Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in a press conference with FARC leaders after peace talks in June 2015 in Havana, Cuba
Sri Sri urges the Government of Colombia and FARC leaders to continue on the path of dialogue and avoid violence
Washington, D.C., August 31, 2019 - Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC has issued a new call to arms and expressed its intention to revert back to means of violence, almost three years after the rebel group signed a peace deal to disarm.
In June 2015, the FARC leaders held a joint press conference with The Art of Living founder and international peace ambassador Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, in which the FARC openly declared that they will adopt the Gandhian principles of non-violence for achieving social justice.
In the spirit of the conversations had with FARC and the Colombian Government, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has once again appealed to FARC commander Iván Márquez and President of Colombia Iván Duque to give peace another chance.
Sri Sri has called for both parties to resolve the differences through peaceful dialogue.
“Painstaking efforts have gone into bringing peace between both the parties. It is sad to see that peace is falling apart over issues that can be sorted out through dialogue,“ said Gurudev.
Given that peace has prevailed for the past three years, Colombia has made significant economic progress and improved the security of its citizens. Unfortunately, the country seems to be regressing back to the darker days.
Gurudev has appealed to both the parties to restrain from violence and has reiterated his commitment towards a lasting peace in Colombia.
“I offer myself again to play any role in facilitating and bridging the gap which is widening by the day, ” said Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
About Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Born in India in 1956, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a revered global humanitarian and an ambassador of peace. He is the founder of The Art of Living Foundation (1981) and the International Association for Human Values (1997), both active in 156 countries. He is also the founder of the World Forum for Ethics in Business, which regularly convenes in conferences at the European Parliament and around the world. All three organizations hold a special consultative status in the United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
As an ambassador of peace, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar plays a key role in conflict resolution and
spreads his vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings worldwide.
He has also created trauma-relief and meditation programs for at-risk youth, war veterans, prisoners and survivors of disaster. 18 universities have awarded him with honorary doctorates for his peace-keeping efforts. In addition, he has also received 38 governmental awards.
For further information visit www.srisriravishankar.org.
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Art of Living Bureau of Communication - Europe
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