World Meditation Day at UN: How Inner Peace Can Heal a Divided World

The programme was organised by the Permanent Mission of India in collaboration with the missions of Andorra, Mexico, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which together form the core group behind the World Meditation Day initiative. The event took place at the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN and saw participation from diplomats, experts, spiritual leaders and members of civil society.

Renowned spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar delivered the keynote address at the event and led the audience through a guided meditation session.

Several other speakers spoke about the importance of meditation in daily life and its growing relevance in today's fast-changing world. Yogmata Keiko Aikawa and Sister BK Gayatri from the Brahma Kumaris organisation shared their experiences of practising meditation and promoting it globally. LP Bhanu Sharma, co-founder of Nepal's Jeevan Vigyan Foundation, spoke about efforts to provide practical education in yoga and meditation.

Academics and scientists also addressed the gathering. Lasantha Chandana Goonetilleke of Rutgers University and John Hagelin, a physicist and the International President of the Global Union of Scientists for Peace, discussed meditation as an instrument that can enhance our potential to address contemporary challenges.

The event was attended by nearly 700 people, reflecting growing global interest in meditation and mental well-being.

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni, highlighted India's civilisational understanding that at a very fundamental level, transforming oneself brings about transformation in the external world, and that inner peace begets external peace in the world.

Permanent Representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Andorra, along with a representative from Mexico, also spoke at the event. These countries were part of the core group that worked together to finalise the UN resolution on World Meditation Day.

World Meditation Day was officially declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 6, 2024, through Resolution A/RES/79/137. The resolution was adopted unanimously, recognising meditation as a practice that promotes well-being, peace and harmony. December 21 is now observed annually as World Meditation Day.

The first World Meditation Day was celebrated at the United Nations Headquarters on December 21, 2024. The second edition continued the focus on encouraging mindfulness and inner balance as tools for addressing global challenges.

- ANI