Draft Concept Paper

One Earth Family – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

Ishavasya Idam Sarvam , Yatkincha Jagatyam Jagat Tein Tyakten Bhunjeetha , ma gridhah
kasya swidhanam.

।
।

( 40
)
( )

God Consciousness pervades every particle of the Universe. O human beings!

Enjoy this wealth in the need based sharing and caring spirit and not greed
based acquisitive culture.

Preamble
Principles
Programme

1. PREAMBLE

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: A Universal and Unifying Principle:

A central principle in the Vedas of India is ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – all beings on
earth belong to a single family. This principle of the fundamental unity and interconnectedness
of all life forms, encoded in Indian scriptures thousands of years ago, resonates with most
ancient indigenous spiritual traditions around the globe. The First Nations people of America
describe this unity as ‘Mitakuye Onasin’, while Africans called it ‘Ubuntu’ or ‘I exist because
you exist’. This principle allowed our earliest ancestors to evolve in cooperation with flora,
fauna and fellow beings. It was carried forward in different words by all the major world
religions that emerged over the past 2000-3000 years. In Christianity, we find the Golden Rule
of ‘do unto others as you would have others do unto you”. In Islam we find ‘Tawheed’ or the
Unity and Oneness of God, and Mutafikaleen or the interdependence of all beings. Buddhism
uses the concept of ‘Indra’s net’ to symbolize the interconnectedness of all life, and ‘Nichiren’,
meaning ‘many in body but one in spirit’.

Recent scientific discoveries provide irrefutable empirical evidence to these

philosophical and metaphysical theories. Quantum physicists like David Bohm and;

1
evolutionary biologists…. ADD: SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES HERE ON
INTERDEPENDENCE AND UNITY.
Today, the calamitous atomization of society and the violent divisiveness of our
political, economic and religious institutions make it essential for us to reclaim and embody the
universal and unifying principle of One Earth Family. In Gandhian tradition, fulfilling the needs
of the most vulnerable and underprivileged members of this family is the touchstone on which
all our actions must be based.

One Earth Family – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a new social movement that is based
on this foundational principle of the oneness of all beings on earth. Its work is carried forward
through an Integral Institute that seeks to highlight both the beauty and value of the infinite
diversity of humanity and nature, and the inherent unity and interconnectedness of all life
underlying our diversity. The profound underlying conviction is that only an integrated
approach that encompasses the political, economic, ecological, social, legal, cultural and
spiritual dimensions and recognizes their inter-dependence can bring about the transformation
required today.

PRINCIPLES
1. Interconnectedness – one creator – as proved by science
2. Universe belongs exclusively to no-one: sharing
3. Truth – as constant unfolding process
4. Compassion
5. Consciousness
6. Wisdom
7. Radical responsibility for our actions and their consequences
8. Justice (pursuit of justice in all its dimensions: spiritually, culturally, ecologically,
and socially (political, economic, legal)

PROGRAMME
1. A (Vaidic) Manifesto: A manuscript outlining the pressing and universal relevance
of the Vaidic Message for our times, and outlining a manifesto proposing a new
integrated paradigm for society
Our Vision:
The Vision of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is a world-view where the inherent unity and
interdependence of all creation is recognized and respected, where every living soul is valued
and enabled/empowered to fulfill its potential, and where cultural, ecological and spiritual
diversity is valued.

Our Mission:

The Mission of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is to equip Agents of Transformation, through a

process of unlearning and spiritual evolution. These Agents of Transformation will:
 Cherish and celebrate the interconnectedness of self, nature, culture and the entire universe.
 Pursue truth and foster justice relentlessly in intention, word and action.

OUR VALUES:
1. radical responsibility
2. Universal kinship, or unity that transcends borders and labels
3. Respect for diversity.

2
 4. Freedom and justice for all
5. Compassion towards the weak and the vulnerable and preferential option for the poor.
Our Activities:
To fulfill its mission and strive to achieve its vision, the main activities undertaken will be to:
 1. Provide a platform for integral and transformative dialogue: between leaders in
religious, political, military, economic and media institutions who are ready to address and
transform current systemic crises through new paradigms.
 2. Prepare Agents of Transformation: i.e. a new generation of young leaders from diverse
cultural, religious and social backgrounds who will undertake innovative initiatives in their
communities and institutions, and conceive of new paradigms for peaceful, just and
ecological development.
 3. Empower Indigenous Adivasi youth leaders, female and male, to become powerful
national voices for their diverse cultural, spiritual and ecological traditions, and their distinct
socio-political aspirations. Adivasis comprise 100 million people but renaubm despite their
millennial culture, marginalized in India. One Earth Family will highlight the valuable
contributions Adivasi culture and eco-spirituality can make to India’s socio-political,
economic and environmental progress.
 4. Build National Networks to maximize Impact: For sustainability and a multiplier effect,
strong networks and coalitions will be created between all participants in the three above
activities. Leaders in Activity 1 will form a coalition for change to enhance transformative
potential. Youth in Activities 2 and 3 will establish ‘One Earth Family’ Student Associations
in their Schools, Colleges and Universities and train and empower students to multiply
impact.
 5. Build a Global Co-Creative Cultural Collaborative for Transformation: by drawing
on the powerful global networks of contacts and collaborations of the founders with
visionary leaders and transformative movements and institutions around the globe to form a
nucleus that can spearhead inner and outer transformation at this time of planetary crises.

ACTIVITY ONE: INTER-CULTURAL, INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE FORUM

At three symbolic moments of the year (around January 26, Republic Day; August 15,
Independence Day and October 2nd, Gandhi’s birthday), we will convene an intercultural
spiritual dialogue between change-oriented leaders from different sectors drawn from diverse
cultural, religious and class backgrounds. These will be both national and regional, inviting
leaders from across the troubled regions of South Asia. Their goal would be to co-create
innovative solutions to India’s crises from an interfaith, spiritually grounded and culturally
rooted perspective. Each dialogue will last three days, sufficiently long to create meaningful and
lasting relationships between participants and generate shared impulses for change. The
outcomes of the dialogues will be fed into the mainstream through media and social networking,
to build momentum for such change ideas. These ideas will also be debated, discussed and
further developed by the students in Activities 2 and 3 and, on and ongoing and wider basis, by
the Student Associations they create in their educational institutions, in order to build wider
momentum and support for these change ideas.

ACTIVITY TWO: PREPARING AGENTS OF TRANSFORMATION

Three times per year following the dialogue in Activity 1 (ie following Republic Day,
Indpeendence Day and Gandhi’s Birthday), a five day interactive workshop will be held for 120
selected youth from across India to prepare them intensively to become Agents of
Transformation.
Participants: will be 50% female, 50% male. Half will be from disadvantaged backgrounds (so
called ‘Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, prioritizing Adivasis or Scheduled Tribes)

3
while the other half will be from other social backgrounds. India has 28 states and 7 union
Territories. Accordingly, there will be a minimum of four participants from each of the states
and one each from the Union Territories, of which two male and two female, two from
underprivileged and two from other backgrounds. In choosing the participants, attention will be
given to ensure that all religions and spiritual traditions, including the secular and the atheistic.
This will provide an opportunity for a deep integration of India’s highly diverse cultural,
religious, social diversity amongst the youth.
Location: Workshops will be held in Ashrams/Gurukuls in simple, ecological and spiritual
settings.
Agenda: The agenda will intersperse dynamic interactive teaching, group works, creative
exercises, community work, and time spent in nature and in silent meditation.

ACTIVITY THREE: EMPOWERING ADIVASI YOUTH LEADERS

After centuries of deprivation, India’s so called scheduled castes, particularly Dalits, have begun
to self-organise and are beginning to benefit from government schemes and initiatives for self-
empowerment. Adivasis, India’s original inhabitants, numbering 100 million in India, remain
marginalized and disempowered. Furthermore their rich eco-spiritual culture remains unknown
to the mainstream of India’s population. Consequently, Adivasis are disparaged and exploited.
Their timeless ecological cultural and spiritual wisdom is not being harnessed to support and
enhance India’s development. It is time for this to happen. For this purpose a special focus of
One Earth Family will be to empower Adivasi youth and bring Adivasi culture to the
mainstream through these youth.
Workshops will be held thrice a year for 120 Adivasi youth, one male and one female each
from each of India’s states and Union Territories. The programme will be somewhat similar to
the one proposed above, with an enhanced focus on (i) highlighting the wealth and wisdom of
Adivasi culture and (ii) the specific problems and difficulties of Adivasi communities, and the
search for authentic, local or endogenous, integrated/holistic and transformative solutions
identified by Adivasis themselves.

ACTIVITY FOUR: NATIONAL NETWORKING FOR IMPACT and SUSTAINABILITY:

We will create national networks to ensure that each individual activity and programme has long
term impact and sustainability. All those involved in the activities will undertake to become part
of this national network and contribute actively to it.
In the trainings described above, preference will be given to promising, dynamic and committed
first year undergraduate students in university, who will commit to establishing ‘One Earth
Family-Vasudhaiva Kutumbukam’ Student Associations or Clubs in their institutions on their
return. They will thus be able to oversee these clubs for two further years till graduation to
ensure their sustainability. They will undertake to transmit the education and preparation
received to fellow students in their Association and to stay networked with all the other
participants and their Associations to continue sharing ideas, catalyzing projects and working
together for societal transformation.

ACTIVITY FIVE: CO-CREATIVE CULTURAL COLLABORATIVE FOR GLOBAL

TRANSFORMATION
One Earth Family will have a dual focus: (i) looking inward at the vast sub-continent of India
and South Asian region (ii) looking beyond the region at the whole world. The cultural and
spiritual challenges of India and South Asia mirror those in the world at large. The Founders of
One Earth Family have built up through their lifetimes’ experiences vast and influential
networks of contacts and close relationships with leading visionary individuals and inspiring
institutions. One global forum will be held each year on a topical issue requiring integrated

4
transformation. One Earth Family will serve as the nucleus for a global collaborative co-creative
and cultural network to effect transformation. This will include for example:
Right Livelihood Foundation (the Alternative Nobel Prize) and Right Livelihood Academies,
Sweden

The World Future Council, Germany/UK *Peace Direct, UK

Trans4m Centre for Integral Development, Geneva *Global Dialogue Institute, USA
Agents of Transformation, Geneva *World Commission on Consciousness and
Spirituality, USA
Heim Foundation, Geneva *Unies’verselles House of Peace, Dakar,
Senegal
Sekem Foundation & Heliopolis University, Cairo, Egypt *The Academic Council on the
United Nations System, Canada
SINAL, Brazil UNESCO-International Centre for Human
Sciences, Beirut