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Making a World of Difference - the Pre Parliament Summit of the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2009, hosted and organized by SOBG, was inaugurated by Geshe Lama Thubten Gurung on 3 August, 2008, amidst the presence of a wide and varied gathering of speakers and audience.
Geshe Lama lit the traditional lamp, after Dr. Rodney Moag of the USA, symbolically handed over the Song of Light, which he specially composed and sang for the event. The event which had “Religion, Politics, Gandhiji and Aesthetics’ as the focus, was divided into sessions. Expressing their thoughts and views on the topics, were Geshe Lama Thubten Gurung of Kopan Monastery, Dr.Asghar Ali Engineer of Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, the young political leaders, M.B. Rajesh and P.C. Vishnu Nath, Dr. Yugandhar of World United Foundation, Parivrajika. A.K. Rajamma of Vinoba Niketan, poet Prof. Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri, Prof Aliyar, Swami Sakrananda of Ramakrishna Mission, Dr. Jay Kandampully and Swami Sandeepananda Giri among others. Students,Mythri Srikant and Achyut Krishnan who were selected, chaired two sessions, representing the spark of youth, ever so often urged for by Swami Vivekananda, whose name is inseparably linked with the World Parliament.
The concluding session saw the launch of PIRAVI, the spiritual magazine published by the School of Bhagavad Gita, under the editorship of C. Radhakrishnan, who also delivered a thought provoking speech on the occasion. The School of Bhagavad Gita’s Beacon of Inspiration Award was presented to Dr. Rodney Moag by Geshe Lama. The release of the CDs, Ramayana Thatwam and speeches and poems of Swami Vivekananda rendered by Prof Aliyar and Prof Madhusoodanan Nair respectively were also released at the function.
“Hearing each other, Healing the Earth”, is the theme of the Melbourne World Parliament and in keeping with the theme, the proceedings of the day started off with the Hymn to Earth ( Bhoomi Sooktham ) from Atharva Veda, rendered by Njeralath Hari Govindan in the unique sopanam style of Kerala.
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