Ananda’s retreat in Assisi, Italy celebrated an even on August 27 organized by a Japanese woman, Sonoko Tanaka, head of the Word Peace Prayers Society. Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi described the event in their most recent letter:
“Sonoko spoke, as well as a Christian monk from a Calmadoli Monastery, a Muslim Imam, a Buddhist monk, a Baha’i leader, and the founder of the International School of Forgiveness. After the talks, everyone gathered outside where there were national flags from all the countries on earth. As each flag was handed to a volunteer to hold aloft, one of the organizers would say the name of the country and ask all of us to pray for that nation. Each flag was then carried into the center of the lawn next to the temple, until every country had been named, and a circle of flags was formed. It’s hard to describe how moving this experience was, especially during this time of global divisiveness and conflict.” See pictures of the event
