New York: Art of Living founder Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addressed Semaphore's 'The Next 3 Billion' conference held in New York on Tuesday. Heads of state and government of various countries, representatives of global institutions and business world participated in the conference. The focus of the discussion was expanding economic opportunities through technology and digital inclusion.
The conference was attended by several prominent personalities including Kenyan President William Samoa Ruto, Democratic Republic of the Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, WTO Director General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
'Prosperity is not possible without peace'
Semaphore co-founder and CEO Justin B. In conversation with Smith, Gurudev said that economic development cannot be seen in isolation from internal well-being.
“Prosperity comes with peace. If there is no peace, there cannot be prosperity,” he said at the session organized a day after the International Day of Peace.
Emphasis on bridging the gap between rich and poor
Gurudev said that the gap between the affluent and deprived classes exists in almost every country and America is also not untouched by it. According to him, to reduce this gap, both sections of the society will have to play their role.
He said that people should come out of the “victim mentality” and take responsibility for their own development. At the same time, those who have sufficient resources will have to understand the importance of empathy and sharing.
Gurudev also cited corruption as a major reason due to which the resources available in many countries of the Global South do not reach the grassroots level.
Example of 500 unemployed youth
Gurudev shared the example of about 500 unemployed youth living around an Art of Living center in a rural area of India. He said that the youth had rejected 200 project proposals given by the government believing that none of them would work.
After this, an effort was made to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship among the youth through a two-month program. According to Gurudev, after this there was a change in the thinking of the youth. He told that this same model was later adopted in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa and other countries of Africa.
Impact of stress on communication and business
On workplace related issues, Gurudev said that stress hinders the communication process and it also impacts business institutions.
He said that to move forward better in times of uncertainty, it is important for people to have a sense of belonging and security.
Gurudev's unique answer on AI
Justin B. regarding artificial intelligence i.e. AI. To Smith's question, Gurudev said in a light tone, “Absence of Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence and Absolute Intelligence – these are the three states.”
At the end of the session, Smith said that if he had to choose between these three, he would choose the third option.
Work on 'Absolute Intelligence' also
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has also established the 'Institute of Absolute Intelligence' with the aim of furthering scientific research in the field of consciousness.
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