness, the notion of connectedness.
This year I-Meditate Africa focuses on young people across our region as they represent our future and will take their place as the new generation of leaders in our continent. Meditation knows no boundaries and is a tool that can be used by every single person on this planet. While many of us come to this understanding only as adults it is important to bring meditation into our schools bringing an interfaith perspective which reaches across all borders. A wonderful commitment would be if schools integrated meditation in the life orientation classes. Meditation is not religious but is a spiritual experience which everyone can participate in irrespective of religion or not being a believer.
In September 2014 Gurujii spoke about meditation as “that inward journey to find peace”. He said: “Once you find peace within yourself you are able to share it with your surroundings, share it with your family, with your friends, with society. And peaceful people make peaceful nations. .
World peace begins with the inner peace of the individual.” Through quietening our spirit and the inner voice that will not be still, by breathing and listening to the rhythm of our own breath and heartbeats we become calm and peaceful. For it is only when we are at one with ourselves, when we have found inner peace, that we can make peace with each other.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has devoted much of his time to building peace in the region. He encouraged warring factions in the Ivory Coast to participate in meditation programmes.
Peace in our region can only be achieved by coming together in a campaign of compassion and solidarity. Imagine the power of our joint breath together in the struggle for a new peace architecture. Let us commit ourselves to building peace in the world.
The ‘I Meditate Africa’ campaign is led by a dedicated and visionary team of volunteers which has touched the lives of thousands across the African continent by uniting them in peace through meditation. "I Meditate Africa is about taking peace as a concept towards peace as a tangible experience; thereby giving peace an opportunity to become a way of life rather than an unattainable ideal" says Aneshree, Gauteng. It is said that the world has always been changed for the better by a handful of committed people. Here is your chance to be a part of that special group of committed people. Join us today in our mediation for peace in our continent.
