WORLD HINDU ECONOMIC FORUM
“Making Society Prosperous”
Mission :
Our mission is to make society prosperous through the generation and sharing of surplus wealth. Objective: To promote Activities of developing enterprise and entrepreneurship for generating surplus wealth.
Why World Hindu Economic Forum?
There are several economic forums in the world, which are based on religion, ethnicity, geography and economic status. e.g. World Islamic Economic Forum, World Chinese Economic Forum, European Economic Forum and World Economic Forum (an exclusive forum which works with select 100 global companies as strategic partners and 1000 industry partners). World Hindu Economic Forum is “Dharma” based Forum.
The World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF), has been specifically created to bring financially successful elements within Hindu society together such as traders, bankers, technocrats, investors, industrialists, businesspersons, economists, professionals, etc. so that each group of Hindus can share their knowledge, experience, and expertise with their fellow Hindus to generate surplus wealth. This can also create an effective Hindu business network.
The purpose of bringing together financially successful Hindus together under one banner will lead to greater economic cooperation between Hindu entrepreneurs, creating the conditions necessary for the generation of surplus wealth. “Success breeds Success”, the coming together of successful people will bring a positive energy and vision which can lead the Hindu society not only in financial matters, but also in other fields that will shape the future Hindu civilisation. Financially successful people are some of the most intelligent and bright people, especially those who have created their own wealth.
What is Dharma?
Dharma is NOT religion, it is NOT a tradition, it is NOT a culture, it is NOT ethnicity, it is NOT nationality, it is NOT a faith, it is NOT even a way of life. That which SUSTAINS EVERYTHING is Dharma. WHEF foundation is in Dharma, best known as Hindu Dharma.
What is Hindu Dharma then?
Hindu is an unbounded word and symbolizes “Sanatan” – “Eternal”. Dharma means “That, which sustains”. That which ETERNALLY SUSTAINS EVERYTHING (individual, family, community, society, nature, living and non-living beings) is Hindu Dharma. There is NO word in English or any other language that accurately conveys the real meaning of Dharma.
Therefore, World Hindu Economic Forum could be described as a Dharma-based economic forum, which has been created to cater to the requirements for sustaining everything. This is why the driving vision of WHEF is “Dharmasya Moolam Arthah” i.e. “sustaining through economic prosperity”. WHEF welcomes all of those communities and groups, which believe in and practice Dharma.
WHEF is a Means to Regain Economic Prosperity
The basic problems of the world today are hunger, poverty and illiteracy. These problems cannot be solved by donations and charity alone. Growing population creates growing needs and these can be overcome only by creating new surplus wealth and then sharing surplus wealth to empower the masses i.e. those at the bottom of the pyramid. Our ancestors have expressed their wisdom in the Vedas “Sat Hasta Samahara, Sahastra Hasta Sankira”. It literally means “Create wealth with 100 hands and share it with 1000 hands”. WHEF is that step towards creating “that, which can sustain” and eradicate hunger, poverty and illiteracy in the world.
Taking inspiration from the ancient wisdom, our ancestors created 35-50% of the world economy from the very beginning i.e. from 1st to 15th Century. Dharma civilizations were wealthy and prosperous. The magnificent monuments of those years e.g. Ruins of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal, Nalanda University, Taksha-shila University, Ruins of Ayutthaya in Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Prambanan and Borobudur in Indonesia, ruins of Wat Phu in Laos, My-son in Vietnam, Rameshwaram and Brihadeshwara temple in Bharat , etc, are ample evidence of the wealthy times. The prosperity was lost during the period of Islamic invasion and colonial time.
The economy of the 21st century is driven by knowledge and youth. With larger part of Hindu population being youth, there is an inherent potential that is waiting to be unlocked. WHEF aims to create a platform that will trigger the creation of surplus wealth by effectively utilizing the available potential. WHEF is a facilitator, a catalyst that enables Hindus to cooperate and collaborate globally so that market access is facilitated amongst them. Market access across geographic zones and countries, spreading from Auckland to Alaska and Oslo to Johannesburg, cutting across the entire globe, is being created through WHEF. WHEF is coordinating efforts to enhance credit availability not only to business, trade and industry but also to support budding entrepreneurs. WHEF is promoting synergy on frontiers of technologies to promote new entrepreneurship.
Strengthening Economy
Economic boom of previous two decades followed by a catastrophic recession of Western economies has placed the entire world into turmoil. Fast growing, developing economies started suffering and experiencing deceleration. The response to these challenges is complex and needs to be addressed outside the current institutional framework and mindsets. The world economic leadership is only researching and acting according to traditional wisdom i.e. cost-cutting and protectionism. The endeavours designed for relative stability do not work in adverse times. It requires new and creative response, which can propel creation of surplus wealth to rescue the world economy from its current crisis.
Bhagwan Krishna gave his wisdom in Bhagwad Gita that “Gatasunagatasums cha nanusochanti panditah” – which means “wise-men do not worry of what has gone by and what is going by”. WHEF’s present approach is based on this foundational wisdom i.e. to think in future for the future. Hindus believe and practice Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam i.e. whole world is one family. WHEF will work to help and support deprived communities around the world.
SHORT REPORT
First Annual Forum of World Hindu Economic Forum at Hong Kong 2012 was organized with theme of “Shaping World Economy” and was attended by over 250 prominent businessperson, industrialists, economists, bankers, international traders, professionals, and business leaders from different countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Pacific region.
Second Annual Forum of World Hindu Economic Forum at Bangkok was organized with theme “Strengthening Economy, Shaping Future” attended by over 500 prominent businesspersons, industrialists, economists, bankers, international traders, and business association leaders from more than 20 countries across the continents.
Regional forums of World Hindu Economic Forum have been organized for ASEAN region at Kuala Lumpur in 2012, For Pacific region at Fiji in 2013 and African regional forum in Durban in 2014.
Current Forum
Third Annual Forum of World Hindu Economic Forum at New Delhi is being organized with theme “Thriving Economy, Prospering Economy” with the World Hindu Congress during 21-23 2014.
Forthcoming Forum
Fourth Annual Forum of World Hindu Economic Forum will be held in London, UK during 11-13 September 2014.
Source: WHN Media Network