The Global Hindu-Buddhist Samvad began in 2015 as a joint initiative of the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Minister of Japan. In 2015, Samvad emerged as a platform of ideas to contribute to peace and harmony in the world in the 21st century. Recalling the Delhi-Bodhgaya (2015), Yangon (2017), Ulaanbaatar (2019) declarations, Samvad IV, the Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative for Conflict Avoidance & Environment Consciousness declares its vision.
Declaration of the Hindu-Buddhist Summit: A Vision for the 21st Century
Recognizing the ancient spiritual and cultural heritage and interconnected destinies of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions and acknowledging the significant global presence of our diasporas, we, the participants of the Samvad IV Hindu-Buddhist dialogue, declare the following:
Global Community: The combined population of the Hindu and Buddhist diasporas worldwide constitutes a formidable force, representing approximately 1.8 billion people—nearly one in every five people on Earth. This demographic strength carries a profound responsibility.
We recognize the 21st century as a potential “Asian Century,” marked by economic growth and global influence emanating from the region. We believe that the values inherent in our traditions can offer crucial guidance during this era. Notably, Asian nations, which had more than half the share of world GDP in 1750 CE, are poised to regain that position by 2050.
Asian civilizational values, which were eclipsed by centuries of external influences, are reemerging as part of the civilizational paradigm that is bouncing back in the global discourse. These values are rooted in Dharma and Dhamma, the philosophical foundations of Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Dharma-Dhamma constitutes a unique philosophical framework that respects other views and accommodates divergent perspectives, avoiding conflicts and promoting peaceful coexistence.
We aspire to contribute to global well-being by promoting our traditional ways of life, emphasizing respect for all beings, and the importance of family and community.
The Philosophy of Dharma and Dhamma, founded on respect for divergent views, promotes deep environment consciousness and reverence for nature. Our traditions emphasize the importance of being protective environmental custodians of the earth and serving the well-being of the whole universe.
Recognizing the interconnectedness of all life, we commit to championing environmental sustainability and responsible custodianship of the Earth’s resources, drawing upon our traditions’ deep respect for nature.
We believe that all lives are an expression of ONE Divine Self. Thus, Dharma & Dhamma view the creator & the created as divine.
The Samvad IV calls for universal responsibility and interdependent sustainability, which the Dharma and Dhamma philosophy expounds.
The current global discourse has assumed that a conflict-free world has been achieved, based on the final victory of Western liberal democracy and free market economics. However, this assumption has proven to be a mirage, as the world is engulfed in conflicts, and the very institution of globalization is under extreme stress and dysfunctional.
The world needs a more comprehensive philosophical agenda that encompasses trade, economics, and beyond to navigate the environmental crisis and human conflicts.
Samvad IV aims to provide this philosophical narrative to paradigm shift the global discourse, integrating Dharma and Dhamma, and seeking a lifestyle and attitudinal change necessary to avoid conflicts and reinstate environment consciousness.
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