Commercially-fished species in the United Arab Emirates have declined an alarming 80% in 30 years! These fish we cannot find anywhere else except in your sea. Now they are going, gone. In addition, the sheer excess of fishing vessels and fishing gear also lead to a huge by-catch and damage to even more species. This is part of the global decline of marine life due to overfishing. It's everywhere, not just in your country. Everywhere marine life is declining, extinct, or going to be soon, sooner than we can imagine. Even if you love fish, I am not sure how much longer you are going to have fish on your table. So please be prepared to have vegetarian food. That would be a very wise choice.

MC(f): Well said, Supreme Master.

I'm sorry I have more news for you. We go to number 8 issue, which is “Coral Reef and Other Marine Habitat Destruction.” Now, one-third of the fish in the Persian Gulf are supported by its coral reefs; however, the Persian Gulf coral reefs are now among the most endangered in the world. About 35% might have been already lost due to bleaching pollution from desalinization plants. And it will not stop if we continue to have desalinization plants. It will just increase the damage, you see? But without desalinization plants, we have no water in your country. So, you see the trouble. Effects from past wars in the region also add on to this problem.

And also ongoing mega-construction projects, though they look beautiful, though they are an attraction to the locals as well as the tourists, they do cause a lot of damage for the environment. Now, for example, the building of large artificial islands in Dubai, which is really a masterpiece of architecture - I also am very impressed by it - but it has hugely damaged the Gulf's coral reefs, mangrove trees, and sea grass ecosystems. Please forgive me for stating the true facts, because you need to know now.

Number nine, we go to “Air Pollution.” Many of us now live in the cities and we cannot avoid the pollution, like the ozone smog, which takes away our health and sometimes even our precious lives. One in five Emirati children has asthma, and hundreds in the country lose their lives to pollution-related problems every year.

Number 10, we go to discuss the topic which is in your heart today and which is the major theme of your Congress. That is “Meat Consumption,” the subject that not many people want to talk about, even at the United Nations summit. I'll tell you what, yesterday, I was at the meeting and the President of Mexico - he was the advocate for lessening methane - and he said methane is caused by livestock raising. He knows all that and he advocates for reducing it, even through animal industry section. So he's well aware and he's not covering up anything like that, but he has a long speech. I don't want to repeat his speech here. If you want, you can log onto the UN website and find out what he said. Okay? I'm just saying just one little thing that I have observed.

One of the participants, she was from China, I think. She looked like Chinese to me, and she spoke with a Chinese accent, in English. She was mentioning about all the damage that the meat industry is causing to our world and the environment and the health of the people and the health of the children and every other thing, etc., and even causing disasters in our world. And she was just mentioning it, I mean, really to the point, honest, and not trying to show off. She was just really very emotional and passionate about the meat issue that she wanted to remind all the participants, and particularly the President of Mexico, to see how they would deal with this, how they would stop it, or how would they kind of decide about the meat industry. Then I heard that she was told not to talk anymore. Look. And the President also did not answer. Perhaps he was short of time, he had to leave.

But, you know what I mean? (MC (f): Yes. We can understand.) We have to be honest and truthful about the main topic. We cannot run around the circle and avoid the meat industry question like we avoid a sore thumb or avoid a boil on our body, and “Don't touch it! Don't touch it!” We have to touch it in order to heal it. Especially, we know that it is a very dangerous boil, which could affect our life, which could be fatal to our life, and even infect others, and even in this situation, infect the whole planet, could kill the whole world. Then we have to touch that boil and let the doctor heal it. Or we heal it ourselves if we know how. And we do know how. We have technique, we have power. Each one of us can do this, just by being vegan.

Nobody wants to touch this subject, I don't know why. Maybe you could advise me later on. Why? Because I really do not understand. I don't mean to intrigue you or to pretend innocence. I really do not understand, when the problem is as clear as the nose in front of me here. I do not understand why people don't discuss and immediately get the solution going to save all lives on the planet, because we don't even have time anymore to discuss much further, too long, or to be polite to each other until it's too late. Okay. Sorry. I get carried over. Forgive me. I'm just too passionate about this subject because it's in my heart. It concerns all of us.

Yesterday, I was watching the President's speech and question-and-answer there, just as I was just mentioning to you. And one of the, I think, journalists or something, with a big camera, came and said, “Oh, can I take your picture?” I said, “Why? I'm just listening to this.” And she said, “Because you're so passionate and looks like you are only… Very interesting. It seems like a one-man campaign or something.” I said, “Yes, yes. I am very passionate about this, because it's my planet!”

Zaufyshan Haseeb, MC (f): I think that's a wonderful idea. It starts with one man, doesn't it? And then it carries on to the other, and that's how your passion can go on to other people as well, and it's our own common world that we live in.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes, because I sat there just alone, watching the TV, outside the corridor, and I was so fixed on the TV. That's why she was attracted and she came and watched me for half an hour or something before she asked me. I said, “Oh, go ahead. Take what picture you want, I am all yours.” And then she left after a while. Okay. We go back to your country. Forgive me. My God. Forgive me. The United Arab Emirates is one of the main countries in the Middle East that imports live sheep from other countries. Millions, millions of these animals arrive on ships, with tens of thousands that have died each time from extreme crowding and other conditions along the way. Poor sheep. They have done nothing wrong to us, ever.

We have a saying in English, “as sweet as a lamb.” I don't know how about your country, if they have such a saying or not. How can we kill such sweet, living animals, tear their limbs apart and consume it? Allah would not be very pleased with this, I imagine. And the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, when he was alive, tried to save a little lamb at one time. I am sure he saved many other animals whenever the opportunity arrived, but not all are recorded in the Hadith or in the Qur'an.

Enormous quantities of meat are also imported, especially from Brazil, India, Australia, also Sudan, Kazakhstan, etc., etc. All of these exporting countries mentioned above have environmental and even economic struggles due to livestock overgrazing - meaning that the meat habit worsens drought and desertification in many other countries as well. So the piece of meat that we put in our mouth is responsible for many disasters around the world. I am so sorry that you are not well informed.

Zaufyshan Haseeb, MC (f): We can see now how it is connected. Zaufyshan Haseeb, MC (f): I mean, we could see the connection even when we (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Okay.) heard your topic, so…

Supreme Master Ching Hai: All right. Maybe it will come back later, with Allah blessing, yes? (MC (f): Yes.) If Allah wills. It will come back. Okay. Thank you! Okay. Plus, on top of all this, the raising of livestock animals such as sheep, goats, and cattle generates huge amounts of methane and other greenhouse gases, which in turn cause and accelerate global warming. I'm sure you can see the logic.

In fact, livestock raising for meat production is known to be a significant factor in global warming, with scientists now saying that it is, the livestock sector, is the number one cause of global warming. I'm sorry again if you are not well-informed.

Zaufyshan Haseeb, MC (f): Were you informed, delegates, about this? That it's the major cause of global warming? Excellent. Thank you. (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Maybe some of them know.) Yes.(Supreme Master Ching Hai: Maybe some…) I was not. I thought maybe petrol emission and all those gases, or whatever that might be, the major cause than actually livestock farming.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Livestock farming is the major cause. It's more than all the transportation combined, more than all the ships, the aeroplanes, the cars, the railway, whatever transportation, you name it, it's nothing compared to livestock raising, in pollution rate. Okay, now you know it. You can log on to all kinds of scientific facts or the UN's Livestock's Long Shadow website to see all this. I am not making it up. It's the fact, 100% accurate. Conservatively, the pollution is more than stated. More. And it's getting more and more each day.

So the people of the United Arab Emirates could accomplish the most effective green change by removing all animal products. I know I'm asking for the moon, but you have the power to do it. You have to. You must. We all must. All countries must do this. Otherwise, we will suffer too much, too much. Very soon. I'm not a psychic. I am not predicting the future from clairvoyance or from the crystal ball in front of me. No, no. I don't need that. The scientific finding, research facts, is enough to scare all of us.

Even suppose I am a meat-lover, even if I am, I would immediately drop that meat like a hot potato and run away from it. (MC (f): That's true. That's well said, Supreme Master.) Yes. This could help revive barren lands in many other countries, as well as yours. In addition to stopping climate change globally, we could have a lush planet again, because we will have no more deforestation. Instead we will reforest. And who knows, we can even reforest the United Arab Emirates. I'm sure we will have time to do that after we save the planet by stopping all kinds of poisonous gases from the livestock industry. And it is crucial to stop eating fish as well for the seas to survive, as I have mentioned before the reason why.

The United Arab Emirates has had the good fortune to prosper, and is blessed with peace, abundant sun - precious, the sun is precious - and talented people. The discovery of abundant oil reserves has allowed your residents to enjoy a high standard of living in a short time. It was your wise and visionary leader, the nation's founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. He was the one who reminded us that the ancestors survived in this environment, on land and sea, because they knew they had to conserve it. They had to take care of it in order to continue the survival rate. And he also said we should take only what we need, and no more, to conserve the environment.

Your government indeed has been looking ahead to the future, since a long time. Not just recently. Not just now. By planting so many trees and green areas to block desertification - well, we could do more of course when we have more time- building solar energy, promoting organic farming, and developing clean, alternative energy technologies such as through the world-famous Masdar City project. I'm sure you know. (MC (f): Guys, you know?) Yes. (MC (f): Yes. The audience is aware of it.) Yes. Yes, that's a miracle that your government is creating. I applaud them. Yes. And I'm sure many other countries are looking to the United Arab Emirates as a pioneer and a role model, and a shining example in this environmental protection endeavor.

Zaufyshan Haseeb, MC (f): Excellent. That is a very good initiative, that can be.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes. Yes, ma'am, it is. It is an excellent initiative. Your government is very wise. Now you have to support your government to go one more step further, that is, to support the vegan alternative to save the United Arab Emirates, as well as the world. The United Arab Emirates has been for many years a provider of abundant energy for the world.

At the same time, the government of the United Arab Emirates is generous in charitable giving, all the time, all the time. If you don't know about it we have a list of recent charitable deeds from the United Arab Emirates on the Supreme Master Television. You can log onto www.SupremeMasterTV.com. Every month we list all the charitable countries and people in the whole world. And you can always look backward to the older broadcast to find anything you want, ever since our television exists.

And today, the country would be able to make a historic philanthropic contribution to save the world if we go one step further: that is to support the organic vegan solution, because that's the only one we have right now in this urgent situation. And other technologies we can slowly develop when we have time. The thing is, green technology takes time to develop and takes time to implement all over the world. Also, we cannot be too sure because these are new technologies, have not ever been tested. So, at least we are safe if we go on the vegan lifestyle to save huge, dangerous, amounts of methane gases and other gases, which speed up our global warming danger.

So, as your country has already thought of her future beyond fossil fuels, which are non-sustainable and polluting anyway. There's a more beneficial way, as you know, is to provide for humanity through sustainable, peaceful means - meaning obtaining our energy from limitless sources like wind power, sun power, and plant-based food. I think this is more befitting the United Arab Emirates' royal race of people - the people with talents, the people with technological intelligence, and God blessing. I think it's more befitting that we change to a compassionate, God's creature-loving lifestyle, such as vegan diet.

And, I'll tell you a secret, before I forget. This is a little part of my spiritual diary. When I meditate, visions or wisdom or information come through to me, myself. Sometimes I share it with my Association members. Sometimes I share it with the world. This secret, I have not told; I tell you today. Suppose you promote organic plant-based food, now, whoever, the government, whoever decided to approve this plant-based diet solution, just approve it only, he will earn, my God, thousands of zillions of spiritual merit points. And we need a lot of points to go back to Heaven.

Whoever approves this even, just one time, enough for him to fly to Heaven already, after he leaves this world. He doesn't even need any more pilgrimage, doesn't even need to do anything else even. Whoever approved of that, and whoever makes sure that it's carried out, will obtain the same spiritual merit points, that Heaven will bestow upon it. For example, just like financial merit in this world, if we have spiritual merit points in our bank account, it multiplies, multiplies. This is the thing. And the more we have, the more interest rate we earn.

This is a very good thing. I was smiling alone by myself in the tent when I knew this. And I was asking Heaven recently that if I could tell people of the world, and I have the permission. Not everything I am allowed to tell, but when I asked for the permission, and I could tell, I was so happy, I was so happy. When you are happy, and you have some good news, you want to spread it all over, right? All of us, right? (Audience (all): Yes.) Yes. f: (Sure.)

Yes. So, promoting organic, plant-based food is, of course, the most urgent because we need to stop global warming in order to save ourselves, in the near term, by reducing the methane and other also toxic gases even, to poison us even, not just only global warming, but it will poison our atmosphere. Maybe if it's too much, we cannot bear, because these poisonous gasses will speed up the global warming.

Many. Nitrous oxide, which is about 300 times more potent to warm the climate than the carbon dioxide that we talk about from the cars and from the aeroplanes and so on. And methane is 72 times more dangerous, more potent in warming the climate than carbon dioxide. So, even if we have more carbon dioxide than methane, it's not equivalent in the degree of danger.

Therefore, I said we still can have the cars; we still can use the fossil fuel for a while until we develop enough green technology to replace it; we still can fly an aeroplane, we still can use the car, the train, the buses, whatever transportation you choose. Of course, the less, the better. But carbon dioxide is not as dangerous as methane or nitrous oxide, for example. And there are more gases, more dangerous and poisonous gases, coming from animals, livestock, because they emit these through their waste. They put lagoons after lagoons of animals' waste out there in the open.

These gases, they are short-lived compared to carbon dioxide. So if we stop these short-lived gases, our planet cools fast, faster than stopping carbon dioxide, because carbon dioxide will stay in the atmosphere for 1000 years. Something like that. But methane and other gases, methane's short-lived, maybe 12 years only. So if we stop the methane, in a short decade, a few, maybe even shorter, we have the planet cooling, and not warming more.

So, all governments must stop all animal raising and animal products, first of all. They will not only cut the greenhouse gases drastically and at a very low cost, they will also save a lot of the water used globally for growing the fodder for animals, the way it is. But also in the long term, you see all this food we can feed the world, double times over. Also, in the long term, organic vegan agriculture will sustain your country and the world.

The United Arab Emirates government is currently working to increase the country's food security, to be less dependent and more self-sufficient, which is laudable. So they have been buying farmland in other countries to grow food supplies. Good idea. But more importantly, they are investing in technology to grow, say, like fruits and vegetables in the better way. Thank you so much, the government of the United Arab Emirates, for such intelligent approach.

Zaufyshan Haseeb, MC (f): No, no, thank you so much, Supreme Master Ching Hai. Thank you (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes, yes.) for your profound insights and words of wisdom and sharing your research with us as well. Some of the delegates were already aware of it, and some were new information to us, but thank you for making it clear and I personally wanted to thank you for letting us know what's the direct stairway to Heaven. All those million, billion points that we can go straight to Heaven if we start doing all this goodness, and sharing that secret with us. I wanted to thank you (Supreme Master Ching Hai: Yes.) especially for that.

Supreme Master Ching Hai: Okay, okay, yes. Your government is going to Heaven for sure. For example, recently the United Arab Emirates government opened a state-of-the-art farm even, that uses hydroponics - meaning no soil is needed - while saving up to 70% of irrigation water. Your government is really trying hard to be up to date in the climate change fighting, yes, and they succeeded in growing all kinds of vegetables. Isn't that a good news? Yes. The main crops of the country are dates, fruits, and vegetables of all kinds, and this is wonderful, wonderful, because this is everything we need to have a complete, healthy nutrition.

And the number of organic farms is growing all the time. Your country has 13 organic farms as of March 2010 and will have 23 more by June 2011, for a total of 40 registered cleaner, eco-friendly farms. Yes, go ahead, go ahead clapping them, clapping the government. I also applaud them. At the same time, I hope and encourage the farmers; they hope, I hope, the government encourages the farmers to forgo the cattle and poultry raising, to be vegan, organic vegan. Because, for one, it is still much more costly in terms of food, energy, water uses to raise animals Whereas, it costs less and less to have organic farming, especially the hydroponics that your government is progressing to promote.

Senior executive at a top oil and gas firm Food Coordinator, MEVEG CongressTony Satinder Pal Singh (m): Supreme Master Ching Hai's talks today, and the interaction, were really a remarkable inspiration for me. To hear her passion, to see and feel her passion and her commitment to what it means to planet Earth if we could all move towards a vegan diet, is a source of inspiration and a message of extreme importance to all of us, because she's absolutely right, that you know indeed most of the world's greenhouse gases, the largest source of emissions actually come from farms that breed animals for human consumption.

We need to have the personal commitment, and that personal commitment needs to be strong enough to actually translate into a call for action by our leaders around the world. And by combining those 2 things which Supreme Master so clearly has done, I think we can move towards her stated very noble objective. Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet!

Zaufyshan HaseebTelevision host, Geo TVBehavioral PsychologistHost, MEVEG CongressZaufyshan(f): She (Supreme Master Ching Hai) has a wonderful energy, a lovely aura, and the way she speaks so softly, her message really hits home, and you feel that she is concerned, and she gives good percentage of research about the region that she's talking about, so that made a lot of sense.

Her message was really wonderful, that we can save the planet by such a simple choice as changing our diet. I come from a culture which are primarily meat eaters, but today after Supreme Master's message, I'm really thinking deep about it that how a little bit we can make a difference in the world. So I will be sharing this message with not only family, friends, and whenever I get an opportunity on the media, I would share this message. I'm Zaufy, and I'm a TV show host, keep watching Supreme Master TV! I have a message for you: Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save our Planet!

Biodiversity: Life on Earth Achim Steiner - UNEP Executive Director (m): When we talk about biodiversity, we talk about life on earth. When we talk about biodiversity loss, we are talking about destroying life on earth.

Janez Potocnik - European Commissioner for Environment (M): Biodiversity is sometimes in the shadow of climate change, which is extremely important, but we should understand that biodiversity is actually the other side of the same coin.

Harrison Ford - Oscar-nominated US actor & producer, Conservation International Board member (M): Biodiversity; it is the foundation of life on earth.

Edward Norton - Oscar-nominated US actor, screenwriter and director; UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity (m): Human wellbeing is intertwined fundamentally with biodiversity.

Dr. Harold Mooney - American ecologist from Stanford University ; Co-chair of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (m): The impact of human activities on biodiversity is influencing feedbacks to the climate system.

Anthony Kleanthous - Senior Policy Adviser on Sustainable Business and Economics at WWF-UK (m): We have lost 30% of the biodiversity on this planet in just 40 years. And in the tropics we're talking about 60% declines in biodiversity.

Edward Norton - Oscar-nominated US actor, screenwriter and director; UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity (m): At the end of the day the things that are causing the most catastrophic collapse to biodiversity: climate change, deforestation.

His Royal Highness, Prince Charles of Wales (m): And without adequately addressing tropical deforestation we cannot have an answer to climate change. Saving the rainforests is not an option.

H. E. Paulo Alberto da Silveira Soares - Brazilian Ambassador (m): The Amazon is nowadays the lungs of the world.

Paulo Adario - Greenpeace Amazon Representative, Brazil (m): Cattle is the main driver of forest destruction, and 80% of the area that is destroyed in the Amazon is occupied by cattle today, this is growing.

Michelle Rodriquez - US Actress in Oscar-winning film Avatar (f): They're making room just to feed cows, so they're chopping down a bunch of trees.

James Cameron - Oscar-winning Director; Avatar (m): Yeah, but they're not just chopping down any trees, they're chopping down the most beautiful, majestic, bio diverse rainforest on the planet.

Anthony Kleanthous - Senior Policy Adviser on Sustainable Business and Economics at WWF-UK (m): You know meat and dairy really are the primary concern here.

H. E. Paulo Alberto da Silveira Soares - Brazilian Ambassador (m): Brazil is a net producer of meat.

Yannick Jadot - European Parliament Member, from France (M): Animal feed is coming from Latin America which is also contributing to deforestation and so to climate change.

H.E. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - 35th President of Brazil (m): We have been discussing the climate change issue and more and more we see that the problem is even more severe that we could have ever imagined.

H. E. Paulo Alberto da Silveira Soares - Brazilian Ambassador (m): So we have to strike a balance, for instance instead of producing so much cattle, so much livestock, in all this devastated area where they are breeding cattle, why not produce more soya? We should consume much more. And this would benefit the health of us, of me, you and everyone in the world. Less consumption of meat only helps your health and the climate change.

Her Excellency Claudine Schneider - Former US Congresswoman, Board Member of US Climate Institute (f): We would be addressing not just deforestation but the problems of erosion and loss of clean drinking water. We would also be enabling people to live a healthier and longer life.

Ben Ten Brink - Program Manager, Nature, Landscape and Biodiversity, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (M): So that's I think three good reasons, biodiversity, climate change and personal health to reduce the consumption of meat.

Pavan Sukhdev - Study leader for The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), Head of UNEP's Green Economy Initiative (m): Today something like 25% of all land is in some form or the other used for meat food. So if you could somehow think of more efficient ways of making use of the same land, I think that will be a huge favor that we do ourselves. So we should reduce our meat consumption in my opinion as well.

Dr. Ann Larigauderie - Executive Director, DIVERSITAS - Vegetarian(f): Yes, being a little more vegetarian that would be a really major contribution to the biodiversity problem.

Jo Leinen - European Parliament Member, Chair of Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (M): The protection of biodiversity means that we have to reduce emissions and the consumption of resources; and that means we have to change our lifestyle - our lifestyle is much too heavy for the nature and the ecosystems, and especially our eating habits have to be changed. I think we eat too much meat and we eat too much fish, and we have to reduce both and be more vegetarian.

Sir Paul McCartney - Former Beatles Member & meat-free advocate (m): Join us in this effort: reduce meat.

Kerry McCarthy - British MP, vegan (f): People shouldn't just be lobbying their MP's about aviation and things like that; they should also be lobbying them about the livestock sector. I think that's really important.

Mary Robinson, 7th President of Ireland (F): It is important, as you know well in this room, that we change our behaviour, and that we learn how to be better stewards of this earth. So I admire the way in which you are also putting a lot of emphasis on your own lifestyles, what you eat, what you grow, how you behave.

José María Figueres Olsen, former President of Costa Rica (M): One of the important contributions that we could make to lower carbon emissions is a change in our diets. That is the change we need, the change that will guarantee us a much better quality of life on a much better cared-for planet than the one we have today, which is what we all want.

Mayor Jaime Hernández Zaragoza, Cancún, Mexico (M): This night is an exceptional night, a night of lights, a night in which Supreme Master Ching Hai enlightens us with her presence to bring help to those who are already suffering the consequences of this terrible phenomenon, which threatens our planet and all its inhabitants. I will disseminate what is agreed on here, what is proposed here, and all the solutions that are put on the table and in this organization; I shall make them as my own, with my family and with all the inhabitants of the municipality.

Ben Ten Brink: Be Veg, Pavan Sukhdev: Go Green Ben Ten Brink: 2 Save the Planet! Pavan Sukhdev: Save the planet! www.SupremeMasterTV.com/SOS

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