INDIA
for Global Governance Forum

On 14-24 November 2022, I joined Augusto Lopez-Claros and Joshua Lincoln of the Global Governance Forum (https://globalgovernanceforum.org/) for an intensive visit to India to present concepts from our book Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century (https://globalgovernanceforum.org/book-pdfs/). We started in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, where our programme was organized by an amazing school, the City Montessori School (CMS), which has nearly 60,000 primary and secondary students on its several campuses across the city, making it the world’s largest school in a single city. Founded by a Bahá’í couple over a half-century ago, its curriculum and daily prayers reflect many Bahá’í principles. After dinner the first day with the school management, we were divided between the campuses, with 75 minute presentations to three classes each day on 16-18 November, where I spoke and answered questions on Global Governance and Sustainability. All together I spoke to nearly 2,000 students, and my colleagues likewise.

Augusto started with classes of about 500 students.

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Augusto speaking to a large CMS class

One class I addressed at the City Montessori School (CMS) Aliganj campus

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Arthur Dahl speaking at the CMS Aliganj campus

The audience at the Station Road Campus

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Speaking to City Montessori School students at Station Road campus; part of the audience

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A fine woolen scarf is a frequent gift

On the evening of 16 November we spoke at a meeting organized in a large auditorium by the Bahái´community of Lucknow.

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Meeting with the Baha'i community; Joshua Lincoln speaking

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Meeting with Lucknow Baha'i community; Augusto Lopez-Claros, Arthur Dahl, Geeta Gandhi Kingdon

On 17 November we spoke in the afternoon at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, and in the evening to Hoerner College, Mahanagar.

Indian Institute of Management

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Arthur Dahl speaking at Hoerner College; part of the audience

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Speaking at Hoerner College; our panel

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Event at Hoerner College with the state head of forestry; lamp-lighting ceremony

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Poster for Hoerner College event; some of the publicity in Lucknow

18 November was equally busy. After our morning CMS lectures, we spoke at the Lucknow University faculty of Public Administration, and the Centre for Advanced Studies of the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, before attending in the evening the Opening Inaugural Ceremony of the 23rd International Conference of Chief Justices of the World organized by CMS. The opening ceremony was an amazing event, with hundreds of school children performing traditional dances and acrobatics before the hundred or so chief justices, former heads of state and government from around the world. On 19 November we each addressed a plenary at the conference. Augusto presented at the inaugural plenary on "What could a new global governance architecture look like?" now available on YouTube (30 minutes). I spoke on Justice for Climate and Nature, and in the late afternoon we addressed 800 CMS students attending the conference.

On 20 November we flew to New Delhi, where we immediately had separate interviews with a famous Indian TV journalist, Vikram Bahl, for his programme Global View. My interview, titled by the journalist “Are humans also an endangered species?”, was broadcast nationally and can be viewed on YouTube https://youtu.be/E5wv9f0XFB0 and followed as a podcast on Spotify, Apple podcasts and Google Podcasts. This was followed by dinner at our New Delhi hosts and my long-time friends Kazem and Christine Samandari.

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Gathering at the Samandari home; dinner

The next day we spoke on global governance at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and in the evening we went to the India International Centre for an event on “Equality for Women = Prosperity for All”.

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India International Centre panel on gender equality; Arthur Dahl

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India International Centre audience; panel of speakers

We each had a day to present at the Asian School of Business, and on the morning of 22 November I addressed the Asian School of Business on “One Planet – One Habitat”.

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Asian School of Business, part of the Asian Education Group; Arthur Dahl

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Asian School of Business presenting a bouquet and an engraved plaque

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Arthur Dahl speaking at Asian School of Business; audience

In the afternoon we all spoke at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on “Economic Governance in a Post-COVID World”.

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Panel at PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Augusto Lopez-Claros, Joshua Lincoln, Arthur Dahl, Kazem Samandari

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Arthur Dahl at PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry; poster for the event

In the evening we attended and spoke briefly at a reception organized for us at the beautiful Bahá’í House, where we were each presented with art works painted by children blind since birth taught art by a local Bahá'í.

Bahá'í House reception in the garden

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Arthur Dahl speaking at Bahá'í House reception; conversations at Bahá'í House

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Gift of painting by child blind since birth; painting

On our last day, 23 November, we spoke on global governance in the Department of Political Science at Jamia Millia Islamia university, and in the evening addressed the “Future of Democracy” at the India Habitat Centre, organized by the Trajectories of Hope Foundation.

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Panel at India Habitat Centre; audience

Arthur Dahl at India Habitat Centre

There was no time for sightseeing, but given the impossible traffic situation in New Delhi, we spent more time seeing the city while travelling between appointments than in the events themselves. Overall it was a wonderful opportunity to engage all generations on the planetary challenges we face and possible solutions.