Let us Do poem

Thank you for your interest in peace; to explore a path to peace.

Like millions in the world, you may be wondering why peace is so hard to achieve and always remains a distant dream.
Vedas of ancient Hindu faith Sanathana Dharma, its poojas and rituals are full of the word “Shanti” meaning peace.
A heavenly voice “peace on earth” reverberated in the skies 2000 years ago when Jesus was born. The most important prayer taught by Jesus has the words “be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
In Islam, ‘Let Peace be Upon Him” is the phrase that follow, when God’s or a revered person’s name is mentioned.
It is a practice to salute another person by wishing peace across religions and social groups.
YET……..Peace remains a distant dream…
800,000 people commit suicide every year!
1 out of 3 women are physically abused worldwide and majority of such women suffer at the hands of their partners or ‘intimate’ friends
Some studies in certain cultural groups show this number to be even 2 out of 3.
An UN study puts the number of people killed as a result of intentional homicide at half a Million every year.
Half a Billion people were killed as a result of wars in the last 500 years.
Claims vary, but judging from numbers given by opposing camps the number of people killed due to political changes, civil wars and ethnic cleansing in the 20th century alone account to 100 Million.
The conscience of humanity has not opened its eyes after all these losses of lives and unexplainable tragedies due to hatred.
The number of innocent people starving and dying is not included in any of the above numbers. Poverty is the worst form of violence. The number of people starving will exceed all the above numbers put together.
The greatest tragedy is that human race is still engaged in the blame game, self centered life, individualism and hatred. Nation after nation are building weapons for mass destruction and challenging each other.

More than 60% of marriages end in developed countries such as USA and Russia. It is about 50% in Europe. In developing countries where divorce rates are comparatively less, the freedom in families is far less and the abuse of women is very high. Many domestic abuse incidents are not reported. The rate of divorce worldwide is rising so fast, that majority of children will soon, be from broken families

If you feel sad after reading these statistics, there is still hope. Good is still alive. If you are concerned and want to do something to help, there, for sure, is a way.

If you are angry and are looking for people who are guilty of violence, hatred, wars and the pathetic condition of the world, think again. The search for ‘culprits’ should start from within.
POEM family believes that all humans are created equal and good. Those who indulge in acts of hatred are doing so as they have not discovered the divine spark of light embedded in them. The mission of POEM is to enlighten and motivate ordinary people as well as leaders to come out of ignorance about the empathy gene in them, live in peace and engage in a Mission that promote peace. When a critical number of people in a family, community, nation etc are transformed to join the Mission, peace will spread and prevail.
If you think what you are insignificant, and feel a sense of helplessness, think again. YOU CAN HELP and even if it is just one small action, it counts.
POEM movement is the result of our belief that every drop of love filled action to put out the evil fire of hatred and every effort to promote the cause of PEACE matters.
So let us join hands. Let us do POEM
How……..?
Let us work together and put our heads together. Let us do POEM. As we march, we will come up with ideas and initiate projects that will promote peace. Come forward with your ideas for initiatives that can help promote peace. Communicate to poeminternational@gmail.com.
POEM emphasis on avoiding blame game. There are evil acts but no one is Devil. Don’t say “I hate you” but only say”I hate what you did”. Love the sinner and hate sin.
Sample Projects proposed are;
1. Personal growth and self development ;
The first and foremost step in the march to peace is to search for peace and find it within oneself.
To free ourselves from a position of selfishness and emotion driven life, we should engage in a self development process. That will take us through a path of analyzing our needs and meeting them as a matured person. We will succeed in meeting the basic, emotional and, psychological (call them lower) needs, avoid over indulgence and advance to a level where the needs of our souls become obvious and important. When we start meeting the needs of the soul, we reach a state of self actualization. Our lower “self” grows to an emancipated, higher and complete “SELF”. The emancipated SELF is THE balanced person who’s Body; Mind and Soul needs are at equilibrium and satisfied. That is a state of JOY that is higher than happiness for the mind and pleasure for the body. PEACE which is the after effect satisfaction prevails in this emancipated person and he/she will be ready to radiate rays of peace outwards.
Such a person belongs to POEM family which will grow through this process by mutual help. Philosophical, theological and moral teachings of different religions about peace, and findings from scientific research about personal growth will be used. In this personal growth project
This initiative is to help individuals to become peacemakers; with own self first, with life partner, family and friends and the society at large. The path to peace is a search for truth, through personal growth and self development. A journey that opens up and expand yourself beyond the pleasure seeking, emotion driven lower self which is just concerned about the body needs and driven by greed for material luxuries. You reach a higher level of balanced SELF where satisfaction of the body, mind and soul are met, guided by matured thoughts. A journey from ‘self’ centeredness to SELF actualization and SELF awareness would elevate the person to spiritual awareness, universal love, and prosperity. He will enjoy peace. Methods to view life as a mission to achieve and practice peace in everyday life will be the emphasis.

2. Confess, Pardon , Reconcile (CPR)
This is a three step process to apply in a crash relationship, like giving CPR to a critically ill patient. The present world situation resembles that of critical patient who needs CPR first.
The roots of conflict between individuals, groups, factions, communities and nations may lie in the past. Husband and wife may be fighting based on each other’s or their families’ past actions and history. Religions may be at war because of centuries old history. For example, memories of crusade are a reason for distrust between Muslims and Christians. History of slavery still divides whites and people of color. The Caste system that prevailed in India is cause for distrust and conflicts between erstwhile untouchables and “upper castes”. The Palestinian problem has roots starting from the Old Testament times.
Historical ’mistakes’ cannot be cured by retaliation. Neither, punishing the descendants of the alleged perpetrators of the past will solve any suffering created in the past. Certain ‘mistakes’ if ’compensated’ by retaliation will result in graver mistake which cause greater conflicts and damage peace.
The right and the only course of action to permanently solve the matter, is confession and expression of regret by the ‘perpetrators’, and pardon/forgiveness by the victims. If the original perpetrators and victims are no more, there is absolutely no sense in their descendants carrying on the fight. Confess and pardon.
Once these two steps of confession and pardon are genuinely done, reconciliation is possible and peace will prevail
Easier said than done! This reconciliation process is extremely difficult. However, for those who undergo a personal growth process, CPR becomes easy as their ’empathy gene’ gets awakened, and they glow with loving kindness to understand the opposite side’s feelings. Awareness of emancipated SELF, recognition of PEACE as a goal and determination to work to achieve the goal drives them as missionaries for peace. POEM will propose step by step process with counseling for individuals, couples, families, groups and communities to engage in CPR process.

3. POEM for Couples
Peace is broken when family is broken. The root of family tree is sacrificial, heavenly love and healthy relation between marriage partners. By organizing discussions, seminars exercises and counseling and mutual help, POEM wants to build and rebuild families based on true love, understanding, sacrifice and responsibility.
1. POEM for Teens and youth.
Teenage is the crucial time in a person’s life. His/her Worldview undergoes major changes during this period. This is also the time when very major physiological changes happen in life. Before stepping into the world as a youth and growing up as an adult, a person evaluates the lessons and teachings learned from parents, and other elders in the society. He creates a new universe in mind based, mainly, on his/her emotional thoughts. Emotional thoughts are the driving force in anyone’s life, and source of all creative ideas. But uncontrolled desire to fulfill material needs can ruin life and cause damage to the society. For example children and youth who grow up in families who teach to hate people of other faiths, color could become anti socials or even terrorists, supremacists and fundamentalists. The other side is that they may be overcome with inferiority complex and depression.
This is the time to help children, teens and youth to evaluate and edit their outlook and personality by independently reviewing what they were taught by ‘parents’ what are being tempted to do by their pure emotions and greed and adapt a matured outlook about themselves and the world.
POEM plans include a number of web activities that will guide children and youth and transform them as individuals who learn, practice and propagate peace through their lives.
1. Institutions, Businesses and Corporations for POEM
The purpose of working with institutions such as non profits engaged in educational, sociopolitical and religious areas and Businesses and corporations engaged in making products and services and political parties is to canvass and persuade them to declare ‘Peace On Earth’ as one of their important Missions. Such a declaration and commitment on their part to work toward the goal of peace would make a major change in the world. Their every activity and business strategy will then be aiding peace. Value based analysis of their actions would take place. Imagine a situation when all men and women and all organizations evaluate their actions and tune them up such that none of those acts compromise the goal of peace. The ethical and moral performance of the society would be elevated. Unhealthy completion will end. Products and services will be made available to the society at competitive prices because of superior planning, skill improvement, innovation, and application of advanced productivity methods; not due to cutting out each other

1. POEM invites every person reading this to come forward with proposals and suggestions for initiating projects in other areas.