The Centre is the end result of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Baba’s vision and is a testimony to the relevance of his teachings for an emerging global civilization based on a core set of universal human values—truth, righteous conduct, love, peace, non-violence.
The institution is intended to foster international understanding and propagation of values that will help people to augment the processes that are moving humankind to appreciate the interface between the forces of religion and spirituality on the one hand and those of science and technology on the other. Hence the theme of the second international conference being hosted by the Centre: “Science and Spirituality—The Growing Interface.”
What makes this International Conference unique is its two-fold objectives:
(a) to convince those engaged in spirituality, value education, moral education, ethics, good governance, corporate social responsibility, environmental conservation, good citizenship, crime prevention and related disciplines and issues that there is now a vast and growing body of scientific literature which buttresses their arguments and makes their advocacy more potent and effective;
(b) to convince the professional scientists in different disciplines, writers of textbooks for school and college students and professional institutions, professionals in print and electronic media and authors and writers generally that they should stop treating the results of cutting edge research in science as confidential secrets but to make these available to the generality of humankind for the betterment of the world.
Concomitant to the holding of national and international conferences, the basic aim of the Centre is to “train the master trainers in human values,” and groom persons of character in our educational training systems by conducting regular residential programmes for school principals, teachers, government functionaries, corporate executives, university and college students, officers from the law and order machinery and the armed forces. To date hundreds have attended and benefitted from the courses and these in turn have become the agents of change in their respective fields.
The Centre also runs an experimental Primary School in the Open School System for under- privileged children. Some very innovative methods of teaching are being tried out here under the guidance of well-known educationists.
From time to time eminent personalities have addressed gatherings on topics of contemporary importance. Notable among these are: Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, H. H. the Dalai Lama, Hon’ble Dr. Karan Singh, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Swami Bodhananda, General Padmanabhan, Mr. Najam Sethi and Mr. Hussain Khan (from Pakistan), Dr. David Frawley from the U.S., Lord Meghnad Desai from the U. K. and others.
The Centre has a well-stocked library where journals, periodicals and books being published by various spiritual organizations are procured and are available for reference and issue. Presently the Library has a collection of over 12,000 publications.
The website of the Centre, www.sai-international.org.in, is regularly updated. An on-line programme is being launched and it is envisaged that the Centre will be eventually converted into a virtual university for propagation of Baba’s message on the coming global civilization. |
