October 17, 2025 — The Boston Global Forum (BGF) proudly announces that Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder of The Art of Living Foundation, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award.
This prestigious recognition honors Gurudev’s extraordinary lifelong contributions to fostering global peace, interfaith harmony, and human development through compassion, nonviolence, and spiritual wisdom. His leadership has touched millions of lives worldwide, inspiring people to cultivate inner peace as the foundation for collective harmony and sustainable development.
Since its establishment in 2015, the World Leader for Peace and Security Award has been presented to distinguished global leaders whose vision and actions have advanced international peace, democracy, and ethical governance. Past honorees include Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Japan), Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Sauli Niinistö (Finland), President Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission), President Emmanuel Macron (France), and Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi).
The 2025 Award Ceremony will take place at Harvard University’s Faculty Club on November 3, 2025, marking 10 years of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award (2015–2025). Distinguished leaders, policymakers, and thinkers will gather to honor Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and reflect on a decade of leadership advancing peace and human dignity.
In his message of acceptance, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said:
“In global discussions, peace and security are always mentioned in the same breath. Yet, very little attention is given to peace education. If we devote even a fraction of our focus to nurturing peace, it can pave the way for a violence-free and prosperous world.
We welcome this honor and commend the work of the Boston Global Forum in promoting peace and harmony.”
Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-Founder and Chair of the Boston Global Forum, said:
“Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar embodies the very essence of this award — a spiritual and moral leader who transforms compassion into tangible action. His work has built bridges of understanding across nations and cultures.”
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Founder, Co-Chair, and CEO of BGF, added:
“In the AI Age, when technology increasingly shapes human destiny, Gurudev’s message of mindfulness, compassion, and responsibility provides the ethical foundation for peace in a digital world.”
The ceremony will also feature the launch of AIWS Esteemed Digital Assets, celebrating the 10-year legacy of World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipients and connecting their leadership principles to the emerging ethics of the AI Age.
Additionally, the event will include a special discussion on the newly published book,
“The AI World Society: A 30-Year U.S.–Vietnam Partnership from Nha Trang to Boston (1995–2025)”,
co-authored by Nguyen Anh Tuan and Harvard Professor Thomas Patterson, with a foreword by Governor Michael Dukakis, and published by Tri Thuc Publishing House (Vietnam).
This book marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of U.S.–Vietnam relations, reflecting how two former adversaries have become strategic partners for peace, innovation, and shared progress in the AI era.
The November 3 event will be followed by the AIWS Digital Asset Standards Initiative (AIWS-DASI) conference at Harvard University’s Loeb House on November 4, 2025, focusing on defining ethical, high-quality, and human-centered standards for digital assets — advancing the Boston Global Forum’s mission to build a just, inclusive, and enlightened AI world.
Together, these gatherings highlight the enduring mission of the Boston Global Forum:
to unite moral leadership, technological innovation, and human values — building the AI World Society (AIWS) for peace, security, and shared prosperity.
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