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The Global Country of World Peace (GCWP) is a non-profit organization that claims to promote Transcendental Meditation, education, and the construction of "buildings for peace" in the world's major cities. Inaugurated by
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 1918
, the founder of
Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...
, on October 7, 2000, the GCWP was originally conceived as "a country without borders for peace-loving people everywhere." It has issued a currency called the "''Raam''" and its leader is neurologist Tony Nader. In 2002, the GCWP was incorporated in the state of
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
, USAIowa, Secretary of State, Official Web Site
/ref> with its headquarters in
Maharishi Vedic City Maharishi Vedic City (MVC) is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 277 at the time of the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City ...
. It has administrative or educational centres in the U.S., the Netherlands and Ireland.


Mission

According to a report from
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and m ...
, the GCWP's tax filings describe its mission as the creation of world peace 'by unifying all nations in happiness prosperity, invincibility, and perfect health'. The mission of the US-based division of the GCWP, according to a 2005 article, is to promote "enlightenment, good health, and peace through the practice of Transcendental Meditation" and to build palaces of peace in 3000 of the world's major cities.


Currency

Raam is a bearer bond and
local currency In economics, a local currency is a currency that can be spent in a particular geographical locality at participating organisations. A regional currency is a form of local currency encompassing a larger geographical area, while a community curren ...
issued by Global Country of World Peace. It was designed for the development of agricultural projects and to combat poverty in third world countries. As of 2003, it had limited acceptance in some European and U.S. cities. The currency has been used in Iowa and has been also given approval in The Netherlands where more than 100 Dutch shops, department store chains, in 30 villages and cities, are using the notes at a fixed rate of 10 euros per raam. The Raam is issued in denominations of 1, 5 and 10 Raam, with one Raam equal to 10 Euros in Europe, and one Raam equal to 10 dollars in the U.S. Raam notes are printed by Joh. Enschedé. In 2002, Maharishi Vedic City Mayor Bob Wynne estimated that there was $40,000 worth of Raam in circulation.Graham, Chad, "Maharishi's town puts its own mark on money", ''Seattle Times'' (September 15, 2002) The Raam differs from other complementary currencies because its focus is on the export of products rather than improving local circulation to benefit the lives of local people."Raam development currency" ''Appropriate Economics'' web site
/ref> According to the Minister of Finance for the Global Country of World Peace, the Raam "could be used" for agricultural projects in developing nations.
/ref>
CATO Institute The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries.Koch Ind ...
currency expert James Dorn expressed doubt about the viability of the plan, suggesting that other economic approaches would be a better way to establish a network of collective farms. According to the issuer, the Raam is also a bearer bond that earns a total of 3% interest after five years (0.6% simple interest annually).SMGFT Prospectus
The Raam was used, as of 2003, alongside Euros in accordance with Dutch law in more than 100 shops in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. The Raam was convertible in the Netherlands at the Fortis Bank in Roermond. As of 2003, the Dutch Central Bank estimated that there were approximately 100,000 Raam notes in circulation. It also had limited acceptance in the Iowan cities called
Maharishi Vedic City Maharishi Vedic City (MVC) is a city in Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 277 at the time of the 2020 census. The city was incorporated in 2001 as "Vedic City" but then officially changed its name to "Maharishi Vedic City ...
and Fairfield. According to Maharishi Global Financing, agreements were made in 2004 with a farmers' association in South America and with traditional leaders in Africa to start using the Raam for agricultural development projects.


Administrative centers

Maharishi Vedic City is the "Capital of the Global Country for World Peace." The city's plan and building code follow principles of Vedic architecture. Architecture professor Keller Easterling says that Maharishi Vedic City reflects the GCWP's interest in achieving a "benign form of global sovereignty". From 2004 to 2010 the GCWP owned the
American Bank Note Company Building The American Bank Note Company Building is a five-story building at 70 Broad Street (Manhattan), Broad Street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. The building was designed by architects Kirby, ...
in New York City, USA which it called The Financial Capital of the GCWP. It was intended to be an administrative center for a project to raise funds for 3,000 peace palaces, and hospitals, organic farms, and clinics in developing countries, but over time, its primary use was as a Transcendental Meditation center. When the building became a financial burden it was sold in 2010 and the organization's $5.5 million profit were earmarked for a new Manhattan teaching center and other programs. The "US Peace Government" has announced plans to build a national capital near Smith Center, Kansas in Washington Township, Smith County. A ceremony was held March 28, 2006. Over were eventually purchased. Plans called for the construction of 12 to 15 buildings, including Peace Palaces and a broadcast center, at an estimated cost of up to $15 million. The plans divided the community. Nine pastors wrote to the local newspaper with concerns about the souls of area residents while the Chamber of Commerce looked forward to the creation of new jobs. The county planning commission placed a moratorium on any changes in land use in an effort to prevent the use of agricultural land for the capital, but they withdrew it after the movement threatened to sue in federal court. In April 2009, a spokesman announced that two Peace Palaces were nearing completion. In 2009 the GCWP opened the West Virginia Retreat Center in Three Churches, West Virginia, USA. The male-only facility is used for weekend retreats as well as residences for those who want to spend years living a simpler life involving meditation. As of 2012, the center consisted of 10 buildings with 90 male residents plus various staff.NEWMAN, EMILY (June 22, 2011). “Meditation retreat locating in Hampshire County.” Cumberland Times-News.
/ref> Larger plans include the development of the , purchased at a cost of $750,000 into an "environmentally friendly retreat" that will include 150 to 200 rooms for professional and amateur meditators, according to the project director, Raja Bob LoPinto.


Peace Palaces

In 2008, the Global Country of World Peace undertook the construction of "Peace Palaces" in major US cities, which would teach courses in the Transcendental Meditation technique and offer ayurvedic spa treatments and herbal food supplements. The buildings, being built according to Vedic guidelines, were planned to be two-story, white, buildings of about 10,000 to and are intended to be replacements for rented spaces being used in "more than 200 locations" across the U.S.A. Their appearance has been described as an "Indian temple crossed with a Southern plantation mansion" and is intended to be a "visual brand" for the organization.
NY Times, Building the Maharishi Effect, Sean D. Hamill, Dec 2 2008
Peace Palaces have been completed in the U.S. cities of
Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which ...
,
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
and
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
,
Fairfield, Iowa Fairfield is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, Iowa. It has a population of 9,416 people, according to the 2020 census. The median family income is $46,138, with 10% of families below the poverty line. The city is typical ...
,
St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
and
Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...
. Three of the existing Peace Palaces were built by private individuals. Land has been purchased in 52 locations around the US and others are being built around the world. According to officials of the organization, zoning and related issues have slowed their progress in building in at least 18 other cities where land has been purchased. In 2007 the "Maharishi’s organization" took legal action against the city of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, because the city refused a setback variance for a proposed Peace Palace. Although "admired for its finances" some critics call the project a way for the "Maharishi's followers" to create funds for more land for the group's treasury.


Other facilities

In 2005, the Global Country bought an 800-plus acres farm in
Goshen, New York Goshen is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 13,687 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the Biblical Land of Goshen. It contains a village also called Goshen, which is the county seat of Orange Co ...
, USA for $4 million in cash, with plans to create an organic farm training site, as well as a Peace Palace. According to broker Steve Perfit, the were put up for sale in April 2009. Also in 2005, Global Country of World Peace purchased the Prairie Peace Park in
Pleasant Dale, Nebraska Pleasant Dale is a village in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively hig ...
. GCWP had planned to build a "peace palace" on the site. An article in August 2010 in the Journal Star reported that the property was for sale for $95,000. In 2006, the Global Country purchased Inishraher, a island in Clew Bay off the coast of Ireland with the intention of founding an International Peace Centre, and of designating it as a Maharishi Capital of the Global Country of World Peace. Planning permission for two 18-room hostels on the island was approved on 22 July 2009.


Efforts to obtain sovereignty

In 2001, it was reported that the Global Country of World Peace had been unsuccessful in its attempts to establish a sovereign nation after contacting countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In November 2000, the GCWP made a proposal to the President of
Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the nor ...
, offering $1.3 billion over three years for a 200-year lease of of rural land plus "1 percent of the money the sovereign state's central bank puts into circulation" and the creation of 10,000 jobs. The
UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...
reported that, in July 2001, the island nation of
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northea ...
rejected, after serious consideration, a proposal from the GCWP to create a "Vatican like sovereign city-state" near the international airport in exchange for a payment of $2 million per year. In 2002, the GCWP asked if they could set up their world headquarters on one hundred acres of land on the island of
Rota Rota or ROTA may refer to: Places * Rota (island), in the Marianas archipelago * Rota (volcano), in Nicaragua * Rota, Andalusia, a town in Andalusia, Spain * Naval Station Rota, Spain People * Rota (surname), a surname (including a list of peop ...
which is part of the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...
, a
commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
of the United States. The GCWP offered to contribute to economic growth of the country but Rota declined, preferring to remain part of the Commonwealth. In
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, officials of the GCWP "allegedly offered each family" on the Talamanca
reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...
, $250 per month for the right to appoint a king. A ceremony was held on the Talamanca reservation to appoint a local Indian as king of the community. Perceiving the GCWP's actions as efforts to establish an independent state the Security Minister ordered the GCWP representative to leave the country.


Administration

Regional leaders and 'leading Transcendental Meditators "trained as TM teachers and graduates of the TM-Sidhi program are called "Governors of the Age of Enlightenment". Tony Nader was appointed by the Maharishi as the "First Sovereign Ruler of the Global Country of World Peace" in 2000. Some "national leaders" and "top officials" of the Global Country of World Peace are called
Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested ...
s. In 2005, 22 male Rajas were appointed by the Maharishi as national and regional leaders of his organization. His Raja training course took about two months and the participants were "advised to make a contribution of $1,000,000 to the Maharishi World Peace Fund." Ceremonial attire for the Maharaja and the rajas includes white silk robes, gold medallions, and gold crowns. In 2008, Nader attended the Maharishi's funeral in India and adopted the title, "Maharaja Adhiraj Rajaraam". Since then the organization has also been administrated by the "high-functioning intellectual elite in its upper echelons," such as
Bevan Morris Bevan H. Morris (born 3 March 1949 in Adelaide) was the president of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, for 36 years and a founder of the Natural Law Party. Early life and education Morris received his B.A. and M.A. in psych ...
, Maureen Wynne, and Willy Koppel, while retaining Nader as the central leader. The GCWP, according to its website, has a “ministry” consisting of ministers split into twelve departments: Law and Order, Education, Health, Architecture, Trade and Commerce, Defence, Science and Technology, Communication, Religion and Culture, Administration, and Finance and Planning.


References


External links


Official Web Site

US Peace Government
{{Micronations Transcendental Meditation communities Local currencies