Did you know that the world’s first peace conference took place in The Hague, in 1899? This laid the foundation of The Hague as an “international city of peace and justice”. But this year, peace talks took a turn, a revolution so to speak, with Peace Revolution.

The 19th of October 2011 Peace Revolution visited The Hague in The Netherlands and offered a workshop on meditation, “From Inner Peace to Outer Peace” in the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS)*.

Many ISS students had the chance to learn about the ancient art of meditation and its practice as an alternative pathway to cultivate world peace. Most of them had never practiced meditation before, so they could share their experiences and ask questions, and engage in dialogue with the Teaching Monk, Venerable Pasura Dantamano, from Thailand.

Marco Bermudez was the main coordinator for this event. He is a committed peace agent after joining two of Peace Revolution’s Fellowships (Global Peace on the Move V, European Youth Fellowship). He says, “I am committed to share the powerful tool of meditation wherever in the world I am. Having organized some sessions in Bogotá - Colombia, I continue doing so in The Hague – The Netherlands, where I am currently living and studying. I have already had the chance to organize some on-line meditation session for the students of the ISS. Tons of smiles and grateful words is all that I see and hear after every meditation session I organize with the help of Peace Revolution team. I have done it in my home country, Colombia, but now it is time for The Netherlands.”

He shares some of the feedback he had from organizing the online meditation sessions, and workshops, “For the comments that I received from some of the participants of the on-line sessions and the workshop, I can say that several of them are so enthusiastic about continuing practicing and learning more about meditation. A commitment to help our communities and countries (mostly developing countries) and to make of this world a better and more peaceful place to live in is something that we, all the students of the ISS, share. Now many of us know an additional and powerful tool that can be used to do so.”

Meditation is the art of peace, when our minds are filled with peace, peace will fill every part of our lives. When we can all share our inner peace in big and small ways, like peace agent Marco Bermudez, we will soon have the world peace human beings have long been searching for.

*The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is a leading center in Europe in the field of Development Studies.

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