Edinburgh, 27 October 1997

This weekend in Edinburgh a new political force has emerged in the Commonwealth. An association of Commonwealth Natural Law Parties has offered to assist all Commonwealth countries in fulfilling the resolutions of the Edinburgh summit.

"It is evident that Commonwealth goals will remain limited in scope and achievement without the introduction of a new approach based on new knowledge," said Dr Geoffrey Clements, leader of the Natural Law Party of the United Kingdom. "The Natural Law Party has unique, scientifically-validated programmes which will help fulfil not only the economic declaration of the conference in the key areas of trade, investment, development and environment, but will also create ideal education, health and housing.

"The Natural Law Party will be offering its programmes directly to the government and existing political parties in each Commonwealth country,' Dr Clements said. 'Wherever the programmes are not implemented, we would hope to see the emergence of a local Natural Law Party in that country. The Natural Law Party is already active in 58 countries, including six in the Commonwealth: Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago."

The Natural Law Party's programmes include: prevention-oriented natural health care which research indicates can reduce sickness by 50% without the harmful side-effects of modern medicine; education that develops the full creative potential of every student; and planning and housing that is fully in accord with Natural Law so that the built environment is pollution-free and healthy.

The Commonwealth needs 'common wisdom'

Dr Reinhard Borowitz, Secretary General of the Maharishi International Council of Natural Law Parties, commented: "In their Edinburgh declaration the heads of government have resolved to promote shared prosperity - common wealth. What is also needed is common wisdom - the complete knowledge of Natural Law, which will bring the intelligence of Nature into politics to make every area of administration effective."

Dr Borowitz described the special contribution of the Natural Law Party to solving the serious problems of globalisation frequently referred to during the summit. 'Global problems require global solutions. In spite of all the goodwill surrounding this summit, the Commonwealth will not be able to fulfil its goals while world consciousness is stressed and incoherent. The Natural Law Party is therefore encouraging world leaders to establish immediately a group of 10,000 experts in Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying. This is a novel approach, but it is backed up by 42 scientific studies showing reduced crime, conflict and other negative trends, and improved social and economic trends.

"All our problems are man made," Dr Borowitz added. "The negative results of globalisation - such as economic inequality and market instability, transnational crime and drug abuse, and the introduction of genetically engineered foods and other environmentally damaging technologies - cannot be resolved unless world consciousness is in tune with Natural Law. The coherence-creating group of Yogic Flyers will bring the support of the nourishing, evolutionary power of Natural Law to every nation."