Your Experiences
For glimpses of our early observances, please see our About page
Nayana Tara Hein, Coordinator, Seven Minutes of World Peace
“Seven Minutes of World Peace is not just a “nice” project, where people get together to honor the International Day of Peace. It is something tangible, powerful, most special and sacred.
In the videos, images and texts below, you will be able to share in how others from around the world have experienced this special pocket of time. Their expressions are rooted in their own faiths, traditions, beliefs, and personal experiences. Some are taken from programs built around the seven minutes of silence, others are reflections about it.
As to my personal experiences, one in particular stands out. Although I have meditated for many years, when I sat down for Seven Minutes of World Peace in 2019, wave upon wave of peace descended upon me in a way that was so highly unusual and extraordinarily out of the ordinary. It felt as if I was receiving a gift from the universe.
I look forward to Seven Minutes of World Peace every year as a special opportunity, for myself, and for the world.”
Aye Aye Thant, during 2020 virtual event
1973 footage of meeting between Sri Chinmoy and U Thant at 3:50.
“To be a peacemaker…one must first be at peace oneself”
— Aye Aye Thant, reading the words of her father, U Thant
“I feel very strongly…that only by a practical application of the teachings of great religious leaders…love, compassion, tolerance, the philosophy of live and let live, modesty, and even humility, only with this approach, only with this method, we all will be able to fashion the kind of society we want.”
— U Thant, Myanmar, Secretary-General, United Nations
Ranjana K. Ghose, President, Board of Directors, Sri Chinmoy Centre
A recitation of Sri Chinmoy’s poem
— Ranjana K. Ghose, President, Board of Directors, Sri Chinmoy Centre
Ganapati J. Coleman, PhD, is an award-winning engineer and scientist.
“It’s amazing when you have thousands of people pulling together in the same direction. It really creates a force that can have real concrete and visible effects in the world around us”
— Ganapati J. Coleman, PhD, USA
Ambassador Toshiya Hoshino, Japan
”I meditated under the moon, wishing world peace and happiness, realizing that we are all connected spiritually beyond time zones and geographic distance. ”
Toshiya Hoshino sent this email report of he and his wife Chikako's experience during the 2021 Seven Minutes of World Peace. Toshi has served as Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations and as Dean and Professor of Public Policy at Osaka University. Chika is an acclaimed yoga instructor.
Shared by the United Nations in India
Brother Greg Cellini, the founder of Franciscan Month and Director of Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue at St. Francis College
Since becoming a Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn, my focus is much more on peace. I have come to more completely understand the essence of peace.
There is no better day than the International Day of Peace to look deep inside myself to see what aggression may exist and take steps necessary to achieve peace of heart. By doing such, I - just like St. Francis - will not only transform myself, but will help transform the world.
The Peace Prayer of St. Francis is a guiding light. Seeking first to understand and then be understood especially helps in my efforts to be a peacemaker, and see all as brother and sister."
Kusumita P. Pedersen, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, St. Francis College
World peace is possible. It will come into existence because of our aspiration and conscious choice leading to action. Our aspiration is immensely strengthened when we know that we are united with others in a global movement for peace. As a manifestation of world-oneness, Seven Minutes for Peace has tremendous value and importance — it is an expression of our collective aspiration for peace and increases our strength to act.
Nilanjana Kaviraj shares a song by Rabindranath Tagore that she was inspired to sing after her participation in Seven Minutes of World Peace
Rupantar Larusso, Race Director, Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Self-Transcendence Race, reporting from 2021 Race
“Suddenly a quiet came over the Race. It was a real tangible calmness that you could feel. It was quite extraordinary…world peace was very powerful here at the Race.”
— Rupantar Larusso, USA
Lia Cristina Cao - Teacher, Argentina.
“He participado de Los Siete Minutos de paz por el mundo desde hace varios años. Es una experiencia inolvidable, tangible y esperanzadora porque nos sentimos juntos con muchos otros seres cercanos y lejanos por el mismo ideal. Agradezco la iniciativa de Sri Chinmoy para unir a la familia del mundo con este simple y muy valioso evento de siete minutos. Estoy segura que con el correr del tiempo millones de niños, adolescentes, familias, instituciones y organizaciones seguirán aportando su pacífico silencio para hacer más feliz a nuestro mundo.”
“I have participated in The Seven Minutes for World Peace for several years. This is such an unforgettable, tangible and hopeful experience, for we get the feeling of closeness with many other beings who have the same ideal here and there. I am grateful to the initiative by Sri Chinmoy to bring the world family together with this simple and very meaningful seven minutes event. I am sure that as years go by, millions of children, teenagers, families, institutions and organizations will keep on contributing with their peaceful silence for the happiness of our world.”
Ramita Kvirencova, Czech Republic
Music and video inspired by the International Day of Peace and Seven Minutes of World Peace.
Tahereh Ziaian, PhD, Professor in Psychology at the University of South Australia. In this video she shares what peace means to her in her personal and career lives, and as a citizen of the world.
“I have found only when I am happily providing my self-offering service to others who are in need of receiving my service and I am doing it based on the act of goodness, without any expectation in return, it gives me a calm and peaceful feeling. It is very fulfilling, well beyond expression.”
— Tahereh Ziazian, Australia
In Coimbra, Portugal, the local priest rang the church’s bell for seven minutes of peace at the appointed 9 AM New York time, and two schools joined to celebrate Seven Minutes of World Peace and the International Day of Peace, The children created posters for the school and community, and at the end of seven minutes and after the rain had stopped, all came outside and created a standing “PAZ”.
Aye Aye Thant, Myanmar
“I wish that more love, compassion and understanding guide the management of human affairs.”
— Aye Aye Thant, reading the words of her father, U Thant, from Wishes for Mankind, 1965
The town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, participated and notified its government employees that they could take official time off to observe Seven Minutes of World Peace on premises.
Roberto Carlos Gutierrez, Professor at the Buenos Aires University (UBA) and Consultant, Argentina.
“I got the feeling that we all can do something, we can all make a gesture to help someone, build with those who are around us for the betterment of our world and therefore, together have a world filled with more peace.”
Sumeru Scheucher, Austria
Very inspired by Seven Minutes of World Peace, Sumeru Scheucher has been organizing monthly seven-minute meditations in the main square of Graz, Austria, where she lives.
Sumeru relates, "Why not give people the opportunity to experience and feel peace in their hearts on a monthly basis? There is another force operating in the world besides destruction. And that is the light-and peace-force. We just have to experience it, believe in it and act for it.
"Since April 2017, even during the pandemic, this positive force has flourished on the main square in Graz on the first Wednesday of every month, beginning at 5 p.m. Some people know about it beforehand, and some meet and join us by chance. We begin with a peace-poem written by Sri Chinmoy, followed by seven minutes of silent meditation, and end with participants signing our guestbook with greetings, wishes and their experiences. As a summary, after six years of continuing this endeavor: everyone leaves the event inspired, with more hope and happiness."
See more photos here
Antara-Prabhat Kalajian, Seattle/New York
“When we meditated for seven minutes for world peace, I had an experience of feeling many hearts across the earth united in their mutual cry for oneness, and that some day their wish would be fulfilled.”
Mariana Mosquera – Physical Fitness Educator and Yoga Instructor from La Plata University, Argentina.
“Siempre he trabajado en escuelas rurales, y el contacto con la naturaleza ha sido propicio para asegurar tiempos de serenidad, alegría y deporte para los niños y adolescentes. Los Siete Minutos por la Paz del Mundo han tenido diferentes características: rondas explicativas y de silencio, caminatas silenciosas y plantar un árbol alegórico. Todos han apoyado este evento con mucho amor por la humanidad.
I have always worked as a teacher in rural schools, and the contact with nature enables to ensure moments of serenity, joy and sporting activities for children and teenagers. The Seven Minutes for World Peace have taken different ways: rounds with explanations and silence, silent walks and planting peace trees. Everyone has supported this event with much love for humanity.”
Tamara Tomas, Argentina
Listen to her message here.
“It seems to me that peace and freedom go hand in hand. To have the freedom to feel, to express how we feel and also freedom to choose. To choose what to think, what to do, how to live. When we’ll become aware that this very freedom is the freedom that allows us to respect other’s freedom, then we’ll be able to start working together for peace; for peace must have its foundation in respect and understanding towards others. Empathy, love, respect are also the values that daily help to build a way to peace.”
Kadek Eni Marhaeni, a teacher at the business administration department at Bali State Polytechnic, in Bali, Indonesia, created this video with her students, featuring the poetry, art, and music of Sri Chinmoy.
Begabati Lennihan, RN, CCH
I've been volunteering for different peace projects for about 50 years now, since I was a senior at Harvard - the Peace Run, Seven Minutes and so forth. I've even had the opportunity to conduct monthly peace meditations for staff members at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government for several years (unfortunately discontinued during Covid). The groups were small but I had the feeling of the peace and light spreading throughout the building and touching people from all over the world who had come to learn how to create a better government.
Please enjoy the booklet I designed containing some of Sri Chinmoy's poems on trees and peace.”
Sanjaya Martin Spettigue, England
Sanjaya Martin Spettigue of Ipswich, England with Quaker friends in Woodbridge, England, at a Seven Minutes of World Peace observance.
The Story of the UN Peace Bell, as told by Japanese students of Professor Harashita Sunaoshi at Gunma Prefectural Women's University
Professors Tahereh Ziaian of Australia and Kapila Castoldi of the United States get ready to present a Seven Minutes of World Peace workshop at the Parliament of the World's Religions, held in Chicago
2021
2021
Experiences from around the world, 2021
Special Tribute to Roberta Flack
1937-2025
Roberta Flack could gather the entire universe and pour it all into her singing. Classically trained as a pianist and gifted with a rare, expressive voice, she used her prodigious talent to express life’s deep experiences.
The power of peace found in silent prayer and meditation found full expression in her voice. As noted in the New York Amsterdam News, “she had a stylistic range that soared with spiritual conviction, taking your breath away with her every note.”
Ms. Flack’s first musical experiences were in church. She grew up in a large musical family and often provided piano accompaniment for the choir of Lomas African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Arlington, Virginia singing hymns and spirituals. She also enjoyed going to the "Baptist church down the street" to listen to contemporary gospel music, including songs performed by Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke. In her lifetime, she won five Grammy Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement. She was an educator, and a strong and loving advocate for a better world.
Beginning in the late 1980s, Roberta delighted in the meditative teachings of Sri Chinmoy, the founder of Seven Minutes of World Peace, and often performed for him and his students. Sri Chinmoy composed eight songs in her honor, including five to her words, and offered her the spiritual name “Addwitiya”, meaning “Supremely unparalleled Consciousness-Bliss”.
All those connected with Seven Minutes of World Peace and the Sri Chinmoy Centre are grateful for the opportunity to have known Addwitiya Roberta Flack, and to have experienced in some way her extraordinary and self-giving life.
