Jain spiritual leader Acharya Lokesh receives civic proclamation in New Jersey for peace work
New Jersey, June 12
A peace campaign led by Jain spiritual leader Acharya Lokesh received official recognition in the United States after the Mayor of Egg Harbor Township in New Jersey honoured him for his efforts to promote global peace and interfaith harmony.
At a ceremony held at the City Council Hall in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County, Mayor Laura Pfrommer presented a civic proclamation to Acharya Lokesh, founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti and the World Peace Center, New Delhi.
The proclamation recognised Acharya Lokesh's work through the "We Support Peace" campaign, an initiative aimed at encouraging dialogue, non-violence and peaceful coexistence across communities and nations.
Speaking at the event, Mayor Pfrommer said the campaign had now reached the United States and was inspiring people to contribute towards the vision of a world free from war. She also described Acharya Lokesh as someone committed to promoting peace, harmony and universal brotherhood.
Basant Gupta, a member of the Atlantic County Cultural and Heritage Board, was also present during the ceremony.
According to a press release, Acharya Lokesh, while speaking at the event, invoked the Sanskrit principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, "The World is One Family," a phrase from ancient Indian scripture that has become shorthand for the country's pluralist self-image on the global stage. He framed his mission not as the work of one monk, but as an expression of a civilization's long moral inheritance.
"War and violence can never solve any problem," he said. "Violence only breeds further violence, while wars bring immense suffering and are a curse for humanity." He enumerated the downstream consequences of conflict, inflation, unemployment, pandemics, and humanitarian crises , and argued that their effects ripple across generations long after the guns fall silent.
The "We Support Peace" campaign, which Acharya Lokesh launched and has carried across continents, operates through the logic of moral persuasion rather than political pressure. It seeks to unite people across countries, cultures, and faith traditions under a single, austere message: that lasting development, economic, social, spiritual, is impossible without peace.
At the close of the ceremony in New Jersey, Acharya Lokesh called upon citizens everywhere to make peace "a global priority." He offered a blessing for the well-being of all, praying for peace, happiness, and prosperity for humanity -- words that, in the council chambers of a small American township, briefly made the distance between Rajasthan and the Jersey Shore feel very short.
Acharya Lokesh is the Founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti and the World Peace Center, New Delhi. Mayor Laura Pfrommer leads Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an American who met Acharya Lokesh at a interfaith event in NYC last year, I can say his message resonates deeply here. The "We Support Peace" campaign is simple but powerful — it asks people to sign a pledge, not to protest or lobby, just to commit to nonviolence. I signed it myself. In these divisive times, we need voices like his reminding us that humanity is one family. Respect from New Jersey! 🇺🇸🤝🇮🇳
Another day, another Indian guru getting honoured abroad while we ignore our own problems at home 🙄 Don't get me wrong — peace is great, but our country has real issues like poverty, corruption, and communal tension. Why don't these spiritual leaders focus on cleaning up our own backyard first before jet-setting to the US for certificates? Just saying...
What a beautiful moment for Indian culture globally! 🇮🇳 The fact that a Jain acharya from Rajasthan is being honoured in New Jersey shows how soft power works — not through armies, but through ideas. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is our gift to the world. And honestly, we need this message now more than ever with wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar. Well done Acharya ji! 🙏
I live in Egg Harbor Township and attended this event! It was truly inspiring to see our mayor present the proclamation. The acharya spoke so calmly but with such conviction — he said "War and violence can never solve any problem" and the entire room was silent. It made me think about how we Americans often rush to military solutions. Maybe we need more of this Eastern wisdom.
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