‘No peace, no prosperity’: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at New York summit

Bengaluru, Sep 22 (IANS) Art of Living founder Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday said economic prosperity cannot be separated from peace and inner well-being, stressing that sustainable growth requires societies to address both economic inequality and human well-being.

Addressing Semafor’s The Next 3 Billion summit in New York, Ravi Shankar remarked, “Prosperity comes with peace. If there is no peace, there can’t be prosperity.”

The summit brought together heads of state and government, representatives of global institutions and business leaders to discuss how technology and digital inclusion can expand economic opportunities. The speaker lineup included Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

In a conversation with Semafor Co-Founder and CEO Justin B. Smith, Ravi Shankar spoke about the gap between the wealthy and disadvantaged, saying the issue existed in almost every country, including the United States.

He said people facing economic difficulties needed to move beyond what he described as “victim consciousness” and take greater responsibility for their progress. At the same time, he said those with greater resources needed to develop empathy and recognise the importance of sharing.

Ravi Shankar also identified corruption as a major factor preventing resources from reaching people at the grassroots level across countries in the Global South.

Recalling an initiative in rural India, he said around 500 unemployed young people living near an Art of Living centre had initially rejected 200 projects offered by the government because they believed the projects would not succeed. A two-month programme aimed at developing an entrepreneurial mindset helped change their outlook.

He said the model was subsequently taken to several African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa.

Discussing workplaces, Ravi Shankar said stress could disrupt communication and affect businesses. He emphasised the importance of creating a sense of belonging and security among employees, particularly during periods of uncertainty.

Responding to a question about artificial intelligence, he offered a lighter observation: “There’s an absence of intelligence, artificial intelligence, and absolute intelligence.” At the conclusion of the session, Smith said that if given a choice, he would select the third.

Ravi Shankar has also founded the Institute of Absolute Intelligence, which seeks to promote scientific exploration into consciousness.

–IANS

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