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S. Singh: Address to Summit 2022, Session II
Written by Hon. Prof. Sunaina Singh, Vice Chancellor, Nalanda University, India
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Address to Summit 2022 and Leadership Conference,
Seoul, Korea, August 11-15, 2022
Ladies and gentlemen, namaste. It’s such an honor and pleasure to be on this platform and to be among peacemakers of the world. Thank you for having India on the platform because I come from a land of peace. Upanishads are the texts that date back over 5,000 to 7,000 years. The Upanishads speaks about the spiritual essence of life. The world is a family where coming together is very important. This is where India has led through the centuries. Through different challenges, crises, rulers who have invaded India, India has been able to survive and not just survive but maintain peace, because every prayer in India ends with, “Om shanti,” which means, “Peace be there for everyone.”
Nalanda University is in the land of Buddha. At the university we have courses aligned with peacebuilding that are in line with our scriptures and to Buddhist philosophy. Having said that, I think it’s very important that we look at what we have achieved in the land of Gandhi, who believed in nonviolence and non-violent resistance. The peacebuilding that Gandhi proposed I think is still relevant, and will continue to be relevant for all nations, all ages. Rabindranath Tagore was a universal humanist. He also spoke about peace. We have stalwart writers and scholars who have guided not just India but the entire Asian continent. Maintenance of peace and security have been for all of us the most important concern of human civilization since time immemorial.
This concern today has resumed added significance and urgency in the present context of a thermonuclear time, with the pandemic hovering over us, with war looming large, with nation states having their own priorities. It’s very important that the Indian perspective may also be looked into because particularly the Indian seers and scriptures have delved deeper into the peace paradigm through the ages.
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has been working toward spreading the message of peace from Buddha and the message of peace from our scriptures. This is very important because Mother Moon says the entire world should live in peace. UPF has been working in a focused fashion to build a platform for peace, and not just for one country. How can we live together in peace? How can we co-exist in harmony? This is the message that the prime minister wants to give to the world. The Dalai Lama has said it very correctly: “Today’s world requires us to accept the oneness of humanity.”
Mutual respect, respecting the integrity of each nation, co-existing in a harmonious manner, and non-violence have to be established in today’s world. This is the important message that India has to deliver to the world.
The contemporary debate about security and peace often focuses on transformation of the concept of national security, from narrow prisms of territorial security to a wider canvas of human security. The shrinking of the globe, an explosion of knowledge due to the revolution of information technology and the globalization of economy have weakened the boundaries of states and its sovereignty, and ignited identity as a source of conflict.
The unilateralist view, which is a notion of security that needs to be done away with, needs to be broadened to human security. It is therefore argued that the shift of national security to the human security paradigm is of historic importance and relevance at this time. The peace measures that we bring are to eradicate enmity. The Indian philosophy of thousands of years ago must be re-examined and brought to bear on today’s challenges.
One of our seers has spoken about the importance of compassion, the importance of brotherhood and happiness in our lives. Tagore referred to universal humanism, a concept that means service to humankind. This concept has the ability or the competence to battle conflict at its root. It’s very important that in today’s world of turmoil that the connecting link between nations be restored. It’s important that we go to the root of the conflict and try to resolve it.
I compliment UPF for coming up with Summit 2022 and I congratulate the worldwide network of peace builders who have been able to come together in the live and virtual format. It’s our responsibility and duty to train the younger generation. The universities need to take up courses, look at the relevance of new courses, and emerging courses that will lead to peacebuilding.
Technology is important, but how do we use it for universal benefit and brotherhood is more important. In today’s world it’s important that courses be revamped and reviewed. We need to look at how do we train the younger generation in a different mold, where people learn to coexist, learn to live together in peace and harmony. That has been one of my visions for the university. This has been the primary objective of the prime minister at different levels.
The Indian perspective has been very simple and straightforward. It talks about peace that should be there for all. It’s not for one community or for one religion. Jonathan Swift, the writer and philosopher, said, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” Today, what we need is the religion of peace, and the religion of brotherhood. That is the way forward.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
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