Recent News - Peace Education Program

Zonderwater Event – History in the Making

Photos of this event are not available at this time.

Friday November 16th, 2012 was a memorable day at Zonderwater Maximum Security Correctional Facility near Pretoria — the most progressive prison in South Africa. In response to invitations, Prem Rawat visited the facility and addressed more than 300 inmates. It was a time of transformation for inmates, staff, and Peace Education Program (PEP) volunteers alike.

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Prem Rawat Speaks about Peace Education Program (PEP) in Moscow

From Prem Rawat’s address at Synergy University

Question from University student: Good evening. I’m a student of Synergy University, and I was very touched by your program of rehabilitation for prison inmates. It’s a major problem in Russia. Would it be realistic to organize this kind of program here?

Prem Rawat: Of course! The whole idea is just to take the message to people. I think the success of the Peace Education Program in prisons, right from the start, has been that we don’t look at the people there as prisoners. To me, they’re just people, and the message is for them. It is telling them that they are alive, that they have this possibility. They have strengths inside of them, and they don’t have to be victims. They accept this message. They find that strength. And they evolve. It is a wonderful thing.

I think that’s what is missing in so many societies. We have a label for every single person. We don’t say, “You are a human being.” Even when we have our own children, we don’t look at them and say, “You are a human being.” We say, “You are my child.” We look at our wife, and say, “You are my wife!” And the wife says, “You are my husband!”

First there should be respect for another human being, acknowledgement of their humanity. It is the humanity that we need to bring back. We have so much technology, so much technology. Who is working on evolving the humane portion of that humanity? We have to.

I see a possibility emerging. This is not a revolution; this is an evolution. Peace needs to be given a chance, now!
I Thought My Life Was Over

On 2^nd May, 2001, Vusi Nhlapo was sentenced to 20 years in a South African prison. This occurred after six months of associating with young men who were involved in crime on the streets. While in prison, he attended a course that utterly changed his life. This is his story.

Vusi was born in 1977 and lived with his mother, sister, brothers and uncles in Daveyton, a township originally built by the apartheid government to house black workers who worked in and around the nearby mining town of Benoni. He had no knowledge of who his father was.
Read more: I Thought My Life Was Over
Ex-Inmates Join Correctional Official to Plan Peace Education for Parolees

Watch the video here! (9 min)

Hope Cavillo, who has been involved with the San Antonio, Texas correctional systems for more than 25 years, recently became fascinated by the effect that TPRF’s Peace Education Program (PEP) has had on inmates of the Dominguez State Jail.

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You Have a Gift

The following is Part Two of interactions between Prem Rawat and Peace Education students at the Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio,Texas.

PEP Student PC:I’ve been doing time now for about 25 years, and I’ve been down 6 times. You know, you don’t hear these kind of messages on the outside because we never really have time to really sit down and calm ourselves and listen to messages like this, so here we are. We’re in prison and we get to hear these messages and then we see the positiveness in it. I see in you a warrior. When you spoke to the UN, and I understand that the world needs peace, and you told them that the world doesn’t need peace, you need peace.
Read more: You Have a Gift
Inmates, Jail Authorities and Academics Applaud Peace Education at San Antonio Jail

San Antonio, Texas: A Peace Education Program (PEP), based on Prem Rawat’s message of peace and sponsored by The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF), has been one of the most popular classes at the Fabian Dale Dominguez State Jail in San Antonio. Jail authorities have reported a significantly positive impact upon the over 1,000 inmates who have participated in the program since it began in 2007 and a marked reduction in recidivism.

Read more: Inmates, Jail Authorities and Academics Applaud Peace Education at San Antonio Jail