Writings & Reflections.

More from the archive

Additional posts from the broader 2017 archive. Each link opens the original source.

• On a vanishing world

  A reflection on the values, institutions, and traditions Dr. Paul sees quietly slipping away from public life, and a call to recognise what is being lost before it is gone for good.

• Advisor to presidents and world leaders

  Notes on a decades-long pattern of being consulted by sitting heads of state across multiple continents — and the responsibilities that come with that level of access.

• Equality and justice for all people

  A short statement of principle on equal dignity and impartial treatment irrespective of caste, creed, religion or nationality — the same standard he says he applies in every country he enters.

• Common in the US, uncommon at home

  Observations contrasting cultural norms in the United States with those in his native India, particularly around family structure, marriage and public expectations of leaders.

• Donald is a people person

  A first-hand impression of Donald Trump drawn from private meetings during the 2016 cycle — focused on personality and the dynamic of the room rather than policy.

• Born-again believer

  A personal account of his 1983 spiritual transformation, the long vision that preceded it, and the global mission that grew out of that turning point.

• On Iran's nuclear path

  An argument that diplomacy with Iran cannot rest on trust alone given the regime's stated intentions and prior conduct, and that verification must precede concession.

• Building a global coalition

  How a peace coalition of national leaders, faith figures and former officials was assembled to oppose escalation in the months leading up to the 2003 Iraq War.

• Paying the price today

  A retrospective on the long-term human and financial cost of the 2003 Iraq War — trillions of dollars, millions of lives, and a destabilised region still living with the consequences.

• Evangelist or preacher?

  A clarification of how Dr. Paul understands his own vocation — moving between faith, peace diplomacy and humanitarian work without separating them.

• Pray for Israel every day

  A devotional call to consistent prayer for Israel and the wider region, framed within his broader interfaith peace work.

• Crowds as far as the eye can see

  A note on the scale of his rallies — single gatherings of millions across Asia and Africa, and what that scale demands of organisers and security.

• An itinerant spiritual envoy

  Coverage of his role flying between conflict zones at short notice to mediate, offer counsel, and stand alongside leaders under pressure.

• Straight to the national stadium

  An account of arriving in a host country and being driven directly into a national stadium gathering already filled with hundreds of thousands of people.

• As an evangelist

  Reflections on preaching the gospel alongside peace diplomacy, and how the two roles inform each other in the field.

• Three decades of tireless work

  A summary of more than thirty years of continuous global ministry, peace missions and humanitarian relief without extended pause.

• Truth, sin, and forgiveness

  A short meditation on three core Christian standards as the basis for personal renewal, public honesty, and reconciliation between nations.

• Family life

  A note on his wife Mary and their three children — Grace, Peace and John Paul — and the family home near the Houston office that anchors his global travel.

• Charity City near Hyderabad

  On the orphanage he founded in India, the children it has raised, and its role in caring for vulnerable young lives at scale.

• Global Peace Initiative

  An overview of the organisation's humanitarian footprint, including millions in cash donations and tens of millions in supplies such as medicines distributed across affected regions.

• Confirmed visits with heads of state

  Notes on confirmed meetings with sitting leaders, including then–President Pranab Mukherjee of India, and the diplomatic groundwork that preceded them.

• The ear of presidents

  On the level of access Dr. Paul has held with sitting presidents across multiple regions and decades, and the trust required to keep it.

• Dictators and democrats alike

  On engaging both authoritarian rulers and democratically elected leaders in service of peace — and why he believes neither can be ignored.

• Promoting peace worldwide

  A summary of peace rallies and conferences staged from Argentina to Zambia, illustrating the geographic breadth of the mission.

• August 2011 — Libya

  Recollections of escaping Tripoli by fishing boat to Malta over 39 hours, after peace work with Muammar Gaddafi during the country's collapse.

• A stream of global diplomacy

  On the planning and pacing of back-to-back diplomatic missions across continents — and the logistics of sustaining them year after year.

• When diplomacy can succeed

  Conditions under which peace negotiations have a realistic chance of resolving a conflict, drawn from successful and failed mediations.

• Why Iran, why not Sudan?

  A challenge on inconsistent international focus across regions in crisis, and the moral cost of selective attention.

• Convincing the Liberian leadership

  How sustained dialogue with President Charles Taylor in 2003 helped persuade him to step down and leave Liberia, ending years of civil war.

• Speaking to the children

  Visits to Charity City and conversations with the children being raised there — the part of the work he treats as closest to his heart.

• A modern-day Gandhi

  On the comparison drawn by Indian press and international observers between his non-violent methods and Mohandas Gandhi's, applied globally rather than nationally.

• Sanctions on Sudan

  On the years of effort to lift sanctions on Sudan and open humanitarian access — including parliamentary addresses in Khartoum in October 2011.

• A wide-ranging interview

  Excerpts touching on faith, family, diplomacy, the cost of peace work, and the personal toll of operating across so many conflict zones.

• A circle whose centre is everywhere

  A devotional reflection on the omnipresence of God across cultures and nations, and what that should mean for how leaders treat people in other countries.

• Calling on world leaders

  Open appeals to presidents and prime ministers to prioritise peace over escalation, even when domestic politics push the other way.

• Taking the lead from Gandhi

  On non-violence and moral persuasion as the operating principles of his peace work, and what it costs to hold to them under pressure.

• Between West and East

  On standing in a unique position to translate between Western and Eastern leadership styles, expectations and concerns.

• Success derives from peace

  A short thesis: lasting personal and national success is rooted in peace and reconciliation, not conquest or coercion.

• A father figure for India today

  On the affectionate title given to him by Indian audiences and press, and what he believes it asks of him in return.

Editorial note: Summaries are paraphrased for context. Full original posts — including images and complete text — are hosted on the source blog atkapaulpriest.blogspot.com.