It is very good to be here in your presence. I have two questions for you. Because there are lots of disasters happening around the world every day, what made you feel this urge to come to Norway? Second question is, what do you think Norway can contribute with this experience and what kind of effect does this experience have on the world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know I have been saying the world is my family from a very young age. I don’t remember what age, maybe at eight or nine or ten, I have been saying the whole world is my family. So when any disaster happens in some part of my family it is my duty to go and do what I can; visit that place.
It is not just my duty it is my consciousness which does not allow me to sit somewhere else when there is problem somewhere else. And I had been there when the Catherine T SAI disaster happened in America or tsunami in South Asia, everywhere I usually go. My coming is not that important but what I would like people to start doing is trauma relief workshops, meditation workshop, healing workshop, that has to happen. And that I keep inspiring our volunteers and teachers to keep doing
Your second question, what Norwegians have taught to the world and what can we learn from this? First it is an astonishing thing that such a thing can happen in Norway. Nobody thought about it in their wildest dreams. It happens so often in India, it happens in Pakistan so often; in Palestine, in Middle East all over. But in a peaceful country like Norway if this could happen that means we need to pay more attention to our youths all over the world. We can’t take it for granted that youths are educated in some parts of the world and not educated in other parts of the world. So the ill-educated youths could be anywhere in the world and so the world will not be a safe place unless and until we bring the education of non- violence and compassion right into our education system. This is what Norway can teach the whole world, that doesn’t take it for granted your peace; there could be some crazy elements anywhere in your society.
And what you can do, you can have a vaccination for these crazy elements not to spread or not to sprout in your place, by multi- culture, multi- religious education. This is what Norway can give to the whole world and also the way Norwegian press and the society has responded again is a beautiful example, without going into a blame culture. You immediately came into a love culture, spreading love and going to the Square with roses. Not being angry with somebody or the government or the police or anybody. It’s understanding that love and compassion has more power than hatred.