We need every help right now in this emergency situation， urgent time， to save our planet. The Abu Dhabi government，for example， is doing a good job to support the farmers，to encourage them to choose the most profitable， as well as ecological， chemical-minimizing， water-saving crops. This kind of government is also my government. I hope our government will guide the agriculture sector to the organic vegan path， and also use their knowledge and talents to share these good techniques with other countries， because the world is interdependent and can cooperate together for a sustainable future.

Again and finally，we must change our lifestyle， whether we like it or not. We should like it， because we save lives. We should be as noble and compassionate as that. Otherwise soon we will not even be able to enjoy this lifestyle， or any other kind of Lifestyle at all. We should live more simply，sustaining ourselves on the best diet， and the economy， ecology diet that is organic vegan.

And we should also live more contented， not only with money or material possessions， but with spiritual inner strength as well. Thank you for your open-mindedness in seeking new information and for your courage to change your life and to speak up for these new，noble lifestyles. Thank you. Thank you for paving the way by helping others

Supreme Master Ching Hai: as well to be vegan， be greener，healthier， happier，and more loving. Okay? Thank you very much， and you can，of course， ask me any questions you want now. Allah is great. (MC (f): Right，right.) May Allah bless us all.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you so much for your profound thoughts. Supreme Master Ching Hai， there are certain questions，as I shared with you earlier. (Welcome.) So, the first question will be asked by Harvey Ellis. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) Harvey Ellis is a senior executive in the IT field， the speaker coordinator for our MEVEG Congress，(Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) and a supporter of vegetarian and organic living. So，Harvey，(Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) you can ask your question now.

Harvey Ellis (m): Thank you， Supreme Master.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Thank you and welcome. I would like to know in terms of the future of the Middle East，in terms of the environmental impacts in the region， at least the future of the Middle East， how does it compare to the rest of the world in terms of the environmental impact that you see?

Supreme Master Ching Hai: As I said to you， the United Arab Emirates is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. I just hope it will improve through our more compassionate Allah-pleasing lifestyle. Okay. I thank you for your concern，and it's very nice to see you， first of all. I cannot really compare so detailed，but I can only tell you that there will be dangerous impacts if people don't change， if we don't change as the whole humanity. Not only in the United Arab Emirates， but the whole world has to change to the more sustainable diet，not to talk about compassionate diet.

As the scientists have told us and as you mentioned， we are already seeing the impacts worldwide. Even as we speak， the whole Middle East region is suffering from unusually extreme hot weather and drought， even a worst-ever forest fire in Israel， for example. Heat waves，dust storms， and flash floods have been occurring with increased intensity and damage. I'm sure you are already aware that the Middle East contains 13，13，one-three， of the 19，one-nine，driest countries on the globe. Now，you see?

The water available per person in the past 50 years has become 62% less. Meaning in the past， before 50 years， for example，if they have 100 liters per day，now they have only 38 liters， per person. Thirty-eight，yes， that is 62% less. Now it's getting worse and worse. In just five years ahead， one Arab person will have to survive on less than one-tenth the amount of water available to the average person in the world， in comparison， Mr. Ellis. See? Leaders across the region are worried about how they will provide adequate water. I think you all know this. You know? The water is less and less now.

Christians，Muslims，and Jews in the Holy Land are praying for rain， and the Jordanian government is even pleading to the people to hold prayers for rain after five years of unusually dry conditions. The desert is spreading relentlessly in Northern Africa. Massive sandstorms in Iraq have become much more frequent， more severe. Ancient irrigation systems in Syria have collapsed. There are Egyptian farmers so desperate for water they dangerously use untreated sewage liquid to try to irrigate their crops.

And，in the Persian Gulf， groundwater sources don't have time to replenish and are being infiltrated by salty water from the rising sea - rising seas， not just one，no. The Arab world's legendary Jordan River， you know，the Dead Sea， and the River Nile are shrinking so fast，so fast - shrinking. One visitor to the Dead Sea noted that it now requires half an hour to walk to the beach to reach the water shoreline，which was just a few steps from what used to be the seaside hotels before. The hotels there used to have water at their “feet,” at their gate，and now you have to walk half an hour in order to reach the water shoreline.

My goodness. Food production is also going down，drastically in some locations. The Fertile Crescent that fed all the farmed civilizations in Iraq until now is a permanent cracked desert already. Five hundred thousand climate refugees are on the move in Syria. These are people like a farmer named Ahmed Abdullah， you know，real example， real people. He used to provide for his wife and 12 children from his farm of 400-acre field of golden wheat，and now he lives with them in a tent- imagine? - as he has no job， no money and no support from anyone at all. He not only has no money， he lost his dignity as the breadwinner of the house，as the provider for the family. Imagine how he feels. Imagine how we'd feel if we are Ahmed Abdullah， the poor farmer who lost everything，because of climate change.

Overnight，who knows， we could be the Ahmed's family neighbor if the whole world's population does not change in time to save us. So，first we must stop the urgent climate change by adopting the vegan lifestyle， and fast，fast，fast，before the despair and tragedy get even more out of control.

Second，we can also do a lot to help to ease the food and water shortages in the Arab world. For example，we can choose the best farming or irrigation methods that are water-saving. This could maximize efficient use of the precious resource，since 85% of all the freshwater in the Arab region is currently used for agriculture，mainly for livestock raising. It could even free up all this water for more sustainable uses instead if we stop the livestock raising. So halting livestock grazing，which goes hand-in-hand with the vegan lifestyle， would also hugely lessen the desert conditions. So，countries like Syria and Iraq could once again be prosperous and proud exporters of grain. I pray we won't wait until it's too late to change. Thank you，Mr. Ellis.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you， Supreme Master， for your answer as well. We have one more question from Tony. Let me introduce Tony to you. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Welcome.) Tony Satinder Pal Singh is a senior executive at a top oil and gas firm. He is also the food coordinator for the MEVEG Congress. He coordinated all the lovely lunches for us as well. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Wow)

Mr. Tony Satinder Pal Singh (m): Thank you.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Thank you，Tony.
(m):How are you, Supreme Master? Good morning.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: How are you?

Mr. Tony Satinder Pal Singh (m):Very well，very well， Supreme Master. Thank you very much for a most insightful talk. It's indeed a lot of lessons， a lot of facts that we take back with us. I would like you to share your insights， your views on how a move to a vegetarian diet could actually help sow the seeds for long-term peace in the Middle Eastern region. Thank you.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes. We all want that. We all want that，yes. Thank you，Mr. Singh， or you prefer me to call you Tony?
Mr. Tony Satinder Pal Singh (m): Either way is fine， Honorable Master.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: All right. For respect， I call you Mr. Singh.But for love， I call you Tony.
(m): Tony is good. No，out of love， please call me Tony.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: All right，for love I call you Tony. Yes. Thank you for all the food that you provide there for these beautiful people. (Mr. Singh (m): Thank you.) Yes. Peace started on our table，Tony， we all know that， and simple. Why? Why does the vegetarian diet help in sowing seeds of peace in the Middle East you ask? Yes. It's simple. It's just the law of like attracts like. If we save lives, we will have life. Yes. The way a vegetarian diet can help is because it is the most peaceful action on Earth that we can choose.

By becoming vegan，the people in the Middle East are putting the power of their actions into their prayer for peace， and God will do the rest. But I have told the UN delegate who came to our gala dinner last night that peace doesn't come just by praying. Everything has a price. Just like in our world we have negotiation for anything we want， peace also even needs negotiations， as you know that.

Physically speaking， for example， the peace in Israel， in order to restart the peace process， Israel has been promised many aeroplanes. Yes? I guess it's protective airplanes，as well as aeroplanes billions of dollars. According to the press. I wasn't there. I cannot tell you that it's from my knowledge. Okay. Now，similarly， we have to negotiate it spiritually. We have to earn peace because we have damaged peace. We have damaged the atmosphere of peace by creating，participating， or inciting wars over these decades. (Mr. Singh (m): Yes.)

The price of peace，Tony， is very high. I myself gave everything that I have， spiritual points， but I'm still a couple of zillions short. After this， all these conferences， I have to shut myself in again in a tent and continue to earn more merits in order to give more. And you，all of you， out there，please help me by being vegan， by being virtuous， by being benevolent， so that the atmosphere will be more suitable for peace，apart from the spiritual merit that we have to earn in order to give，just like money we have to earn in order to give or to spend. I spend very little， concerning money that I earn as well as spiritual points that I earn. In case I give everything， I tell you honestly， I will not be able to go to Heaven. If you go to Heaven before me and see me still running around here， the last minute， help me，please. I mean it.
Okay，now，you ask me why we have to give spiritual points for example, to have peace in Israel and Palestine， you will ask me，right?

Mr. Tony Satinder Pal Singh (m): Yes.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，okay. I will tell you why，sir. Just like a poor person， he needs money. And in order for him to stand on his feet again， the government gives him some support or the neighbors give him some money until he gains back his strength to work or his financial stability. Either he will repay you or not repay you， it doesn't matter. So people who are into war，they're in depleted status，situation， of spiritual points， spiritual merit, either because they have to take care of their country and decide to go into war for some reason and losing their store of spiritual points or either they are in the critical time of shortage of spiritual point，just like we are in the critical time of shortage of water， or sometimes we are short of money. Okay.

So，the one who has more， must give，so that he can change the pattern of his karmic structure， yes，the karmic structure， the karmic pattern - meaning that whatever you have done in other lifetimes before you come here， or in this lifetime，will determine your actions and continue further in the same route if they fall into a certain karmic pattern， then just stuck there， cannot get out. You see? So they need spiritual fuel，power，in order to get out of that situation， of the structure of the karmic fixed pattern， that they are trapped into - you see what I mean? - just like we give money to some people in time of need. The people who are into war are to be pitied， to be prayed for， not to be condemned and criticized. We have to help them. We have to pray for them not just by word of mouth but by our spiritual strength and our spiritual merit. We must share with the whole world， and in order to share we must have first.

Mr. Tony Satinder Pal Singh (m): Understand. Thank you.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes. The peace a size of Afghanistan and Israel costs zillions of zillions of spiritual points to ease， and I call upon all humanity to wake up. Please wake up. Please live the way you are intended to live. You are the children of God. You are the future，the children of the Buddha. We must live befittingly as the royal members. Please be veg，that earns you merit enough to help the whole world and to restore peace on the planet. If you are virtuous， everything will become virtuous. Thank you very much.

Mr. Tony Satinder Pal Singh (m): Thank you， Supreme Master.
Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you， Supreme Master. We really appreciate that you've given us so much time from your busy schedule. So，Sandhya has one question.
Sandhya (f): Honorable Supreme Master Ching Hai.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Hallo，love!
Sandhya Prakash(f): Thank you so much for joining us at the first Middle East Veg Congress today.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，I'm privileged. The first ever and I am here with you.

Sandhya Prakash(f): And you are at the Conference of Parties right across the world in Cancún，Mexico， and it's a great honor for us that you can offer a message to all these delegates here， right across the ocean. You earlier asked that why people don't discuss meat as an issue，and if there is anybody who can answer. So I'd like to add a point there，that，I think (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Answer me.) change is difficult， (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Difficult.) change for anybody，when they look at changing themselves. People go around changing the world very easily so as to say.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，I know.
Sandhya Prakash(f): But changing oneself， I think，is very difficult. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: I know.) So maybe that's why.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: You're right， you're right. But the thing is， if your house is on fire， you don't sit there and argue. You jump out，no?
Sandhya Prakash(f): Absolutely.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: The thing is，people do not realize the danger， but if they do， they would change. Yes. That's why we have to implement the information，like the way she is making the congress today，she's trying to give people information. ((f): Sure.) This is a great thing that she's doing. ((f): Sure.) Yes.

Sandhya Prakash(f): At this congress we would like to also probably，since there's so much positive energy right now，right here， (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) with your permission and blessings， can we do in our own small way， a minute of silence， connecting all of us right here. That would be just so wonderful.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes. Okay，we do that.
Sandhya Prakash(f): Yes，please，all of us just close our eyes.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: And thanks for all the blessing that we have， up till now.
Sandhya Prakash(f): Thank you，everybody.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Thank you! I was going to do it at the end and you - so fast! Thank you.

Sandhya Prakash(f): You are just so to the point in raising each one of the points for us here about the dangers of water， especially in the Middle East. Very，very pertinent point. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) And if there is one urgent action which should be carried out immediately to protect all our lives on this planet，what would that one action be? That's the only question I have.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Thank you for the honor to be with you and for your noble question. Yes，it's just one action: Vegan. Only one. You're right. Just one action. Sandhya Prakash(f): Thank you. Thank you very much.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Supreme Master Ching Hai， we have a lovely young person with us who would like to ask a question. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Please.) Leena Abbas is a vegan and an owner of an organic beauty salon in Dubai，and she has the last question. Thank you for being with us today，Leena.

Leena Abbass(f): Hallo， Supreme Master Ching Hai. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Hallo!) It's a great honor for me to be able to ask you a question. Could you give us some insights into the existence of animals on our planet? Prophet Muhammad， peace be upon him， taught us to be kind to animals. What roles and significance do animals have in our spiritual，mental，and physical well being? Thank you!

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Good question. Good question. Yesterday，among the distinguished delegates of the COP16 in Cancún， I have revealed a little bit of my spiritual diary， just like I revealed a little bit today for you. I have told them that animals are here to bless us. Each animal will give you many spiritual points to add up to your spiritual power. If you refer to that talk again，yesterday - maybe it will be coming out soon，because yesterday was live， but probably they will broadcast it very soon again with multi-language subtitles.

Please，refer to that， but I'll be brief. Like，for example， if you earn every day like 100 points of spiritual merit，then the dolphins or the whales will give you 40 points more or 50 points more，even. Or the dogs in your house will give you 8 points more on top of whatever you earn. And the more you earn， the more it multiplies. And the birds in your life will give you also spiritual points. That little bird there， budgies even， give you 4 points. Yes. Even the flies give you spiritual points. Everything in this world you see，or not see， are helping us， blessing us all day long.

And the animals are always blessing us unconditionally，okay? They give and give and give and give. Despite however we treat them，they give us blessing all the time. In fact，without the animals' balancing blessing power，probably we would have died earlier，all of us， or the planet would have been destroyed. Okay? That's how powerful the animals' presence on this planet is. Okay? Thank you，love! Leena Abbas(f): Thank you， Supreme Master.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you， Supreme Master. This has been really an enlightening experience for all of us. Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): So，thank you for answering all the questions with your patience and with your wisdom. It's really a beautiful thought that how we can make actually a Heaven or a paradise right here on the Earth，where all human beings live in such harmony and love. Love and compassion are not just to us，amongst us human beings， but also amongst animals and other creatures， as you said，that they give us their blessings as well. I would request just a few minutes more of your time， (Supreme Master Ching Hai: No problem.) because I'd like to share a very interesting thing here， ladies and gentlemen: we are honored to announce the Arabic edition release of the international bestselling book， “The Birds in My Life,” or as it's said in Arabic， "Al Toyoor Fee Hayaty," and that is what we are going to launch right here today.

In these beautifully presented pages of this book， Supreme Master invites us to experience how she sees the beautiful birds in this world， giving us an account of the inner lives and the important messages these creatures have for us. We take them for granted. We see them flying all around us. We never think from a certain point of view as to how to give them the proper respect， the love that there is. So “The Birds in My Life” is a journey told through pictures，photographs， deep personal experiences， and I'm sure that you'll be transformed into another world altogether where these compassionate， co-inhabitant， intelligent beings，they all are living in harmony. And the awareness can go much beyond our imagination. So，what inspired you to write this book， Supreme Master?

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Thank you，angel! - the angel of Allah. What inspires me is my birds. They just give me so much information that even these books are just one little part of whatever we intercommunicated; just only a sample. And we have talked with each other that we should do something for the birds，yes? And the birds are connected with all the animals as well， and hoping that through this book，people are more connected with the birds and then more connected with all other animals，and to respect and love and to protect them the way you have just mentioned. That should be our world， the world when all live in peace and no fear from each other.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Excellent! That really is beautiful! So，now that we have Supreme Master right here with us， as if she was in the room， perhaps we can symbolically cut the ribbon to launch the Arabic edition of this book， "The Birds in My Life." Can I request that?

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，please. Would you join us in this wonderful launching ceremony? I'll do that, and I thank you immensely. Thank you so much! Thank you so much. You're so kind， you're so kind.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): And you can see over here.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: We cut it?
Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): We drop it and you cut it. Thank you so much!
Supreme Master Ching Hai: Okay，1，2，3. Thank you so much! Thank you，thank you， all of you! I'm so pleased， so pleased. Thank you! So happy! Thank you!

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you so much! We'd really like to thank you， Supreme Master Ching Hai. It's been wonderful that you've shared your knowledge with us， and your insights，and showing us the way of how a vegan lifestyle could actually transform the world into a more peaceful place. And we wish you good health and hope for success in every aspect and in the life-affirming and love-spreading vegan diet that you follow， which follows through to other things. But before we say goodbye to you，I have some piece of news. Because we've (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) just launched the book as of a few minutes ago， but it was put on the stands, so all the books which were here in the UAE are on reserve list. So I'm going to request you to send another shipment. Already the book is a quite a success here， even in just a few minutes.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Already gone? Thank you so much to your...
Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Nearly all the books...
Supreme Master Ching Hai: I don't know how to say to thank you. My God. God Bless you.

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): No，no，no. So kindly send us the shipment and we'd love to welcome you one day in Dubai as well， so that you can be actually here with us. It would be an honor， Supreme Master. Thank you so much!

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，I would love that. I would love that. Allah willing， God willing. Thank you so much! And my God! My people will be in touch with you to send the books，extra， more books that you requested. Your people love birds?

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Yes，they do.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes，please convey my thanks to His Royal Highness， the Crown Prince， (MC (f): We shall.) and all the staff in his company，and all the people involved! May Allah bless him， His Royal Highness!

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you so much! Thank you!
Supreme Master Ching Hai: I also bid you farewell now，and I will pray for your wellbeing. And I know you will make a right decision， okay? Thank you! Allah bless us all!

Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you， Supreme Master. Appreciate it. So ladies and gentlemen， with such profound thoughts，we actually are going to be closing this 2-day MEVEG Congress. If I could request Sandhya to please also come here…and I think Sandhya is going to cry. She's so overwhelmed by the two days of the congress and looking forward to a next year.

Sandhya Prakash(f): You know when you start and imagine that you want to do something， it is always very possible， be it for yourself，or for a community or a family. We all have certain dreams. We all are in the Middle East for many years，for our jobs， for several other reasons that we come here. But whatever we do in the place that we stay is vital. You cannot postpone things like doing good to a tomorrow when you have more time， more money， you are more relaxed. No，it doesn't happen that way. So this whole journey of 17 years personally，and of each one of you who's been around， always my message at the end of this congress is that if you have a thought，and you want to make it happen， it's only here and now. So the same goes for any change that we want to make in our lives. This particular congress is also a culmination of a thought that has been there in many minds， not just one.

But the way we can connect again and do things that really make a difference and solve the problems of the land here is so very important. And this whole particular congress has been the work of a lot of people， a lot of contributions. Deep thanks to everybody，and Zaufy， for carrying this through with that smile of hers throughout the two days， which is great! Zaufyshan Haseeb，MC (f): Thank you. Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

Sandhya (f): And vegetarian living for better health and environment was just the theme for this time. There are many other areas of depth that we can go to in the future with tools that we have launched. Please come up with your ideas. These are not any one person or two people's things， please share your ideas online. We have Ram here， who's an IT，you know， who's brought the whole IT thing together for us， the website， the Facebook，and so on. So each one has just taken responsibility by themselves，and this doesn't happen when there's no team. So I really thank the team that is behind all this. Without further ado， thank you! (MC (f): Thank you all so much!) And deep，deep thanks to all of you.

Lina ChasebiConference participantIranLina - Iranian participant (f): I like to suggest all people - all children，all adults - read this book， this wonderful book. Thanks to Master Ching Hai for this wonderful book! It has helped me to know the feelings of animals， especially birds. I like this feeling and it has helped me to know the birds better. It's a very important point for me. After I finished this book， now it's a different realm， different world，for me. Be Veg， Go Green 2 Save the Planet!

Leena Abbas (Vegan)Founder-CEO，Zen Beauty LoungeDubai，UAEMs. Leena Abbas (f): Amazing，amazing source of energy. Her knowledge and the facts and the way she portrays her messages， I mean，any person from any level， from any nationality， from any religion， will listen to it. Because the way she communicates to us is in a very simple manner， but in a very factual manner as well. It was a great honor for us to actually have the Supreme Master communicate with us. Her messages were definitely very enlightening and definitely left some thoughts with people to start living more consciously and really making an effort to protect the environment and the world that we're living in. Be Veg， Go Green 2 Save the Planet!

Eating or using animal products = is like burning your own room while you are in it. - Supreme Master Ching Hai