The International Committee of the Banner of Peace
Originalmente publicado en:
http://lebendige-ethik.net/engl/1-Mex.Int.Com.html

The International Committee of the Banner of Peace was founded during N.K.Roerich's lifetime. The current President of the Committee is Alicia Rodriguez. During the last 20 years, she has actively spread N.K.Roerich's ideas throughout the world and in particular in Mexico. For example, in the Mexican City of Saltillo, the Committee of the Banner of Peace worked with the local Department of Education and implemented a program for local schools under the name "We built world peace together." This long-term educational-cultural action promotes a healthy way of living for teenagers. The program calls for the cultural values of goodwill, peace and spirituality to replace violence, drugs, discrimination and criminality.

Naturally, all actions are taken in the name of the Banner of Peace, which becomes a real Banner of Honour for the children. To earn the right to carry the Banner of Peace, the children compete in school subjects and excellent discipline. Thus, the significance of the symbol represented on the Banner of Peace is taken into account. How do the Mexican teachers treat the sign? On a site of the International Committee of the Banner of Peace it is possible to read the following:

"In order for people of the world (with all variety of ideas and opinions) to be united in a single whole, they need to remember with their hearts. Then, there can be unity. For this purpose, it is necessary for mankind to turn to the ancient Trinity symbol which can be found on monuments over nine thousand years old. We find the symbol on stones in Mongolia and on ceramic wares of the Paleolithic age. In India the symbol is known as Chintamani. It has been seen on medieval walls, the image of the Strasburg Madonna, in Brussels, on ancient Russian icons, and the Peking Temple of the Sky. Native Mexican settlements recognized and honored the symbol as well. The sigh of the Banner of Pease has been discovered on an old stone, in the middle of the river Saliente on the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. This big stone there is in the middle of this Island near a small village Jayuya. This stone also has several other Stone Age symbols. The local people call it, "La piedra hablada de Jayuya" which translates into English as "Jayuya's Rock, the rock that talks."

To Nicholas Roerich, the symbol depicted the sacred union of three spheres of life, which form a triangle with the top directed upwards. The spheres are contained within a circle - the universe. This is symbolic of the primary universal energy, which is the common root of all peoples of our planet. Therefore the Trinity symbol points out the necessity of peaceful coexistence of all people on our planet.

The first sphere stands for the concept that kindness, respect and love of all people should reign. The second sphere represents our words, freed from destructive criticism, negativity, lies and aggression - which all generate physical and mental diseases. The third sphere is our actions. If ideas and words are pure, then actions will be harmonious and beautiful, thus all people will be blessed. If all people of the Earth would embrace Roerich's far-sighted vision of the Banner of Peace, it would quickly improve our consciousness, and the importance of the modern horrors of world terrorism, epidemics of unprecedented diseases, disasters and other troubles would diminish."

We wish our Mexican friends-Roerichites great energy and much success with the challenging activities of spreading Roerich's ideas in this modern world, which seems so inclined toward temporary material values. Together we hope and work for the best future.

Alicia Rodriguez has kindly agreed to answer some questions especially for our readers.

Below we offer our virtual interview with her.

Editor: Dear Alicia, where do you live?

Alicia: I was born in Spain, but I live a part of my life in Mexico.

Editor: Who are the members of the Board of the Committee? Who are the honorary members?

Alicia: All of us, the coworkers are volunteers. Nobody receives a salary. Our honorary members are His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Svetoslav Roerich, Nobel Prize of Peace winner Dr. Oscar Arias Dr. Emma Godoy.

Editor: When and how did you met the Banner of Peace and Roerich's ideas?

Alicia: In 1984 in Mexico City. The way of our contact was very unusual, because I had never read about Roerich. Our contact was spiritually. Soul to soul. I comment about that contact in my book "Find Your Mission" ("Encuentra tu Mision", Alom Publishing House). This book has become a Best Seller.
Since then, I have presented more than 600 Banners of Peace all over the world as World President of the International Committee of the Banner of Peace, a non governmental organization of the United Nations. They honored us for our 18 years of world peace activity. Our Committee was also honored by my nomination to the Nobel Prize of Peace in 1997. We have 1400 Banners of Peace flying in Mexico and 245,000 children prospering with the message of Nicholas Roerich and the Banner of Peace.

Editor: What did you write about in your book "Find Your Mission"?

Alicia: I wrote of my personal mystical experiences with the Banner in different countries.

Editor: Which of Roerich's books are translated into Spanish language?

Alicia: Heart of Asia (Kier Publishing House) and some of the Agni Yoga Books (Agni Yoga Society of Puerto Rico).

Editor: Can you say precisely which of the Agni Yoga books were translated into Spanish?

Alicia: Really I don't remember - Daniel Entin would know.

Editor: What are the basic techniques explained in your book "Transform Yourself Into The Banner of Peace"? ("Transformate en Bandera de la Paz", Panorama Publishing House).

Alicia: The techniques are based on the scientific teachings of Doctor Rutilio Romero. It's based on the observation of our body. Pain can help us to detect the thought that is causing the lack of peace. It depends on if it is on the left or on the right hand, at the top or at the bottom, or in the plexus. We teach children to detect the thought that is causing their own war.

Editor: When you met the Dalai Lama recently, what did he say about the Banner of Pease? And what did he think about the fact that the Banner of Pease is distributed worldwide?

Alicia: He received the Banner of Peace from me, in Dharamsala, India, in the Himalayas in 1990. It was a special day for them and of course for me, because that memorable day was the Festival of the Prayer. All his people were dressed in their national dresses. The trumpets of prayer were emitting special mystical sounds. The atmosphere was full of spirituality. His Holiness knows many profound things about the sacred symbol of the Banner of Peace. He knows that the person who would bring the Banner all over the World would be a woman, according with the desire and message of Nicholas Roerich. He knows about the mission. He received me with respect and love as World President of the International Committee founded by Nicholas Roerich and continuing by us.
His attitude was so incredible. I don't have spiritual authorization of my guides, to comment on it - except in my book. When I saw him last week in Mexico City, he remembered that moment. He knows that the Banner of Peace has been distributed all over the World by our Committee.

Editor: Does His Holiness Dalai Lama know that the Banner of Pease was registered in Moscow as a trademark?

Alicia: I didn't ask to him.

Editor: What do you personally think about the registration of the Banner of Pease as a trademark and the use of such patent as means of exercising over the Roerich organizations in Russia or Belarus?

Alicia: The problem is not to register. The Roerich Museum in New York has registered it too. The problem is how to use the registration. I think is a consciousness problem.

Editor: Tell us a bit about your life please?

Alicia: My activity has two aspects, one "exoteric" for outside, to help consciousness of the Mundane World to come in the supermundane or spiritual worlds. In this aspect our International Committee connects formally with Governments, Presidents, cultural Institutions, the United Nations etc. The other aspect is completely spiritual, and I don't speak about it in front of the TV cameras or when they interview me as an actress, which is my profession. In Russia, one of the TV stories in which I acted, caused a boom. It was very famous: "The Rich Also Cry".

Editor: Yes, this TV-serial was very popular in the 1990s in Russia. What role did you play?

Alicia: I played the role of Dona Beatriz. The rich who cried. For this TV role I got a prize as the best actress in Mexican television.

Editor: What actions are planned by your Committee in the near future?

Alicia: The name of the new campaign is "We built world peace together." Next month, I will present 20 Banners of Peace to Cultural Institutions as I did with the Dalai Lama in India and with the Agni Yoga Society ( Leonardo Olazabal in Bilbao ). All can see our future plans in our webpage www.banderadelapaz.org

Editor: Alicia, "Alive Ethics in Germany" thanks you for this interview, and wishes you and your International Committee great success in your activities as you disseminate Roerich's ideas worldwide. Our website is always glad to help your Committee in our common matter - the matter of creating a Society of Common Welfare!

Alicia: Thank you very much! Loving greetings! Alicia Rodriguez.