The Boston Global Forum – AIWS Family proudly congratulates E. Glen Weyl, distinguished thinker, Microsoft leader, and active member of the BGF–AIWS Family, on being honored with the 2025 IRF Peace Builder Award. The award was presented in Prague on November 12, 2025, during an invitation-only ceremony at the Czech National Museum, as part of the High-Level Conference of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA).
According to the official award notification, the IRF Secretariat recognized Glen Weyl and Benjamin Olsen for their leadership in establishing the groundbreaking Technology for Religious Empowerment (T4RE) Initiative, which sets a new standard for how technology can strengthen understanding, dignity, and collaboration among global faith communities.
The IRF Secretariat emphasized that, at a time when advanced technologies such as generative and agentic AI are transforming society, Glen Weyl’s commitment to ethical innovation and multi-faith engagement represents “a model for other corporations and one that we hope soon sets an industry standard.”
This prestigious award celebrates leaders whose work advances the universal principles of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion — values enshrined in Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also marks the fifth anniversary of the Article 18 Alliance and its renewed dedication to peace and human dignity.
The Boston Global Forum – AIWS Family is proud to celebrate Glen Weyl’s achievement, which embodies the core AIWS principles of ethical innovation, enlightenment, and human-centered progress. His contributions continue to inspire global efforts to ensure technology advances peace, respect, and shared humanity.
Here is Glen Weyl’s video at the BGF Conference November 3, 2025: Why Silicon Valley Needs to Get Religion
Dear Your Excellency Governor Michael Dukakis, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Distinguished Leaders and Professors,
I accept this honor from the Boston Global Forum for World Leaders, Spirit and Peace and Security.
And I dedicate this honor to all the volunteers who have been tirelessly working for peace of various NGOs around the world.
The root cause of conflicts had to be dipped at the very bud. And for this peace education, I feel, is very essential.
And inspiration through the form like Boston Global Forum, which upholds the moral, spiritual, and ethics of human existence place a very important role. Peace cannot come just by words.
It has to translate into action. Where there is conflict, we need mediators who can build the bridges.
And people, if you have to build bridges, they have to be free from any type of agenda or bias. Just compassion and clarity in action will make the way for it.
A moral and spiritual force is essential to quell the distress and mistrust that our society has formed over the years.
I’m glad that artificial intelligence world society is joining hands in this you know very noble cause to bring peace a living reality.
The purpose of technology is to bring comfort. And we have to question ourselves. In this age, are there enough comfort? Yes, physical comfort is there. But mental health crisis have skyrocketed. One of the biggest challenges today we have mental health issues. Whether it is in the school, in school districts or the college campuses, at the prison, at home, everywhere in the world, depression and mental health issues, suicide issues are rising. So it’s very important to bring peace to the doors of people. Darkness cannot come to light but light has to go to the dark where there is darkness.
And this is an effort that all of us will have to be engaged in making it a reality. So I once again thank the forum for honoring me with this award and I’m sure this form is a theme or goal of one’s life.
In short, I would say let us all dream for a violence -free and stress -free society. A disease -free body, a mind with happiness and joy and a heart full of compassion and resilience and a creativity that brings more joy and happiness in society than destruction.
At the historic Harvard University Faculty Club, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) officially launched the AIWS Esteemed Digital Assets Series of World Leaders, a collection of twelve e-cards designed in BGF’s signature digital art style.
Each digital card honors a world leader whose ideas and actions have profoundly shaped peace, democracy, ethics, and innovation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. The launch took place during the World Leader Spirit Symposium, an annual gathering that brings together distinguished thinkers, innovators, and global leaders to define the moral and spiritual compass of the AI Era — and to honor Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award.
The event was attended by Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Co-chair of the Boston Global Forum; Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of the Art of Living Foundation and recipient of the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award; along with leading policymakers, scholars, and creative pioneers who are shaping the ethical future of AI.
A Digital Tribute to Global Leadership
The AIWS Esteemed Digital Assets Series features twelve original e-cards representing presidents, prime ministers, and global figures who have advanced humanity through integrity, vision, and compassion.
Each card integrates art, technology, and philosophy — reflecting both the individual leader’s legacy and the shared mission of the AI World Society (AIWS) to build a civilization where AI serves human dignity, truth, and peace.
A Journey from Nha Trang to Boston, from Varanasi to the Grand Canyon – Where Spirit, Nature, and Wisdom Converge in the Age of AI.
Throughout human history, people have always sought sacred spaces—mountains, rivers, ancient cities, forests, and temples—as places that touch the deepest layers of the soul and spirit. These spaces hold collective memory, inspire transcendence, and connect humans with nature, the divine, and themselves.
In the AI era—where technology surpasses imagination—the great question is: How can artificial intelligence help preserve and elevate our human spirit, rather than disconnect us from it?
AIWS: A New Civilization Uniting Intelligence, Spirituality, and Nature
The Boston Global Forum (BGF), through its AI World Society (AIWS) vision, has created a humanistic model for society in the AI age—one in which humans are not merely technology users, but ethical guides leading AI with compassion, wisdom, and enlightenment.
A key initiative of AIWS is to connect sacred, spiritually rich landmarks—cultural and natural symbols—into a transnational, intergenerational network that forms the “spiritual backbone” of a future society.
As part of this journey, BGF honors Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the great spiritual leader of India, with the World Leader for Peace and Security Award 2025. This milestone marks the beginning of a profound cultural initiative: connecting sacred landmarks—from Varanasi, India’s spiritual capital, to Vietnam’s celebrated sites such as Ha Long Bay (with Yen Tu), Nha Trang (with Po Nagar Cham Towers), Hoi An (with My Son Sanctuary), Dalat (with Langbiang Mountain), and iconic national parks of the United States and the world such as Grand Canyon, Zion, Acadia, Yellowstone—and Boston, the global center of intellectual life.
Nha Trang and Boston: Symbols of East-West, Intelligence and Spirituality
At a special event held at Harvard University in May 2024, Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-Founder of BGF, presented a symbolic gift to Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh, Secretary of the Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, and the people of Khanh Hoa: a photograph depicting the Harvard Baker Library alongside Hon Chong Rocks in Nha Trang.
This image represents the friendship and cultural connection between Nha Trang and Boston—two cities geographically distant yet spiritually aligned: lovers of nature, champions of education, and seekers of lasting peace.
More than a gift, the photograph is a symbolic key—unlocking new cultural and spiritual bonds between Vietnam and the United States in the AI era, through film, education, and shared human values. It reflects a relationship forged over time—from war and peace to a comprehensive strategic partnership—and now uplifted to a civilizational level where technology becomes a compassionate companion to humanity.
The Book “30 Years of Vietnam–U.S. Partnership” and AIWS as a “Shared Child”
At the same moment, Professor Thomas Patterson (Harvard Kennedy School) and Nguyen Anh Tuan (Director of BGF) published the commemorative book: “AI World Society: 30 Years of the U.S.–Vietnam Partnership, from Nha Trang to Boston (1995–2025)”.
The book presents AIWS as a “shared child”—born of American intellectual power and Vietnamese aspirations for peace and development. This AI society is not just a place where technology grows, but a space where human values are guided by knowledge, dialogue, and spiritual connectivity among great civilizations.
From Sacredness to Innovation: A Harmonious Development Path
Landmarks like Varanasi (India), Ha Long – Nha Trang – Dalat – Hoi An (Vietnam), and Grand Canyon – Yellowstone – Acadia – Boston (United States) will evolve beyond tourist and academic destinations—they will become spiritual nodes on the AIWS map.
These nodes will host activities like:
AIWS Film Park
AIWS Music for Humanity
AIWS Digital Assets
Educational, artistic, and spiritual dialogue programs
Notably, AI technology itself—through its ability to digitize, analyze, and deeply engage—will amplify and globalize these spiritual values, reaching younger generations and people who may never have imagined experiencing:
a sacred ritual in Varanasi
sunrise over the Po Nagar Towers in Nha Trang
music echoing through Yellowstone
a soul-stirring lecture at Harvard
Building a Humane Society in the Age of AI
From symbolic acts like the Nha Trang–Boston photo, the 30-Year Vietnam–U.S. Partnership book, to honoring Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and linking sacred global sites, BGF and AIWS are lighting a new path:
A path toward an AI World Society with soul, memory, and spiritual depth —where technology serves spiritual awakening, compassion, and lasting peace.
At a historic gathering at the Harvard Faculty Club, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) officially launched the book “The AI World Society: 30 Years of U.S.–Vietnam Partnership, from Nha Trang to Boston (1995–2025)”, co-authored by Professor Thomas Patterson of Harvard Kennedy School and Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of the Boston Global Forum and Director of the Michael Dukakis Institute.
The launch took place during the World Leader Spirit Symposium, where BGF honored Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of the Art of Living Foundation, with the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award for his extraordinary global leadership in promoting compassion and peace.
Speakers included Professor Thomas Patterson and Nguyen Anh Tuan, who reflected on the enduring friendship and innovation shared between the United States and Vietnam.
Bui Thi Thu Hang, Director of Tri Thuc Publishing House, which released the book, highlighted it as “a bridge of knowledge, humanity, and partnership between two nations.”
Ramu Damodaran, former Chief of the United Nations Academic Impact, praised Nguyen Anh Tuan’s vision: “He has built bridges of intellect and compassion, shaping a new moral foundation for the AI Age.”
The event featured a display of photographs of Governor Michael Dukakis, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and the book, symbolizing unity across leadership, spirituality, and intellect.
The publication marks a milestone in U.S.–Vietnam relations and in the global development of the AI World Society (AIWS) — an ethical framework guiding the integration of AI, democracy, and humanity for a better future.
Honoring Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Celebrating Governor Michael Dukakis’s 92nd Birthday
Cambridge, Massachusetts – November 3, 2025
At the historic Harvard University Faculty Club, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) hosted the World Leader Spirit Symposium, a landmark event honoring Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award.
A highlight of the Symposium was the presentation of the Shinzo Abe Film Project by the AIWS Film Park team — a cinematic initiative celebrating the life, vision, and legacy of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, recipient of the 2015 World Leader for Peace and Security Award. The film is part of the broader Shinzo Abe Initiative to promote peace, democracy, and innovation in the Age of AI.
The event also joyfully celebrated the 92nd birthday of Governor Michael Dukakis (born November 3, 1933), Co-founder and Co-chair of the Boston Global Forum, honoring his lifelong contributions to public service, education, and ethical leadership.
Distinguished global thinkers, innovators, and leaders attended this memorable gathering — a fusion of reflection, creativity, and vision — reaffirming BGF’s commitment to building an AI World Society grounded in peace, compassion, and enlightenment.
Announcement at the World Leader Spirit Symposium Harvard University, November 3–4, 2025
Boston Global Forum
From Boston to the World: U.S. Leadership for the AI Age
As we look toward 2026 and beyond, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS) family will launch a series of visionary initiatives to celebrate this historic milestone and reaffirm America’s role as the guiding light of freedom, innovation, and ethical leadership in the AI Age.
BGF contributes strategies and solutions to keep the United States a pioneering, innovative, and creative force in the Age of AI, ensuring that America continues to lead the world with integrity, compassion, and enlightenment.
Key Initiatives
The World Leader Spirit Symposiums
Bringing together world leaders, innovators, and artists to define the moral compass of the AI Age, guiding humanity toward a more ethical and enlightened civilization.
The AIWS Government 24/7 Initiative
Pioneering a model of ethical, transparent, and responsive governance through AI, where artificial intelligence serves people 24/7 with fairness, trust, and accountability.
The AIWS Digital Asset Standards Initiative (AIWS-DASI)
Creating trust, fairness, and value in the digital economy through transparent standards and ethical certification — ensuring that AI-generated content and digital assets reflect truth, creativity, and integrity.
The AIWS Music for Humanity and AIWS Film and Culture Park Programs
Celebrating the harmony of technology and art.
These programs remind us that even in an age of machines, the human heart remains the greatest source of wisdom, compassion, and creativity.
Connecting Sacred Places and Spiritual Values in the AI World Society (AIWS)
A Journey from Nha Trang to Boston, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, and Acadia — Where Spirit, Nature, and Wisdom Converge in the Age of AI.
This global initiative, part of the AIWS Film and Culture Park, connects sacred and inspiring locations through film, music, and digital art — illuminating how AI can enrich humanity’s relationship with nature, spirituality, and culture.
A Message for America’s 250th Year
In 2026, as the world celebrates 250 years of American independence, the Boston Global Forum and the AI World Society will proudly stand as part of that celebration — a reflection of the ideals that made America great: its faith in education, its openness to innovation, and its belief in the moral power of human creativity.
We call upon all nations to join hands in building a New Society in the Age of AI — a world of peace, enlightenment, and shared humanity.
America: A Beacon of Light in the Age of AI
As we approach this historic year, the BGF–AIWS Family will contribute transformative initiatives to make America a true beacon — guiding the world in building a beautiful, creative, and compassionate AI civilization through the AIWS Model.
In this glorious year of America’s 250th anniversary, we reaffirm that the nation that once pioneered democracy will once again illuminate the path forward — guiding humanity toward a world where AI serves love, peace, and enlightenment.
The Boston Global Forum (BGF) hosted its annual conference on November 4, 2025, at Harvard University’s Loeb House, where Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Founder, Co-Chair, and CEO of BGF, announced the launch of the AIWS Digital Asset Standards Initiative (DASI).
This groundbreaking framework aims to set global standards for ethical, transparent, and sustainable digital asset issuance, aligning with the Boston Finance Accord’s 24/7 AI Governance Vision (launched April 22, 2025). DASI establishes benchmarks for blockchain-certified assets, including NFTs honoring World Leaders for Peace and Security and World Leaders in AIWS, ensuring integrity, humanitarian allocation, and integration with AIWS initiatives like AIWS Government 24/7 and the Abe Finance AI Protocol.
Speakers included:
Professor Tarun Khanna, Harvard Business School
Professor Thomas Patterson, Harvard Professor
Professor Nazli Choucri, MIT Professor
Elisabeth Moreno, Former French Minister
Alvaro Rodriguez, Harvard Business School Executive Fellows, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of IGNIA
Jeff Saviano, MIT Senior Lecture, Harvard AI Ethics Contributor
Cansu Canca, AI Ethics Scholar
Kanetsugu Mike, President, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) Bank
Jodeph Jye-Cherng Lyu, Chairman, International Economic Cooperation Association, Taiwan
“DASI is a beacon for responsible innovation, transforming digital assets into tools for global enlightenment,” said Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of BGF, emphasizing BGF’s commitment to balancing technology with humanistic values.
The conference featured discussions on the initiative’s early December 2025 rollout, including the issuance of AIWS World Leader Tokens and foundational leader assets, projected to generate $12–15 billion by 2030 to support not-for-profit AIWS models. Key highlights included panels on ethical AI finance and sustainable governance, with contributions from BGF Board Members Nguyen Anh Tuan, Alex Pentland, David Silbersweig, Jeff Saviano, Yasuhide Nakayama, and Elisabeth Moreno.
DASI builds on BGF’s 2025 milestones, including AIWS Bank’s launch (May 26) and the 10th anniversary of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award.
Your Holiness, distinguished leaders, scholars, and friends,
It is a profound honor and privilege to stand before you today to recognize one of the world’s great spiritual and humanitarian leaders — Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar — as the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipient.
From the very beginning, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) has sought to celebrate those whose leadership transcends borders, politics, and ideology — individuals whose vision uplifts humanity and reminds us of the moral foundation of peace. Gurudev, you embody precisely that spirit.
Through The Art of Living Foundation, you have touched millions of lives across continents — teaching peace not as an abstract ideal, but as a daily practice rooted in compassion, forgiveness, and understanding. You have shown that inner peace is not separate from world peace — that governance, technology, and progress must always be guided by the light of conscience.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has dedicated his life to building bridges among faiths and cultures, to universalizing wisdom, and to nurturing compassion, love, and mutual understanding — toward a stress-free, violence-free world. Guided by the Gandhian principles of nonviolence, you have advanced reconciliation and healing in conflict-stricken regions such as Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Iraq, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela.
At moments when our world feels fractured — by war, polarization, and fear — your voice has reminded us that reconciliation begins in the human heart. You have built bridges between nations and faiths, between reason and spirituality, and between humanity and nature.
The Boston Global Forum and the AI World Society (AIWS) are deeply inspired by your message that technology must serve humanity, not dominate it — that the intelligence of machines must always be guided by the wisdom of the spirit. Through the AIWS model, we seek to bring spiritual and interfaith values into the digital age — to build a world where innovation and compassion advance hand in hand. In honoring you, we affirm that the future of peace depends on both ethical innovation and moral imagination.
As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of this Award — whose past recipients include world leaders such as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and President Emmanuel Macron — we see in you, Gurudev, a beacon of continuity: the union of spiritual leadership and ethical responsibility in an age defined by artificial intelligence and digital power.
On behalf of the Boston Global Forum – AIWS Family, we express our deepest respect and gratitude.
Now, the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, becomes a distinguished and esteemed member of the BGF–AIWS Family.
Your Holiness, your life’s work reminds us that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but the active creation of harmony — within individuals, among societies, and across our shared planet.
May your example continue to guide global leaders and citizens alike toward a more compassionate, secure, and enlightened world.
Congratulations, Gurudev, and thank you for your unwavering service to humanity.
Governor Michael S. Dukakis
Chair and Co-Founder, Boston Global Forum
Director, The Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation
Nguyen Anh Tuan
Co-Founder, Co-Chair, and CEO, Boston Global Forum
Director, The Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation
