Speaker’s Topics
AFTER CAPITALISM: PROUT’S VISION FOR A NEW WORLD
Based on the book with the same title with foreword by Noam Chomsky and contributions by Marcos Arruda, Frei Betto, Leonardo Boff, Ravi Batra, Johan Galtung and Sohail Inayatullah. Prout stands for the Progressive Utilization Theory, a new socio-economic model formulated by the Indian thinker Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (1921-1990). Prout responds to the question, “What kind of world do we want?” with economic democracy, an economy of the people, by the people and for the people, through cooperatives. Based on the maximum utilization and rational distribution of all physical, mental and spiritual resources, for the welfare of everyone. Prout is not a religion or a political party, it is a creative alternative to the materialism and excessive individualism of capitalism.
THE VENEZUELAN REALITY AND PROUT’S CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
What are the social advances made by the “Bolivarian Revolution” since the election of President Hugo Chavez in 1998? How does this affect the poverty statistics, and how does it affect the actual lives of the poor? What shortcomings and problems need to be overcome? How much pressure can the U.S. government apply to change the government? How can the principles of Prout assist in transforming society and ending poverty?
OVERCOMING RACISM, SEXISM AND CULTURAL INVASION WITH UNIVERSALISM
The domination of women and people of other races is a historical process, linked to imperialism. To overcome this we need to adopt a universal outlook to transform the present materialistic society into a spiritually-oriented, global human family. The philosophy of Neo-humanism and the ancient practice of meditation realize the fundamental unity that exists among all living beings, and adopts a spirit of service, working for a better world.
“I BUY, THEREFORE I AM!”: CONSUMERISM VS. SIMPLE LIVING
The capitalist view of the human being based on property rights outlined by John Locke in the seventeenth century. Why our materialistic lifestyle is destroying the planet. Ecological alternatives, “walking lightly on the earth” and the yoga ethical principle of “aparigraha”.
TV AS A FALSE RELIGION
A discussion about media power and control. We will deconstruct the zombie-like, trance-state of world culture in the face of the entertainment economy. Why advertising is like a false evangelism, how it exploits women and people of color, stimulates crime and violence. TV is a drug and we are addicted!
COOPERATIVES: EVERYBODY WINS
What are cooperatives and what are their benefits? The different types and how they serve as business models of the future. What are the practical steps to start one and keep it growing? Examples of successful co-ops from around the world and demonstrations of cooperative games to raise consciousness about the need for cooperation and team-building.
THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION OF PROUT
What is true social progress and what are the universal spiritual values that Prout is based on? Brief explanation of Tantra philosophy and Prama (“dynamic equilibrium”) for holistic human development. The importance of Neohumanism, universal outlook and cultural diversity. The benefits of meditation for social activists.
PROUT’S VISION: MASTER UNITS
“Model Rural Multi-purpose Development Centres” are the nerve centers of the future society, according to Prout’s founder, P.R. Sarkar. As economically self-reliant as possible, they serve the people by all-round service. Using sustainable and renewable energy, they enrich rural communities. Community Supported Agriculture, with examples and photos from around the world. Photos and examples of the many types of service projects that are running successfully in different Master Units around the world.
ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY
Big money wins elections in most countries. Political democracy has been stolen by powerful elites, and universal suffrage has some shortcomings which lead to corruption and exploitation. Economic democracy is a dynamic economy of the people, by the people and for the people. It is based on ideal leadership, cooperatives, all-round development and “fair trade” instead of free trade. This is the key to full employment and helping every region and country to prosper with a high quality of life for everyone.
MYSTICISM, MEDITATION AND NEO-HUMANISM
Our modern world needs a holistic, universal spirituality that includes ancient techniques of yoga for body-mind health. We will compare the spiritual traditions of Catholic mystics and liberation theology, Buddhism and Sufism. The inspiring program will include a practical demonstration of a simple yet powerful meditation technique. Showing how to discover the source of happiness, deep love and inner peace, the presentation points to a path of personal transformation and a brilliant future for humanity.
COOPERATIVE GAMES FOR GROUP SOLIDARITY
We need a new cooperative paradigm that promotes kindness, honesty, trust and teamwork. We need to overcome our fears – of failure, of looking bad, of getting hurt. And in the process we need to lighten up, have fun, and realize that the best things in life are not for sale. Cooperative games and “initiative challenges” involve creative problem solving. Some games involve running around, others are sitting; some are very funny, while others are silent and profound. They are full of surprises and challenges, but some of them are very ancient! We do our best to choose games that are suitable for the participants out of the 150 in our stock, though we explain that anyone can choose to not participate at any time. Everyone is guaranteed to learn something new about them self and to laugh a bit!
