SUBJECT: Des Moines Register (21 Sept 2004) reports on the line up of eminent
speakers -- including David Lynch -- for "Creating Peace Day" at
Maharishi University of Management, USA.

For more information please visit: www.creatingpeace.mum.edu

Des Moines Register, 21 September 2004

David Lynch's peace mission
The film director joins other leaders in science and arts for a day of peace education.

By AMANDA PIERRE
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

Film director David Lynch is among the leaders in science, art, and politics
who will gather this weekend to help give peace a chance.

"Creating Peace Day" will take place Sunday at the Maharishi University of
Management in Fairfield.

Lynch, as well as Robert Muller, the former assistant secretary general of
the United Nations; and Uganda native Samite, the director of Musicians for
World Harmony, are among those who will speak, perform and lead a
candlelight ceremony.
He will join all the speakers from 10 a.m. to noon for a panel discussion
and again at 7:30 p.m. for the ceremony.

"This conference is not about wishing for peace or marching for peace - this
is about finding ways to actually create peace," said Lynch, who has made
such films as "The Elephant Man," "The Straight Story," "Blue Velvet" and
"Mulholland Drive."

Some of the speakers practice Transcendental Meditation and subscribe to the
teachings of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, perhaps best known as the Hindu
mystic guru to the Beatles in the 1960s. What unites the speakers is their
wish for world peace and enlightenment.
"This is not a political rally, not in support of any candidate," said event
organizer Erin Skipper, a Maharishi University alumna.

"We want to educate people on different approaches to creating peace. We
also want it to be inspiring. We're going to have students performing, and
cultural songs between the speakers."

During phone interviews from Ithaca, N.Y., and Hollywood, respectively,
Samite and Lynch expressed what they believe are recent events and issues
that best underscore the need for world peace.

"The kids in Russia, that experience just killed me," Samite said. "The kids
should be playing, laughing and singing... they should not be in the
middle of such bad things, fear and explosions."

Samite grew up in the era of Idi Amin and other African dictators. He has
visited refugee camps where the only thing traumatized children could
respond to was music.

"There are over 300,000 children in the world being used as soldiers,"
Samite said. "They see their friends and (relatives) die. If we're going to
fight, we should make sure children don't have to be involved."

Lynch's recent mission has been to raise money for peace palaces and for a
group of 8,000 meditators he said could be known as a "peace-creating
factory."

Lynch, who is also a painter and musician, said he believes strongly in a
total positive energy to be used for peace.

"I am not a public speaker, but I am going to be there because I believe in
this," Lynch said of the peace conference. "I want peace to be put in place
on this beautiful earth.

"There is suffering, violence, sorrow... making these things go away, who
wouldn't want that? Whether you're in the Midwest or Asia?" Lynch asked.

Joining Lynch, Samite and Muller at the conference are John Hagelin, the
director of the Institute of World Peace at Maharishi University of
Management and president of the U.S. Peace Government; Maureen McCue,
adjunct clinical professor at the University of Iowa College of Public
Health and a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Sue
McGregor, professor and coordinator of the peace and conflict studies
program at Mount Saint Vincent University of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Registration for the peace conference is free with a suggested donation. Go
to www.creatingpeace.mum.edu for more information or to register, or call
(641) 919-1898.

Media Department
Global Country of World Peace - Great Britain
info@globalcountry.org.uk