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!