The symposium takes place at a very important time in human history. Despite our material progress, the world family remains fragile. Global warming, ozone layer depletion, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of water and air are all real. It is in this symposium that we commit ourselves to change the world through medicine; but, with a different type of medicine. As GFIM Peace Ambassador, I have a responsibility to future generations. This symposium is about healing the planet and healing ourselves. The planet is not a “thing,” it is a live entity. Healing the planet requires a medicine based on a major change in human consciousness. This is what we call “Spiritual Medicine”: a form of medicine that will enable us to heal the planet and heal ourselves through changes in consciousness. A person cannot be healed, or be healthy, if the planet is sick. The opposite is also true.

To manage health, we have to go far beyond medicine, as we need to pay attention to the quality of our food and nutrition, housing, neighborhoods, pollution of all sorts, etc. Managing health means managing our material and spiritual welfare; managing our food and nutrition; addressing issues of excessive use of agrochemicals, pesticides, herbicides, additives, addictive substances, colorants, GMOs, transgenic seeds. There must be a major emphasis on preventative medicine of all kinds. The health of our economics and politics also play a fundamental role. There is no adequate institutional system to heal the planet.

To achieve peace on our planet, we must understand that peace is not a thing. Peace is a state of being and must be self-realized. Inner peace is the only way to world peace. Also, there will be no inner peace without inner healing as a fundamental condition to world peace. Healing nature is a pre-condition to world peace. To experience inner peace necessitates a new relationship with others and our planet.

Spiritual Medicine unfolds through the interaction between spirituality and healing (and curing). Integrated medicine is not simply about the integration of different forms of medicine, but the integration of all forms of life in this planet.

Today, there is an abundance of research explaining the relationship between religion and spirituality and human health. Patient care, by necessity, has to involve compassion, listening, touching, eye contact, involvement and commitment. This is a major theme of this symposium.