“From Meditation to Mediation” is the theme of a dedicated event on 12 November at 12:30 pm in the EU Parliament’s room PHS 4B001 that will welcome global humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
On invitation by some Members of European Parliament, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will introduce his unique approach to solving conflicts and give an insight into his ongoing and recent peace mediations and the role that meditation plays. Participants will also have the chance to experience a short guided meditation by the international peace ambassador.
While most existing peace-building interventions focus extensively on external conditions and systems, they mostly fail to address a crucial dimension of peace-building, namely creating peace at the individual level and a deep- rooted conviction for choosing non-violence. This is where Sri Sri Ravi Shankar brings a unique offering to the table, as peace cannot be realized in a society as long as the individuals in it are not at peace and have not adopted a different set of values.
A peacemaker in numerous conflict herds, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is amongst others currently involved in facilitating dialogue and seeking a peaceful solution in Venezuela. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met twice this year with Nicolás Maduro already as well as with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and the opposition around Mr. Juan Guaidó, President of the National Assembly and opposition leader Marina Corina Machado. Nicolás Maduro publicly requested Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to mediate in Venezuela.
In October 2019, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar concluded – upon request of the Supreme Court of India and as part of a team of 3 mediators – a mediation in the 500-year old ‘Ayodhya conflict’ in India, where he sought a peaceful solution and an ‘out-of-court-settlement’ in the rekindled conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India over a plot of land that had created 71 wars over the times. His contribution was part of the recently achieved settlement. The settlement document has been submitted to the Supreme Court, which will announce a verdict between 6 and 17 November 2019.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has also been instrumental in helping to resolve the FARC issue in Colombia where he mediated between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels. It is said that the ultimate key to the breakthrough in the peace talks with the FARC was Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s ability to listen to the FARC, creating trust and the introduction to meditation and mindfulness techniques.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is considered one of the most important peace ambassadors and scholars of the Gandhian principle of non-violence of our times. Forbes magazine called him the fifth most important Indian in the world. Through his life and work, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has inspired millions of people around the world with his vision of a stress-free, violence-free world.
Kindly change the image, the shared image is of popular Indian musician Pandit Ravi Shankar, not of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of Art of Living about whom the above piece is all about.
Dear Shomit Chowdhury, Thank you for your pointing out this error. The image has been changed accordingly. My apologies for the mistake. No offence was intended. Kind Regards, James Wilson