Acharya Mahaprajna
The main cause of violence is unbalanced economic development, which is responsible for concentration of wealth in the hands of a few persons pushing more than two billion people on the planet to abject poverty and starvation. The gale of globalization has widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Unemployment, wanton extravagance and sheer ostentation by the rich contribute to violence greatly. Wealth is the basis of our sustenance as well as a source of conflict in society. We are of the view that a new economic system which may be inclusive and which also takes care of the marginalized groups of society is needed.
It should be rooted in ahimsa. The present economic system is exclusive and devoid of ethics. That is why it continues to be the main source of violence. In order to prevent the future citizens of the country from taking recourse to exploitative economic system and divert their attention towards economics of ahimsa, right means of livelihood and training in self-employment have been included in this training. If a child is taught to limit his desires, avoid a life of ostentation and observe rectitude in business, he will not indulge in exploitative practices and not be instrumental in generating violence. In order to develop trainees’ conceptual understanding of the issues connected with their means of living, special lectures on the following topics will be organized:
• Who is more important - man or money?
• Economic concepts of development
• Economics of peace and nonviolence
• Environment and economics
• Poverty and unemployment - creating an exploitation free society
• Precepts of economic system
• Economic system and ethics
• Nonviolence training and self-employment
In addition to these insights into economics of nonviolence the young trainees have also to undergo vocational training, which enables them to learn the right tools to ear their living.
Dr S L Gandhi delivering his lecture on nonviolence lifestyle at the Nonviolence Leadership Training Camp
Acharya Mahapragya addresses the inaugural session of the 7th International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India, addressing the valedictory session of the 7th ICPNA
