GLOBAL SEMA

FOR WORLD PEACE

A 24 HOUR WHIRLING MEDITATION GATHERING

On Dec 15th 2024, hundreds of you joined the Global Sema for World Peace, a 24-hour virtual gathering of sacred music and devotion in honor of Şeb-i Arûs - the day Rumi passed away from this realm and merged with the Divine.

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Why This Event Matters

The Global Sema for World Peace was more than just a gathering; it was a call for action and unity. All donations from this event go toward building a community center in Samandağ, Türkiye, a city deeply impacted by the recent devastating earthquake. Together, we can contribute to healing and rebuilding in a meaningful way.

A Note From the On-Ground Team on the Samandağ Community Center

The vision is to create a sanctuary for earthquake survivors currently living in container settlements. A place for healing, learning, and connection. The center will offer physical therapies like yoga, pilates, and massage; shared community space; and also serve as a learning space - teaching arts, crafts, and music. Together, the aim is to build a community space where creativity and healing thrive.

HOW WILL THIS WORK?

This unique event brought together Sufi music groups from around the world, sharing their sacred sounds to create a global prayer for peace, unity, and healing. Each performance will weave Rumi’s timeless teachings of love and connection into a collective experience of spiritual reflection and celebration.

I MISSED IT, CAN I STILL WATCH?

Yes, you can access the recording on Viewcy and continue to donate to this cause.

EXCHANGE

This event is raising funds toward building the Samandağ Community Center in Türkiye. Tickets are available in various tiers to best reflect your capacity for support:

  • $15: Standard ticket.

  • $50: Supporter ticket.

  • $100: Benefactor ticket.

  • By donation for those who are unable to afford a standard ticket.

    Every contribution makes a difference and helps bring this vision to life

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Featuring Sufi Music Groups

Tumata

Dr. Farima Berenji

Ayna Ayna

Ashk Olsun

& More TBA

SEMA NYC

Tarzı Vefa Kervanı

Pervaz

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FAQs

  • Sema is a gathering rooted in the Sufi tradition that combines devotional chanting, live music and whirling dance meditation.

    This whirling dervish tradition was founded by the 13th century mystic poet Rumi, whose poems of love and union with the divine spirit are still widely popular today.

    Through the spinning movement and focus on the music, you allow the ego to subside. This tangible world starts to melt away and a greater sense of peace develops within. You remember that the divine life force is an inherent part of you. The experience can only be described as blissful. Participants leave feeling lighter, more at ease and peaceful. 

  • Not a Sufi? Don’t worry about it. This event welcomes everyone in peace with an open heart and mind.

  • Şeb-i Arus, or "The Night of Union," marks the passing of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, celebrated by Sufis as his reunion with the Divine Beloved. Far from being a day of mourning, it is a time of joy and remembrance, symbolizing the soul's eternal journey towards unity with the Creator. Each year, Sufi communities around the world honour this sacred occasion through music, poetry, and the whirling dance of the Sema, embodying Rumi's teachings of love, surrender, and spiritual transformation.

  • Yes. Upon registration we will send you an instructional video on how to prepare and practice Sema. This will include basic whirling instruction and safety tips.

  • All proceeds from this event will go toward building a community center in Samandağ, Türkiye, a city deeply impacted by last year’s devastating earthquake. Together, we can contribute to healing and rebuilding in a meaningful way.

  • The music and whirling will be go on uninterrupted for 24 hours, join in for however long you want / have capacity for. Be mindful of your body and needs.

“If you come to visit my grave,

My tomb will appear to dance.

Brother! Don’t come without a tambourine,

for the sad can’t join in God’s celebration.

From every direction comes the sound of the harp,

and hue and cry from the drunk.

Every action will perforce give rise to another one.

God has created me from love’s wine;

even if death takes me, I am the same love.

I am intoxication; my origin is the wine of love.

Tell me: what comes from wine except intoxication?

Toward the lofty soul of Beloved

my soul is flying, lingering not even a single moment.

— Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi