From todays posthumous Spiritual Leadership award presentation to Nelson Mandela at Freedom Park, South Africa ~ ANNA-MARI PIETERSE’S WELCOME SPEECH for the Nelson Mandela Spiritual Leadership award presentation. Sunday, July 27, 2014 Good morning distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, It is our great pleasure to welcome you all to this wonderful occasion this morning and a real privilege to be here with all of you as one with Freedom Park, National Heritage Council, National Interfaith Commission of SA and the Moral regeneration Movement. We are delighted about visitors who have come from all over the world to be here today: our World Wide Coordinating Director Steve Farrell and the Global Council members of Humanity’s Team. All the way from Argentina is Ana Ines and Julio Avruj of the Peace Council of Argentina who are not only great Peace workers but also great proponents of our uBuntu. These two people bring a very special energy to the event through the 8mt X 8mt Reconciliation Labyrinth that they have brought all the way from Argentina especially for this event. A very special welcome to them! Also in the audience are the local representatives for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living Foundation: Elisha Sirkissoon and Neeraj Kalan, and also the African representative for His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Ms Nangsa Chodon and members of the Office of Tibet of Pretoria. Your presence here makes the event very special. Global leaders who could not be here have sent their special messages that we have printed into the Commemorative event program for you to read. We also have visitors who have come all the way from Cape Town especially … uBuntu author Barbara Nussbaum and Karen Barenché of the SA Peace Alliance. There is also a group of people who, through the leadership of Ms Sophy Masemene, have travelled all the way from Kwamghlanga to participate in this event through their colour and sound. We have loads of people from the local villages. Without any preference of anyone we would like you all to feel equally welcome and special! Last year, as the highlight of National Heritage Month, Humanity’s Team South Africa in partnership with Freedom Park launched our annual Walk for an uBuntu Conscious South Africa – I Am because we Are event and initiative with the idea that this event would from then on become the highlight on the uBuntu Month (July) calendar of Humanity’s Team South Africa. The initiative was launched in honour of Mr Nelson Mandela and in respect of our First People – the Khoisan. It makes sense for us to respect them as we try to understand our Oneness and our uBuntu and doing so forms part of our aim to play a role in the revival of the respect for our Spiritual Cultural Heritage and our Indigenous Knowledge and Symbols… going as far back as possible. The manner in which Mr Mandela is part of our Walk for an uBuntu Conscious South Africa – I Am because We Are event again this year is quite special with the presentation of the Humanity’s Team 2014 Spiritual Leadership Award, posthumously to him. The core principle of Humanity’s Team is We Are All One, physically and spiritually, and therefore it makes sense that this award is given to Mr Mandela by the Team for Humanity… which is all of us! Our annual Walk for an uBuntu Conscious South Africa event has a number of aims and objectives and main features and elements that we want to bring to life more and more as the initiative continues to grow and strengthen in the future. • As I have already pointed out, Madiba and the Khoisan are always part of the event. Other permanent features include respect for our various religions and we always also highlight the value and importance of our Youth, and our diversity through the 11 official languages of South Africa. • A key aim of the initiative is to popularise the uBuntu slogan/definition that points to our Oneness, which is I Am because We Are. • The main elements of the initiative include the Heart, Vision and Light aspects of uBuntu and our Oneness. The Humanity’s Team Oneness Statement reads: Oneness is the energy of Love that lies within and connects all of life. The universe is one being and we are its cells; all essential and responsible for the whole. For us, the heart and love is the essence of uBuntu and Oneness. The heart is a symbol for openness and inclusion and the colour that represents the heart energy is green which is the colour of the event. • With uBuntu being a world-view, the aspect of Vision is inherent. We know that we create from what we see and perceive. So through this initiative we are always encouraged to nurture our highest vision for our self, others, our communities and the world at large. • The element of Light represents Consciousness, Truth and our Highest Being and Potential. This element is always part of the event through a live torch/flame. • And finally – the logo of the walk event is the Infinity Symbol that represents the unity of all things. So, to make it possible for us to bring these aspects to life, you are invited to make sure to participate together with your family and friends in the various inter-active activities that we have created for you. 1. First of all –as I have mentioned you are invited to walk of the 8 mt X 8m Reconciliation Labyrinth that Ana Ines and Julio Avruj have brought all the way from Argentina for us. The labyrinth that was created by Claire Wilson who lives in Kommetjie in Cape Town enables the achievement of union/reconciliation between the inner and outer, between opposites – which is what uBuntu is all about. I want to thank Ana Ines and Julio whom I regard among the greatest proponents of uBuntu outside of our country and continent, for taking the tremendous trouble of bringing the Labyrinth all to way (back) to South Africa. When you go to the area where it has been set up, they will explain to those who do not know, how to walk on the labyrinth and share some supporting information about it. 2. You will also find in this space two Humanity’s Team stations where you are able to sign the uBuntu/Oneness Declaration and to hang your vision on a tree. May your vision take your breath away! 3. And then, over there, we have set up a cloth where you are able to paint your image of uBuntu and our Oneness on, together with everyone else. This is always a wonderful activity. 4. Along the route of the 3km Walk which only takes between 30 and 40 minutes to complete, we have put up some slogans or ideas about uBuntu as a means of contemplation. In closing I would like to read the special message that was sent by HH The Dalai Lama especially for this event:
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:48:19 +0000
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