Event Details
Date : 27 May 2023
Time : 10 AM
Venue : Goa
Summary Schedule
| 10 AM to 12:30 PM | Inauguration and Presentations |
| 12:30 PM to 2 PM | Lunch |
| 2 PM to 5 PM | Cultural Performance and Presentations |
| 5 PM to 6:30 PM | High Tea and Networking |
Partner organisations
International Center for Cultural Studies | Maharshi Adhyatma
Vishwavidyalay | Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Centre for Indolog
A 1-Day event with Eminent Speakers
Some of the speakers listed below amongst many others
Professor Dr Shashi Bala
President of the International Council of Cultural Studies & Dean, Bharatiya VidyaBhavan’s KM Munshi Centre for Indology Chair, New Delhi, India
Captain Dilip Donde
The first Indian to complete a solo, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe in a sail boat.
Hans-Martin Heierling
Owns a ski company in Davos Switzerland, co-founder House of Balance fostering a feeling of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in the World Economic Forum
Ajit Padmanabh
Who VR CEO & TEDx speaker with a vision to elevate the collective consciousness of humanity through ancient heritage & technology
Sadguru Cyriaque Vallee
An International Model who embraced Spirituality, attained Sainthood, and recently started an Ashram in Germany
Mr Maneesh Tripathy
CEO – Marble Rocks VCC Fund – Singapore HQ. Board Member – Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI). Alumnus of IIM Calcutta.
Saurabh Khanna
General Manager at The Park Hotels
Professor (Dr) Manoj Kamat
Principal of Srinivassa Sinai Dempo College of Commerce and Economics Alumnus of IIT and the IIMs, a literary author, orator and popular columnist
Dr Nishi Bhatt
A leading doctor in the emerging field of holistic & neurological treatments involving Ayurveda, Naturopathy and various healing modalities.
Shweta Clarke
Alumnus of Lady Shriram College, and an integral part of the Spiritual Research and Web Publication team and has conducted workshops all over SE Asia
Sean Clarke
Editor of SSRF.org, a leading spiritual research website, Alumnus of Monash Mt Eliza Business School, Spiritual Research Team lead at MAV
Vrinda Khanna
National Secretary at Sant Eshwer Foundation & National Outreach Coordinator C20(G20)
1. Introduction
Peaceful coexistence is possible in human society only when diversity and inclusion are undergirded by reciprocal mutual respect. Diversity is about representation or the make-up of a unit. Inclusion is about how well different entities’ contributions, presence, and perspectives are valued and integrated into the larger ecosystem.
2. Background
The world has been a victim of rampant colonisation in the past centuries by those indoctrinated with the ideas of race supremacy with exclusive claims to truth and cultural chauvinism. The phase of over-centralisation and combative imposition of thoughts and faiths which were exclusive have, over time, destroyed numerous traditions and languages and denied the different identities of the people (whether of creed, colour, gender or faith), impoverishing both human life and human civilisation.
3. Going back to the basics
Ancient Indian wisdom states, ‘Ekam sat viparah bahudhah vadanti’ – the truth is one, but it manifests in various forms. Ancient Indian wisdom also articulates each individual as ‘Amritasya putrah’ – an expression of the Divine. So, the whole universe is a manifestation of divinity and is interconnected, interrelated and interdependent.
4. The G20 adopts an inclusive approach
Over the last few years, C20 has worked unfailingly to take this agenda to the G20. But similar to diversity and inclusion at the societal level in a nation, there needs to be the inclusion of diverse paths and perspectives at the international and global levels. The leaders of G20 recognised the diverse approach to development for the first time in 2005. The 2005 G20 communique said, “We recognised there is no uniform development approach that fits all countries. Each country should be able to choose the development approaches and policies that best suit its specific characteristics while benefiting from their experience in policy making over the last decades, including the importance of strong macroeconomic policies for sustained growth.”
The C20 group will explore and enunciate the need to acknowledge, respect, adopt and recommend diverse approaches for solving various issues. There must be a more than one-size-fits-all model for handling all challenges. By bringing together stakeholders from across the globe, the working group can promote the need for flexibility and innovation, considering local capacities, culture, and resources.
5. Including a spiritual way of life
Our Honourable PM Mr Narendra Modi has recognised the need to include the spiritual aspect in the C20 and policy making. For this reason, he also appointed Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma) – a renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader, as the Chair of the C20. The focus of all disciplining and moulding, be it through laws and regulations or social practices and cultural values, is to
bring out this essential goodness and knowledge within a person. According to the Ancient Indian knowledge system (IKS), such goodness and values are underpinned by the basic principle of increasing positive vibrations and reducing negative vibrations in all aspects of life. An increase in positive vibrations leads to well-being; conversely, an increase in negative vibrations leads to various societal problems, such as social unrest, war, pandemics, climate change, etc. This principle can also be applied to policies that direct what is more important to include for the well-being of society. For the rights of all to be taken into account, a more inward, more profound and, say, spiritual approach is required. This will strengthen the connections that a human being has to his family, locality, community, society, culture and nature because the whole universe is interconnected, interrelated and interdependent. With these efforts, we pray they will eventually lead to all feeling ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – The World Is One Family.
C20 Vision and Working groups
C20 India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) around the world to voice people’s aspirations to the world leaders of the G20. It gives CSOs a forum to protect the agencies of these sectors, to reflect the primary and common concerns affecting the people of the world, and to promote social and economic development with the vision of leaving no one behind.
Indian society is known for its uniquely dynamic and plural character. Although the Indian approach is quintessentially society-centric at its core, it is also a profoundly independent culture which allows autonomous space for society. Because of this innately autonomous way of functioning, Indian thought has flourished over the centuries. Our approach relies on non-state initiatives, from temples and dharamshalas, to voluntary bodies to educational and welfare institutions, seeking to resolve public issues through public participation. We are committed to this path because we collectively believe in the idea of self-reliance and sustainability, where economic growth, ecological health, personal enlightenment, and social well-being go hand in hand. In India, civil society has historically remained independent of political powers and is self-supporting in every aspect. We expect this ethos to permeate this ear’s C20 activities and to shift the dynamics between state, society, market, family, and individual from conflict and contradiction to cooperation, collaboration, and compassionate assistance.
Indian philosophical tradition recognises the importance and limitations of individualism and collective action. Volunteerism, which bridges this gap between these two, is the essential spirit behind civil society in India. As an ideal, volunteerism, or selfless service, should reflect a sense of personal ownership of one’s surroundings and a sense of belonging. Beyond this, for volunteerism to have the most positive impact, we require a genuineness of passion for reforms and improvement, self-inspired initiative, and creativity in approaches that reflect the complexities of the real world. Lastly, it represents a democratic, articipatory, and harmonious way of working together. A sense of duty and indebtedness to society has always driven volunteerism in India. In that sense, this consciousness is, in fact, beyond government as each individual develops a personal responsibility for ensuring national (& global) well-being. This perspective reinforces the role of individual citizens rather than placing the entire burden on the government alone. The C20 in India would thus focus on a uniquely Indian experience, bringing these aspects to the fore.
Civil society culture in India has been shaped by illustrious figures such as Mahatma Basaveshwara, Dayanand Saraswati, Ramkrishna Paramahansa, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Mahatma Phule, Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. These figures have laid a foundation for self-motivated efforts to provide solutions to social problems. Continuing this tradition in post-independence India, Vinoba Bhave, Maharshi Karve, Baba Amte, and Sundarlal Bahuguna ensured that the spirit of volunteerism manifested in multiple ways. While considering the previous communiques and policy packs, India’s C20 Presidency aims to focus on issues ranging from wellness to seva (service) and from cyberspace to social justice.
The logo of C20 India 2023 symbolises the flame of hope, self-motivation, and selfless service. The tagline #YouAreTheLight is a call to every member of civil society to come together, make their own path, find solutions and resolve issues through collective effort.
Get to Know C20
C20 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20. It provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) around the world to voice people’s aspirations with the world’s leaders in G20. C20 also aims to protect the essence of the sector, promote social and economic development with the vision that no one should be left behind.
How C20 Works
Under the Indian Presidency of the G20 this year, the Civil20 remains committed to advocating evidence-based policy recommendations. C20 will strive towards the realisation of the Indian
C20 motto – “You Are The Light”
The priority issues of C20 will focus on solving the socio-economic matters which touch the daily lives of the people, which include education, health, environment, technology and seva (sense of service).
The C20 India will conduct regular consultations with national and international Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to deliberate upon and structure the priority agenda. Along with this, C20 India will hold regular dialogues with G20 Engagement Groups along with other key actors to ensure adequate representation of civil society voices and aspirations in the G20 Leaders Summit. The C20 advocacy will generate the C20 Policy Pack and C20 Communique, which will contain the policy recommendations that will be launched at the C20 Summit in July 2023.
Working Groups
- Integrated Holistic Health: Mind, Body, and Environment
- Sustainable & Resilient Communities: Climate, Environment and Net Zero Targets
- Education and Digital Transformation
- Gender Equality and Disability (GED)
- Technology, Security, and Transparency
- Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE)
- Preservation and Conservation of Traditional Arts, Crafts and Culture;
- Traditional and Innovative Ways of Livelihood and Employment
- Human Rights as Human Values
- Revival of Rivers & Water Management
- Sewa – Sense of Service, Philanthropy and Volunteerism
- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – World is One Family
- Diversity, Inclusion, Mutual Respect
- SDG 16+ and Promoting Civic Space
- Delivering Democracy – Retrospect and Prospects
- Disability, Equity, Justice (DEJ)
Diversity, Inclusion & Mutual Respect
Intro and background
Under the able leadership of our Honourable PM Mr Narendra Modi, India is hosting the Presidency of G20 this year. The C20 (Civilian arm of G20) comprises 14 working groups under the Chair of Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. One of the working groups is Diversity, Inclusion and Mutual Respect. The international coordinator for this group is Professor Dr Shashi Bala. She is President of the International Council of Cultural Studies (ICCS), New Delhi and the Dean of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s KM Munshi Centre for Indology, New Delhi. The C20 working group – Diversity Inclusion and Mutual Respect, under the leadership of Dr Shashi Bala, is planning to hold one of its seminars in Goa in association with the Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay (Goa) India. The Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay has been given the privilege of organising the event in Goa.
Concept Note
Introduction
Peaceful coexistence is possible in human society only when diversity and inclusion are undergirded by reciprocal mutual respect. Diversity is about representation or the make-up of a unit. Inclusion is about how well different entities’ contributions, presence, and perspectives are valued and integrated into the larger ecosystem.
Background
The world has been a victim of rampant colonisation in the past centuries by those indoctrinated with the ideas of race supremacy with exclusive claims to truth and cultural chauvinism. The phase of over-centralisation and combative imposition of thoughts and faiths which were exclusive have, over time, destroyed numerous traditions and languages and denied the different identities of the people (whether of creed, colour, gender or faith), impoverishing both human life and human civilisation.
Going back to the basics
Ancient Indian wisdom states, ‘Ekam sat viparah bahudhah vadanti’ – the truth is one, but it manifests in various forms. Ancient Indian wisdom also articulates each individual as ‘Amritasya putrah’ – an expression of the Divine. So, the whole universe is a manifestation of divinity and is interconnected, interrelated and interdependent.
The G20 adopts an inclusive approach
Since the last few years, C20 has worked unfailingly to take this agenda to the G20. But similar to diversity and inclusion at the societal level in a nation, there needs to be the inclusion of diverse paths and perspectives at the international and global levels. The leaders of G20 recognised the diverse approach to development for the first time in 2005. The 2005 G20 communique said, “We recognised there is no uniform development approach that fits all countries. Each country should be able to choose the development approaches and policies that best suit its specific characteristics while benefiting from their experience in policy making over the last decades, including the importance of strong macroeconomic policies for sustained growth.”
The C20 group will explore and enunciate the need to acknowledge, respect, adopt and recommend diverse approaches for solving various issues. There must be a more than one-size-fits-all model for handling all challenges. By bringing together stakeholders from across the globe, the working group can promote the need for flexibility and innovation, considering local capacities, culture, and resources.
Including a spiritual way of life
O
ur Honourable PM Mr Narendra Modi has recognised the need to include the spiritual aspect in the C20 and policy making. For this reason, he also appointed Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma) – a renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader, as the Chair of the C20.
The focus of all disciplining and moulding, be it through laws and regulations or social practices and cultural values, is to bring out this essential goodness and knowledge within a person. According to the Ancient Indian knowledge system (IKS), such goodness and values are underpinned by the basic principle of increasing positive vibrations and reducing negative vibrations in all aspects of life. An increase in positive vibrations leads to well-being; conversely, an increase in negative vibrations leads to various societal problems, such as social unrest, war, pandemics, climate change, etc.
This principle can also be applied to policies that direct what is more important to include for the well-being of society. For the rights of all to be taken into account, a more inward, more profound and, say, spiritual approach is required. This will strengthen the connections that a human being has to his family, locality, community, society, culture and nature because the whole universe is interconnected, interrelated and interdependent. With these efforts, we pray they will eventually lead to all feeling ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – The World Is One Family.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
Intro and background
The theme of India’s G20 Presidency – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family· One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.
The theme also spotlights LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), with its associated, environmentally sustainable and responsible choices, both at the level of individual lifestyles as well as national development, leading to globally transformative actions resulting in a cleaner, greener and bluer future.
For India, the G20 Presidency also marks the beginning of “Amritkaal”, the 25-year period beginning from the 75th anniversary of its independence on 15 August 2022, leading up to the centenary of its independence, towards a futuristic, prosperous, inclusive and developed society, distinguished by a human-centric approach at its core.
The G20 Logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India’s national flag – saffron, white and green, and blue. It juxtaposes planet Earth with the lotus, India’s national flower that reflects growth amid challenges. The Earth reflects India’s pro-planet approach to life, one in perfect harmony with nature. Below the G20 logo is “Bharat”, written in the Devanagari script.
While the tagline of Civil 20 is ‘You are the Light’, the logo depicts a beam of light, implying society moves with its autonomous power and creates its own path. Further the logo of C20 symbolize the flame of hope, self-motivation and selfless services.
Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay (MAV) also known as the Maharshi University of Spirituality
Nestled in the heart of Goa between two renowned temples, the Spiritual Research Centre and Ashram is pioneering spiritual research into how Indian culture is the need of the hour for the world community. Ancient Indian culture is underpinned by the basic principle of increasing positive vibrations and reducing negative vibrations in all aspects of life. In our spiritual research using Aura and Energy scanners, we have proved through various experiments and research studies how every aspect of Indian culture is designed to emit higher levels of positive energy.
Our forte is simplifying and communicating important spiritual concepts and knowledge for the modern generation through research-based studies. We have generated tremendous interest in the academic community by participating in over 100 conferences worldwide, showcasing Sanatan Dharma in a scientific format. We have published our research in over 50 disciplines on our websites (ssrf.org and spiritual.university). These disciplines include Mental Health, Wellness and Spiritual Please visit our websites : www.ssrf.org www.spiritual.university Healing, Personality development, Spiritual education, Climate change, Spiritual purity of Indian Rivers, Spiritually positive (Sattvik) Lifestyle, Sustainable Development, Indian Classical Music & Dance, Indian temples, Art & Sculpture and Gender equality.
Our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi wants that India moves forward with its ancient values while also reviving the tradition of science and research. Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay is doing just this. Using aura and energy scanners we demonstrate scientifically how the Ancient Indian knowledge system (IKS) enhances positivity and well-being and is an example to the world.
This research-based knowledge goes a long way in educating society, especially the younger generation, on the importance of Indian traditions & customs and to value Indian temples and maintain their sanctity.
Please visit our websites : www.ssrf.org | www.spiritual.university