In our culture, peace is not a synonym for war; it's a quality of life. It's the strongest inspiration for happiness among people. Unfortunately weapons, arms, racism, war, oppression of human beings turn peace into a synonym with war. The cause has turned out [to be]... social inequality. That inequality affects all levels of peoples' rights and the environment.

This energy turns into a blockage that blocks the equality that we should have. This blockage has converted our world into a place of suffering. I'm saying all of us, we in this moment, are ignoring the depth of suffering of all of human kind at this moment. Humanity is in a state of a huge collapse. In most countries, violence, hunger has increased. There are millions of women who have died during childbirth, abortion; they have no other means of taking care of their lives. So many people are suffering for loved ones dying from cancer or AIDs. Also [there are a] huge quantity dying from traffic accidents. Many people are living in diaspora, in isolated existence.

Seventy per cent of Guatemalans live in conditions of extreme poverty; 60% live with daily hunger. All live with extreme frustration. ...stressed out, feel on edge; don't see solution to their problems. There is corruption at all levels of state government, drug trafficking, organized crime. It's been 10 years since cease fire of violent civil war; 200,000 dead. In our recent memory 15,000 disappeared. When we had armed conflict, we blamed everything on the armed conflict. We use to think, 'When this conflict ends, peace will come; we'll have a better life.' Ten years have passed. Over a million weapons are in the hands of people who want to take control.

How do we talk about peace under circumstances of desperation, when people don't see an option for a better life? If peace is harmony, so it has to be harmony between spiritual abundance and material abundance. These two portions must be in balance, equilibrium.

The time at which humanity is living right now is the time of darkness. Many people feel very impacted by this darkness. Not only poor people. I assume many of you have felt many of the same symptoms I have felt; for instance, when I get up, there's a moment when I feel a bit of loneliness. Because everyone is involved with their own thing, but they're not thinking of how to influence the collective or benefit the larger whole.

Sometimes I feel this longing, the wish for an opportunity to do more, but I don't know what to do. I have learned the only solution is to cultivate the deepest values that one holds to be true. And to try one's best to be an example for everyone else. You must give all the time energy to other people as well. Our job for those of us seeking peace is to try to be a light for others. You must be a light to others. Don't let pessimism take you over; don't let bitterness win over you. Don't allow these sentiments to overcome you. On the other hand, don't allow yourself to be overcome by comfort, because you never know at what time your hour, your moment will come. And when it's your turn, you're going to want other people to love you when you're in difficult circumstances.

To be a light to others you will need a good dose of the spiritual life. Because as my mother used to say, if you are in a good place, then you can help others; but if you're not well, then go look for somebody who is in a good place who can help you. What's not good is to believe that you're in a good place and then try to go and help others when you're not in a good place yourself.

So how do we turn the fight for peace into a fight for dignity? So how do we turn the fight for peace into a personal commitment to other people as well? So how do I associate, link arms with others, so when there are more of us we can have a stronger impact?

I learn many things from the inspiration of many people. What I have inside of me is the light of the spirit and hope, the inspiration, and the joy of having this in my heart.

If the sun never came out, what would human beings do? The rest of the natural world knows ahead of time that the sun is going to come up because they depend on the sun or depend on the night. But we, we all depend on our back account and we forget our relationship to the natural world. Ancient cultures have known how to carry these two concepts of the material and natural cycles hand by hand because they live by a code of ethical principles. Each person growing up these days is given the message to grab as much as your hand can grab; it's yours. If it doesn't fit in your hand it belongs to someone else.

And I believe we should be grateful, say thanks, thanks, thanks over again for what we have. We should always ask for forgiveness for those times we don't do well; we don't behave in the manner in which we should. Always ask for more and more abundance at the spiritual and material level. But these days no one is grateful; we always think other people owe us. We seldom ask forgiveness. Sometimes we feel obligated to say we're sorry but it's no longer a deeply felt cultural habit to ask forgiveness, to make amends. But we keep asking for more and more to keep on wasting stuff. So I would like to therefore express my sentiment that this world is not going to change unless we're willing to change ourselves.

According to the Mayan calendar, since 1992 to 2014 we are living the stage called the No Time Zone. The material clock, like the Wall Street clock...is an artificial clock that doesn't coincide with the natural clock. The natural time is moving within its own cycle. The material clock is going the opposite way, in a different cycle...

...Two different types of clocks are moving in opposite directions and therefore causing a great amount of disequilibrium or lack of balance, and this lack of balance it not only impacting humanity and society; it is also affecting the natural world. Because for me you have to understand there are not just these two worlds; there are many of them, not just the human world. So supposedly we believe that when this time of No Time ends, we will then begin a new era. And this new era will mean that these two great energies will come back together, will return. The feminine energy and masculine are going to met each other again, not because of us but because of the adjustment, arrangement of the planet, of time. We believe that solidarity will enter then, a feeling of complementing each other; a coalition; and that the need to share, collaboration will return.

But these values will not come back on their own. They are going to come back because these values at some level know that humanity must survive, and we need to return, create new points of reference for living.

I believe we have a lot to do to prepare a new time for humanity. And no change will take place without a struggle; the struggle of the people, of the young people, of the women. If I don't participate I won't learn anything. If I'm working side by side with other people each day, I will store my hope and also my knowledge. So therefore please, let's not just stay studying and learning about weapons; so let's let finish with weapons and , but that's not enough. People also need to change their attitude.

Two recommendations for native living: it's always good to take 10 minutes for reflection to think about what you want to do with your day. And one of the promises I try to make each day: I'm not going to fight with anyone; I'll try to ask in a mature way. For in these 10 minutes it's good to find the good wishes for the day. And in that way you have more control over the destiny of your life; you feel life will move in the direction you wish for.

As women we can be very sensitive and we work very hard, and to help our quality of life it's always good to give ourselves a bath with flowers because as women we tend to not love ourselves. And yet we are such an incredible [resource] in today's society and for the future. All of the plants that you see in the world have medicinal value. And so sometimes it's good get a branch from a plant and pass it over your body; that helps take the negative energy out of your body.

It's important to not get caught up to think it's all going to be better someday, tomorrow; it's important to say it's going to be better today. If I can help an elderly person today, that will help me live more fully. Consequently, you then realize that to help someone is not a dream out there but is something that is very do-able.