A dialogue and prayer for a healthier world

Leadership & Ethics | Published: April 9, 2021 | 5 min read

On the occasion of the World Health Day, as a part of a conference titled ‘Changing Paradigms in a Pandemic World’, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addressed two million online attendees and world political leaders, global health experts, frontline workers, sportsmen and artists from a 100 countries on the current pandemic crisis and ways to overcome it.

This post is also available in: हिन्दी

April 7, 2021

On the occasion of the World Health Day, as a part of a conference titled ‘Changing Paradigms in a Pandemic World’ organized by the World Forum for Ethics in Business, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shared a message with two million online attendees and world political leaders, global health experts, frontline workers, sportsmen and artists from a 100 countries on the current pandemic crisis and ways to overcome it.

He said, “World Health Day has more significance today than ever before. Today, when the pandemic has challenged the health of the whole world, the global community has to come together to fight the cause and find the cure. While humanity is grappling with Covid-19, there is so much confusion about its origin and cure. People are asking this question, how come a virus has just rattled the world from nowhere and across all climatic conditions. Health has no origin, but disease does. Health has no cause or reason, but disease does. Diseases occur when laws of nature are violated. 2.8 million lives have been lost. Keeping aside narrow ambitions and self centered goals, we must come together for the sake of mankind and impartially find the origin of the disease and laws that were broken, if any.”

Beckoning the world to come together to overcome the crisis, he said, “Also, the global community has to collectively work to face the pandemic. Researchers need to come forward with an open mind set to find the medicine through the traditional medicine system. Vaccination is of course for prevention, but we also need to find a cure through Ayurveda, herbal and various other systems of medicines that are there on the planet. Let us together come up with an action plan to realize the above. Despite the dark clouds of gloom, silver linings will emerge bright enough to bring hope. Mankind has fought against and prevailed over such threats before and will definitely do so this time as well.”

Applauding the efforts of health care workers and scientists, he said, “I would like to congratulate millions of health care and frontline workers, scientists and other officials who have worked tirelessly, served selflessly, and committed themselves to help us overcome this crisis. Their dedication, care and love for humanity has given us hope for the future.”

He ended his address with a prayer, “Loka samasta, sukhino bhavantu, Om Shanti! Om Shanti! Let the whole world be well and happy.”

Some of the esteemed speakers in the conference included Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; H.E Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname, Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health, Bangalore, Hon. Ms. Jo Churchill, Minister for Public Health, Primary Care & Prevention Member of Parliament, United Kingdom.

The six-hour conference also included 12 breakout sessions that brought together academia, subject matter experts and student leaders who held focused discussions in several areas including mental health, women’s role in the Post COVID world, approach towards family and education, Strengthening Mental Health at the Core of Peace building, and Development and Humanitarian Work.

The conference was held to enable multicultural, multi stakeholder discussions on the impact, efforts, success stories, and potential ethical pitfalls in the way nations and communities are dealing with the healthcare implications of the post-pandemic world, including mental health well-being.

April 7, 2021

Other related articles: