Middle East and Neighbours Peace Campaign

1. News from Lebanon ➤

2. News from Turkey ➤

3. News from Armenia ➤

4. News from Israel ➤

5. News from Palestine ➤

IN TIMES OF ACUTE STRESS AND DIFFICULTY
WE PROTECT OURSELVES BY COMING BACK TO THE SELF

 

The ways of Karma and Dharma are unfathomable. It is often difficult to understand why people have to go through certain things, but we know there is order in nature: we know there is wholeness, and that there is responsibility, and there is also love and care from Nature so that things evolve and move in a better direction. Even though there might be transition periods – and during this time, we want to focus on what we can do about it on two levels. One level is of course for society, for helping society, for bringing factors and effects that contribute to a better situation in Lebanon and the entire Middle East. And the other level is on our own responsibility towards ourselves so that we can come out of this in a way where we are strong and healthy and balanced and able to take care of things.

– Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam, 15 July 2020 Middle East conference call

Click here to watch the complete 19 minute talk

 

 

NEWS FROM OUR FAMILY OF MEDITATORS AND SIDHAS LIVING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

LEBANON:
January 2025

Report from Susan Hamza MoD and honorary Ambassador

Activities and Achievements of Our National Directors and TM Community
Our dedicated National Directors and TM teachers host daily Zoom meetings, covering a wide range of enriching themes:

• Readings from Maharaja’s Ved and Vedic Literature in the Human Physiology.
• Special advanced meetings for Meditators led by our National Directors.
• A large group regularly participates in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7 discussions with Raja Antonio and Raja Bright.
• Occasionally, we enjoy the privilege of hearing from special international speakers.
• Additionally, Zoom meetings for Sidhas, hosted by Raj Rajeswari and Raja Dominique, have been organized over the past two months.

World Peace Assemblies
World Peace Assemblies are held at the serene mountain TM Centre in the Chouf. These include twice-monthly residence courses and frequent one-day retreats, offering opportunities for deep rest and rejuvenation.

Community Participation

• On December 21, 2024, over 100 Sidhas and Meditators took part in the Global Meditation Day.
• The 12 January celebration at the Beirut TM Centre was a highlight, with many participants attending in person and others joining online through the Maharishi Channel.

Below: Enjoying and celebrating 12 January and the Global Meditation Day as well as WPA participants in the Chouf

Exciting Upcoming Projects

• Under the guidance of Raja Omar and Rani Susan Hamza, and Raja Jose Luis Alvarez we are starting a new initiative to train 2000 Lebanese citizens, mostly women, in the Transcendental Meditation technique and its advanced programs. This outreach to support aims to dramatically reduce violence and PTSD, and to promote Peace in Lebanon and the region.
• Plans are underway to expand the Rural Women’s Project to another province, along with efforts to establish more Consciousness-Based Schools.
• A Centre Invincibility Course will begin in February, aiming to increase the number of Sidhas, particularly in the Chouf, our 1% province.

Words from dear Susan: Gratitude and Coherence
These achievements are remarkable, especially considering the ongoing challenges in the relative field. They are made possible by our global coherence-creating groups, particularly in India and Latin America, and the graciousness and unwavering generosity of our Middle Eastern National Yagya sponsors. With endless appreciation again to our international sponsors and to the contributors to Yoga and Yagya in our own country.

Jai Guru Dev
Raja Omar and MoD Susan Hamza, and Co-Raja Raja Antonio Bartolomé

Click here to read previous reports from Lebanon

 

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PALESTINE:

January 2025

Grants for Women’s Health
For the last month Basma and a dedicated team worked in a very focused way to apply for many TM Grants to promote women’s health (for approximately 7 countries).

TM ACTIVITIES IN PALESTINE
It is clear that TM activities (as is possible) must continue more than ever due to the extremely difficult situation in Palestine.

Since its establishment in 2016, TM-Palestine has resolved to offer TM as widely as possible to increase coherence and contribute to much needed peace for Palestine, the region, and the world. We have been able, through your generous support, to teach TM to more than 380 individuals, 70 percent of whom are women. The current political instability has further increased our determination to support more people to learn TM – allowing them to overcome the stress and anxiety they face constantly. This is possible only through your generous support and donations.

If you wish to donate to the Middle East Peace Project, Palestine, please use this link.

 

Click here to read previous reports from Palestine.

 

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TÜRKIYE
January 2025

Raja Albert and Mother of Domain Vesile Baruh

NEW NATIONAL DIRECTOR AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN TÜRKIYE

• Welcome and congratulations: We are pleased to announce that Türkiye has a new National Director, Ms. Esin Erdogan.
• 70 National Yagyas in 2024: With the generous support of our national and international donors, we were able to order a treasured 70 National Yagyas. These Yagyas have played a vital role in helping our country maintain balance, even as neighbouring countries face significant challenges.
• A project to teach people with PTSD is planned to start soon.
• Courses: Over the past year, we successfully held two Centre Invincibility Courses, numerous World Peace Assemblies, and several residence courses. Additionally, TM was introduced to 609 people across 15 cities, expanding its reach and impact nationwide.
• In-company TM: A notable highlight was a request from a large company to teach TM to its managers, resulting in 14 executives already beginning their meditation journey.

Below: Lovely warm feeling with incredible food at the New Years banquet at the Istanbul Peace Palace.

TÜRKIYE / ANKARA: Cihan & Ayşegül Bakkalcıoğlu

• Turkish Meditators, Sidhas, and TM teachers continue to progress steadily on their path to enlightenment.
• 182 TM Advanced Techniques were taught in the past two years, further deepening their experience and growth.

Courses: ‘Total Knowledge’ and ‘Creating a Perfect Man’
For the past four years, we have been offering these courses online, beginning during the pandemic’s stay-at-home period. Participants consistently find them deeply satisfying, inspiring, and transformative. By gaining Pure Knowledge—rooted in Maharishi’s Vedic Science and complemented by modern science—they experience intellectual enlightenment that enhances their appreciation for and enjoyment of related activities:
These include Advanced Techniques, Sidhi courses, Jyotish and Yagya programs, and importantly supporting Maharishi Vedic Pandits through donations. We also anticipate that many participants will go on to become TM teachers!

Special Vogue Türkiye interview with David Lynch

 
On January 17, 2025, Vogue Türkiye published what may be the final interview with David Lynch. Conducted by meditating journalist Can Remzi Ergen, the interview delves into profound topics such as Lynch’s thoughts on why we are here, what happens after death, how to make the most of our time on Earth, and what he would say as a parting message to the world.

You can read the full article here and use Google Translate through your browser to read it in your preferred language.

Below are pictures of the locations where we held our courses: Ankara, Adana, İzmir TM Centres, Istanbul Peace Palace, and the Antalya TUI Hotel as our main course location for national and international courses.

We also have great news from Ambassadors and TM teachers Berna and Yusuf:

• The year 2024 was dedicated to recovering from the profound effects of the major earthquake. To support this, we focused on group meditations at our TM centre and worked to provide meditators with consistency in their programs.
• Our initiations were particularly successful, and we partnered with a university to conduct scientific research exploring the connection between TM and health.

 

Read previous reports from Turkiye

 

 

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EGYPT:

August 2024

• So far, 84 people learned TM and 39 took Advanced Techniques.
• Three weekend Residence Courses in July 2023, and March and May in 2024.
• There was a Science of Creative Intelligence course with 7 participants.
• Regular weekly meetings are held in person and online. Sometimes a sailing boat is rented and the meditation and meeting is enjoyed onboard along with sharing delicious food!
• A strong delegation of 19 Meditators and Sidhas joined the 10K Course in India.

Our resolution is to:

• Have a special TM Teacher Training Course for Egypt with a large number of participants.
• Create a permanent Invincibility Group.
• Keep Maharishi’s light of knowledge alive to dispel the darkness.

 

Click here to read previous reports from Egypt.

ISRAEL
August 2024

Raja Bernard & MoD Terry, and Ambassador Dorit

FACILITATING TM INSTRUCTION AND PTSD RESEARCH

• The Healing Israel Project, in which Israelis displaced by the war are taught with full scholarship, has taught 211 as of the end of July. More sources for donations are being sought.
• The research project studying the effect of the TM technique on trauma symptoms of Israelis has over 50 participants. Thirteen have completed all the testing. By the end of October, the testing for all the participants will be completed.
• Last weekend a 4-day WPA was held in Jerusalem with 22 course participants, focusing on refreshing the knowledge and practice of the Sidhis. The first 2 days of the course coincided with the last 2 days of our National Yagya for Invincibility for Israel.

At the start, there was a feeling that all the stress of the collective consciousness of Israel was sitting heavily on this group. However, this feeling dispersed as the course continued. However, interestingly, just from the beginning there were very deep experiences, and the bliss grew day by day.

SEE BELOW: The GMDO Director and Ambassador for Israel, Dorit Goldschmidt

 
Click here to read previous reports from Israel.

 

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ARMENIA

August 2024

MoD/Raj Rajeshwari Maureen Wynne, David Shapiro

NEWS FROM ARMENIA, JUNE AND JULY 2024

NEW RAJA – warmest congratulations!
Armenia has a new Raja, Raja Brian Levine who will also administer Pakistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, and the Maldives.

TEACHING WAR VICTIMS AND EXPERIENCES FROM THESE MEDITATORS:

EXPERIENCES

• My father was killed in the war. My wife, our two children and I were blockaded in Artsakh for 9 months, and then we only escaped with great difficulty. I was feeling anxiety with overwhelming, frightening thoughts. After learning TM, I feel calmer and the horrible thoughts are gradually starting to disappear. My wife and mother have learned TM as well. Because of TM we are adjusting to our new environment in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia. Our new dance studio has already become appreciated. – Vahe Margaryan, 25.
• I was tormented by the stress and terrible memories of the 2020 war. After my mother and sister learned TM, I decided to learn, too. From the very first day of TM practice, I am feeling better, more peaceful. The horrible thoughts are becoming less intense. – Artur Kirakosyan, 44, war veteran.

TM ACTIVITIES

• Anahit Chillingarian, new TM Teacher since February 2023, is accepted in the MIU Master’s program in Enlightened Leadership in Fairfield and begins her 1.5-year studies.
• A TM-Sidhi Course was held by Svetlana Galstyan, TM-Sidhi Administrator
• TM teacher Jon Gyumishyan has returned from 6 months with the Purusha program.
• Svetlana’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita into Armenian will soon be published. There is an effort to raise $5000 for final editing and printing of which $1300 has been raised. It is the textbook of Vedic Psychology and about overcoming trauma on the battlefield.

 
For regular updates on activities of Alliance for PTSD Recovery in Armenia:

• Facebook • X/Twitter • Alliance for PTSD Recovery

The cost of teaching a war victim (often with PTSD), is $50.00 USD. Save a life today

Pictured below from left to right: Anahit Chillingarian, Vahe Margaryan, Artur Kirakosyan, Svetlana Galstyan, Jon Gyumishyan

 
 

Click here to read previous reports from Armenia, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria and Cyprus.

 

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PAKISTAN:

August 2024

 
National Directors and TM-Sidhi Administrators Drs Ashok and Bhori Bai Kumar

Honorary Ambassador of World Peace Certificates
National Directors and TM-Sidhi Administrators Drs Ashok and Bhori Bai Kumar visited MERU over Guru Purnima. For their extraordinary achievements in teaching and initiating projects throughout Pakistan, BST awarded them Honorary Ambassador of World Peace certificates. The event was hosted by Br Girish Momaya, Raja Harris, and Dr Bevan Morris, and Maharaja connected and offered opening and closing comments. Many attended the event to hear Ashok’s fascinating stories of their teaching experiences and how their activities are supported by Nature.

BELOW: Drs Ashok and Bhori Bai Kumar receiving the BST Certificate.

 

Click here to read previous reports from Pakistan

 

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IRAN
May 2024

Transformation • ARO team and Raja Eckart & MoD Lila Maria
Iran is a country in the Middle East that is severely challenged. And like any and all troubled countries in our world, there is infinite complexity that hosts countless innocent families that suffer. We have decided to highlight Iran this time due to the current unusual situation.

MESSAGE FROM RAJA ECKART AND MOD LILA MARIA
Acting from the gap – the transition space that potentially can bring about new change

 
PEACE IN EVERY COUNTRY OF OUR WORLD

Iran has been in the international news recently when the head of state, the foreign minister, and other officials died in a helicopter accident. We know from Maharishi Vedic Science that the transition time, the gap, is where a gentle, evolutionary impulse can help to support a new direction that brings ‘all good for everyone’. Therefore, we welcome any support towards National Yagyas for Iran during this time. With great gratitude from this part of our world family.
– Raja Eckart and MoD Lila Maria

We know that each country in our world urgently needs calm and coherence to find the threads of right action, solutions, and karma-free actions. Collectively the world of nations can bring an influence for positive change and hope.

If you feel any empathy and compassion for creating peace and progress in Iran and spreading that to all countries, you can donate to Yagyas for healing and change HERE. Please ONLY use the campaign code IR-108 as reference.
Click here to read previous reports from Iran

CYPRUS
July 2023

National Director Theodore Pizanis

Knowledge meetings in Cyprus

• Online regular biweekly meditator meetings are being offered to all meditators.
• Plans for live meetings in the fall are underway.

Below:
Theodore Pizanis National Director of Cyprus and ARO Ambassador
Meditators in Larnaca watching a video of Maharishi

 
 

ETHHIOPIA:

March 2022

 

From left to right: 2 images – Beauty of Omo river valley / One of the Ethiopia’s churches / Monument to the Lion of Judah in Addis Ababa / Beauty of Ethiopia’s nature

News from Raj Rajeshwari, Raja Ugo and National Director / Ambassador Kibre

Positive trends:
The news from Ethiopia has been getting better since four National Yagyas for Ethiopia in a row took place in the last few months.

The civil war seems to be gradually ending. Though there is still great hardship in the areas where the fighting took place, the state of emergency was ended earlier than originally announced.

Please help continue the vital National Yagyas!
PLEASE HELP SUPPORT ETHIOPIA with continuous timely National Yagyas and in comments add the campaign code: ET-108 – thank you!

 

Click here to read previous reports from Pakistan

 

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AFGHANASTAN
March 2022

 

Left to right: Famous Mazar-i-Sharif / Flag over map of Afghanistan / pottery

SIX MONTHS OF CONTINUOUS SUPPORT!
We warmly thank everyone who have been supporting Afghanistan National Yagyas on a regular basis over the past six months to help us achieve at least one Yagya of $2,500 each cycle. Your contributions for one of the most shaken countries in the world truly make a difference! Things could really be far worse.

Let’s not let our help die down now!

To donate please select Afghanistan as the beneficiary country and enter the campaign code AF-108 in the comments field.

Click here to read previous reports from Afghanastan.

YEMEN
February 2022

Left to right: Fabulous architecture City Sana’a / Dar al-Hajar the stone house / Yemeni pottery / Unique flora of the island Socotra

A National Yagya for Yemen
Our hearts go to Yemen in this very difficult time of war. We cannot undo what is done, but we can help soften or divert any unfortunate ramifications with National Yagyas. Our gratitude to Japan for their regular support of National Yagyas for Yemen.

n view of the current tragic situation in Yemen, Raja Andreas and Mother of Domain Linda are sponsoring a timely National Yagya starting 4 February with Sankalpa 31. Bringing healing, coherence, and peace for all the people of Yemen and the world.

In the Press the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said in response to Friday’s attacks that the “escalation needs to stop”.

Thank goodness we are doing something to help!

 
 

 

AZERBIJAN

February 2022

Left to right: Traditional carpet weaving / Azerbaijan Sheki Palace, circa 700 BC / A sign of genuine hospitality – the Cay drinking served in an Armudu, tulip-shaped glasses / Stepan Godina – the ND of Azerbaijan.

National Director and Ambassador Stepan Godina Wishes and focus for 2022

• My biggest wish is that stable, mutually beneficial peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia would be established for all years to come, and all world tensions would go away.
• I wish for a big coherence group of Yogic Flyers to be established in Azerbaijan, and that Maharishi Yagyas will be regularly performed.
• I wish that the light of knowledge given to us by Maharishi will shine in full power through us, following his guidance, and through our use of Maharishi’s Vedic technologies to establish peace and ensure a happy life on Earth for everyone.
• Our plans of activity in Azerbaijan are to continue to teach Transcendental Meditation to as many people as possible and to prepare favourable conditions for the realisation of my wishes for Azerbaijan and the world.

To donate please select Azerbaijan as the beneficiary country and enter the campaign code AZ-108 in the comments field. Thank you very much for your support!

 

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ETHIOPIA
January 2022

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER WITH FULL ANNUAL REPORT ON ETHIOPIA: CLICK HERE

Yoga and Yagya to support peace and cultural harmony
TM Teacher and Ambassador, Kibre Dawit.

The crossfire in the Ethiopian conflict regions has triggered a humanitarian crisis. We have an excellent highly active TM teacher and Ambassador there, Kibre Dawit and right now we’d like to do everything we can to help this nation in turmoil.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT KENYA WITH NATIONAL YAGYAS – thank you!
Any who feel touched by the tragic circumstances in this land can contribute to timely National Yagyas and in comments add the campaign code: ET-108

 

 
 

SUDAN, TUNISIA, ALGERIA AND CYPRUS:

Click here to read previous reports from Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria and Cyprus.

ACTIVELY INCREASED GROUP COHERENCE in 11 Middle East nations: Regular regional coherence rounding days and conference calls for the Middle East countries (listed A-Z): Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, and UAE are invited to monthly M.E. group meditation events.

MIDDLE EAST COMMITTEE OF RAJAS There are regular monthly meetings and calls amongst the Movement leadership with the focussed aim to support peace from the most fundamental level of Yagya for the most fruitful outcome.

DONATIONS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST YAGYA CAMPAIGN We want to continuously support the Middle East countries to help these ongoing tensions significantly decreasing. Everybody who could be interested to join this strong enlivenment of Nature support for the Middle East is mostly welcome!

Collective Tensions Released – Our Yagya Campaign can help

We break the solution into two layers

First: We look for 16 participating countries. Each of the 16 countries would sponsor one National Yagya per month for a duration of one year.

Secondly: Within each of those countries we find 42 donors who can give $30 USD per month for one year.

 

What are we doing about peace in our nations and the world?

High priority: This year-long monthly Yagya for the Middle East Groups Campaign for hot-spot regions that affect the entire world.

As Maharishi says: ‘Success depends upon the undertaking by those who have the ability and resources to do something of practical value.’

If we don’t solve the problem in the Middle East it will just keep coming back to us.

In the Middle East we want to have Yagyas to support ‘Creating groups of Yogic Flyers’. We do National Yagyas to create a group of Yogic Flyers that will dissolve the stress.

When we have a group of Yogic Flyers doing regular programme together in one place then it will create an air conditioning effect for the region. The group can be located anywhere in the Middle East.

Our goal is to have a National Yagya every month for 20,000 USD with the Sankalp #27 ‘Promoting the creation and maintenance of groups of TM-Sidhi Yogic Flyers for your nation’