The International ‘Rising with Kindness’ Youth Summit at Kanha Shanti Vanam – Heartfulness Headquarters in the outskirts of Hyderabad being held between 12th -14th August 2022 has commenced. The inaugural event witnessed a staggering participation of over 12,000 academicians and students from several countries across the globe in the likes of UAE, Canada, New Zealand , Denmark, Austria, and Italy among others. Heartfulness in association with AICTE and UNESCO MGIEP (UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development) as its knowledge partner is hosting the conference.
T. Rama Rao, Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology of Telangana presided over the opening ceremony of the event along with Kamlesh Patel (Pujya ‘Daaji’) – Guide of Heartfulness.
The three-day event is aimed at youth aged between 18-35 to showcase their Kindness Projects, share Kindness Stories and create a ‘Kindness Statement’ in their effort to help others foster compassion. The summit is supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, New Delhi; sponsored by Reliance Industries Ltd., and Jio Digital Life; Co-sponsored by Zscaler and Adidez Institute Worldwide.
Day 1 which is centered around ‘Kindness Towards Oneself’ theme witnessed celebrity artists and performers, youth influencers and other inspirational figures come together at endorsing the importance of kindness.
A panel discussion exploring the wonderful science behind kindness was carried out by Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Dr. Snehal Deshpande, Dr. Pooja Sahni and Mr. Kuany Kiir – Project Officer, UNESCO. Dr. Meenu Tewari, Asst. Prof, University of North Carolina hosted an interactive session upon why developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence can unlock one’s potential.
A group of Brighter Minds Youth showcased their cognitive skills based on Neuroplasticity. Three segments of Kindness Workshops were hosted by Shri J.D. Lakshminarayana, Mr. Ramesh Krishnan and Dr. Nivedita Shreyans. Capt. Vineet Ranawat, one of the founding members of Kanha Shanti Vanam gave a beautiful narrative of the Heartfulness Headquarters.
A ‘Kindness Concert’ by double Grammy award winner Shri Ricky Kej and his band to spread the message of kindness to the environment. Is slated for Saturday, August 13 at 6pm as part of this summit. Day 2 also involves Plenary sessions, Keynote Speakers, Kindness Workshops among others, the theme of Day 2 being Kindness Towards Others. The theme of Day 3 is around Kindness Towards Nature.