'Spiritualism, music therapy help in sustainable development'

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Amritsar, March 3

A lot is being said or at least pondered over after a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) that warns of irreversible changes in climate. To highlight the cause, Guru Nanak Dev University hosted an international multidisciplinary conference on “Sustainable development: Health & wellness”.

There is a dire need for people across the world for leading a modest lifestyle.Rs Prof Rajesh Kumar, Head, Social Sciences Dept, GNDU

The two-day online conference was organised by the Department of Psychology in association with MindGlass Well-Being Pvt Ltd., New Delhi. It invited multiple speakers from across the world, explaining how simple lifestyle changes and concerted efforts would go a long way in ensuring sustainability of life on the planet.

As many as 50 researchers from the universities across Delhi-NCR campus, IGNOU, Panjab University, LPU, DU, Kolkata University and international universities from Morocco and Pakistan presented their work online.

Prof Sunita Gupta, head, Psychology Department and Dean Faculty of arts and social sciences, addressed the participants and spoke how spiritualism and music therapy help in sustainable development as it is based on universal love, living with minimal needs, hating no one and caring for nature. So it saves resources for future.

Keynote speaker Dr Davinder Singh talked on importance of social support and cooperation, and said people living with larger friend circles tend to fall sick less. Prof Adarsh Pal Vig, Department of Botanical and Environmental sciences, GNDU, and Chairman, Punjab Pollution Board, talked on how an individual action and responsibility can save planet by consuming needful only not beyond the need.

Prof Rajesh Kumar, head, Social Sciences Department of the university, spoke about origin and evolution of Gross National Happiness Index. He emphasised upon the international trends of transition from GDP-based measurement of countries’ development towards gross national happiness. “There is a dire need for people across the world for leading a modest lifestyle,” he said.

Australian counselling practitioner Pjero talked about changing the global education pattern to be more community-focused and making people aware of different types of addiction. Huma Lara, a USA-based actor, singer, activist, and graduate psychologist talked on how to reduce our carbon footprints. She emphasised on using traditional Indian pottery instead of plastic-based utensils, a washable hanky instead of tissues and not using too much packing material, disposables for clean and sustainable lifestyle.