Lighting of the Peace Mala Candles at the Launch
During the launch of the Peace Mala project at the UNA Wales Temple of Peace, Cardiff in 2002, special candles representing the fourteen faiths of the Peace Mala bracelet were lit by representatives of these faiths.
The Peace Mala candles were hand made by 'Star Child' of Glastonbury. The central white candle was specially made for us by Star Child and was lit by The Most Reverend Dr Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury to represent world peace and global understanding. This special white candle included sacred ingredients from the four corners of the earth:
White sage from America • Herbs from the Himalayas in Asia • Tree resin from Africa • Tree bark from Australia
The Peace Mala Prayer for World Peace was said as the white candle was lit.
Lord of the universe
Lord of all worlds
You bring light to those who have known only darkness
Bless all present in this place today
So that we may follow the path of light
May we learn the power of compassion
which heals all wounds
The power of friendship
which heals all hearts
Peace begins with each one of us
Pam Evans
Representatives lighting the candles on left hand side of the central white candle
Christian (Red)
Adult: Father Luke Holden - Greek Orthodox priest of the Community of St Zachariah and St Elisabeth, Swansea and Llanelli. Father Luke is the Orthodox Chaplain to the University of Wales, Swansea. He also works for the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Teenager: Holly Shepherd - Member of the Anglican Church in Wales, Deputy Head Girl of Coedcae School and Year 11 student taking Religious Studies as one of her GCSE subjects.
Buddhism (Orange)
Adult: Venerable Geshe Damcho Yonten - Spiritual Director of Lam Rim Tibetan Buddhist Centres in Wales, England and South Africa. Left Tibet at the same time as His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Teenager: Owen Williams - Thirteen year old son of Helen and Dave Williams. Owen's mother is a member of San Un Zendo and lectures in Religious Studies at Coleg Sir Gar.
Sikhism (Yellow)
Adult: Jasvir Singh - Sikh granthi of Guru Nanak Temple Swansea who arrived from the Punjab in Northern India in 2000.
Teenager: Jas Singh - Year 8 student at Coedcae School and member of Guru Nanak Temple Swansea.
Islam (Green)
Adult: Zero Quensel - 'Zero'/Zara Thyra Quensel was born in Sweden. She is a follower of Sheik Nazim of the AlHaqqani Naqshibandi order. In 1998 she founded the charity 'Healing Hearts' which helps the disabled in Africa. Since 1999 she has run the Sufi Healing Hearts Charity Shop in Glastonbury.
Teenager: Imran Sheikh - Member of Llanelli Mosque and Year 11 student at Coedcae School taking Religious Studies as one of his GCSE subjects. Imran is a leading member of the Peace Mala Millennium Award Team.
Judaism (Blue)
Adult: Norma Glass MBE - Norma is a member of The Board of Deputies of British Jews and Swansea Orthodox Hebrew Community. She is committed to inter-faith dialogue for peace, runs workshops on Judaism for schools and supports the anti-racist cause.
Teenager: Dorian Richards - Dorian is 9 and is a member of Cardiff Reform Synagogue.
Baha'i (Indigo)
Adult: Chris Abbas - Chris is a member of the Baha'i Council for Wales and is committed to inter-faith dialogue for peace.
Teenager: Hannah Abbas - Hannah is the 12 year old daughter of Chris Abbas and is a member of the Baha'i faith in Wales.
ISKCON (Violet)
Adult: Tarakanatha Das - Tarakanatha is the Spiritual Director of ISKCON Wales. He is also responsible for the shop and Indian Vegetarian restaurant "Govindas" in Swansea. He regularly visits schools to teach children about his spiritual path and supports inter-faith dialogue for peace.
Teenager: Dannii Butler-Jenkins - Year 7 student at Coedcae School and honorary member of ISKCON for the day!
Representatives lighting the candles on right hand side of the central white candle
Zoroastrian (Violet)
Adult: Pam Evans - On behalf of the Zoroastrian faith. Pam is Head of the Department of Religious Studies in Coedcae School. She is a member of the Anglican Church in Wales and the Christian Buddhist Network of Great Britain. She teaches meditation and is a Reiki & Seichim Master Teacher and healer. Pam is committed to inter-faith dialogue for peace and organised the Peace Mala launch. She is the advisor to the Peace Mala Millennium Award Youth Team.
Teenager: Aimee Thomas - On behalf of the Zoroastrian faith. Year 9 student at Coedcae School. Aimee is a member of the Coedcae Meditation Group and helps to run the school Fair Trade Chocolate Shop
Tribal (Indigo)
Adult: Ruth and Malcolm Davies - Ruth is of white and native Canadian origin. Malcolm is her son. They run the Heyokah Centre for Global Awareness in Swansea and frequently visit schools, conducting workshops on Native Indian traditions. Malcolm has learned native Indian sacred dance and is an expert performer of the Native Indian 'hoop dance'.
Teenager: Morgan Aubrey - Morgan is a Year 10 pupil at Coedcae School. He is taking Religious Studies as one of his GCSE subjects and is deeply interested in all spiritual paths. He helps runs the school Fair Trade Chocolate Shop
Janism (Blue)
Adult: Dr. Wendy Dossett - On behalf of the Jain faith. Dr. Dossett is the Director of M.A. World Religions at the Department of Religious Studies, University of Wales, Lampeter.
Teenager: Sean Tobias - On behalf of the Jain faith. Year 9 student at Coedcae school. Sean is a member of the Coedcae Meditation Group and helps to run the school Fair Trade Chocolate Shop.
Earth Religions (Green)
Adult: Erin Kavanagh - Erin has a BA in Philosophy and is currently doing an MA in World Religion at the University of Wales, Lampeter as a foundation to her postgraduate research into Modern Paganism. She describes herself as a Pagan parent and a full time healer. She is also a Gwyddon and specialises in many fascinating subjects including the Kabbalah and the Western Esoteric Tradition. David Evans - David is a Pagan, a tree surgeon and an environmentalist. He knows everything there is to know about trees, plants and bugs. His experience of the Divine is in the green world of nature. David is our very own 'Green Man' and reassures everyone that he is 'environmentally friendly'!
Teenager: Paul Rousselle - Year 9 student at Coedcae School. Paul is a member of the Coedcae Meditation Group and has a very enquiring mind. He is interested in the mystical traditions of all faiths and meditates on a regular basis.
Taoism (Yellow)
Adult: Stephen Russell - Better known as 'The Barefoot Doctor' he is a healer and media presence. He has published several books, his most recent being 'Liberation'. He writes in the Health Column for the Observer, sells a range of beauty and health products available through Boots the chemist, is a teacher of Taoist self-help techniques and has been practising for over two decades, specialising in personal liberation. The original barefoot doctors travelled the ancient Orient, healing people and lifting their spirits. Stephen Russell is the twenty-first century urban version. Stephen is also a Reform Jew and saw his participation in the launch of The Peace Mala as a mitzvah!
Teenager: Paul Lewis - Year 10 student of Coedcae School studying GCSE Religious Studies. Paul is deeply spiritual. He meditates and is a martial arts student. Paul's mother is Chinese and his father is Welsh. Paul is very proud of his Oriental and Welsh heritage. His Chinese grandparents came from mainland China to find a better life in Wales.
Hinduism (Orange)
Adult: Mel Ruparelia - As a youngster, Mel experienced life as a refugee when her family were forced to leave Uganda during the time of Idi Amin. She now lives in Swansea with her husband and works as a senior radiographer at Swansea Singleton Hospital.
Teenager: Kiran Chand - Kiran is a Year 9 student at Coedcae School. Kiran is a Sikh but kindly agreed to help light the Hindu Peace Mala candle on behalf of all Hindu children. Kiran's brother, Raja, is a member of the award winning Millennium Youth Team. Sam Lucitt-Rees - Sam is one of Kiran's best friends and asked if he could join Mel and Kiran in lighting the peace candle for Hinduism. Sam dressed his blond hair in rainbow colours especially for the launch.
Yungdrung Bon (Red)
Adult: Lama Khyimsar Rinpoche - Spiritual Director of The Tibetan Yungdrung Bon Study Centre. Rinpoche left Tibet in 1959 with many others, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the only Bon lama resident in Europe. He teaches widely in the UK, Italy, Switzerland and the USA. Yungdrung Bon means 'Eternal light' and 'Enlightened Teaching' and is the original spiritual tradition or Bon Buddhism of Tibet. Yungdrung Bon teaches love and compassion to all living beings and places great importance on tolerance and supporting spiritual practitioners of other traditions
Teenager: Benjamin Terry - Nyima Seng-ge is ten years old and has known Lama Khemsar Rinpoche since he was two and a half. He attends the Temple at Bushey in Hertfordshire with his parents, Edna and Rob Terry, who were among the earliest supporters of Lama Khemsar Rinpoche in this country.
Other faith representatives at the launch of the Peace Mala
Christianity - Father Teyrnon Williams ( Catholic Church), Revd. Kathryn Price ( United Reformed Church), Mr G. P. Perrott ( Head of Religious Studies, St. John Lloyd Catholic School, Llanelli).
Buddhism - Revd. Professor Kemmyo Taira Sato (Head Priest, Shin Pure Land Buddhism, Three Wheels Temple, London Shogyoji Trust), Eshin Shinohara (Shin Priest Three Wheels Temple), Noriyuki Miyazaki (Three Wheels Temple), Ray Noyes ( Leader of San Un Zendo Wales), Del Noyes (San Un Zendo), Helen Williams (San Un Zendo), Hazel Isles (San Un Zendo), Margaret Travis (Lam Rim Tibetan Buddhist Centre Wales), David Johnson (Lam Rim Wales), John Allman (Lam Rim Wales), Margaret Moreton (Lam Rim Wales), Emma Lawton (Lam Rim Wales).
Sikhism - Mrs Jasvir K Singh (wife of Sikh priest Guru Nanak Community Centre Swansea), Kushwant Singh (Guru Nanak Centre Swansea), Mr Mohan Singh Sura & Mrs Simmer K Sura Singh and sons (Guru Nanak Centre Swansea).
Islam - Rana Bhatti (Sufi order of AlHaqqani), Ghazala Bhatti (Sufi), Osman Carter (Sufi), Rahama Cattran (Sufi), Bilal Cattran (Sufi), Richard Spence (Sufi), Pamela Bellars (Sufi), Mohamed Ali Heussain (Originally from Egypt), Akhtar Hossain (Originally from Bangladesh.)
Baha'i - Mr Vivian Bartlett.
ISKCON - Misrani Devi Dasi (Swansea ISKCON Temple), Gopinath Das ( Swansea ISKCON Temple).
Taoism - Peter Hong, Faye Hong.
Yungdrung Bon - Edna Terry, Ros Moule.
Other guests included
Helen Mary Jones (Welsh Assembly Member), Steven Thomas (Senior UN Officer Temple of Peace Cardiff), Martin Pollard (Education Officer C.E.W.C. Cymru), Eleanor White (Welsh Development Officer, Amnesty International), Elenid Jones (Education Officer, Christian Aid Cymru), Judy Harries (Community Liaison Officer, Park United Reformed Church, Llanelli), Revd. Aled Edwards (Welsh Assembly Officer for Cytun, Vice Chair of Displaced People in Action & Chair of Cardiff & District Asylum Network), Bailjit Gill (Policy Officer - Local Government- Council for Racial Equality Wales), Menna Jones (Council for Racial Equality Wales), Taha Idris (Director of Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council), Sahjneen Abedean (Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council), Riazul Hassan (Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council), Amelia Nice (Advocacy Officer "Womankind Worldwide" International Development and Rights), Sarah Kitchener (Group Millennium Awards Manager, London), Huw Thomas (The Princes's Trust Cymru), Carrie Lewis (Association of Youth Clubs Cymru), Revd. Peter Noble (Moderator United Reformed Church Wales), Dr Trystan Owain Hughes ( Head of Theology and Religious Studies Trinity College Carmarthen, University of Wales. Director of Welsh National Centre for Ecumenical Studies), Dr. Chris Deacy (Trinity College Carmarthen & Welsh National Centre for Ecumenical Studies), Gaynor Thomas (Head of Religious Studies, Ysgol Y Strade, Llanelli), Jane Thomas (Head of Religious Studies, Ysgol Gyfun, Pantycelyn), Petra Williams (Head of Religious Studies, Cambria School, Carmarthen), Joyce Howells (Head of Religious Studies, Ysgol Penweddig, Aberystwyth), Elaine Thomas (Head of History, Graig Campus, Coleg Sir Gar), William Harvey Jones (Headteacher, Coedcae School, Llanelli).
Pupils, students and staff of Coedcae School Llanelli, St. John Lloyd School Llanelli, Ysgol Y Strade and Coleg Sir Gar.
Mai Davies (Media Co-ordinator and PR for the Launch).
BBC Wales & HTV Wales
There were many other guests, not mentioned above, who joined us for the launch of the Peace Mala. We know who you are and we thank you for your support.
Peace begins with each one of us. Together, we can make a difference.