Chief Justices and NGO Leaders Gather Together in Lucknow India to Witness a Historic Moment
The Recipient of the United Nations Peace Education Award, Mr. Jagdish Gandhi, Rings the Bell of World Peace and Love
The 9 th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World and the 5 th Global Symposium: “Awakening Planetary Consciousness” will be held on December 12, 2008, at the City Montessori School in Lucknow India . Over 280 chief justices and UN/NGO representatives from 85 countries around the world will come together to contribute their expertise to the sustainable development of the world. Since 2001, the sponsor, City Montessori School , has been holding the conference every year. The most outstanding part of the conference will be the 35,000 students of the school, who on behalf of the world's two billion children and future generations to come, will appeal to the chief justices, requesting that they ask the World Congress to protect children's rights and to develop a safe and healthy society free from deprival. At 5:30 PM on the 12 th of December, the sponsor will hold a Cultural Presentation at the school's stadium. Students of the Montessori school ranging from elementary school to high school ages prepared a theatrical recreation of the 
International Court of Justice, a series of performances of Indian culture and present a display of world unity, symbolizing that all religions come from the same origin to welcome conference participants. Almost ten thousand people will attend the event which has become a grand event with unprecedented support. Since ancient times, ringing the bell has been a ceremony of showing sincerity and respect to heaven, as well as praying for a blessing from heaven. Because the founder of the City Montessori School, Mr. Jagdish Gandhi's long contributions to love and peace, Dr. Hong Tao-Tze of the Federation of World Peace and Love will specially invite Mr. Gandhi to ring the Bell of World Peace and Love and make a wish to unite the people of the world in world peace. This has made Mr.Gandhi describ ed the ringing of the bell as a wonderful experience. When I rang the bell, it created a message that this is the moment to unite the world to achieve world peace. I feel that time has passed through the darkness and come to the world in order to bring harmony and peace. The bell of Peace has brought me a lot of energy and power so that I am able to bring peace to the earth. After ringing the bell, I will devote all my life to work for world peace. Mrs. Edmee Zoie Schepens, a representative of UN/NGO organizations shared that the ceremony of ringing the bell is very stately. “I can feel the energy coming from the sound of the bell that is stronger than the center of the universe. I know through this ceremony, you cleanse people's hearts and maintain the positive energy.”
Mr. Jagdish Gandhi thinks that “Every child can become either the light or the darkness of the world”, so he devotes himself to educate students to become world citizens that light the world. For many years, he has sponsored numerous international conferences to promote his ideas for the education for children and adolescents, and to widen children's international view. Mr. Gandhi has often been invited to many places to deliver speeches, including the UN Millennium Summit, the Hearing of the UN General Assembly, and Peace-related conferences of many countries. Under the witness of the participants of the conference, Mr. Jagdish Gandhi will ring the “Bell of World Peace and Love” and make his wish for peace, encouraging all the chief justices, NGO leaders, and the students and teachers of the school to practice love and peace, wishing that they all have hearts of bravery and their view of lives are positive and uplifting, so that together they can create hope for the future generations to come. Children are our hopes for the future, so it is very important to protect the futures of our children, and to think highly of the children's rights who live both at this moment and at the future. The “Bell of World Peace and Love” has visited 57 countries on five continents of the world. World leaders and VIPs ring the bell and make their promises for peace. Wherever the bell goes, the message of peace follows. For example, the President of the Dominican Republic , H.E. Leonel Fernandez Reyna, who rang the bell on September 15, 2005 in New York , was able to resolve a crisis between Columbia , Uruguay , and Venezuela that had brought them to the brink of war, showing by his actions his love for the people of this world. During the ceremony of Ringing the bell, Mrs. Yu, Mei Jung , vice president of the Federation of World Peace and Love, and Mr. Ghandi turn the “Key of the World” a ninety-centimeter long key together, symbolizing these “key men” can move the world towards a better place by their good thoughts. Later on, the “key of the World” is passed to ev ery honored gues t that many of them were deeply touched, and felt the importance of their responsibilities.
The Cultural Goodwill Group of World Peace and Love will also bring a cultural performance of beautified oriental qigong and martial arts to convey their blessing to the world. Tai Ji Men martial arts are built on a foundation constructed from persistent daily practice and cultivation of both body and mind. These martial arts are practiced as various kinds of exercises of punches, body movements, and weapons. Martial arts practitioners have wills of iron, resolute willpower, and kind hearts. They have no fear and can break through difficulties in their lives by using the wisdom of yin-and-yang.
The program presented by The Cultural Goodwill Group of World Peace and Love has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the live audiences. Many of them directly described to the members of the Goodwill Group that the night's program deeply moved them and generated a tremendous amount of energy well up within them, sharing that it was a very special and wonderful experience.
Whereas the implementation of a sustainable world relies on the sincere wills of every member of the global village, the Cultural Goodwill Group of World Peace and Love, for many years, has traveled all over the world. Through culture exchange, they promote mutual understanding of the essences of cultures between people of different countries, learn to love themselves and others as well, learn to love their own country and other countries as well, and together they strive to create a future with the wisdom of love and balance.