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Maharishi Vedic University creates coherence and wins support from Cambodian leaders

AACF Cambodia News June 2004 (2) Translate This Article
Melbourne, Australia
12 June 2004

On 12 June 2004 AACF Cambodia News June 2004 (2) reported: Maharishi Vedic University in Cambodia is providing education for rural youth and creating a powerful influence of coherence and peace as more students learn the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Cambodian leaders, and the Australian Aid for Cambodia Fund. It is a joy for Global Good News service to feature this news, which indicates the success of the life-supporting programmes Maharishi has designed to bring fulfilment to the fields of education and world peace.

A new TM-Sidhi Programme Course at Maharishi Vedic University, Cambodia was completed in February/March this year. 280 second- and third-year students successfully completed this course of instruction in the TM-Sidhi programme, including Yogic Flying. Now another course is being held, this time for first- year students.

As part of the curriculum approved by the Cambodian government, MVU students learn Transcendental Meditation and yoga asanas in their first year of studies, and complete the Science of Creative Intelligence course. Usually they learn the TM-Sidhi Programme in their second year at the University.

In light of world events and the urgency of creating as much coherence as possible for the region, leaders of the Australian Aid for Cambodia Fund (AACF) asked the Cambodian Ministry of Education for permission for this year's 180 first-year students to learn the TM-Sidhi Programme. The Ministry of Education agreed.

Many donors from Australia contributed to AACF's campaign to make both these courses possible. AACF was instrumental in founding Maharishi Vedic University ten years ago as a joint venture with the Cambodian government. Further funds are being sought to support the courses and to construct a new building on the MVU campus for group practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme.

The late Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister, Friend of MVU, and honoured member of AACF, had a close association with His Excellency Tol Lah, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education. After Tol Lah's death in April 2004, AACF's CEO Mike Thomson wrote an obituary which was published in the The Age, a leading Melbourne newspaper. The article highlighted the positive changes that have occurred in Cambodia and referred to consciousness-based education programmes:

'Tol Lah, who played a leading role in Cambodia's transformation from a country embroiled in civil war and a military dictatorship, has died age 63. He helped steer the change from a country with no civil rights, a weak economy, and a prevailing sense of fear to a multi-party democracy with a functional government, and a much greater sense of security and optimism. . . .

'During the 1990s, 70 nations moved to multi-party democracy--a destabilizing change; and in half of them bloody conflict erupted afterwards. Only two, Cambodia and Mozambique, had conflict before but peace afterwards. Both had adopted consciousness-based education programs which have the effect of reducing collective stress.'

The complete article can be viewed in the News section of AACF's website www.aacf.ws

The letter from His Excellency Ung Huot in Cambodia AACF has focused on providing a consciousness-based university education to rural youth at Maharishi Vedic University (MVU). Several Cambodian leaders have been inspired to learn Transcendental Meditation, a core programme of Maharishi Vedic University.

Below is a letter from the former Cambodian Foreign Minister and First Prime Minister, His Excellency Ung Huot, about his experiences with Transcendental Meditation.

'I learnt and practiced TM since 1994. I was then Minister of Education of the Kingdom of Cambodia. I found that my TM benefited me and my country greatly. I felt that I had extra energy, my thinking and reasoning were clearer, and precise and accurate. I realized that I was functioning at my peak level. I was then a very successful Minister of Education. Everyone acknowledged my success, the people still remember it, even it was ten years ago. I was able to improve the quality of education and more importantly I was able to eradicate corruption, which was, everybody believed, an impossible problem to solve at the time.

'Later on I was promoted to be Minister of Foreign Affairs and First Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia. All these events happened within three years of my TM practice. Is this a coincidence?

'As the Minister of Education I was able to lend a hand to the students and the administrators at the Maharishi Vedic University at Kamchay Mea, Prey Veng Cambodia in early 1994. The people and students who were associated with the University might still remember it. It was this involvement that I learnt about Transcendental Meditation.

'I found that the people and students at MVU are nice people, kind-hearted, reliable, and true to themselves.

'By 2004, there were many graduates who were from MVU. The people and I agree that they are the best citizens and efficient workers in the Cambodian community. The employers are very happy with these students. Some became successful business persons.

'TM did help me and did contribute to the development of Cambodia in a quiet way. I believe that TM-Sidhi would contribute greatly to bring harmony to the country, as Cambodia is still struggling to find the way to peace and development.'

-Ung Huot, 16 May 2004

The MVU Graduation Ceremony 2004 was held on Saturday June 5th with the current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, His Excellency Sar Kheng, representing the Cambodian Government. This graduation will bring the number of MVU graduates to over 800.

AUSTRALIAN AID FOR CAMBODIA FUND, PO Box 81 Bundoora VIC 3083, Australia, Tel: (03) 9489 6240, Email: info@aacf.ws, Website: www.aacf.ws

Every day Global Good News documents the rise of a better quality of life dawning in the world and highlights the need for introducing Natural Law based—Total Knowledge based—programmes to bring the support of Nature to every individual, raise the quality of life of every society, and create a lasting state of world peace.

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