What Gurudev and The Art of Living Do in the World
Gurudev believes a society can only be at ease when each person is able to settle their own mind. So his work begins with a class in breathing and meditation, and has grown into four threads: peace, service, culture and human values. For more than four decades, volunteers have carried these threads forward: over 1 million volunteers in 182 countries, working for their own communities.
Four sections follow. Start with whichever speaks to you.
Peace Initiatives
Gurudev believes that enduring peace is achieved not merely by addressing the external conditions and systems of conflict, but by attending to the mental and emotional needs of those involved. From conflict resolution between countries, to rebuilding trust in cities grappling with violence, to rehabilitating people in prison and ending generational cycles of violence, his work helps people live with more peace and understanding.
Gurudev's approach to peace has four entry points:
Colombia: dialogue with the FARC
Colombia's conflict lasted about 52 years. In June 2015, Gurudev met FARC leadership in Havana, Cuba. The FARC later declared a unilateral ceasefire and reaffirmed a commitment to the principles of nonviolence. In 2016 the Colombian government and the FARC signed a peace agreement. Throughout, volunteers supported reconciliation among families on both sides.
Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has acknowledged Gurudev's efforts, declaring: "Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and The Art of Living are heroes of peace." (Quoted on gurudev.artofliving.org)
Iraq
In May 2007, Gurudev met the Iraqi Prime Minister in Baghdad. According to the official site, since September 2003 more than 5,000 people in Baghdad, Basra, Sulaymaniyah and Karbala have taken part in trauma-relief programs. (This is from an older page of the site and reflects the cumulative count at that time.)
Ukraine: humanitarian and trauma relief
After the war in Ukraine began, volunteers set up refugee reception centers in neighboring countries. The official site reports that as of March 7, 2022, 650 Ukrainian refugee families had been sheltered, with centers in 9 countries and 21 cities. By February 2023, according to an Art of Living press release, more than 200 trauma-relief workshops had been held for more than 5,000 people from Ukraine, living in more than 20 countries.
Prison Program
Launched in 1991, the program uses breathing and meditation to help people in prison manage emotions and reduce violence. It also offers stress-management programs for correctional staff and for victims. By the official count, more than 800,000 people worldwide have taken part.
Cities4Peace
In cities with high levels of violence, volunteers work through training and dialogue. The program in Los Angeles was independently evaluated by George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
Gurudev: "Expand your vision and see that inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help. If you heal the victim, the culprit within disappears."
Service and Social Programs
The society Gurudev imagines is stress-free and violence-free, and it begins with a person's ability to manage their own mind. Mental well-being is the root.
For more than four decades, the Art of Living Foundation has worked with the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) around the world: from conflict mediation and disaster relief to stress-management and resilience programs in schools, universities, health care and for at-risk youth.
Who the programs serve
Areas of humanitarian work
Education: 1,356 free schools
Gurudev champions education in human values for everyone. Through its Care for Children program, The Art of Living offers a free, complete, values-based education in India to children who cannot reach regular public or private schools. By the official count, there are now 1,356 free schools serving more than 120,000 children.
Environment: trees, rivers and water
Volunteers have planted over 100 million trees worldwide and taken part in river restoration, which the organization puts at more than 75 rivers. Volunteers also promote zero-budget natural farming without chemicals.
Disaster relief
Through its volunteer network, The Art of Living can reach disaster areas quickly. According to its 45th-anniversary publication, it has carried out more than 156 relief operations. Examples: after the 2004 tsunami, the official site records more than 50,000 people attending trauma-relief programs in South India; after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, relief supplies reached about 150,000 people.
Women's empowerment
Programs help women of all backgrounds build inner strength, creativity and confidence. According to the 45th-anniversary publication, more than 110,000 women have been trained in vocational and entrepreneurship skills.
Trauma relief and skills training for former combatants
The official site reports that more than 7,400 members of extremist groups have taken part in trauma-relief workshops and vocational skills training.
Culture and Celebration
Gurudev founded the World Culture Festival (WCF), a global event series of Olympic proportions which, by the official count, has welcomed more than 7 million people. It seeks to revive local cultures and bring people closer through celebration.
The festival offers music, dance, cuisine from around the world, meditation and dialogue, honoring the diversity of our backgrounds and the shared spirit that connects us as one global family. Past attendees have included heads of state, diplomats, spiritual leaders and artists.
Gurudev: "The purpose of the World Culture Festival is to send a message that the whole world is one family and we can all coexist with our differences. It is an opportunity for leaders from all segments of society to come together and renew their vision to work for the common welfare."
Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations: "Culture builds bridges, culture breaks down walls, culture brings a world together through dialogue and mutual understanding." (Quoted on gurudev.artofliving.org)
Past World Culture Festivals
| Year | City | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| First | Bangalore, India | The first festival was held in Bangalore; the official site cites about 2.5 million attendees |
| 2011 | Berlin, Germany | Held at the Olympic Stadium; the official site cites about 70,000 attendees |
| 2016 | New Delhi, India | Held on the banks of the Yamuna; the official site cites more than 3.75 million attendees from about 110 countries |
| 2023 | Washington, D.C., USA | Held on the National Mall; the official site cites more than 1.1 million attendees, with participants from 180 countries |
World Meditation Day
In December 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus (without a vote) a resolution designating December 21 of each year as World Meditation Day. The first observance was held at UN Headquarters in New York, where Gurudev gave the keynote address and led a guided meditation online. The organizers report more than 8.5 million people joined online.
Spirituality and Human Values
"Life-changing" is the phrase course participants use most.
Gurudev brings ancient wisdom into the modern age, making timeless practices relevant to contemporary life and open to scientific study. At the core of these courses is stress reduction.
Why focus on stress? Because when stress fades, our innate humanity naturally shines through, expressing itself as compassion, love, peace and joy. Reviving these human values is key to building a stress-free, violence-free society. That is the heart of Gurudev's mission.
Gurudev: "The formula to be happy is clarity in mind, purity in heart, sincerity in action. Measure your success by the number of hours you smile."
Main practices and programs
- SKY Breath Meditation (Sudarshan Kriya): the breathing practice Gurudev received in 1982, and the core of The Art of Living courses. According to The Art of Living, over 100 peer-reviewed studies have examined SKY, at institutions including Stanford and Yale.
- Sahaj Samadhi Meditation: a simple meditation practice.
- Advanced courses and Sri Sri Yoga: deepening the practice.
- Volunteer and teacher training: The Art of Living has nearly 40,000 trainers and more than 10,000 centers in 182 countries.
Note: in Taiwan, the Happiness Program and meditation programs are paid programs; the community introductory sessions are the free ones. See The Art of Living in Taiwan.
Source: The Art of Living International official data.