LOS ANGELES, July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On
June 29, Prem
Rawat was awarded the honorary title of "Citizen of
Palermo," Sicily's capital. At a special ceremony at the
Villa Niscemi Town Hall, Palermo
Mayor Leoluca Orlando recognized Mr. Rawat as an "Ambassador of
Peace," thanking him for his ongoing advocacy work in Sicily and beyond.
"It's an honor for City Council to confer this honor to a man
who has fought and engaged with courage and determination in the
pursuit of peace and the assertion of rights," said Mr.
Orlando, who was joined at the
ceremony by approximately 50 other dignitaries.
In May, Mr. Rawat spoke at six events on the Italian island of
Sicily, presenting a message of
peace to diverse audiences, from presidents and physicians to
patients and prisoners. He delivered keynote addresses to thousands
of people at the National Convention of the Blood Donors
Association, the Medicine for Peace conference, and a "Commitment
to Peace" event in Mazara del Vallo, a city that designated him an
honorary citizen in 2011. He also visited a prison and an eating
disorder treatment center that have been offering The Prem Rawat
Foundation's (TPRF) Peace Education Program, a course that aims to
help people discover their own inner resources, such as inner
strength and choice.
Founded over 2,700 years ago, Palermo is a melting pot of cultures. Due to
its strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea, the city has been
called "the most conquered city in the world" and has historically
been the site of violent political conflicts. In modern times,
leaders have tried to cultivate a sense of harmony among residents
and neighbors—an effort that Mayor Orlando said is complemented by
the work of Mr. Rawat and TPRF, the international humanitarian
charity he founded.
"Peace is necessary for the success of welfare and is central to
the dignity of a person," said Mr. Orlando. "Palermo is a multicultural city of peace."
Mr. Rawat said he accepted the honorary citizenship as a
challenge to redouble his efforts to cultivate a sense of peace
among individuals around the globe.
"I take this challenge that I have been presented with, and I
hope that my efforts will make a positive difference, not only in
Sicily, not only in Italy, but for Europe and the world," he said. "I know that
wherever I go and talk about peace, people are usually very
skeptical. But we are making a difference. A forest is not started
by trees. It's started by seeds. We're sowing the seeds."
About Prem Rawat:
Designated as an "Ambassador of Peace" by numerous leading
organizations, Prem Rawat is an
international humanitarian who addresses hundreds of thousands of
people each year on the topic of personal peace.
About The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF):
The Prem Rawat Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization
that strives to address the fundamental human needs of food, water
and peace so that people can live with dignity, peace and
prosperity.
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SOURCE The Prem Rawat Foundation