A soulful tribute to the Secretary-General: the Pilot Supreme of the United Nations

Part I — A soulful tribute

Kurt Waldheim

The Pilot Supreme

When the seeker in me concentrates on the illumination-mind, meditates on the oneness-heart and contemplates on the satisfaction-soul of the Secretary-General, he gets three most earth-liberating and Heaven-fulfilling messages. These messages primarily deal with divine necessity and human responsibility in connection with the cry of the world-body — the United Nations — and the smile of the world-soul — the United Nations.

The message of the illumination-mind of the Secretary-General runs thus: When a human being goes deep within and wants to make friends with necessity, necessity immediately wants to become his friend. Necessity and he become close friends. They have one ideal, one goal, and that ideal is satisfaction, that goal is perfection.

Then a human being goes without and as soon as he comes out, responsibility wants to make friends with him. He does not want responsibility to be his friend, but responsibility compels him to become its friend. Unwillingly, with great reluctance, he condescends to become responsibility’s friend. Responsibility’s ideal and responsibility’s goal he does not sincerely like, but he is compelled to love responsibility’s ideal and goal just because he has agreed to accept responsibility as his friend. Responsibility’s ideal is to work for others and to be satisfied in others’ satisfaction. Responsibility’s goal is to work for others’ perfection and to find one’s own perfection in their perfection.

In the human world, necessity inspires a human being, educates him and prepares him. In the human world, responsibility frustrates him, tortures him and weakens him. In the divine world there is no such thing as compelled responsibility or self-styled responsibility. There is no responsibility whatsoever. There is only one necessity and that necessity is at once illumining and fulfilling. Again, there is a third world, which is God’s own self-transcendence world. In God’s own self-transcendence world there is no such thing as responsibility; there is not even necessity. In God’s world there is only one thing: satisfaction-reality.

Countless wants each individual has; but there can be only one necessity if that individual is sincere to himself, sincere to the world and sincere to God, and that necessity is God’s Smile. Countless obligations each individual has; but there is and there can be only one true responsibility, and that responsibility lies in our sincere effort to fulfil the real need of the world and not its wants or demands.

Necessity is self-enquiry for God-discovery. Responsibility is world-education for world-perfection.

Necessity is a one-way street. Here the doer and the action go together. Here the dream of the individual seeker and the reality of the individual seeker live together in perfect harmony, complementing and fulfilling each other.

Responsibility is a two-way street. Here the giver is an individual and the receiver is another individual, and there comes a time when they meet together. When the receiver receives, at times he may be grateful; at times he may not be grateful at all. When the giver gives, at times he may be soulful and at times he may be anything but soulful. But the giver and the receiver meet together at a particular point, at a particular place. The giver either willingly or unwillingly gives and the receiver either gratefully or ungratefully receives. In responsibility there is always a division: two entities, two realities — giver and receiver. In necessity there is only the song of oneness. Here two become one, three become one, four become one; for all of them have one soul and one goal.

The message of the Secretary-General’s oneness-heart runs thus: the demanding world tells us that it is the responsibility of the United Nations to bring about world peace since it bears the name “United Nations.” The demanding world always claims that in order to prove its worth, the United Nations must bring about world peace. This is the truth that the demanding world offers us. But the loving world has something else to tell. The loving world tells us that it is the necessity of the world at large, of the entire world, to have peace, to have love, to have harmony. The United Nations is a member of the world family. The world houses the United Nations. In the case of the United Nations, a member of the world family is most sincerely willing to try to bring peace to all the other members of the family. It is the world-necessity that the United Nations has accepted as its own necessity. This is not responsibility; it is necessity. So the loving world feels a most prominent, qualified member of its family has accepted the world-necessity as its own necessity and is trying its utmost to bring about world peace according to the world’s willingness.

In a family there are parents and children. The United Nations can be called a strong young man in the family. The parents or, let us say, the oldest members of the family or the old nations — these the United Nations can keep on its shoulders perfectly safe. And the new nations, the young children, its younger brothers and sisters — these the United Nations can keep beside itself. The parents are satisfied when their strong young boy places them on his shoulders and takes them to the destination, and the little members of the family are also satisfied when they can go alongside their strong brother and reach the destination with him. And what is their destination? World-progress is their destination, world-satisfaction is their destination. So the old nations and the young nations can perfectly be carried to their destination with love, sympathy and inner capacity, provided they claim the United Nations as a real, true, genuine member of their family. The capacity of the United Nations is nothing short of its world-embracing and world-illumining vision.

The message of the Secretary-General’s satisfaction-soul runs thus: compromise is not and cannot be the real answer to the world’s problems. Compromise, the breath of compromise, is very short-lived. It is like a fleeting second. What is needed, what is of paramount importance, is oneness, not compromise. What is compromise? If you don’t speak ill of me, I shall not speak ill of you. If you keep silent, then I shall also keep silent; or if you do this, I shall do this and if you don’t do that, then I won’t do that. This is compromise.

But in oneness we notice something else. In oneness we see that two individuals become absolutely inseparably one for their oneness-satisfaction, even though they are performing two different tasks. One can remain silent and the other can talk. One speaks what he has to say and the other listens devotedly and soulfully; then they change their respective roles. In oneness, each can play the role of multiplicity. With one hand I can do something to please my mind and with the other hand I can do something to please my body. I can please my eyes and, at the same time, I can please my ears. I can look at you and appreciate your beauty and, at the same time, I can hear what you have to say. The soul of the United Nations teaches us the most sublime truth that two individuals or all individuals can do something according to their own capacity, their own willingness, their own receptivity, and still please all the members of their spiritual family. It is like an orchestra. There are many players, and each player is playing a different instrument. But each player is needed. On the piano, each key is needed. We cannot say that one is enough, for then there will be no music. All the keys are necessary. Similarly, all the members of the United Nations are necessary. They will produce different notes, but they have to go together if there is to be a musical symphony. In this way there can be real oneness in variety; in this way the world can achieve peace in multiplicity.

Again, each nation need not play the same note all the time. Silence and sound: this is what God eternally is. When it is necessary for some nation to see the face of reality-silence, that nation has to remain silent. When a particular nation feels it is necessary to see the face of reality-sound, it will enter into the life of action. Action and inaction, sound and silence, must go together. On one level these two things are diametrically opposite — action and inaction, sound and silence — but in the deepest reality-existence they are one. Dream-world and reality-world, sound-world and silence-world complement each other and fulfil each other.

The United Nations is playing a most important role in seeking to establish world harmony, world peace, world oneness, world divinity, world perfection and God-satisfaction. The outer world says that the United Nations is not strong enough, but the inner world has something else to say. The inner world says that the real capacity of the United Nations is its willingness, its inner cry. The United Nations is crying for world peace; and this very act of crying is its real capacity. It has no other capacity. The way of oneness that cries to lead us to the ultimate destination: this is the United Nations. The cry itself is its capacity and this capacity is of supreme importance.

True, this capacity cannot or does not meet with satisfaction-reality all at once. I have the capacity to run, let us say, but I am not at the destination. I have just left the starting point; my goal is still ahead. Capacity does not mean immediate success or immediate victory. Capacity is a continuous movement that eventually leads us to our destined goal. So right now the United Nations, which is the supreme human and divine necessity — God’s necessity on earth to bring about world peace — is a cry, a movement, a forward march, a forward adventure. A runner is running. Just because the runner has not reached the goal, this does not mean that the runner will fail. There is an appointed hour and at that appointed hour, which is God’s choice Hour, the inner dream — the real dream — of the United Nations will be transformed into reality. This is necessity, the inner necessity of the soul of the United Nations and also its God-ordained responsibility. Self-imposed responsibility, self-styled responsibility, does not last more than a few minutes, a few hours, a few days, a few months, a few years. But God-ordained responsibility is like Eternity’s own necessity.

Patriotism and world-vision

The human in our Secretary-General is from Austria. The divine in him is not only for Austria but for the entire world-thirst, world-hunger and world-cry.

Kurt Waldheim’s life offers dramatic proof that national patriotism and world citizenship are not necessarily at odds. To be a world citizen does not mean that one has to renounce one’s own country, for each country has something special to offer to the family of nations. One country may be lacking in one particular aspect of life but may excel in another aspect. Thus, the fragrance of each nation-flower can inspire and illumine its brother and sister nations.

When his own beloved country is accused, the great patriot in Kurt Waldheim comes to the fore and not only defends his country but throws considerable light on the confusing and confused world-mind:

“From time to time, Austria's foreign policy is accused of lacking glamour. We cannot reject such a criticism strongly enough. It would indeed be a grave mistake for a neutral country to try to attract world attention through dramatic declarations or actions. It might mean a temporary appearance of the country's name in the headlines of world news, but the political consequences would be disastrous. Many such declarations by well-known politicians have in the past aroused much publicity and created a host of misunderstandings that contributed to international unrest. The foreign offices of the countries concerned then had the difficult task of repairing the damage by correcting, redressing or explaining the statement that had been made. A foreign policy of sensationalism is contrary to the interests of a neutral country. Reason, cool-headedness and continuity are infinitely more necessary than dramatisation.”

During Kurt Waldheim’s term of office as Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, undoubtedly there was a special significance to why he was divinely honoured as Chairman of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and later supremely honoured as President of the First United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The peace-lover in our present Secretary-General voices forth:

> The progress achieved has also provided the international community with an eloquent testimony of a historical process, that given the political will, an area of potential rivalry and conflict in international politics can be turned into a fruitful co-operative endeavour for the benefit of mankind.

Man invents war. Man discovers peace. He invents war from without. He discovers peace from within. War man throws. Peace man sows. The smile of war is the flood of human blood. The smile of peace is the love, below, above.

Peace is the whole truth that wishes to enrapture humanity. War is the whole falsehood that wants to capture humanity. Peace begins in the soul and ends in the heart. War begins in the mind and ends in the body.

War forgets peace. Peace forgives war. War is the death of the life human. Peace is the birth of the Life Divine. Our vital passions want war. Our psychic emotions desire peace.

Commenting on how the pioneers of outer space have enlightened the world’s vision of peace, Kurt Waldheim affirms:

> Man’s sense of world community has been sharpened by the dramatic vision of the earth as revealed to us by the pioneers of space. From this perspective the differences which have divided men in the past tend to recede before the reality of common sense.

In April, 1971, Kurt Waldheim was one of two candidates for the Federal Presidency of Austria. But after being appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations, the heart-home of the world-body, this son of Austria proved himself to be first and foremost a lover of mankind. Him to quote:

> ... There is no conflict between citizenship of one’s own country and a wider concern for mankind as a whole. The interdependence of mankind is not a rhetorical cliche — it represents a profound reality.

Again he says:

> In my opinion, there should be no fundamental conflict between national self-interest and the goals of the international community and of mankind as a whole. ... That is the real function of the United Nations: to be available to the countries of the world, not as a utopian substitute for traditional international relations, but as a mechanism, an instrument, by means of which national policies can be shaped and harmonised to take into account the legitimate hopes and aspirations of all countries.

With regard to his beloved country, Kurt Waldheim has become one with the wisdom of Socrates, the great wise man of the past who taught us: “I am not an Athenian, nor am I a Greek. I am a citizen of the world.”

The United Nations message of love and brotherhood can easily be understood and spread by all of humanity if each person can claim the message of Socrates as his own and feel that he belongs to the larger world-family. In this respect, the Secretary-General sees eye to eye with his predecessor, U Thant, whose lofty vision affirms:

> A new quality of planetary imagination is demanded from all of us as the price of human survival. I am not decrying that form of nationalism that prompts the individual citizen to appreciate and praise the achievements and values that his native land has contributed to the well-being and happiness of the whole human race. Nor am I calling for international homogenisation, for I rejoice in cultural and national uniqueness. But I am making a plea — a plea based on these ten years of looking at the human condition from my unique vantage point — for a dual allegiance. This implies an open acceptance of belonging — as in fact we all do — to the human race as well as to our local community or nation. I even believe that the mark of the truly educated and imaginative person facing the twenty-first century is that he feels himself to be a planetary citizen.

No longer can any country dare to live the life of isolation as the vision of a oneness-world grows ever brighter on the horizon. Kurt Waldheim saw this clearly in the case of his own beloved country:

> Living contact with the world outside has become more necessary than ever if the correct decisions are to be made at the right moment. Austria’s membership in the United Nations makes this kind of contact possible and therefore is of great help to Austria’s foreign policy. In this way Austria has managed to shake off the isolation into which she had been thrust by the tragic events of 1938 and their consequences, and to regain her rightful position on the world scene in view of her noble past and present achievements.

Kurt Waldheim’s world-vision encompasses all nations, both large and small. Although the pragmatist in him sees clearly the influential role of the big powers in world affairs, he is firmly convinced that only with the help of the smaller brother and sister nations can a new great alliance be established among all the countries in the United Nations. Him to quote:

> The destiny of the United Nations will ultimately depend on a satisfactory solution of the problem of relations between the industrialised countries and the far more numerous developing countries. It will also depend very much on whether the United Nations can be made truly representative, truly “universal”.

To unite all countries and all men: this is the ultimate goal of the United Nations. To see all human hearts and minds striving for one highest cause: what else is true spirituality if not this? Spirituality is the union of all human aspirations for a better and more illumining life in a world of harmony and oneness.

The necessity-height of the United Nations

This soulful and fruitful declaration of the Secretary-General inspires and illumines our searching minds and aspiring hearts. Again he affirms: “I firmly believe that, for all its shortcomings and frustrations, the United Nations is an indispensable institution.”

The Secretary-General sees the United Nations as essentially a great and unique human experiment. As such, it is open to all the human shortcomings and weaknesses. But it is because it is a human organisation, served by individual human beings from every continent, that its strength and relevance derives.

Change of nature, either in human life or in any phase of life itself, has proved to be a most difficult task. When the ascending aspiration-flames from below and the descending Compassion-Sun from above meet together, the seemingly impossible task of nature’s change, either in an individual life or in a country’s life, can both surprisingly and satisfactorily take place. Nature’s change has always been slow, steady, but unerring. With regard to the nature’s transformation of a State, what the United Nations can unmistakably and will convincingly do is most illuminingly expressed by its supreme Pilot, Kurt Waldheim:

> When States become members of the United Nations, they do not suddenly and miraculously change their nature... But if the United Nations was not meant to initiate a fundamental transformation of the nature of world politics, the Organisation does provide the framework and the machinery for channelling national actions into more constructive directions...

Each dedicated action of the United Nations is not only an experiment of man but an experience of God in the world and for the world. Truth to tell, the United Nations aspiration for brotherhood and peace is divinely indispensable in the eternal march of world-evolution. What could be greater than the hope that the heart and soul of this world family offer mankind? The all-seeing hope and vision of the United Nations will lead humanity to the highest Peace, Light and Bliss for the manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.

To quote the late Secretary-General U Thant, who was one with his successor Kurt Waldheim in his realisation of the indispensability of this world institution:

> Humanity has reached the point of no return. Acceptance of the community of interest has become a requirement of human survival on this planet. It can no longer be dismissed as an idealistic concept, unrelated to realities. The traditional sovereign state is no longer a viable guarantee of a nation’s security or economic prosperity, nor even a guarantee of national survival. More and more men of science and scholarship, as well as business leaders and public administrators, have come to grasp this underlying fact of interdependence today.

To our Secretary-General, the divine reason and purpose of the World Organisation are supremely self-evident:

> The world does not need a new political cataclysm to provoke such an alliance. Poverty, hunger, the lack of proper education, health and shelter, and the new problems of the environment and of our endangered seas, waters and atmosphere are big enough problems to justify the co-operation of all forces in the United Nations.

Countless are the problems when we live in the unlit and doubting mind. But there is only one problem — absolutely one and not two — when we live in the awakened life and the oneness-loving heart, and that problem is the problem of survival and prosperity of all men. How do we divinely survive and supremely prosper? Here is the irrevocable proclamation offered to the world by our Secretary-General:

> As we now consider the choices before us, we must realise we are not faced with many separate problems, but with different aspects of a single over-all problem: the survival and prosperity of all men and women and their harmonious development, physical as well as spiritual, in peace, with each other and with nature. This is the solution we must seek. It is within our power to find it.

The United Nations offers to seekers and lovers of the world a divine hope and promise, as the truth-seeker and harmony-seeker in Kurt Waldheim so clearly sees:

The message of practical idealism

Speaking of the challenges of the secretary-generalship, Kurt Waldheim says:

> The secretary-generalship is at the same time one of the most fascinating and one of the most frustrating jobs in the world, encompassing, as it does, the height of human aspiration and the depth of human frailty. No one is so exposed to that bitter contrast as the Secretary-General, and it requires a constant effort of will on his part to continue day after day and night after night to face up to the problems of the world and of the United Nations in the full knowledge that, while he cannot hope to solve them, it is absolutely vital that the effort continue.

As supreme Pilot of the United Nations boat, the Secretary-General must needs constantly inspire and encourage his fellow men. To those fellow travellers who have become too tired along the way to continue the journey to the oneness-world, the Secretary-General Waldheim has a special message: “Only the vision of a better world, a world of peace, justice and progress for all, can sustain us in the daily struggle to meet the dangers, the challenges and the great problems of our time. I am more convinced than ever that our greatest danger will come if we lose that vision and relapse into defeatism and cynicism.”

False hopes often lead to this kind of defeatism and cynicism. The Secretary-General's deep insight tells us: “All too often in the minds of the public the United Nations is mistaken for a world government with legislative and executive powers, and is expected to solve directly every problem on earth, from peace and security to economic development, the environment and the drug problem. This is not the case and it must be made clear to the public that the United Nations is based on the co-operation of sovereign member states.”

The world needs the faith that evolves slowly and steadily from the Creator to the creation and then back to the Source. To those brothers and sisters who have become disillusioned or who have lost faith in the United Nations’ efforts towards world peace, the Secretary-General offers his encouragement:

> Perhaps, there were those whose expectations were too high. But although we may have fewer illusions today, there is no need to be disillusioned. We must not throw away all the advances of the past 28 years. We must face the future with realism, but with a renewed dedication to the task of the maintenance of peace, and the provision of a better life for all the peoples of the world.

This stoic server of mankind inspires the highest determination and will power in each individual and each nation to manifest the inner divine opportunities of the United Nations. The divine qualities and potentialities of this world organisation are not wishful imagination but solid inner realities crying to come to the fore. The Secretary-General’s one-pointed faith in this divine reality speaks thus:

“If progress is slow, that, in the nature of things, is hardly surprising. But if the will is there, and the talent and the dedication, we should not be dismayed by the difficulties. If we believe that by human actions wisely directed the world can be made a better place, then the United Nations presents unrivalled opportunities. I hope that we shall seize them.”

All the nations are like divine pilgrims proceeding slowly, steadily and unerringly towards the same goal. The divine pilgrim in the Secretary General is “convinced that we are embarked on the right road to objectives of vital importance for the future.”

To those who may feel that undertaking this journey on the path to peace and progress is like building castles in the sky, the practical idealist in Kurt Waldheim affirms:

> It is sometimes thought that idealism is unrealistic. In the United Nations, I believe that idealism and practical, far-sighted common sense lead in the same direction. They lead us over a difficult and steep path towards the great objectives of peace, justice, human dignity and equity to which mankind has aspired for centuries. In the United Nations we dare to believe that we can make real progress up this steep path, if we work together with courage and persistence.

The oneness-soul of our United Nations Pilot supreme knows the true truth that this world-body sings the song not only of possibility but also of inevitability. The inner vision and outer reality of the United Nations and the dreams that abide in the hearts of all lovers and servers of mankind are destined to found the Kingdom of Heaven on this very earth. At that time the aspiring soul of the United Nations will sing the song of a oneness-world.

World ignorance and universal light

The wisdom-light of the Pilot supreme of the United Nations knows the necessity of world understanding for and world support of the UN’s vision and reality. The capacities and potentialities, as well as the limitations, of the world organisation must be brought into the full view of individuals and their nations.

But to the eyeless critics of the world organisation, the Secretary-General says:

> Critics of the United Nations often demand, “What do we get out of it?” The answer is a great deal, but I would prefer that you should ask the questions, “What can we put into it?” and “What can we do to make the world organisation more effective as a guarantor of peace and human advancement?”

It is an unfortunate mistake to try to judge the United Nations by what the United Nations has or has not achieved. What is of paramount importance is whether we claim the United Nations as our very own. Indeed, if we can feel that we are part and parcel of this world-body, and if we can increase our own aspiration and dedication in abundant measure, then we can one day illumine the mind and heart of the entire world.

Clearly the Secretary-General sees the urgency and necessity of illumining the world-mind and world-heart:

> Governments may be more inclined to support and to use the United Nations and to implement its recommendations if there is strong public opinion in favour of the Organisation. The people themselves therefore have a crucial say in world affairs. Support and realistic appraisal by the public could be the razor’s edge between war and peace.

Ignorance is man’s worst enemy, yet surprisingly man has formed a long-standing friendship with ignorance. The peerless Pilot of the United Nations speaks out against world-ignorance:

> Of all the evils which have beset mankind in its recent history, that of ignorance is perhaps the worst. For out of ignorance there comes intolerance; out of intolerance there comes hostility; and out of hostility there comes conflict. In our interdependent world it is dangerous to be ignorant of other nations, other faiths, other ideologies, other interests, other ambitions, other hopes. From knowledge of these you will learn how it may be possible for the world — your world — to practise tolerance and live together in peace.

The Light of the Supreme can alone disperse our age-old darkness. Here our best friend, according to Kurt Waldheim, is the universal light offered by education:

> Every school and every university has the duty to ensure that young people are trained to comprehend the new realities, and to realise that, of all the curses of the past, ignorance has been the most terrible of all. With knowledge comes tolerance; and tolerance is the essential basis not only for detente, but for the much wider peace and security which we are seeking for ourselves and for future generations.

Never must we surrender to ignorance, fear, doubt, anxieties and worries. Each obstacle we face is a divine opportunity to muster and strengthen our inner resources. We must know that if the United Nations reflects the human qualities of mankind, so also it reflects the divine potentialities of man. Our Secretary-General sees the divine as far outshining the human in this comity of nations:

> At root, the United Nations represents a striving after great human goals which are common to all peoples... The United Nations certainly reflects many human deficiencies, and it is as capable of error and misjudgement as any other human institution. But I also know that it reflects the great human qualities, of which integrity, perseverance, patience, and compassion are, I believe, the most important.

As fate would have it, ignorance quite often doubts God’s Compassion-Light that operates in and through the service-light of the United Nations, in spite of the Himalayan efforts of world-lovers to serve humanity. Here the Secretary-General voices the emotions that often fill the hearts of world-servers:

> There are occasions, looking at the world as it is, and conscious of what it should be, when a compassionate person is dominated by emotions of despair. The problems are so vast, so intractable, so profound! How can we hope to resolve them, to fulfil the noble ideals of the Charter and the Universal Declaration?

Success and progress

The oft-quoted adage, “Nothing succeeds like success,” has been interpreted with an amazingly broad vision by the Secretary-General:

> There has been some slight progress here and there: certain situations which had been frozen by the Cold War are beginning to show some signs of thaw as a result of the over-all détente. We must keep trying. As you say in business: “Nothing succeeds like success.” Well, we need progress and success in order to achieve other successes and to create a new climate in the world.

The Soul of the United Nations has granted her beloved son, our Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim, beckoning hands to invite ignorance-world for a global progress in the life of universal brotherhood and in the heart of perfection’s height. His inner courage often inspires him to speak out and offer his guidance and help to the member States, when his conscience dictates that the United Nations, under its Charter, should offer its assistance. “Governments may decide not to make use of these offers, but they will realise in the end that the United Nations, despite its limitations, which we must correct, is still the most advanced instrument ever devised by humanity for its collective security.”

The realist in Kurt Waldheim acknowledges that the efforts of the United Nations have not always proved successful:

> The desire for instant success and a disproportionate disillusionment when it is not achieved, is a conspicuous feature of our time. I believe, however — at the risk of being accused of optimism — that we should not resign ourselves to despair so easily. The fact that we know more about our condition than any previous generation in history is an enormous advantage if it is put to good use. It should certainly not be allowed to lead us to defeatism. But to make use of our self-knowledge we must also accept the necessity of change, of new imperatives and of new patterns of activity.

Nonetheless, the United Nations has succeeded most significantly and progressed most fruitfully. As the Secretary-General points out:

> It is only fair to say that it has been of incalculable value to international political progress over the last few decades: it has kept the dialogue between East and West going; it has shown a great many new Afro-Asian states the way into the community of nations; and last but not least, it represents the world’s conscience on the basis of the Charter. It has thus become an irreplaceable moral force in the constellation of forces in international politics. In spite of the new crises that confront it and are threatening to drag it down to one of the lowest points in its history, the member States do seem to be moving towards the realisation of what Dag Hammarskjöld once so strikingly formulated: “We should recognise the United Nations for what it is — an admittedly imperfect but indispensable instrument for the nations, designed to ensure a more just and secure world order through peaceful evolution.”

Again, Secretary-General Waldheim declares:

> Steady, detailed effort is hard to dramatise, and it seldom makes headlines, but who can doubt that the transformations and crises of the past thirty years would have been infinitely more painful and far less subject to peaceful resolution without the United Nations?

The United Nations has progressed to the point where it has much to give in every aspect of human endeavour. Humanity must needs follow its illumining and continuous guidance. Humanity must needs have faith in the United Nations’ dedication and service. To quote Secretary-General Waldheim:

> Slowly and painfully mankind has created machinery for international co-operation in almost every area of human activity, from the prevention of disease to the settlement of international disputes, which never existed before in the history of our planet. Tragically that machinery is not always used, but it has, time and time again, demonstrated its unique value when it has been employed. And, increasingly it is being used — not out of idealism, but because it works. In this, we may record a definite advance.

We may ask why the world often does not recognise the true progress and success of the United Nations? Here we can view the United Nations as a mother who is expected to do everything for her child, the world. Unfortunately, the child very often forgets to offer gratitude to the mother for the mother’s countless inner and outer gifts. But if the child does something for the mother that may be most unimportant, then that very thing receives undue attention. True, the United Nations receives all kinds of help from the world, but the world is not fully aware of the ideals and service that the United Nations is consciously and constantly offering. The Secretary-General throws considerable light on this deplorable situation:

> Many of the activities of the United Nations are so much taken for granted that they are scarcely reported any more. This is probably not a bad development, but it should not cause us to lose sight of the value of the multiple activities of our Organisation or the dangerous vacuum in international life that would be created if, for any reason, they were to cease.

World service

> We are men and women from many lands, representing a rich variety of cultures. And we have been brought together to work in a great common cause: the survival and progress of mankind. The concept of unity in diversity ... underlies our various pursuits at the United Nations.

The dedication-life of each individual in the United Nations Boat is of utmost importance. As the supreme Pilots of the United Nations serve the world, we can also do the same, according to our capacity. Our capacities — however limited — and our prayerful inner devotion to humanity are our solid support that we can offer inwardly and outwardly to the United Nations Boat and its supreme Pilots. According to Secretary-General Waldheim:

> I am deeply convinced that all of us who work for the United Nations must maintain our sense of dedication and idealism. We are, after all, privileged to serve an Organisation whose Charter embodies the highest aims of humanity. I know very well that it is easy to talk about dedication and idealism but much harder to maintain them in all the wearisome difficulties of everyday life. However, from my own experience in the past five years, I am convinced that the vast majority of the members of the Secretariat are moved primarily by their devotion to the principles of the Charter and are proud of the opportunity they have been given to serve in the United Nations, whatever their sphere or level of activity.

Supreme perfection is not the necessity of only one individual or even of all the individuals working in the United Nations. This perfection is the true necessity of all human beings on earth. The dedication of all human beings must go hand in hand with that of all who work for the United Nations. All of us must love and serve our larger world-family. Here the role of the international civil servant is of paramount importance. To quote the Secretary-General:

> If the United Nations reflects much that is tragic, it also reflects much that is good and encouraging in the human spirit. And perhaps the most remarkable of all has been the development of the ideal of international service into a practical reality. There were many at Dumbarton Oaks and San Francisco who were sceptical about the practicality of the concept of men and women from all nations voluntarily serving an international cause, but we have seen in the lives of people ... that it can be, and has been, achieved. We see it today in the selfless dedication of people all over the world working for the United Nations in social and humanitarian relief programmes. We see it in the peace-keeping forces who risk their lives in the quest for peace. We see it in those who work in the United Nations refugee camps, in our health, education, and agricultural programmes, and in the provision of food to those most desperately in need through the World Food Programme.

The international civil servant must needs always dive deep within to strengthen his dedication and increase his oneness with his universal brothers and sisters. To see how the United Nations is serving the world, we must know how we ourselves are serving the world and the United Nations. Let us identify with the United Nations ideals and strive ever to manifest these ideals, to transform the United Nations vision-light into a reality of concern and dedication. There is never a moment to lose in this race against ignorance, and each one of us must needs guard against the dangers of complacency. Says the Secretary-General:

> The fact is that our Organisation has come into middle age and is no longer a young prodigy — or a young problem. This is in one way comforting and in another way dangerous. It is comforting that the United Nations is a firmly established and recognised world institution. It is dangerous if the Organisation becomes complacent, set in its ways, unresponsive to new ideas or irrelevant to contemporary issues. We must constantly be on guard to preserve the institution from such tendencies.

Never before has the practical Wisdom-Light of God been so accessible to us as it is today in the United Nations. Inwardly and outwardly we are being illumined by the United Nations, although we may not be fully aware of it. Similarly, those human beings who are striving to offer the Wisdom-Light of God through the United Nations may not be completely conscious of their God-ordained task, and they may see all too clearly their own limitations and the world’s imperfections. They may feel frustrated that the unaspiring world is not opening up its heart to the wisdom of the United Nations. But the soul of each individual and of each country in the United Nations knows that it has made the right choice.

The Secretary-General envisions the work ahead for the United Nations:

> The coming years promise us greater challenges, more complex problems and doubtless some very difficult times. They also promise us very great opportunities for developing the machinery of international co-operation in many areas, into some of which the international community has scarcely ventured before. I am sure that the Secretariat will be inspired rather than discouraged by these challenges and will continue and develop its service to the international community in accordance with the great traditions which it has already established.

The new ethics: the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

> The United Nations has proposed to all Governments and to all peoples standards of respect for individuals and for groups, derived from the best in the spiritual heritage of mankind as well as from the realities of our rapidly developing societies.

When the Secretary-General met with the head of his own church, Pope Paul VI, in July of 1977, the Pope eloquently spoke about the spirituality of the United Nations:

> Above all, we want the United Nations to be par excellence, the expression and the bulwark of those human rights, which it so solemnly proclaimed almost thirty years ago. A heightened consciousness is needed to make these rights the touchstone of a really humane civilisation and truly to achieve, without excluding any race or any people, the solidarity which is essential between brothers all created in God’s Image.

As part of his message of condolence upon hearing about the sudden death of the Holy Father in August 1978, the Secretary-General declared:

> In the United Nations we specially recall Pope Paul’s historic visit to our Headquarters in New York and his powerful but simple message, “Never again war.” This visit not only set a unique precedent; it also foreshadowed a much closer contact between the leadership of one of the great churches and congregations of the world and the leadership of the world organisation. It forged a new link between the spiritual and the temporal world which has time and again proved its value.

There is only one religion and one truth: man. All peoples can unite to raise an inner temple where all nations can worship the highest ideals and principles of man. And within this temple of man shall shine the benevolent Smile of God. According to the Pilot of the United Nations Boat:

> The United Nations contains many different faiths, ideologies, and beliefs. It embraces all the doctrines and attitudes of mankind, and it was the genius of the founders to create a Charter to whose principles all nations could freely and willingly subscribe.

The Secretary-General’s fervent request runs thus:

> The United Nations needs the help and the support of all the leaders and of all the great religions of the world, if it is to succeed in solving the very complex problems of peace.

The divine ideals of the United Nations will eventually save and free mankind from ignorance, turning man’s vision of peace into true reality. To the Secretary-General, the Charter is supremely instrumental in manifesting the United Nations ideas and ideals:

> The greatest strength of the United Nations is the enduring power of the great and necessary ideas expressed in its Charter — ideas great enough to encompass the complexities, rivalries and differences of all the nations in the co-operative pursuit of certain common aims.

Now what is needed is co-operation and faithfulness to these ideals by all members of the world family. According to our Secretary-General:

> The United Nations Charter opens with the words “We the peoples of the United Nations.” Thus, every man and woman has a profound personal stake in the future of the United Nations. If we work together in a spirit of friendship and understanding, we will have little to fear. Let that be our personal commitment.

Again, he affirms:

> We must always remember that the United Nations was built upon reason, and not emotion. It was built upon the realisation that the true self-interest of sovereign nations lies in international co-operation. The fact of our physical and political interdependence, and the common dangers which all mankind faces, demand that we continue in our task, together, so that we may move closer to the goals of the Charter, and the hopes of mankind which gave them birth.

His predecessor, U Thant, shared Kurt Waldheim’s soulful commitment to the UN Charter. To quote U Thant:

> Tolerance is the principal foundation on which the United Nations Charter rests. Without the spirit of tolerance, one cannot understand, much less appreciate, the Charter. “To practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours” is the actual language of the Charter, and one of the primary functions of the Secretary-General is not only to practise tolerance in his personal dealings, but also to extend this concept of tolerance to international relations. In other words, my conception of the Secretary-General’s role is to build bridges between peoples, governments and states. This is why my main preoccupation during my tenure of office was not only to bring about a détente between differing nations, but also to eliminate the obstacles to such a détente./

Without a doubt, the UN Charter and the American Declaration of Independence are proceeding to the same destination — two trailblazers on the path to human freedom and world peace. True, one started the journey before the other, but the two are now marching together confidently and unerringly. Comparing the UN Charter with the Declaration of Independence, our Secretary-General says:

> There are many parallels between the work of the founding fathers of this Republic in Philadelphia nearly two centuries ago, and the task of the founders of the United Nations nearly thirty years ago in San Francisco... Both have evolved far beyond the expectations of their founders. Both have continued to derive inspiration and direction from the declarations of principles and aims drawn up by their founders.

> The spirit which inspired Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia in 1776 was also present at San Francisco in 1945 and in the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris in 1948. For above all, the belief that “all men are created equal” is the same faith which made the founders of the United Nations declare their resolution to “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women, and of nations large and small.”

About the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Secretary-General Waldheim comments:

> The Universal Declaration was the first occasion in history when the inalienable rights of all individuals were formally established. It was an expression, in simple and clear language, of the principles which should govern human relations. It represented faith in the value of the individual, and in the conviction that politics is about people.

Such a Declaration, believes Mr Waldheim, can serve to form an inner and outer world conscience which will raise humanity’s level of existence from the human to the divine in a practical way:

> The link between human rights and international politics is fundamental. The concept of “the international conscience” is a reality, and we often underestimate the effectiveness of agreed international standards of conduct.

Unfortunate it is that the manifestation of the ideals of the United Nations into concrete world action and achievement is still a far cry. But let us not forget that Rome was not built in a day; vision cannot turn into reality overnight. As our Secretary-General points out, the Declaration of Human Rights “created standards by which all must be judged. It represented, it is true, an ideal. It pointed towards a goal, and did not establish a fact. The authors knew that mankind would not be transformed overnight and that the achievement of their purpose would be a long, difficult, and often frustrating process.”

With the guiding light that shines through the UN Charter and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world is destined to attain harmony and peace, for inside the United Nations vision, reality looms large. The fulfilment of the United Nations ideals is an inevitability, but that hour will dawn only when humanity wholeheartedly and unreservedly accepts the message of the United Nations soul. The Secretary-General offers his encouragement to those who have committed themselves to the United Nations cause:

> We can never relax in pursuit of the human rights goals of the Charter and of the Universal Declaration. Nothing could be more worthy of our continuing labours than a steady expansion of the realm in which the dignity and worth of the human person are firmly secured and fully honoured.

Reflections on the Pilot Supreme of the United Nations

Remarks by H.E. Mr. Zenon Rossides — Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations

Remarks by H.E. Dr. Carlos P. Romulo — Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines

The Secretary-General does not dictate the resolutions and declarations of the General Assembly, nor can he exercise the power of veto in the Security Council, but it is around him that the organization revolves. He is at the center and must see the world through 149 different eyes of different colors and depths of focus; and he must speak with 149 different tongues, and in all of them quietly and evenly.

It is for this reason—and I trust that, as one of the signers of the Charter 33 years ago, I may be permitted to say so —the post of Secretary-General should not be filled through the processes of ordinary electioneering.

It seems to me that Secretaries-General are not so much elected as discovered.

There can be no specific qualifications for this high office which candidates must meet. In fact, it is only in office that the members of the organization discover the qualifications of their ultimate choice, as we are now beginning to discover the eminent qualities of Dr. Waldheim.

Remarks by H.E Dr. Miguel A. Albornoz — Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations

Remarks by Archbishop Giovanni Cheli — Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations

Remarks by H.E. Eamonn Kennedy

I have had the pleasure of knowing Secretary-General Waldheim for over twenty-five years. Our paths first crossed in Paris in the early fifties where we were both comparatively junior diplomats. The Austrian and Irish Embassies (they were only Legations then!) traditionally had a close and valued association in Paris and our contacts there reflected that warm friendship. At that stage neither Austria nor Ireland had become members of the United Nations but we joined at the same time in December 1955.

Our membership in the world Organisation brought us even closer together. Our two countries have much in common. Like the great majority of member countries, both are comparatively small and both pursue independent foreign policies. Ireland was able to be of assistance in the UN in connection with the Alto Adige problem, which concerned both Austria and Italy, and our independent position helped us to play a constructive role which was, I think, appreciated on both sides.

I managed to keep in touch with Dr. Waldheim during his tour of duty as Ambassador of Austria in Ottawa, where I had also served. Accordingly, when I took up duty here in April 1974, as Permanent Representative of Ireland, meeting with the Secretary-General was in fact the renewal of an old and valued friendship.

That friendship was even further strengthened during the first official visit of the Secretary-General to Ireland in April of this year. Accompanied by the charming Mrs. Waldheim and members of his cabinet, the Secretary-General met with the President of Ireland and with our Prime Minister and the members of the Government and Opposition. The meeting provided his hosts with a most useful opportunity to discuss with the Secretary-General the international situation as seen from the United Nations, and a constructive and practical result of the visit was the decision of the Irish Government to send a contingent to serve in Southern Lebanon with UN I Fl L. Throughout the visit the Secretary-General and Mrs. Waldheim displayed that Viennese charm and courtesy which all who have known them so much appreciate and which have never left them throughout their arduous years here at the United Nations.

Remarks by H.E. Mr. Jorge Illueca — Permanent Representative of Panama to the United Nations

Kurt Waldheim, the Secretary-General of the World Organization, has dedicated himself with increasing devotion to the great cause of implementing these rights, leading the human race to a system of international cooperation among nations to put an end to the sufferings of that big portion of humanity which is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, discriminated against and insecure. As an advocate of peace, justice and friendly relations, he works constantly to improve human conditions in the masses of population of the Third World.

My country can never forget what Kurt Waldheim did when the Security Council met at Panama City in 1973 to deal with problems affecting the international peace and security in the Latin American region, including the Panama Canal question. Invoking “the spirit of our time,” Waldheim pleaded in favour of a solution of the Panama problem “which can only be based on the respect for law and the search for justice.” In his opinion such “a solution will have to take into account the basic principles which are enshrined in the Charter,” such as the principle of territorial integrity, sovereign equality, the obligation to settle all international disputes by peaceful means and the principle which by now has become an accepted common standard, namely that any State is entitled to put to full use and for its own account all its natural potentialities. Waldheim's courageous standing in the defense of Panama's rightful place in the community of nations helped to pave the way for the new Panama Canal Treaties of 1977 between the United States and Panama.

Remarks by H.E. Mr. Piero Vinci — Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations

This identification of the man with the ideals of the world Organisation is the result of an entire life devoted to international relations in a higher vision of the common destiny of the human family. His long acquaintance with the UN affairs, which goes back to 1955 when he was Permanent Observer of Austria, provided him in all these years with a remarkable experience in the field of international negotiations. This unique background proved to be indispensable for the higher responsibilities that later were entrusted to him as the head of the Organisation.

I met Kurt Waldheim for the first time several years ago when, in the early sixties, we were working in our respective Foreign Offices and began to be associated in very important negotiations between Austria and Italy over an autonomous statute for the Alto Adige province. A mutual constructive spirit of comprehension led our two countries to an equitable solution of the problem. I believe that the friendly relationship which developed during the negotiations, and subsequently at the United Nations where Dr. Waldheim, as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, regularly attended the sessions of the General Assembly, were somehow beneficial. He had, at that time, to face some crucial moments and he did it with the ease which all at the UN now know and admire. The result of H.E. Mr. Piero Vinci, Permanent Representative of Italy, and Secretary-General Waldheim [photo: United Nations], his efforts and of the action of all those who played a parallel role in the negotiations, or a smaller one, like me, was an agreement which, together with the subsequent Treaty of Osimo with Yugoslavia, can be recalled as a remarkable example of how a difficult problem may be peacefully and equitably settled between neighbouring states, through mutual understanding and good will.

Dr. Waldheim himself signed, in November 1969, the Agreement as Foreign Minister of Austria. Shortly afterwards we were working once again together at the UN as Permanent Representatives of our respective countries; and I still remember with a certain emotion when some time later, I personally sat in on the meetings of the Security Council when he was elected and then re-elected Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1971 and in 1976.

An inside glimpse of the work of the Secretary-General

Question: How has the role of the Secretary-General changed over the years since Dr. Waldheim took office, either due to his own initiative or to changes in the world in general?

Mr. Mayrhofer: To the extent that the world changes continuously and the United Nations changes and the problems change, I would say that certainly ever since the time he took office, the work or role of the Secretary-General has also changed. It is difficult to say how much or in what direction, but one thing, for example, is that when the Secretary-General took office in 1971, the whole question of the world economic situation was not yet so prominent on the UN agenda. You did not yet have the oil embargo, you did not yet have the energy crisis, you did not yet have economic difficulties. Also, in particular the Western countries today face unemployment and inflation and so forth. The Secretary-General himself has said several times that within his term of office much has changed in this regard and the United Nations is much more preoccupied with these economic matters. And he feels that this is one of the basic and most remarkable changes during his term of office, even to the extent that he might view himself as the Secretary-General who heralded this change — the shepherd under which this change took place. He has spoken repeatedly about this matter. One of his basic concepts is that we cannot expect political stability as long as there is no economic stability, as long as two-thirds of humanity live in conditions of serious poverty.

Question: Is there any one particular skill or ability that you have seen the Secretary-General develop since he took office or is there one quality that is perhaps most apparent in his work?

Mr. Mayrhofer: He has very much grown with his task — no question about that. He has always shown a particular interest in the work of the United Nations. Before he was Foreign Minister of Austria, he was Permanent Representative to the United Nations for many years and in Austria he was a UN man, very pro-UN, which is not always fashionable among politicians in western Europe.

To me his most remarkable characteristic is his activism, the fact that he has the remarkable gift — whenever a problem comes to his attention or is presented to him — of immediately thinking of some action to take in order to remedy the problem. Very often when people learn of a problem — it doesn’t have to be serious, it can be minor — they just accept it as it is and don’t do anything about it. This is a common attitude to which many people, including myself, very often succumb. This is for me the most remarkable trait in his character, that he immediately takes things up and sees how we can remedy them.

And the other quality is that he is really a diplomat in the very best sense of the word. He is the ideal mediator. I cannot think of anybody who is so ingenious in finding solutions when there are conflicting viewpoints, in finding a way out with diplomatic skill. He is very careful in any conflict or situation not to really say what he thinks, the reason being that as soon as you identify your own views, invariably they will be closer to one side, and the other side, the disadvantaged side, will probably reject you as a mediator. So as a mediator he has to hold back with his own views on certain matters. He is a very balanced man in the sense that he recognises that whenever there is a conflict, it rarely is the fault of only one side. He just receives the views from both sides and tries to establish what common ground there in fact is. There is always a common ground, even if it is only a formality, and he takes this and builds upon it and enlarges it and eventually finds some sort of agreement.

Question: Does the Secretary-General often discuss problems that arise in his work and the world situation with his assistants?

Mr. Mayrhofer: He thinks about problems a lot himself, but he also takes every opportunity to talk about them. Apparently, he feels that in a dialogue you can often better identify what the problem is. A dialogue about the matter often more clearly establishes the elements and possibilities. So he discusses these problems a lot with us. And he probably discusses problems of a sort of semipolitical nature, public relations matters, with his wife. He takes his wife as somebody who often represents the public view. He is quite informal in working with us. Once he gets to know people, he loses his reserve to a very great extent. We communicate a lot. If we have a problem we just walk into his room, depending on his schedule. But a certain relationship of confidence has to be established before it is possible or until it is possible.

Question: What on the whole sustains him in his job?

Mr. Mayrhofer: What sustains him is basically a belief that you have to be an activist — try to improve things — and also his religion. Also, he is rooted in his family. He has always had a good family life.

Question: In his recent book, Kurt Waldheim mentions that religion strengthened him morally and that traveling as Secretary-General helps him expand his religious horizons. Does he ever talk about his religion or is it more a quiet belief?

Mr. Mayrhofer: He has never denied or played down his religion in any way. He considers himself a practising Catholic and he thinks that this is an asset as far as providing a kind of moral support — which everybody I suppose needs. But on the other hand, he thinks that his religion does not limit his outlook on problems and on situations and he is very tolerant as far as other religions go. He does conceive of religion as a rather private matter which you should not try to further when you have a public office, except maybe through giving a good example. Normally he would keep apart the private matter of religion from his political life.

Question: Does the Secretary-General have any special humanitarian concerns?

Mr. Mayrhofer: There are two things which I should mention. One is the general suffering which is caused by war and especially personal suffering. In any war when people get killed or wounded there is a mother or wife or children — that is definitely one of his major concerns.

The other one is UNICEF and children, the suffering of children, including problems such as malnutrition.

Question: What is the biggest problem he faces right now?

Mr. Mayrhofer: It is difficult to say. If you have to single one out, I would say the North/South dialogue, which he thinks is fundamental to ensure a peaceful world. But there are of course the problems of South Africa and the Middle East and Cyprus.

Question: Do you see the future role of the Secretary-General as necessitating the same heavy travel schedule?

Mr. Mayrhofer: Travel is slowing down a bit. He has visited quite a few countries already. He thought it was important to visit countries and get acquainted or established in all the main places and with the main people. I think to a certain extent there is no need to travel as much as he has done in the past. Of course, he will always have to travel when he has to attend summit meetings and so forth.

Question: What is his relationship now with the press and media?

The Man Who Never Ceases To Try

Never give up a fight for a good cause. Try your very best even in the face of insuperable difficulties. Be satisfied only after having exhausted every possible way.

Anyone who has worked closely with Secretary-General Waldheim knows that some of his happiest moments are when he boards a plane. Until the last minute, he remains active and tense, engaged in international business which requires his urgent attention. There is always an Ambassador, if not several, at the airport to discuss with him a last moment problem or crisis. Also present are some of his aides, who expect decisions or instructions on a variety of problems. But once he is in the plane, his tenseness disappears. He knows that for a while no problem will trouble him, no phone will ring, no visitor will knock at his door. He takes a seat, relaxes, adopts a happy composure, orders a light drink, nibbles at an appetizer and turns to his companion with a smile: ”Thank God, for a few hours we will have peace. We will enjoy our dinner, talk a little, watch a film and sleep without being disturbed.”

But he does not keep his promise for long. After a while he opens his briefcase and extracts notes, letters, documents and draft speeches for study. Once, to my surprise, I saw him draw out and pensively hold in his hand a compass. He commented:

“My daughter Christel put this compass in my briefcase. She thinks I travel too much and fears that someday I might get lost! This compass is supposed to help me find my way back home!”

One of the most striking characteristics of Secretary-General Waldheim is his extreme endurance and extraordinary faculty to recuperate. As intense as he is when he negotiates or handles a problem, as easily he can erase all worries from his mind and relax in a total fashion. I have seen him enter his car after a day of very intensive work, almost on the verge of exhaustion and say:

”Please do not talk to me. I need a few moments of complete rest.”

He then closed his eyes, reposed during the short trip to his hotel, showered, and that night delivered a full hour’s speech extempore. Once I marvelled at this capacity and he simply answered:

”I have no merit whatever. I have inherited this faculty from my father who was a wiry, indefatigable man.”

One of our early trips took us to Paris where the newly elected Secretary-General paid his first official visit to the French Government. We lodged at the Hotel Crillon, where a suite had been placed at his disposal by the French authorities. It was the time when negotiations on Vietnam were going on in Paris and when the U.S. had resumed its bombardments. At an early stage of our sojourn, Mr. Waldheim said to me:

“I am in Paris on an official visit to the French Government and I know that I am not supposed to deal with the Vietnam problem here. Nevertheless, I cannot ignore the fact that talks are taking place in this city. I feel that I must do something. I cannot remain silent and inactive. I must offer my good offices and help, even if I should be turned down. What do you think?”

[Dr. Muller answered:] “You are absolutely right. Some of the parties in the talks do not want the UN to be involved and they will turn your offer down. Nevertheless, beyond the political considerations, there is the human aspect. Many people will not understand that you are here in Paris and remain silent about this atrocious war. You should simply do what your daughter Christel would expect you to do, namely offer your services, even at the risk of being turned down and criticized.”

Towards the evening there was little left to do, except wait for the answers of the parties concerned. The Secretary-General wanted to relax and take a stroll in the streets of Paris. He loved that city where he had been stationed as a young diplomat and where one of his children was born. He suggested that we have dinner in a quiet place, without any security escort. I could well understand his wish and we devised a way of fulfilling it. He called his security guard who had accompanied us from New York and asked him to stay in his room and wait for an important telephone call. In the meantime, we would go downstairs and have a quick sandwich at the snack bar. But instead we used a secondary exit of the hotel, avoided the French security, and soon found ourselves in the streets of Paris all by ourselves.

He asked me to suggest a nice, cozy restaurant where we could relax and enjoy a good dinner. I proposed that we walk along the Grand Boulevards between the Madeleine and the Porte St. Denis where I knew a good fish restaurant. It was a long and pleasant walk. There was so much to see in the streets of Paris. The people are so alive, so “individual,” so strikingly different from one another. They form one of the greatest human shows on Earth, which explains why one can walk for miles in Paris without tiring.

We were speaking German to each other, he in his Austrian variation, I in my Lorraine dialect. We commented on people, on street scenes and compared the language we used. It can indeed be an intellectual delight to discuss the meaning and etymology of the endless variations of Germanic languages. I remember that he explained to me the origin of the word "gewurschtelt," which I had used for passing judgement on a woman dressed in sloppy garments.

We finally arrived at the fish restaurant near the Porte St. Denis. I knew this neighbourhood well, for my father, like many Alsace-Lorrainers, liked to stay near the Care de I'Est when he came to Paris. In front of the restaurant was a magnificent display of seafood: oysters, sea urchins, clams, lobsters, shrimps, mussels, all resting on rich beds of dark green algae or on white crushed ice amid strings of golden yellow lemons. A man wearing a leather apron prepared these delicacies and served them to the customers in the restaurant. The dining place was very cozy, pleasant and peaceful. There were only a few patrons and we enjoyed admirable service. We started with a large tantalising platter of oysters, continued with a mouth-watering fish soup and took as plat de resistance a friture of small fishes and mixed seafood. Accompanied by a dry muscadet wine, it was quite a memorable treat.

The Secretary-General was fascinated by a French worker dressed in blue overalls who was sitting alone at a table facing us. The man was enjoying his food tremendously. He was the solitary actor of a real gastronomic feast. He was savouring each fibre of food and drop of wine. His concentration on sheer nutritional pleasure was an extraordinary sight, and the Secretary-General commented:

“Look how this man enjoys himself. The pleasures, behaviour and instinct of the common people are admirable. They know the best places and how to enjoy themselves. I have concluded a long time ago that the people’s instinct is the surest thing on Earth. You cannot fool people. They have such common sense. You must explain to them the issues you face and the policies you wish to pursue. The people know perfectly well how difficult our problems are. They do not expect us to solve them miraculously overnight. But they constantly want us to do our best and to never cease to try. I will obviously not be able to solve the Vietnam problem here in Paris. The people know it perfectly well. I might not even be able to meet with the parties concerned. But the public will be happy to learn that at least I tried. They will appreciate it. I can be satisfied only when I have tried everything and have not left a single stone unturned.”

Thus I learned in a little fish restaurant near the Porte St. Denis one of the fundamental characteristics of the new Secretary-General: He was a man who never ceased to try and who was endlessly stubborn at it.

We returned to the hotel. The guard had received in the meantime an important telephone call and the Secretary-General spent the rest of the evening in diplomatic consultations. when we met, the Secretary-General would take on a radiant face and say:

“Robert, do you remember the fish restaurant and the worker eating his seafood so fervently? It was my first evening of escape and relaxation since I became Secretary-General and I will never forget it.”

What I have not forgotten either is a thought that came to my mind one day after having observed Mr. Waldheim in his talks with Government officials. I had asked myself the question:

“If a world war were about to break out, what kind of Secretary-General would you like to see at the helm of the world organisation? What type of man would have the best chance of helping avoid a world conflict?"

After careful thought, I concluded that I would have the greatest confidence in a man who would never cease to try, who would work day and night, indefatigably, without a moment of rest or relent, without neglecting the slightest avenue of hope, a man who would work himself to exhaustion, appealing to governments, hanging on the phone, holding consultations and making diplomats work as hard as he. For only a man with an iron will would have a chance to win under extreme, critical circumstances.

O Kurt Waldheim

Part II — Meetings With Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim

Meeting with Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim on 16 July 1976

The Secretary-General thanked Sri Chinmoy for the plaque, which was decorated with the Secretary-General’s picture and the United Nations and Austrian flags. Pointing to his desk, he said, “I will keep this here.” Sri Chinmoy also presented the UN leader with an article he had written about him, and the Secretary-General said he would read it with great enthusiasm and interest. While looking through the Meditation Group Songbook, which had also been given to him, the Secretary-General saw U Thant’s picture and remarked, “Ah, here is my dear friend.”

At Sri Chinmoy’s request, the Secretary-General then invited the members of the Meditation Group to come upstairs into his conference room to sing the song, O Kurt Waldheim.

When the group entered the room, the Secretary-General greeted them warmly. “Welcome to the 38th floor,” he said. “I am pleased to meet all of you and I want to thank you for your work and dedication to the UN. I know how hard your Group is working for the United Nations. I thank you for the gift that your leader has presented me and I look forward to hearing the beautiful song that you have prepared.”

After the song was sung the Secretary-General said, “It is a very beautiful, very thoughtful song, which is deeply interesting and unique. Thank you very much. I wish you all the best for the future: good health and happiness, and especially happiness of the soul, which is perhaps the most important thing for our life.”

Ms France Vacher presented the Secretary-General with the banner of the United Nations Meditation Group. The Group also gave him a framed message: “With deepest appreciation and admiration for piloting the United Nations Boat untiringly, soulfully and fruitfully.” It was signed by “Sri Chinmoy and the Members of the United Nations Meditation Group.” Included alongside the message were the names and departments of the more than sixty members of the Meditation Group.

The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for these gifts and read the motto several times. Then he said, “You must be from many different countries. That is very good; the world is getting smaller.” Then, smiling graciously and warmly, he began to walk around the room shaking everyone’s hand, occasionally asking where a person was from, speaking in English, French and German and joking lightly. When he came to the last member, Richard Howard, who was the official UN photographer for the day, he said, “Now you have a big responsibility to see that the pictures all come out. I certainly hope they turn out.”

Sri Chinmoy said, “We, the members of the United Nations Meditation Group, soulfully pray to the Absolute Supreme for your re-election,” and everyone laughed in appreciation. The Secretary-General thanked the Group again and Sri Chinmoy responded, “We shall remain eternally grateful to you.”

After the interview was over and the Group had begun to leave, the guard called Sri Chinmoy and Richard Howard back into the Secretary-General’s office.

The Secretary-General wanted to have some more pictures taken. Later, Sri Chinmoy described the incident: “We stood next to the UN flag; he stood on one side and I stood on the other. He was all joy. He grabbed my hands and was clasping them strongly and affectionately with such love and joy. At first he didn’t speak. He placed his hand on my shoulder, clasping my arm and elbow to show his joy and appreciation. Then he said, ‘It is a great challenge to bring about peace, but we are trying.’ I answered, ‘We shall succeed.’ The Secretary-General continued, ‘We want only peace, peace. You are praying, praying for peace. I know what you and the Group are doing for us. I know it, I can feel it.’ He said that he would read the article about him with greatest joy and thanked us for our prayers for his re-election.

A meeting with the Secretary-General on 7 March 1977

I said to him also, “Good morning.” Then we shook hands and, for a few seconds, both of us remained in a contemplative mood. Then he signalled me to sit down. He also sat. He was in a very deep and, at the same time, benevolent mood. I offered the book to him and he looked at the cover and said, “Ah, here is my dear friend, my humane friend. I had the greatest admiration for him. In simple and genuine modesty he surpassed us all. Nobody knew how he sacrificed his life to bring about world peace, world understanding, practically to the end of his life. He carried a tremendous load on his shoulders. He suffered and suffered for humanity. His vision was so clear and, at the same time, so broad.”

At this point I turned to page thirteen where his own comment on U Thant was. He read the whole page very carefully, completely absorbed, and then said, “He was really great. I talked to him many, many times while I was serving my country as Ambassador. He inspired me in so many ways. His heart never wanted to compromise to the wrong and destructive forces of the world. Slowly and steadily he did everything. His great responsibilities at the United Nations did affect his health. His death was a tragic end. We all dearly miss him. His steady vision for the world community is still inspiring us. I personally am extremely, extremely grateful to him.”

Then I said to him, “As you know, everything has a divine sanction. We are extremely grateful to God, for He has given us you to steer the Boat of the United Nations so devotedly, speedily, surprisingly and successfully. I always see you as God’s lightning speed. Today you are here, tomorrow you are there and the day after tomorrow elsewhere. Your penetrating vision not only enters into the world problems, but also solves the problems of the world most miraculously. In you I always see a divinely inspired miracle-man. You see, you touch and you cure the suffering heart of humanity.”

Then he said to me, “I am so sincerely grateful to you for your encouraging words. This world needs only one thing: co-operation. U Thant gave his all to bring about world co-operation. I am trying to do the same with all my heart’s concern and love for humanity. You are also doing the same with your prayer and meditation at the United Nations. I am sincerely grateful to you, for you are offering your depth and vision to the United Nations through the Meditation Group.”

Then I told him, “Every day I pray for you, for your success; I pray that the world will accept your most illumining light. On Tuesdays and Fridays, in the special meditations we hold here at the United Nations, I regularly offer my gratitude-heart to your world-illumining soul. I have started writing a book about you and I hope to be able to offer it to you the way I am offering you this book on U Thant.”

He said, “You know, in the coming few months I shall be extremely busy, but I am sure I will be able to set aside some time for you as I have done today.”

I said, “I know. I know how extremely busy you are with the world problems. My mind knows it and my heart feels it. It is your heart’s magnanimity that has granted me this rare opportunity to offer you this book.”

Then he said, “Oh no, I am extremely happy to see you and to have you here with me. It is very nice and kind of you to write something about me. By the way, please be in touch with Mr Rohan. He will be able to assist you, if you need any special information about me. Again, I wish to say it was extremely thoughtful of you to present to me my best friend. I miss him; we all miss him. Indeed, he was our true friend.”

At this time he stood up and I stood up. I folded my hands, and his eyes were extremely soulful. Then I shook hands with him. He came to the door and, placing his left hand on my right shoulder and holding my right hand, he said to me, “Please tell the members of your Meditation Group that I am sending them my greetings.”

To the truth-seeker

Letters

From Kurt Waldheim, 12 January 1972

Thank you for your kind message of 1 January and your handwritten greetings and good wishes for the New Year. With kindest regards,

Yours sincerely,

From Kurt Waldheim, 8 January 1973

I wish to thank you for your very kind birthday greetings and for inscribing to me your recent book of lectures entitled “The Garland of Nation-Souls.” Your thoughtful gesture was indeed very much appreciated. With very best wishes for 1973.

Yours sincerely,

From Kurt Waldheim, 20 February 1975

I wish to thank you for sending me a copy of 11 Meditation at the United Nations”, which is dedicated to the memory of my distinguished and esteemed predecessor U Thant. I very much appreciated your kind gesture.

Yours sincerely,

From Valeri Krepkogorski 27 July 1976

Prior to his departure for Geneva on Friday evening, the Secretary-General asked me to thank you for the beautiful album which you sent him to mark the occasion of his meeting with the united Nations Meditation Group.

The Secretary-General was most appreciative of your thoughtful gesture in presenting these fine photographs to him, as well as the cassette tape which you were kind enough to enclose.

With warm regards,

Yours sincerely,

Valeri Krepkogorski

From Kurt Waldheim 13 December 1976

I wish to thank you for the beautiful flowers and the kind message of congratulations which you sent me on behalf of the United Nations Meditation Group following my appointment to another term of office as Secretary-General of the United Nations. Your thoughtfulness in conveying these good wishes was very deeply appreciated.

With best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

From Ferdinand Mayrhofer-Grunbuhel 18 January 1977

The Secretary-General has asked me to thank you for your letter of 10 January 1977, with which you sent him a copy of your 300th book. The Secretary-General very much appreciates your thoughtfulness in sharing this publication with him. It was also kind of you to enclose the Meditation Group’s New Year message for 1977.

With kind regards,

Ferdinand Mayrhofer-Grúnbuhel

Letter from Albert Rohan 27 July 1977

On behalf and in the absence of the Secretary-General, I wish to acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter of 26 July 1977.

The kind message which you sent on behalf of the United Nations Meditation Group has been conveyed to the Secretary-General, who asked me to thank you most sincerely for your good wishes for the recovery of his daughter and mother-in-law.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Albert Rohan

Letter from Kurt Waldheim 21 December 1977

I wish to thank you for your letter of 21 December 1977 conveying your good wishes on the occasion of my birthday. You may be certain that I shall continue my efforts in the interests of international peace and co-operation. Your thoughtfulness in sending me this message is indeed appreciated and I, for my part, would like to take this opportunity to send to you my best wishes for the coming year.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Letter from Albert Rohan 18 July 1978

On behalf of the Secretary-General who is at present on official business abroad, I wish to thank you for the flower arrangement and the card which you sent to him today. I know that the Secretary-General will very much appreciate this thoughtful gesture.

Yours sincerely,

Songs

I know

> I know that the world cannot do without the United Nations.

words: Kurt Waldheim

O Kurt Waldheim

O Kurt Waldheim,

Your mind-heart’s concern-flames constantly feed

To see a peaceful earth and blessingful sky.

Awakens the sleeping world and its oneness-power.

Part III — Appendix

Honorary degrees

Fordham University (1972)

Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada (1972)

University of Chile, Santiago (1972)

Rutgers University (1972)

Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (1973)

University of Bucharest (1973)

Wagner College, New York (1973)

Catholic University of America (1974)

Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada (1974)

Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium (1975)

Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia (1975)

Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y. (1975)

University of Denver (1976)

University of the Philippines (1976)

University of Nice (1976)

Vanderbilt University (1976)

American University, Washington, D.C. (1977)

Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (1977)

Moscow State University (1977)

Notes

1. Kurt Waldheim, The Austrian Example, Weidenfeld and

2. UN Document

3. SG SM 1657, 20 March 1972

4. SC SM 1996, 20 May 1974 c U.N. Document

6. U Thant, A View from the UN, Doubleday & Co., Inc.,

7. Kurt Waldheim, Op. Cit., p. 161

8. Ibid., p. 195

The Message of Practical Idealism

1. SGSM2411, 21 January 1977

2. UN Document

3. Kurt Waldheim, Op. Cit., p. 10

4. SG SM 1858, 7 June 1973

5. Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the

6. Ibid.

7. SG SM 2371, 27 September 1976

World Ignorance and Universal Light

1.SGSM1871, 2 August 1973

2. Kurt Waldheim, Op. Cit., p. 11

3. SGSM1993, 13 May 1974

4. SGSM1874, 7 August 1973

5. SGSM2244, 16 September 1975

6. SGSM1937, 10 December 1973

7. Ibid.

Success and Progress

1. UN Document

2. Kurt Waldheim, Op, Cit., p. 10

3. SGSM2078, 18 September 1974

4. Kurt Waldheim, Op. Cit., pp. 161-162

5. Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the

6. SGSM2293, 14 January 1976

7. Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization, (A321)

World Service

1. SGSM1660, 23 March 1972

2. SGSM2396, 13 December 1976

3. SGSM1993,13 May 1974

4. Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the

5. SGSM2396,13 December 1976 124

The New Ethics: The U.N. Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1. SGSM2284, 8 December 1975

2. SGSM2467, 11 July 1977

3. SGSM2601, 7 August 1978

4. SGSM1993, 13 May 1974

5. SGSM1961, 22 February 1974

6. SGSM2078, 18 September 1974

7. SGSM2260, 20 October 1975

8. SGSM1858, 7 June 1973

9. U Thant, Op. Cit., pp. 26-27

10. SGSM1988, 30 April 1974

11. SGSM1937, 10 December 1973

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.

Photo caption (p.37)