Boston, Massachusetts: Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been awarded the ‘2025 World Leader for Peace and Security Award’ by the Boston Global Forum (BGF) and the AI World Society (AIWS), in recognition of his decades-long contribution to peacebuilding, conflict resolution and humanitarian service across the globe.
The honour marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious award, instituted in 2015 to recognise world leaders who demonstrate exceptional moral courage, compassion-driven leadership and commitment to global security in a rapidly changing world.
In the past, the award has been conferred on global figures such as Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel (2015), former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2016), Finnish President Sauli Niinistö (2018), Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine (2022), and France’s President Emmanuel Macron (2024).
This year, BGF and AIWS chose Gurudev to highlight the growing importance of inner peace, interfaith harmony and ethical innovation as foundations for global stability in the 21st century.
They lauded the spiritual leader for his expansive humanitarian footprint spanning more than 180 countries and for his interventions in conflict zones from Colombia, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Myanmar to Venezuela and Kashmir, where his peace initiatives have contributed to reconciliation and rehabilitation.
The Forum described him as a “bridge-builder free from agenda or bias,” noting that his personal diplomacy has helped transform hardened mindsets and restore hope in deeply divided societies.
“In honoring Gurudev, we celebrate a spiritual luminary who bridges the wisdom of the East and the innovation of the West. His work exemplifies moral courage and humanity in the AI age,” said Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-founder and CEO of the Boston Global Forum.
Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Chair of BGF, praised Gurudev’s philosophy of peace as a way of life rather than a theoretical construct. His organisation, The Art of Living Foundation, has introduced millions worldwide to stress-relief practices including SKY Breath Meditation (Sudarshan Kriya), which has helped trauma-affected communities build emotional resilience and restore social trust.
By presenting this honour to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Boston Global Forum reaffirmed its belief that lasting peace is rooted in compassion, forgiveness and shared humanity — values he has championed globally for more than four decades.
