Project 8. Peace

Introduction

Since its inception in 1981, The Art of Living’s founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been engaged in a peace mission. Here, in The Art of Living, spirituality gives strength and responsibility to serve society. The passion and energy stem from the realization of the need for peace around the world. The force is driven by Sri Sri's vision of a stress-free and violence-free world, and hence the urgent need for an Action for Peace.

War or any other kind of disaster leaves behind a population that is constantly living in fear, anxiety and a sense of betrayal. There is an intense feeling of hatred and revenge inside them. The Art of Living, in its pursuit of Action for Peace, conducts special courses to release all these stresses and view life with a fresh, rejuvenated perspective. The perpetrators and victims are both treated with equal compassion. Action for Peace aims to bring people from diverse backgrounds to live together in harmony.

Dialogue

Sri Sri has played the role of a peace mediator for countries in a deadlock. By bringing together conflicting parties on the negotiating table, these have defused violent situations. The Art of Living also brings together people of different faiths and cultures, to promote inter-faith harmony. Read more

Trauma Relief

“Stress and tension are the root cause of violence,” says Sri Sri. When stress is released from the system, peace results in the mind, and human values such as cooperation, responsibility, friendliness and a sense of belongingness naturally develop.

This understanding galvanizes our trauma relief workshops in times of disasters and war. War victims experience removal of fear, anxiety and betrayal. As a sense of inner peace prevails, feelings of hatred and revenge towards the perpetrators of violence, are removed. Special courses are also held for perpetrators of violence, so that they view society from a larger vision. This has transformed terrorists and militants who have given up the path of violence. Read more

Sustainable Peace

The Art of Living promotes a sense of belongingness among thousands of people across the globe. This has brought together people of diverse backgrounds, reduced prejudices and created harmonious understanding between people of different nations.

Peace Projects: Dialogue

Overview

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has devoted himself to promoting composite dialogue between conflicting parties across the world.

Over the past three decades, he has opened up channels of communications and facilitated meaningful dialogue.

Sri Sri has always been regarded as an impartial mediator, who is able to engage all the stakeholders in a climate of trust and reconciliation.

Sri Sri’s involvement has defused the tension in several instances.

Conflict Resolution through Dialogue

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has devoted himself to promoting composite dialogue between conflicting parties across the world. Over the past three decades, he has opened up channels of communications and facilitated meaningful dialogue.

Sri Sri has always been regarded as an impartial mediator, who is able to engage all the stakeholders in a climate of trust and reconciliation. Sri Sri’s involvement has defused the tension in several instances, including

Dialogue Amidst Civil war, Sri Lanka

A Call to end the caste war, Bihar, India

Resolving a deadlock between the government and the people, Gujjar protests, India

Easing tensions in a Disputed land, Amarnath India

Quelling communal fire, Godhra riots, India

Sri Lanka: Dialogue Amidst Civil War

Introduction

Since early 2005, The Art of Living has been playing a proactive role to find an amicable solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, by trying to engage all parties concerned, including the government, parliamentarians and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Art of Living has initiated several peacemaking initiatives in the troubled island nation, that has witnessed ethnic violence for more than 25 years.

Sri Sri seeks to help bring peace back to Sri Lanka and help self-exiled Sri Lankan Tamil refugees return to their country where they can lead dignified lives. "In Sri Lanka, our focus has been on opening up channels of communication and facilitating meaningful dialogue between the government and LTTE," said Sri Sri during his visit to Sri Lanka.

"We will continue our efforts and do whatever is needed till peace is achieved, as the safety of humanity is the main concern", said Sri Sri on October 30, 2006.

Peace Mission

Sri Sri meets war refugees

Sri Sri visited Sri Lanka in April 2009 on a three-day peace mission, where he travelled to the war zones to bring hope to as many of the 150,000 displaced Tamils as possible. During that visit, President Mahinda Rajapakse met Sri Sri. Sri Sri also conveyed his desire for the internally displaced people to quickly return to their homes to the President.

"To see people beg for basic life necessities like food, water and clothes would make any heart bleed," said Sri Sri.

Peace Conference

Conference to explore ways of reconciliation

The previous year, in 2008, The Art of Living and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) co-organized a conference in Norway, titled, Peace And Reconciliation in South Asia – Challenges and Opportunities, which:

Directed public attention to the crisis in South Asia

United representatives from South Asia, as well as Western experts, and those who have been involved in mediation efforts in the region, to facilitate the dialogue that is necessary for peace and explore novel approaches to bring lasting security, stability, development and peace

Explored long-term possibilities for the creation of a new security mechanism in South Asia

This conference was organized in the wake of his mission of peace in 2006 when, at the peak of hostilities, Sri Sri visited Killinochchi, the district headquarters of the LTTE where he interacted with senior leaders. Sri Sri also met with 80,000 Tamils in Jaffna and later visited several refugee camps, bringing solace and a message of hope for a lasting peace to those whose lives have been disrupted by the conflict.

Building Ties

Buddhist-Hindu ties to further global peace

Prominent Buddhist leaders in this primarily Buddhist country also met with Sri Sri, building a positive relationship between the Hindu and Buddhist communities. Following this visit, together with the Mahabodhi Society he convened the Vedanta and Buddhism: Bringing Global Peace conference in 2008, exploring the faith-based resources and values offered by the two ancient religions of Buddhism and Hinduism in the setting of contemporary social and political problem-solving for peace and development in South Asia.

Dialogue

Dialogue as a tool of peace

These efforts have united parties with a stake in Sri Lankan peace to work out agreements on the discussion table rather than on the field of battle. Through these dialogues, Sri Sri and The Art of Living have been resolving conflict, building positive relations and using mediation as an alternative to violence.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met over 400 Sri Lankan Tamils in Switzerland. He conducted a guided meditation for 20 minutes.