Lumbini to be developed a major centre for peace research

Lumbini, July 28: A two-day international seminar on ‘Diplomacy and Buddha’s Teaching: A Path to Global Peace and Sustainable Development’ concluded here today, issuing a 15-point declaration.

The seminar organised by the Lumbini Buddhist University in collaboration with the South Asia Foundation and the Indian Embassy in Nepal saw participation of diplomats from Nepal and India, as well as academicians of the University, among others. The seminar called for establishing Lumbini as a hub for peace research and the expansion of peace and diplomacy based on the Buddhist philosophies.

The participants also emphasised the establishment of a diplomacy centre for dialogue and resolution in the crisis-ridden and sensitive zones across the world. The 15-point declaration also put forward a proposal to conduct ‘mindfulness’ based training programmes for diplomats and implement programmes that promote environmental peace based on Buddha’s teachings on compassion and interdependence towards nature.

Furthermore, the seminar saw the need for developing a globally recognised Buddhist ethical framework for diplomacy that aligns with Buddhist values. The declaration also highlighted the importance of promoting integrated peace tourism at the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal and India to foster mutual understanding and cultural harmony.

The seminar suggested establishing an international Buddhist Peace Organization involving youth and focusing on Buddhist philosophy, peace education and sustainable development. It also pressed for developing and promoting ethical artificial intelligence systems inspired by Buddhist philosophies for predicating conflict, detecting misinformation and guiding meditation. The seminar advised to devise the Lumbini Peace Index, inspired by the Global Peace Index, to evaluate the peace index based on Buddhist values.

The seminar announced the formation of a Buddhist Monks Think Tank in collaboration with the Lumbini Buddhist University and government agencies to offer philosophical and moral guidance during any global crisis. A declaration was also made to annually organize the Lumbini International Diplomat Retreat and promote research and application of Buddhist legal philosophies in international law and conflict resolution.

Plans were rolled out to develop Lumbini as a centre for peace research in collaboration with the South Asian Peace Research and Sustainable Development Centre. A decision was made to establish Lumbini Buddhist University as a hub of excellence in the field of diplomacy, peacebuilding and sustainable development collaboration with various national and international diplomatic and educational institutions.

Altogether 58 scholars had deliberated on various agendas such as Buddhist education and world politics, compassion and conflict resolution, sustainable development based on Buddhist principles and the like. Eminent diplomats such as former ambassador Prof Dr Lokraj Baral, former Indian Ambassador Dr Amarendra Khatua, among others, had shared their insights while University office-bearers, researchers had presented a working paper.