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‘No less than a war zone’: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on why the world needs inner peace at UN
Addressing diplomats and UN officials ahead of World Meditation Day 2025, the humanitarian and spiritual leader highlighted rising global stress and conflict, urging inner well-being as a foundation for peace.
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Staff Reporter - Sat, 20, Dec 2025
- 10:23 EST
- 31
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Calls for Meditation at United Nations. / Special Arrangement
Warning that today’s social and political climate is “no less than a war zone,” spiritual leader and humanitarian Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar told a gathering at the United Nations on Dec. 20 that inner well-being and meditation are essential tools for restoring hope and resilience in an increasingly conflict-ridden world.
His remarks came as Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addressed diplomats, ambassadors, UN officials and community leaders at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Dec. 19, during a keynote session ahead of World Meditation Day 2025, observed annually on Dec. 21. The gathering, themed Healing the World from Within, focused on the role of inner well-being in strengthening resilience, cooperation and peacebuilding amid growing global uncertainty.
Citing his work in Ukraine, Gurudev recalled leading meditation sessions for thousands during the ongoing conflict. “In Ukraine, 8,000 people meditated and found peace. Many of them were soldiers who felt a deep sense of darkness within, with no hope,” he said, noting that meditation helped participants cope with depression and sleep deprivation and regain a sense of purpose.
Also read: Heartfulness Institute to celebrate World Meditation Day 2025
He warned that the pressures facing societies today extend beyond traditional battlefields. “Today, we are living in circumstances that are no less than a war zone, marked by various social challenges and conflicts,” Gurudev said, urging leaders and citizens alike to prioritize mental well-being and inner reflection as essential responses to polarization and unrest.
The United Nations in Geneva celebrated World Meditation Day ahead of the holiday season. Ambassadors of several countries and dignitaries took keen interest and participated. Ninad Deshpande, gave the vote of thanks with Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the of Int.… pic.twitter.com/viqDq023NQ
— Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (@Gurudev) December 18, 2025
Framing inner peace as a practical tool rather than an abstract ideal, he added that cultivating calm at the individual level can help reduce reactivity, bridge divides and foster collective healing in an increasingly complex global environment.
His address was followed by a guided meditation. In 2024, Gurudev was invited by the United Nations to lead a global meditation that reached more than 8.5 million participants worldwide, both online and in person on World Meditation Day.
Designated by the United Nations in 2024, World Meditation Day has quickly emerged as a unifying platform for governments, international organisations and civil society to acknowledge the role of inner well-being in public health, social cohesion and peacebuilding. Across schools, workplaces, community centres and humanitarian settings, meditation is increasingly being adopted as an accessible practice to support emotional balance, clarity and compassion.
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