The fourth edition of Samvad – the Global Hindu-Buddhist Initiative for Conflict Avoidance and Environmental Consciousness will be held in Thailand from 14 to 17 February. This flagship outreach programme, initiated in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the late Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, is led and organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in India, with the Japan Foundation as a key partner. The late Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Modi shared a special bond and a shared vision for a resurgent Asia.

For the fourth Samvad, VIF is partnering with the Bodhigayavijalaya 980 Institute (BGVI), a prominent think tank headquartered in Bodh Gaya, which also operates across the Greater Mekong region, including Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. Inspired by Prime Minister Modi’s vision of an “Asian Century", BGVI has been undertaking Dhamma-Yatras across the region to crystallise this vision and narrative, shaping the Asian Century through Dhamma and Dharma. BGVI played a key role in the Dhamma Yatra held in January-February 2024, which saw the sacred relics of Lord Buddha taken from India to various cities across Thailand, receiving an overwhelming response.

Published in News 18