Natl. Workshop on Youth Empowerment held at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Mysore/Mysuru: “Empowerment entails influencing the behaviour and character of an individual. Empowering the youth involves steering the minds of today’s young generation onto the right path, thereby fostering the development of their character and personality,” said Swami Atmavidanandaji, a senior monk at Ramakrishna Ashram, Bengaluru, emphasising the pivotal role of a mentor in this process of character building.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 6th National Workshop on Empowerment of Youth (NWEY) 2023, organised by Vivekananda Janoththana Trust in collaboration with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Mysuru Campus recently.

He said, even today, people fondly remember Swami Vivekananda and regard him as a role model. The basis for this admiration lies in Swami Vivekananda’s profound personality, rooted in immense knowledge. The perpetual wakefulness of this country is sustained by the enduring roots of knowledge.

Speaking about Vivekananda and India’s heritage, he said it is acknowledged that the rich knowledge legacy has the potential to elevate India to the status of a world guru. The ancient Universities in our country served as centres for this type of knowledge. However, the current education system is experiencing a deficiency in this regard. He put forth his ideas, suggesting that for the nation to progress significantly, it is essential to impart the highest quality knowledge rooted in our culture to today’s students.

Illuminating the current education system, Swami Atmavidananda expressed the view that only profound knowledge has the ability to shape a great personality. While subject-specific knowledge may contribute to success in a particular field, comprehensive transformation and progress of the country rely on knowledge serving as the catalyst for change.

The workshop featured talks by notable speakers, including Br. Atmaniratamrita Chaitanya, National Coordinator, AYUDH, Mata Amritanandamayi Math; Prof. S. Yashonath, former Head of Department, SSCU, IISc, Bengaluru; M.R. Ananta Kumar, Founder, Divya Deepa Charitable Trust, Mysuru; Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore; Dr. B. Soumya, Amrita Kripa Hospital, Mysuru; Nityananda Viveka Vamshi, Viveka Vidya Vahini Trust, Mysuru; Dr. Sriram Vajapeyam, Bengaluru; Dr. (Flt. Lt.) M.A. Balasubrahmanya, Advisor, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Mysuru; Swami Ishtanathananda, Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE), Mysuru; Br. Chandrashekhar, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh; and Swami Mahamedhananda, Correspondent, Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education (RIMSE).

Additionally, panel discussions were organised on the topics of “Vivekananda, Youth, Role Models, Action Orientation: How to Succeed?” and “Actionising Vedanta: Vivekananda’s Call to the Youth!”

Dr. T.S. Mohan, Managing Trustee, Vivekananda Janoththana Trust; Br. Anantaananda Chaithanya, Director, Mysuru Campus; Br. Muktidamrta Chaithanya, Correspondent, Mysuru Campus; Prof. Shekar Babu, Associate Dean; Prof. G. Ravindranath, Principal, Amrita Mysuru  and others were present.