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World Water Day Commemorated in Bogota
Written by Rabbi Richard Gamboa Ben-Eleazar, Manhig of Sheggel, Ambassador for Peace
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Bogota, Colombia - As part of World Water Day, observed every year on March 22, Hector Buitrago, the bassist of the famous Colombian rock band "Aterciopelados" led the "Sing to the Water 2012 Journey"* in a day that brought together leaders of indigenous communities around the rivers, lakes, and wetlands of Colombia.
The "Sing to the Water" journey was also the conclusion of an interfaith service led by me and joined by Rev. Luis Fernando Sanmiguel of the Presbyterian Church (also an Ambassador of Peace); Monsignor Freddy Castilblanco, Archbishop Primate of Colombia of the Guadalupe Catholic Church; Fray Mario Toro, director of the Department of Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of Episcopal Conference of Colombia; Sheikh Muhammad Mohseni of the Reza Mosque; Rev. Dairen Jacome of the Soto Zen Community of Colombia; Mrs.Gloria Camargo of the Brahma Kumaris Association; and the angelologyst Alixon Medina. Each religious leader, according to their respective faith tradition, offered a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of water.
The interfaith service was also attended by the Minister of the Environment, Dr. Frank Pearl, and a grandfather from Muhysca Community, who offered a few words at the end of the ceremony.
The organizer of the day, Hector Buitrago, was honored with the distinction of Osei Shalom (Hebrew for "peacemaker") that is given to lay persons and entities working for peace among religions.
*Background note: "Sing to the Water" aims to gather groups of people at 12:00 noon local time to sing together the sound “AH” from the heart to send energy of love, gratitude, and forgiveness to the planet’s waters. It began in Colombia in 2010 when Catherine Salguero, a practitioner of harmonization through sound, and Hector Buitrago, a member of the renowned Colombian band “Los Aterciopelados,” organized the first of these events, seeking the reconciliation of inhabitants of the city of Bogota, with the river that bears its name, one of the most polluted rivers in the world. The vision of Sing to Water is mainly based on the experiments of Masaru Emoto and other scientists who have shown that the intention behind song, word, and prayer can transform water molecules and therefore matter itself. If the human body is 75 percent water, like the planet, the collective energy of a sound that carries love and healing intention can have far-reaching impact.
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