This year's International Convention of Natural Law Parties was held once again in the Maritim Hotel, Bonn from July 6th to 9th. Our German hosts made us most welcome and everyone who took part in the event enjoyed the warmth and shared enthusiasm of Natural Law Party Leaders and candidates from throughout the world. This international event truly gives meaning to the quote "The world is my family".

The Natural Law party has now become established in 70 countries throughout the world. Speakers from many of these countries shared their experiences and inspired us all to do the best that we can to promote the Natural Law Party in each of our countries.

The chairman of the recently inaugurated Natural Law Party of Scotland, George Stidolph, gave his maiden speech to the convention and told of the successes with the media including a programme on The Natural Law Party to be made and broadcast this year by Scottish Television and another programme following a candidate's activities throughout the elections for the new Scottish parliament next May. 73 candidates for this historic event will be needed to stand on the 6th of May 1999. As in all UK elections, citizens of the Commonwealth are also eligible to stand as candidates, and will be most warmly welcomed by the Natural Law Party of Scotland.

Natural Law Party helps ensure peaceful elections in Northern Ireland

Jim Anderson and Tom Mullins, party leader and chairman from Northern Ireland told of their successes in the election of June 25th when they witnessed the "quietest" election for years throughout the period of the World Peace Assembly which the Natural Law Party had helped organise as part of their election campaign. Tom shared with us some very positive media coverage which linked the World Peace Assembly to the relative peace which lasted for the duration of the course. This was the result of many months of meetings with the editors of the national press briefing them on the policies of the Natural Law Party. It is worth noting that after the World Peace Assembly dispersed on 28th June, the divisions within Northern Ireland society again came to the fore. These most recent events have highlighted the need for a permanent coherence creating group in Northern Ireland, a point which the Natural Law Party had emphasised throughout its election campaign.

Presenting Natural Law Party policies to leaders of society

Peter Warburton, deputy leader of the Natural Law Party of the UK, advised the conference on the importance of attending governmental meetings such as the meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of State Meetings in Edinburgh, the G8 summit in Birmingham and the EU meeting in Cardiff. These meetings provide opportunities for media coverage and possible meetings with delegates from around the globe. Dr Geoffrey Clements, Leader of the Natural Law Party UK, made many contacts with delegates while in Edinburgh and this has resulted in him being able to present the knowledge of perfect government to leading diplomatic and government representatives from the Commonwealth, several of whom have since learned Transcendental Meditation.

Dr John Hagelin, Leader of the Natural Law Party in the U.S.A supported the UK leader's approach in contacting the most influential administrators of a country and said that he would willingly go to any country which could arrange appointments for him with senior politicians. John also introduced his new book, Manual For A Perfect Government, which is a simple guide to the policies of the Natural Law Party. He wants countries to present this book to senior politicians as a means of promoting Natural Law Party policies.

Maharishi addresses the Convention

This year it was a great pleasure to have a direct conference call from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whose Vedic programmes have inspired many of the policies adopted by the Natural Law Party. Maharishi spoke to the members of the press and the Convention delegates, whom he described as "awakened leaders who are creating the dawn of a new destiny for mankind". Maharishi's principal theme was: 'unity and diversity'. These are the qualities which must coexist in political life today and are the qualities which the Natural Law Party policies are bringing about.

Maharishi pointed out that Natural Law Party policies are based on the application of the complete knowledge of Natural Law contained in the Veda. Veda is knowledge of both unity and diversity: it is knowledge of the inner unified value of life and the outer diversified aspects of life. For example, in the field of current health care in the world the unified, holistic value is missing, with the result that modern medicine has unwanted side-effects, is fragmented in its approach, and is therefore only partially successful. To fill this lack, the Natural Law Party is introducing Maharishi's Vedic Approach to Health, which includes both unified and diversified values and is a complete system of health care, free from harmful side-effects.

"It is fortunate that the leaders of life in the world are anxious to quickly create an ideal world on the level of diversity in unity," Maharishi said. "This is not the diversity that will be devoid of unity; this is diversity of all cultures, all languages, of all systems of everything prevalent in the world today. All will blossom in the dignity of unity. The flag of the world will rejoice the unified strength of all the flags. This is what the flag of the Natural Law Party will do. . . . . . . Every nation will enrich every other nation. This is the dawn of a new light: the dawn of unity in diversity. Diversity of all nations will be glorified by the rise of a sense of unity."

Significance contribution by Natural Law Parties to the quality of national life

Dr John Hagelin, during his talk, shared with the convention a comment which Maharishi had recently made about the economic stability and "feel good factor" which is evident in the USA at the moment. John had expected Maharishi to attribute this to the large coherence-creating group of Yogic Flyers now at the Spiritual Centre of America in North Carolina. To his surprise Maharishi replied that it was the result of the Natural Law Party election campaign in the USA, during which candidates were constantly bringing out the knowledge of perfect government in accord with Natural Law.

Speakers from South America told of ongoing projects to teach schoolchildren to practise Transcendental Meditation in schools and how in Peru the coherence-creating group saved the area of Puno from the scale of disaster which swept across the country due to the El Nino weather phenomenon. Natural Law Party leaders from many countries in this region indicated how difficult it is to set up new parties, often requiring thousands of signatures per candidate and large sums of money. Yet they are succeeding and it was inspiring for all to hear of their success.

One of the highlights of the convention was on the final evening when there was a conference call from the Prime Minister of Netherlands Antilles who is a practising TM-Sidha and whose husband is the Leader of Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation organisation there. They are endeavouring to implement many of the programmes that the Natural Law Party promotes. They wish to establish a coherence-creating group for the island, which would require just over 40 Yogic Flyers. This was the first direct contribution from a Prime Minister to an International Natural Law Party Convention, and deep appreciation was shown by members of the convention for the work that she and her husband are doing.

In his closing remarks Reinhard Borowitz, convention chairman and leading candidate in the Natural Law Party's German election campaign, brought to our attention again the need for Natural Law Parties to be established in countries where they do not already exist, particularly in Africa. Anyone who may be interested in this project should contact Dr Reinhard Borowitz, Maharishi International Council of Natural Law Parties, Hoge Boekelerweg 255, NL-7532 RE, Enschede. Holland. 0031-475 40 4011; 0031-475 40 3642. Or send an e-mail to nlp@euronet.nl.

The convention provided all members of the Natural Law Parties a chance to meet together and share ideas and experiences – a truly inspiring event held in the luxury of the Maritim Hotel, Bonn. Not to be missed next year.