Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Convinces FARC to Adopt the Gandhian Principle of Nonviolence

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Jun 29, 2015) - In a historic change of heart and strategy, the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia / Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) leaders in Cuba have decided to embrace the Gandhian principle of nonviolence after several meetings with global humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. FARC Commander Ivan Marquez declared in the press conference that they would adopt the nonviolent means as they move forward in the peace process.

On a three-day-visit to Cuba last week, Sri Sri held several rounds of discussions with FARC members in a confidence-building exercise for the peace process in Colombia, which has been facing many hurdles for the past three years.

Before traveling to Cuba, Sri Sri had an hour-long meeting with the President of Colombia, Mr. Juan Manuel Santos, in Bogota, on June 24^th, where he discussed ways of achieving sustainable peace in Colombia.

FARC has requested Sri Sri to participate actively in the peace process. They agreed with Sri Sri that hatred had derailed the peace process. Speaking with reporters in Havava on June 28^th, Sri Sri said, "In this conflict, everyone should be considered as victims. And inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help."

"We will work for peace and justice for all the people of Colombia," said Commander Marquez.

Sri Sri insisted that further delays in the peace process would be counter-productive as people were losing faith. He urged both sides to hasten the process and not get stuck in small details.

FARC has agreed to speed up the process and explore the possibilities for a permanent solution in the coming days.

Ivan Marquez, Pablo Catatumbo and his whole group thanked Sri Sri for his patience, understanding and wisdom. One of the members, Commander Pastor Alope, remarked that spiritual wisdom had been missing, and was very much needed.

Sri Sri declared that his Foundation, The Art of Living, would continue to do trauma relief programs to victims and bring the much-needed healing touch to the Americas.

Sri Sri thanked the Indian Ambassador C. Rajasekhar, the Colombian Government, the Cuban Government, Colombian Ambassador to Mexico and all the members of the FARC for this historic meeting.

About Art of Living Foundation
Operating in 152 countries, the Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3), educational and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by Sri Sri.

Sri Sri plays a key role in conflict resolution, spreading his vision of nonviolence at public forums worldwide, and is regarded as a neutral figure with peace as his sole agenda. He is credited with bringing hostile parties to the negotiating table in Iraq, the Ivory Coast, Kashmir, and Bihar. He was named one of the five most powerful people in India by Forbes India, and has been honored by the UN and Governments across the world. He has been invited as a keynote speaker at global forums, including the European Parliament, the United Nations, UNESCO and the World Economic Forum.