"The past years have been very challenging in the world scenario. We have seen a number of agitations flaring up almost everywhere. It is easy to create an agitation in today’s society. The frustration & stress levels are high. Any just cause can flare up emotions and get people onto the streets.
However, it is a much more challenging and skillful task to create inner peace and have people stand up in a peaceful, non-violent and happy mode to work towards collective, constructive action.
The Art of Living has made a humble effort all over the world where millions of people have stood up for change in this direction. Today, I am happy that people are embracing meditation as well as acknowledging the role of inner peace in nation building."
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Introduction
Art of Living founder Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar comes from the lineage of peace and non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi. Through his initiatives and addresses, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has consistently emphasized the need for reinforcing human values and recognizing humanity as our highest identity.
Fostering interfaith harmony and calling for multicultural education as the remedy for fanaticism are significant parts of his efforts to achieve sustainable peace on our planet.
The activities are driven by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar'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 Foundation, 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.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - Peace Mediator
As an ambassador of peace, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar plays a key role in conflict resolution and spreads his vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings world-wide. Regarded as a neutral figure with the principle agenda of peace, he represents hope to people in conflict. He has received particular credit for bringing opposing parties to the negotiating table in Iraq, the Ivory Coast and the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Bihar in India.
A global humanitarian leader, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s programs have provided assistance to people from a wide range of backgrounds – victims of natural disasters, survivors of terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations and communities in conflict, among others. The strength of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a huge network of volunteers, who are driving these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.
The Art of Living Foundation 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 Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. 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.
The Art of Living» recognises that material support cannot stand alone in disaster management. If you have lost your family and home to the Tsunami or to war, only rebuilding your house will not enable you to function normally again. Effective trauma relief is called for: the renowned stress-relieving techniques of «The Art of Living» like Sudarshan Kriya ®.
Read more
Sustainable Peace
The Art of Living Foundation 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.
