On 3 November 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) together with its initiative the AI World Society (AIWS) presented the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, recognising his lifetime of extraordinary contributions to global peace-building, reconciliation, and humanitarian leadership.

The award marks the tenth anniversary of this honour (2015–2025), which celebrates individuals who embody moral courage, visionary governance, and compassion in advancing global peace and ethical progress. Since its inception, past laureates have included the likes of Shinz? Abe (Japan) and Angela Merkel (Germany) in 2015; former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki?moon in 2016; Sauli Niinistö (Finland) in 2018; Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine in 2022; and Emmanuel Macron (France) in 2024.

For India, this moment is especially significant — Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s recognition places the country’s spiritual and humanitarian leadership firmly alongside the world’s most respected statesmen and visionaries. It underscores India’s role as a “Vishwa Guru” on the global stage, affirming how ancient wisdom continues to inform contemporary ethics and governance.

BGF honoured him for his global leadership in peace and reconciliation, his humanitarian impact across 180 + countries, and his moral guidance in the age of artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The Forum described him as a “bridge-builder free from agenda or bias.” His interventions in conflict regions — from Colombia (where his involvement is credited with helping end a 52-year armed conflict between the FARC and the government) to Iraq, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Kashmir — exemplify his hands-on, compassionate approach.

In his acceptance remarks, Gurudev emphasised the need for embedding spirituality and peace education into global governance:

“Peace cannot come by words; it has to translate into action. We often say ‘peace and security’ in one breath. A lot is done for security, but very little attention is given to peace. Peace-building is essential. A moral and spiritual force is essential to quell the distrust and distress our societies face today. Let us dream of a stress-free, violence-free world — a society where peace, compassion, and creativity flourish.”

Through the Art of Living Foundation, founded in 1981, Gurudev has pioneered practical programmes such as the SKY Breath Meditation (Sudarshan Kriya) that heal trauma, reduce stress, and cultivate emotional resilience — the very foundations for sustainable peace. The Foundation’s work includes mediating peace processes in conflict zones, rehabilitating over 800,000 prisoners through meditation programmes, reviving more than 70 rivers and thousands of water-bodies via environmental projects, and providing free education and nutrition to more than 100,000 under-privileged children across 1,300 schools in India.

In praising him, Governors and co-founders of the BGF, such as Michael Dukakis and Nguyen Anh Tuan noted how his leadership transforms compassion into concrete action, and how his message of mindfulness and responsibility provides the ethical foundation for peace in a digital age.

To mark the tenth year of the Award, the Forum will launch new initiatives, including the “World Leader Spirit Symposium” and the “World Leader Spirit Concert,” with Gurudev serving as a guiding moral voice for interfaith dialogue and ethical leadership in the age of AI. During his recent North America tour, he was honoured by cities such as Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, with official proclamations declaring “Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day” and large gatherings of community leaders, students and families for shared meditation and reflection.

This award stands as yet another milestone in Gurudev’s remarkable journey — a testament to how inner peace, compassionate action and inter-faith dialogue can bridge divides, even as the world races forward with artificial intelligence and technological transformation.

On 3 November 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) together with its initiative the AI World Society (AIWS) presented the 2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, recognising his lifetime of extraordinary contributions to global peace-building, reconciliation, and humanitarian leadership.

The award marks the tenth anniversary of this honour (2015–2025), which celebrates individuals who embody moral courage, visionary governance, and compassion in advancing global peace and ethical progress. Since its inception, past laureates have included the likes of Shinz? Abe (Japan) and Angela Merkel (Germany) in 2015; former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki?moon in 2016; Sauli Niinistö (Finland) in 2018; Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine in 2022; and Emmanuel Macron (France) in 2024.

For India, this moment is especially significant — Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s recognition places the country’s spiritual and humanitarian leadership firmly alongside the world’s most respected statesmen and visionaries. It underscores India’s role as a “Vishwa Guru” on the global stage, affirming how ancient wisdom continues to inform contemporary ethics and governance.

BGF honoured him for his global leadership in peace and reconciliation, his humanitarian impact across 180 + countries, and his moral guidance in the age of artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The Forum described him as a “bridge-builder free from agenda or bias.” His interventions in conflict regions — from Colombia (where his involvement is credited with helping end a 52-year armed conflict between the FARC and the government) to Iraq, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Kashmir — exemplify his hands-on, compassionate approach.

In his acceptance remarks, Gurudev emphasised the need for embedding spirituality and peace education into global governance:

“Peace cannot come by words; it has to translate into action. We often say ‘peace and security’ in one breath. A lot is done for security, but very little attention is given to peace. Peace-building is essential. A moral and spiritual force is essential to quell the distrust and distress our societies face today. Let us dream of a stress-free, violence-free world — a society where peace, compassion, and creativity flourish.”

Through the Art of Living Foundation, founded in 1981, Gurudev has pioneered practical programmes such as the SKY Breath Meditation (Sudarshan Kriya) that heal trauma, reduce stress, and cultivate emotional resilience — the very foundations for sustainable peace. The Foundation’s work includes mediating peace processes in conflict zones, rehabilitating over 800,000 prisoners through meditation programmes, reviving more than 70 rivers and thousands of water-bodies via environmental projects, and providing free education and nutrition to more than 100,000 under-privileged children across 1,300 schools in India.

In praising him, Governors and co-founders of the BGF, such as Michael Dukakis and Nguyen Anh Tuan noted how his leadership transforms compassion into concrete action, and how his message of mindfulness and responsibility provides the ethical foundation for peace in a digital age.

To mark the tenth year of the Award, the Forum will launch new initiatives, including the “World Leader Spirit Symposium” and the “World Leader Spirit Concert,” with Gurudev serving as a guiding moral voice for interfaith dialogue and ethical leadership in the age of AI. During his recent North America tour, he was honoured by cities such as Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, with official proclamations declaring “Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day” and large gatherings of community leaders, students and families for shared meditation and reflection.

This award stands as yet another milestone in Gurudev’s remarkable journey — a testament to how inner peace, compassionate action and inter-faith dialogue can bridge divides, even as the world races forward with artificial intelligence and technological transformation.