Narayanapillai VASUDEVAN

Narayanapillai VASUDEVAN（Indian, Hindu）

PROFILE ☆ﾟ，｡･.｡*☆ﾟ，｡･.｡*☆ﾟ
Mr N. Vasudevan is a senior Gandhian peace activist. A firm believer in ahimsa (nonviolence), he has devoted his life for promotion and propagation of the teachings and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mr Vsasudevan has been associated with the international multi-religious peace organization World Conference of Religions for Peace, now known as Religions for Peace, from its very inception in 1970.

He is currently the Secretary-General of Religions for Peace India (New Delhi) and Co-President of its Asia-Pacific Grouping Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (ACRP) with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

Earlier he worked in the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi, in various capacities, including as Director of Publications, for over three decades.

At present he is the Director of Indian Council of Gandhian Studies, New Delhi. For five years, he was General Secretary of the All India Harijan Sevak Sangh, an institution founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 for removal of ‘untouchability’ and for upliftment and welfare of the backward classes. He also served as Secretary of the National Gandhi Memorial (Gandhi Samadhi) at Rajghat, New Delhi for four years.

Mr Vasudevan is associated with several Non-Governmental Organizations such as Violence-Free India Foundation, Global Campaign for Creation of Departments of Peace (DoPs) in National Governments, Shanti Sena (Peace Brigade), and Gandhi Media Centre. He is also a Member of the Board of Directors of the Seoul Peace Education Centre, Seoul, South Korea.

He has been the publisher and Associate Editor of “Gandhi Marg” and “Journal of Gandhian Studies” and has edited and published several books including Gandhi in the Global Village; A Nation in Transition: India at 50; and Satyagraha.

MESSAGE ☆ﾟ，｡･.｡*☆ﾟ，｡･.｡*☆ﾟ
The World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), now known as Religions for Peace (RfP), has been a unique, inter-religious body completely representative of the religious population of the world dedicated exclusively to the cause of world peace. It recognizes that its moral commitments are as essential as its spiritual grace.  Civilization’s number one priority today is to get rid of war and to achieve peace and justice.

India is a founder member of WCRP/RfP and ACRP. The source of our inspiration and interest in multi-religious approach to find solution to various problems that confront humanity, springs from the age-old belief in, what we call, “Sarva Dharma Samabhava” (Equal respect for all religions).  “Unity in Diversity” is India’s national creed. “Ahimsa Paramo Dharma” (Nonviolence is the Ultimate Righteousness) is yet another ancient exhortation we all believe in. Respecting and upholding these civilizational values, our secular democratic Constitution guarantees equal respect and right to all religions.  So, believers of all the religions live together in India from ancient times to the present in relative harmony and flourish and progress without hitch or hindrance.

WCRP in India, now called “Religions for Peace India,” is engaged in various activities to promote peace, interfaith harmony and cooperation, and understanding among people across religious communities and social divides.