NYC Mayor Eric Adams declares, by Official Proclamation, August 2nd, 2023, as "Global Forgiveness Day" in New York City

Aug 9, 2023

Great News!! Six Cities and a State in the USA Declare 2nd August 2023 as Global Forgiveness Day, commemorating Revered Dada Vaswani’s Birthday

New York, United States - August 9, 2023 —

A powerful wave of forgiveness and compassion swept through New York City as Mayor Eric Adams officially proclaimed August 2nd, 2023, as "Global Forgiveness Day." The historic proclamation, by official decree, recognizes the significance of this day in promoting love, peace, and healing among individuals and communities worldwide.


Distinguished leaders and representatives from the State of New York, the City of New York, and the towns of East Brunswick, Closter, Edison, Secaucus, and Guttenberg, New Jersey, all united and joined Mayor Eric Adams in proclaiming this day as the Global Forgiveness Day, celebrating the life and teachings of visionary spiritual luminary Revered Dada J.P. Vaswani. The esteemed spiritual leader's birthday served as the perfect occasion to commemorate Global Forgiveness Day and embrace forgiveness as a powerful catalyst for positive change. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker were deeply touched by the occasion and sent special messages of compassion and love to all.


As part of the celebrations, an event was organized at the Consulate of India, New York, on August 2nd, to proclaim "Global Forgiveness Day." Joining this event were Jennifer Rajkumar, New York State Representative and Assembly Woman, Mayor of Closter, John C. Glidden, Jr., Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner NYC Mayor's Office for International Affairs, Consul General Randhir Jaiswal, Jagdish Sehwani, Jonathan Granoff, and several participants, dignitaries, and prominent personalities from New York City, who paid homage to the visionary spiritual luminary, Dada J.P. Vaswani, whose teachings have inspired the Global Forgiveness Day movement.


The core team of Dada J.P. Vaswani's mission in New Jersey, led by Eddie Datwani, Chairman, Ashok Lalwani, CEO, Chandru Mahtani, Treasurer, and all the board and committee members, were gratefully overjoyed by these proclamations, which highlight the commitment of these cities and the state to foster understanding and empathy in a world that craves healing and unity. Global Forgiveness Day aims to inspire acts of forgiveness, love, and kindness, nurturing an environment of compassion and hope for everyone, and creating a more inclusive world.


A profound message on the power of fostering a habit of forgiveness on a day-to-day basis by Dada J.P. Vaswani and a guided visualization-based meditation by Didi Krishna Kumari along with deeply moving live santoor (meditative musical instrument) by Vinay Desai, a student of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, was played at this event in New York, taking everyone to that calm state within. The event proceedings commenced with the rendering of the national anthems of India and USA, probably for the first time ever on Santoor. The entire audience rose in respect while Vinay played his instrument. Everyone observed "A Moment of Calm" with silence, practicing forgiveness, and reflecting on its significance in their personal and collective journeys. The Moment of Calm resonated with similar sessions held in numerous cities worldwide, including Pune in India, the headquarters of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, where millions united in the message of forgiveness and reconciliation.


The movement is receiving widespread acclaim, attracting collaborations with esteemed organizations dedicated to peace and forgiveness. Partnerships with Greater Good of the University of California, Berkeley, CCARE of Stanford University, Project Forgive, Unify, Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance, The Path of Forgiveness, Infinite Love, The Love Foundation, Pardon International, Project Happiness, and Choose Love Movement continue to strengthen the global network of peace advocates.


Revered Dada Vaswani's profound statement, "Hearts at peace will create world peace," continues to resonate with people worldwide, inspiring them to embrace forgiveness as a path to lasting peace and understanding. His legacy of love and compassion continues to touch hearts across the globe. The teachings of Dada Vaswani resonated with prominent personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, H.H. Dalai Lama, H.H. Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni, H.H. Pope Francis, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bukhari, Grand Mufti of Syria, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, and many others, who have embraced the transformative power of forgiveness.


"Love is seeing God in the person next to us, and meditation is seeing God within us." - Revered Dada J.P. Vaswani


"Global Forgiveness Day" and "A Moment of Calm" have now become a symbol of collective responsibility, inspiring individuals to contribute to a more compassionate and loving world. As the event concluded in NYC, the spirit of forgiveness lives on, encouraging everyone to integrate forgiveness into their daily lives and foster personal growth.


Join the global movement and experience the profound impact of forgiveness. By practicing forgiveness, we sow the seeds of love and compassion, nurturing a more peaceful and harmonious society.


For more information about Global Forgiveness Day and to join the Moment of Calm initiative, please visit:


Official Moment of Calm Website: [http://momentofcalm.org/]


Sadhu Vaswani Mission Website: [https://www.sadhuvaswani.org/]


About Global Forgiveness Day: Global Forgiveness Day is an annual event dedicated to honoring the life and teachings of Revered Dada J.P. Vaswani, the esteemed spiritual leader, at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission.


The Moment of Calm Movement: The Moment of Calm was initiated by Revered Dada Vaswani, and it calls upon individuals worldwide to dedicate two minutes at 2 pm on August 2nd to embrace forgiveness and seek inner well-being. The movement aims to create a more harmonious world filled with love, compassion, and understanding.


About Sadhu Vaswani Mission: The Sadhu Vaswani Mission, a non-profit organization headquartered in Pune, India, was founded by Sadhu Vaswani's spiritual successor, Revered Dada J.P. Vaswani. The Mission operates various social and humanitarian projects, educational institutions, and hospitals that offer free medical services, heart transplants, cataract surgeries, and more, regardless of caste or creed. The Mission's teachings revolve around universal love, reverence for all life, and the power of forgiveness. Join the Moment of Calm movement and be a part of the global wave of forgiveness and positive, inspired living. Together, let us create a world filled with peace, love, and harmony.

Contact Info:
Name: Neha Luhia
Email: Send Email
Organization: Moment of Calm
Website: http://momentofcalm.org/

Release ID: 89104434

In case of identifying any problems, concerns, or inaccuracies in the content shared in this press release, or if a press release needs to be taken down, we urge you to notify us immediately by contacting [email protected]. Our dedicated team will be readily accessible to address your concerns and take swift action within 8 hours to rectify any issues identified or assist with the removal process. We are committed to delivering high-quality content and ensuring accuracy for our valued readers.

More News

Many contenders chasing champion Knicks
Oct 20, 2026

Many contenders chasing champion Knicks

LEBRON James went to Philadelphia. Giannis Antetokounmpo moved to Miami. Kawhi Leonard returned to Toronto. A dozen or so former All-Star selections, the majority of them being former All-NBA picks, changed addresses this offseason as well. And they’re all chasing the New York Knicks. The 81st season of NBA play starts on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) with a tripleheader, highlighted by James and the 76ers heading to New York to face Jalen Brunson and the champion Knicks. They’ll get their championship rings before the game, see a banner swaying from the ceiling of Madison Square Garden and then get down to the task of doing something that nobody in the NBA has done for nearly a decade — repeat as title winners. The Knicks became the NBA’s eighth different champion in the last eight years, a run unprecedented in league history. They’re not the favorites to win the title this season; that role is shared by Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Knicks weren’t expected to win it all last season either, and NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jalen Brunson points to the title as proof that words don’t have to matter. “There’s only potential distractions when you read and believe what people are saying,” Brunson said. “So, no matter what’s being said and no matter what’s been talked about, consistently or not, you believe what you want to believe, you hear what you want to hear. It’s on us as teammates, and individuals and professionals to understand what the nature of it is. ... The way we won was just because of how connected we were as a group. We’ve got to keep that.” There is no shortage of legitimate contenders, on both sides of the league. In the Eastern Conference, four of the last eight NBA Finals MVPs changed uniforms — Leonard returning to Toronto, Antetokounmpo going to Miami, and James and Jaylen Brown joining the Sixers. Detroit and Cleveland brought their rosters back virtually intact, as did the Knicks. Boston will plug Paul George into the hole created by Brown moving to Philadelphia and pair him with Jayson Tatum. Indiana gets Tyrese Haliburton back for the first time since losing Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and expects to contend again. “From a team perspective, we don’t have any conversations about anything but winning a championship. That’s our goal. There’s nothing more to talk about,” Haliburton said. “There are no small wins. To me, the year’s successful if you win a championship. If not, it’s not.” And the Western Conference, as always, is loaded. Wembenyama and Gilgeous-Alexander are two of the game’s biggest stars, and the Spurs and Thunder lead the West pack. Nikola Jokic, always considered a serious contender for MVP honors, will try to get Denver back into title contention. Golden State still has Stephen Curry, the Los Angeles Lakers still have Luka Doncic, Houston is expected to contend with Kevin Durant leading the way, Portland finally will have Damian Lillard in uniform and Minnesota put together what’s expected to be an elite backcourt by pairing LaMelo Ball with Anthony Edwards. “New beginnings,” Ball said. “It’s literally a new story. We’re all excited here. It’s going to be fun.” The Spurs got to the NBA Finals last season after winning a Game 7 in Oklahoma City (OKC), ending hopes the Thunder had of being the league’s first back-to-back champion since the Warriors did it in 2017 and 2018. That loss, for certain, stung the Thunder. But the offseason in OKC was about getting ready for 29 opponents, not just the one in San Antonio. “We need to make sure that what we are doing is broad enough that it gives us a chance to be competitive across opponents, including ones that we are not aware that are going to be really good teams. That happens every single year,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And so we need to be laser-focused on ourselves. We need to take the lessons from that series, for sure, and we did. But it’s certainly not something that we overcorrect for because you end up chasing your shadow, and it prevents you from being your best as you move forward.” There are six new coaches this season: Dusty May took his NCAA title won last spring with Michigan and moved to Dallas, Micah Nori takes over in Portland, Tiago Splitter will coach Chicago, Taylor Jenkins was tabbed to oversee the post-Giannis rebuild in Milwaukee, Sean Sweeney got the job in Orlando to replace Jamahl Mosley and Mosley will coach New Orleans. The NBA Cup final will move from Las Vegas to Indianapolis this year, the All-Star weekend is in Phoenix and there’s a No. 1 draft pick in AJ Dybantsa, who already is turning heads in Washington. But all eyes will eventually turn to June, and whoever will be the next team to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.“We did something great last year,” Knicks wing Mikal Bridges said. “That was last year. I think the biggest thing coming into this year is that we know what it takes.”

Reese lifts Dream past Valkyries to level WNBA finals
Oct 20, 2026

Reese lifts Dream past Valkyries to level WNBA finals

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Angel Reese scored a game-high 30 points as the Atlanta Dream defeated the Golden State Valkyries, 79-65, to level their best-of-seven WNBA Finals series on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). Three-time WNBA All-Star and reigning defensive player of the year Reese delivered a huge performance at both ends of the court as Atlanta bounced back from their Game 1 defeat on Saturday. As well as leading the scoring, Reese also came up big on the defensive end with 16 rebounds, two blocks and a steal to subdue Golden State’s Chase Center home crowd. “I’m just doing whatever it takes to win,” Reese said in an on-court interview following the victory. “This environment is tough to play in. Shout out to the fans and shout to my team though — we came and fought. “Game 1 was tough for us, but we moved on and turned the page, and got back to who we are.” Reese received scoring support from Alisha Gray with 18 points while Jordin Canada also reached double figures with 13 points. Golden State’s Game 1 hero Gabby Williams was restricted to 14 points while Tiffany Hayes also finished with 14. The series now heads back to Atlanta for Game 3 on Wednesday, with Game 4 scheduled for Friday. Both teams are chasing a first WNBA title. The Dream have come up empty in three prior trips to the Finals, most recently in 2013. The Valkyries, who last year became the first WNBA expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season, are now contending for the title in their second.

49ers beat Commanders to remain perfect in NFL
Oct 20, 2026

49ers beat Commanders to remain perfect in NFL

SAN FRANCISCO, California — The San Francisco 49ers had appeared to be strolling toward a routine win after quarterback Brock Purdy found tight end George Kittle in the endzone to cap a nine-play 64-yard drive in the first quarter. Washington responded with a 51-yard field goal from Drew Stevens but San Francisco were soon leading by 10 points after McCaffrey rushed from the one-yard line to make it 13-3. Another close-range McCaffrey touchdown in the second quarter after a 14-play 69-yard drive took San Francisco into a 20-3 lead at half-time. A 33-yard field goal from Eddy Pineiro made it 23-3 to the 49ers early in the third quarter and seemingly on course for a comfortable victory. Washington though began fighting back late in the third quarter with Daniels hitting Stefon Diggs for a touchdown to make it 23-10. Daniels tossed a second touchdown midway through the fourth quarter when he found Rachaad White to help take the score to 23-17. The Washington defense forced San Francisco to punt twice on their next two possessions and that left the Commanders one last chance to snatch a winning score. That drive ended with Daniels sacked at the Washington 42-yard line to end the game.  AFP LISBON — Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a 30-day suspension for leaving the Portuguese national team camp, the country’s football federation (FPF) announced on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). The 41-year-old abruptly left the Portugal camp on Sept. 30 during the UEFA Nations League, before accusing coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word about giving him game time. Ronaldo apologized to supporters earlier in October, adding he would accept any punishment that was imposed. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who will also have to pay a fine of 255 euros ($286), has received the minimum penalty provided for in the federation’s regulations, which stipulate suspensions of between one and six months for leaving the national team. Ronaldo left Portugal’s squad after first being made to warm up as a substitute against Norway on Sept. 27 and not being brought on, and then finding out he would not start against Denmark in the match on Oct. 1. Ronaldo’s suspension takes effect from the day of the Denmark match, meaning he has already served 19 days of his ban and will complete it by the end of October. The FPF disciplinary committee said it took into account “the remorse shown in the statement” issued by Ronaldo on Oct. 6, in which he admitted his mistake and expressed his willingness to accept a punishment. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is Portugal’s all-time top goal scorer and record appearance-maker in men’s international football. But in his absence, Portugal won all four of their Nations League matches and qualified for the quarterfinals with two games to spare.

Ronaldo handed 30-day suspension
Oct 20, 2026

Ronaldo handed 30-day suspension

LISBON — Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a 30-day suspension for leaving the Portuguese national team camp, the country’s football federation (FPF) announced on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). The 41-year-old abruptly left the Portugal camp on Sept. 30 during the UEFA Nations League, before accusing coach Jorge Jesus of breaking his word about giving him game time. Ronaldo apologized to supporters earlier in October, adding he would accept any punishment that was imposed. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who will also have to pay a fine of 255 euros ($286), has received the minimum penalty provided for in the federation’s regulations, which stipulate suspensions of between one and six months for leaving the national team. Ronaldo left Portugal’s squad after first being made to warm up as a substitute against Norway on Sept. 27 and not being brought on, and then finding out he would not start against Denmark in the match on Oct. 1. Ronaldo’s suspension takes effect from the day of the Denmark match, meaning he has already served 19 days of his ban and will complete it by the end of October. The FPF disciplinary committee said it took into account “the remorse shown in the statement” issued by Ronaldo on Oct. 6, in which he admitted his mistake and expressed his willingness to accept a punishment. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is Portugal’s all-time top goal scorer and record appearance-maker in men’s international football. But in his absence, Portugal won all four of their Nations League matches and qualified for the quarterfinals with two games to spare. Portugal host Denmark on Nov. 14 and then travel to face Wales on Nov. 17 in their final two Nations League Group A4 matches — by which time Ronaldo will have served his suspension. In a social media post shortly after his walk-out, Ronaldo accused Portugal boss Jesus of breaking his word about giving him game time in Nations League matches but insisted he was not retiring from international duty. “I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” Ronaldo posted. He said Jesus had gone back on his word about bringing him on against Norway, and then in a press conference before the Denmark match had not said a series of points they had agreed upon during a conversation beforehand. One of Ronaldo’s preapproved talking points was that Jesus had “made a mistake in asking someone of the stature of Pele or Maradona to warm up and then not sending him on in the match.” Jesus, speaking several days later, said he would select Ronaldo for international duty if the forward was playing for his club Al Nassr, and was interested in being called up. Following the FPF’s announcement, Ronaldo did not directly react to the news on Instagram but did post a picture of himself preparing to train with his Saudi club, accompanied with the caption, “Putting in the work.” AFP

YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.

Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?

Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.