Mata Amritanandamayi was awarded two French honours for her humanitarian work by two organisations in Toulon. The awards were given by Soldiers of Peace International Association and Regional Council of the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur Region, one of the largest of France’s 13 metropolitan administrative regions, according to a statement.

The Soldiers of Peace International Association presented Amma with its ‘Commemorative Gold Medal for Peace.’It is an international NGO founded in November and headquartered in Lyon with offices worldwide close to 50,000 members in 58 countries.

Organisation president Laurent Attar-Bayrou said, “We, the Blue Helmets, gather for the promotion of peace. We are not pacifists or warmongers, but practical men. We gather for the sake of conflict resolution, human rights, education and sports. Amma, we recognise our mission in yours. You are also a Soldier of Peace, and we will walk with you in your quest for love.”

The second award was presented by Monique Robineau, delegate of the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region. “In this world shattered by conflicts and crisis leading to insularity and paralysis, your message and embrace bring hope to our hearts and light to our spirits. The people present here benefit from your presence, but also many others, since your presence shines in our whole region.”

He added that Mata Amritanandamayi was ‘Ambassador of Love and Peace’. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Mata Amritanandamayi’s first European tour.