Title of the Talk with Speaker and Affiliation

Workshop Overview

Swami Vivekananda, the epitome of the ideal for the Indian youth, gave a rousing and inspiring speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893 that is very relevant and appropriate to us even today. His speeches and writings capture within it, the universal Dharmic wisdom that most contemporary youth miss out.

The Indian youth today have their unique challenges in growing up into mature, productive, and responsible citizens. Many have shortage of relevant and usable skills. Given the widespread narcissistic entitlements mindset, nurtured through shortsighted public education policies over the years, they lack the entrepreneurial drive to solve their immediate problems. Additionally, significant numbers have had deep conflicts within their individual selves—a frustration with their contemporary world, values raised versus values paraded by politicians and cinema.

For many, these conflicts arise from their deep entrenched beliefs and hate-narratives, that are consumed unconsciously over a long period of time. These lead to impulsive behaviors, more so during their adolescence, triggering sporadic health and character risk behaviors as well as associated harm to oneself and others around.

Very few have dared to mold their lives in the enlightened world views of our sages, more so of Swami Vivekananda—in finding higher purposes of life, setting immediate and meaningful goals to achieve, to excel in the skills of stress management or in regulating their emotions and growing more mature or in resolving conflicts within oneself and around. In short the honest, positive dharmic leadership skills and talent for making a positive impact on the society are just missing. At the core is character development for every individual and together as a collective – group or team, our youth needs nurturing positive leadership to take up the challenges at hand. In this workshop we primarily focus on the latter.

We have eminent Dharmic Monastics, Industry Leaders and Researchers who have confirmed to come and share their experiences, insights and expertise on the broad theme of the workshop on “Nurturing Positive Leadership in Indian Youth”. Srimat Swami Muktidananda ji Maharaj, Trustee of Ramakrishna Math and Mission has graciously accepted to inaugurate this workshop and deliver the benedictory address. We also fortunate to have Srimat Swami Dayatmananda ji Maharaj, former head of the London Vedanta Center deliver his inaugural keynote.

The program schedule details the talks by all speakers and will focus on what works, bringing together the key facets of Dharma, Youth Leadership and Mentoring in collectively addressing the contemporary problems, issues and challenges facing Indian youth. The brief Q&A following each talk and two panel discussions enable the churn of ideas that participants look forward to.

This workshop is fully curated. Participation is by invitation only and will be part of a deeply interested and qualified audience. They include young professional college students and research scholars, Vedanta/Yoga practitioners. In addition, key decision makers, policy advocacy leaders and educational professionals are expected to actively participate. We expect to have about 200 active participants drawn from the various stakeholders to make this workshop a success. The proceedings of the workshop will be video-recorded, curated, and published

Donations are most welcome.