On Friday, May 27, in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, Prem Rawat addressed 1200 people who had gathered in the town square overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was the highlight of a Week of Peace and Solidarity, sponsored jointly by Mayor Nicolò Castaldi, Associazione Percorsi and The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). Hundreds were seated while others crowded onto balconies overlooking the square and squeezed into any space with a view. Translation was broadcast to all from well-placed speakers throughout the square.

Mr. Rawat’s address was the highlight of a full week in which this multicultural town concentrated its attention on peace. One prominent exhibition featured over 40 banners illustrating Prem Rawat’s focus on peace through the last four decades and the humanitarian aid outreach of TPRF.

The week’s festivities included a variety of musical groups, ethnic food, local crafts, parades, light shows and a colorful mosaic of pictures depicting peace from the children of the town. On Wednesday afternoon, a roundtable discussion on the tools for peace took place in the Town Hall. Panelists included the Director of Science for Peace at the University of Pisa, an Arab journalist and TPRF President Linda Pascotto, representing different views about making peace a reality and responding to questions.

The last day of the Week of Peace was a full one. In the morning, Prem Rawat awarded the President of the Republic’s Medal to the winner of the contest for the best student essay on the theme of “Peace: A Human Heritage and a Human Right.” Soon after, people gathered for the unveiling of a huge marble stone, or stele, with a quote by Prem Rawat carved in Italian, English, French, and Esperanto with Arabic to be added soon:

Peace begins in the heart of all human beings.

In the early evening, Mr. Rawat gave the keynote address, which people in the town are still talking about.

Watch his address

Follow first-hand reports of the Week of Peace on TPRF’s blog.