Prem Rawat at Italian Senate (2007)
Emilio Colombo hosted a ceremony again, during which Prem Rawat, made a contribution to Francesco Strippoli, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of the ‘World Food Programme’, to help WFP in its effort to bring food aid to people in Indonesia.Prem Rawat, known worldwide by the honorary title Maharaji, was guest of honor and speaker at a special celebration called “Peace, a Message without Boundaries,” held in Rome on April 26th, in Palazzo Gistiniani, one of the Italian Senate Houses. The celebration was held under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, the Council of Ministers, three cabinet Ministers, 11 Italian regions, and the Municipality of Rome. The distinguished audience included many Italian government and civic leaders.
A warm message from Franco Marini, the President of the Italian Senate, was read to the participants: “It is appropriate and timely to promote the value of peace, which is not only the cornerstone of the Italian Republic, but is also a necessary condition for the evolution of mankind. Peace is, in fact, a message that is above all ethnic, religious, or political distinctions. Prem Rawat is a fine interpreter of this universal character of peace. I send to you, the organizers, the speaker, and all the participants, my warmest greetings and my best wishes for the complete success of this initiative.”
As the celebration unfolded, messages of support from Giorgio Napolitano, the President of the Italian Republic, and from the Mayor of Rome were read to the attendees. Moving speeches were then given by an alderman from Rome and by two guest speakers, one from Lebanon and one from Israel. Both spoke about how it was possible for them to be an agent of peace while the conflict was raging in their respective countries. Emilio Colombo, Lifetime Member of the Italian Senate, former president of the European Parliament, and former prime minister of Italy, then introduced Prem Rawat.
In his address, Prem Rawat said: “We talk about peace, but the word peace has so many interpretations. The thirst for peace is within us, and we have to respect and understand what every moment that we are alive means. We have given away peace for prosperity, but the exact formula has always been: first peace, then prosperity. You are the first step: peace begins with you; the process of peace begins with you. In this world, there are many things that attract our focus, but there is one that we should never be distracted from: peace.”
As the celebration drew to its conclusion, Prem Rawat was awarded three honorific recognitions: one from the President of the Basilicata region of Italy, one from the President of the regional board of Friuli Venezia Giulia region, and one from the Alderman for Peace of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
Three days before this event, Prem Rawat concluded a series of events in Nepal and India, where more than one million people came to hear him in less than six weeks.
The Italian Senate (‘Senate of the Republic’) is the upper house of the Parliament of Italy. President Colombo was also Finance Minister eleven times and Foreign Minister six times. He was one of the main negotiators for the Helsinki, Maastricht, and Camp David agreements.
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