Dr.AcharyaShambhushivanandaAvadhutaCentreofNeohumanistStudies,Ydrefors,Sweden

TheChallengeofResilienceintheAgeofArtificialIntelligence

(WorldSymposiumonArtificialIntelligence,Governance&DisasterManagement)

March11-13th,2019,SCDR,JNU,NewDelhiSummary:As we utilize AI for assisting us with building more effective disaster managementcapabilities, we should also be aware that it is ultimately the people who utilize thetechnologies and it can be used for social good or to serve only vested interests—personal or institutional. The broader concern for building a compassionate and justsociety should never be lost sight of while contemplating smart infrastructures. Aresilient society can only be built on the quality of its people. Data, Information andKnowledgemust ultimately be guided by wisdom and higher consciousness in whichthereislove,empathy,compassionandinclusiveness.Itissuchqualitiesthatdistinguishusfrommachinesandmakeustruly‘human’.LetAIrevolutiongrowunderthebannerofuniversalloveandbegoodforbothanimateandinanimateentities.Key words: Technoethics, Balance & Equipoise, Prama, Sustainable Communities,Resilience,NeohumanistEducationTheComingAgeofArtificialIntelligenceScience has alreadyprovided the possibility of liberation for humanbeings fromhardlabor. Digital Revolution andAI is nowpromising to liberate us from the drudgery ofrepetitivechores.Artificialintelligenceandmachinelearningcapabilitiesaregrowingatan unprecedented rate. These technologies have many widely beneficial applications,ranging from machine translation to disaster image analysis. Their relevance tostrengthening disaster management capability is also being widely investigated (1).McKinseyGlobalInstituterecentlyreportedthefollowing:

To coordinate andprioritize emergency response, governments and first respondersmusthave an accurate and complete view of disaster zones. Frequent and broad area satelliteimagery enables new AI-based systems to quickly and accurately detect infrastructurechangesthatmayaffectevacuationandresponse.AIcanassistinimprovingreliefeffortsandemergency preparedness with greater accuracy and on a much larger scale than humanworkers.Satellite data can be used for many other solutions ranging from short-term weatherforecasts to tracking deforestation. This is especially the case for infrastructure andeconomicempowerment,whereadvancesinsatelliteimageryresolutionenablevisualizationand monitoring of more granular portions of Earth, such as small agricultural fields indevelopingnationsorclustersofbuildingsinurbanareas.Satelliteimagerycanalsoprovideperspective into infrastructure projects in remote, inaccessible locations where on-footmonitoring is often infeasible due to the arduous, time-consuming nature of collectinginformationontheground.TheIndiangovernmenthasemployedsatellite-basedmonitoringsystems to understand the status of projects on a timely basis and detect where fundallocation is not effective. Use cases also pair satellite data with other data includeaugmenting remote sensing data from satellites with prices to create a forecast ofagriculturalproduction.Satellite data could also be used to measure economic activity by detecting car density,construction rates, and electricity consumption through nighttime illumination. Objectdetectionsoftwarewasappliedtosatellite imagerytodetect floodedroadsafterHurricaneHarveyin2017.

SeveralAIcapabilities,primarilyinthecategoriesofcomputervisionandnaturallanguageprocessing, are especially applicable to a wide range of societal challenges. Thesecapabilitiesaregoodatrecognizingpatterns fromthetypesofdata theyuse,particularlyunstructured data rich in information, such as images, video, and text, and they areparticularlyeffectiveatcompletingclassificationandpredictiontasks.”(McKinseyGlobalInstituteDiscussionpaper—December2018onAIforSocialGood)

Augmented Intelligence, nowpopularly called,Artificial Intelligence is here to stay.AsveryeloquentlyexpressedbyanIndianphilosopherandsage,ShriiShriiAnandamurtiijias early as 1959 “ What the cosmic mind is doing today in a tangible manner willcontinue tobedonebyunitmindson thisearth in slowandgradual steps”.Therearealso,however,seriousconcernsaboutpotentialmisuseofAI.Theworkshopconductedjointlybyseveral institutionson “themalicioususeofAI”washeldatOxford inUK in2017anditsreportfocusedonidentifyingthreatsandwaysofpreventionandmitigation(2).Thispaperraisesthefollowingimportantquestions:

1. Will AI become a successful tool of empowerment rather than exacerbatingdisparities?

2. Whataresomeothersimmeringtechno-ethicalissuesrelatedtoAI?3. HowtofacethechallengeofeconomicrenaissanceintheageofAI?4. How to move towards a resilient society & strengthen disaster management

capabilities?Technology is only as good as the people who employ it and for what purposes.Recognizingthepotentialofharmthatcanbecausedbyself-centeredpersons,thereisacall for AI Codes, AI Regulators and Ethical Framework to deal with issues of safety,fairness, transparency and collective good from the very outset. The questions beingraisedare:

1. Does the data reflect the population?Algorithmic bias, Racial bias, gender bias,backgroundbiasetc.; lackofdiversityindatasets; lackofdiversityinmodeling;lackofdiversityofmind-sets—theseareallmattersofconcern.Whoshouldbethecustodianofalldata—privatecorporationsorsomepublicauthority?

2. Even if data reflects the population accurately, does it mean that we shouldcontinuetotreatitforperpetuity?Whatisfair?

3. Aretheresomethings thatAIandrelated technologiescandowhichweshouldneverdo?Whatistheethicalframeworkguidinghumansandthesetechnologies?CanAIinbuiltincentivesthatmayleadpolicymakersoradministratorstomakewrongdecisions?

4. Can the AI tamper with the democratic institutions and ultimately erode thefreedomofindividualsinthesociety?WhatarethestandardstowhichAIshouldbemadeaccountable?Whatsystemsare inplace toensure thesafetyofcriticaldatarelatedtoinfrastructuresandothersensitivedomains?

5. Whoshouldbemadeaccountableforthe ‘invisible’complexnetworksofAIthatwould underlie the systems being employed by decision makers of differentinstitutions?HowtoattachresponsibilitytohumansfortheuseofdataorAIorrelatedtechnologies?

6. Inthetaskofrebuildingdisastersareas,whatistheroleof ‘culture’?Inbuildingsmart cities—whataboutpeople?HowAI canbeused topreserve localhistoryandlocalcultures?

“Some concerns are directly related to theway algorithms and the data used to trainthemmay introduce new biases or perpetuate and institutionalize existing social andprocedural biases. For example, facial recognition models trained on a population offaces corresponding to the demographics of artificial intelligence developersmay not

reflect the broader population. Data privacy and use of personal information are alsocritical issues toaddress ifAI is to realize itspotential.Europehas led theway in thisarea with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which introduced morestringentconsentrequirementsfordatacollection,givesuserstherighttobeforgottenandtherighttoobject,andstrengthenssupervisionoforganizationsthatgather,control,andprocessdata,withsignificant fines for failures to comply.Cybersecurityand ‘deepfakes’ that couldmanipulate election results or perpetrate large-scale fraud are also aconcern.”(2) Realizing the gravity of potential misuse , UK has established a non-governmentalinstitutionlike“CenterforDataEthicsandInnovation.”

DISASTERPREPAREDNESSANDRESILIENCEDisastersorcalamities,inacosmologicalsense,aretheresultofinherentpropensityofmacro-cosmic forces to bring back the eternal equipoise in all strata of existence.Neohumanismisaphilosophicalresponsetoincorporatetheprinciplesofbalanceinalldomainsofhumanexistence.Disastersareusuallyruthlessandindiscriminatelysapthevitalityofasociety.Hence,disasterpreparednesscallsforestablishinggroundinitiativesfor enhancing resilience capability of each and every community. Communities needcaring support systems as well as survival and coping skills to handle emergenciesresultingfromdisasterofanykind.Vulnerablegroupslikeoldpeople,children,floraandfauna and personswith disabilities are the greatest victims of a disaster that requireextraattention.Disasterpreparednessorsurvivalskillstrainingshould,however,beginfrom an early age. Hence, the need for linking disaster preparedness with youthprogramsandcreatingvolunteerdisasterreliefteamsledandempoweredbyyouthsineveryvillage, cityor town.Besides, canwebuild ‘smart’ infrastructurewithout ‘smart’people? We also need to pay attention towards improving capabilities of ordinarycitizenstoserveas‘wiseandsmart’people.NeohumanistEducationisaresponsetothisneed.Furthermore,howtopreserveourlocalcultureswhiledesigningsustainablecitiesafterdisasters?Besidesthematerialchallengetodealwithsurvivalissuesofdisastervictims,therearelong-term developmental aspirations that need fulfillment. The goal of disastermanagement capability, therefore, is to ensure quickest responses towards survival,growth and sustainability. In this task, technological assistance can go a long way toconvertdisastersintoopportunitiesforresilient,sustainablegrowth.Thedevelopmentcommunities can only welcome AI as a tool for achieving the targets of MDGs.Technologiesareonlyasgoodas thosewhoemploy them.AI(ArtificialorAugmentedIntelligence)shouldbeseenonlyasupportandnotasubstituteforNI(NaturalorNativeIntelligence).Resilienceisthestaminaorabilityofanorganismtocopewithandrecoverfromshocks,calamitiesordisastersorunfavorableconditions;toflourishandgrowdespitealloddsand limitations; and, to attain a state of collective flourishing. In development theory,resilience refers to the centripetal quality built into the policies, institutions andgovernanceinordertocounteractanystructuralvulnerability—local,regional,nationalorglobal.Resilienceisintimatelyconnectedwithbothdisasterpreparednessaswellasdevelopment strategy. One of the areas of disaster research is also to look foropportunitiesandwaystocorrectthewrongsorexistingimbalancesthatcompoundtheimpactofdisasters.Inthisendeavor,thenotionofPramamayalsobehelpfulinordertoidentifyandcorrectthegrossdisparitiesandfosterresilienceinoursociety.The french economist Thomas Piketty and USA Professor Ravi Batra have presentedoverwhelming evidence that accumulated wealth has typically grown at a rate thatoutpaces increases inworkers'wages all over theworld. The result, they argue, is an

ever-wideninggapbetweentheextremelyrichandeveryoneelse.Theuseofadvancedtechnologies liesat thecoreof thesewideninggaps(3,4).WouldAI furtherexacerbatethesegaps?Thesolutionmay lie in firstunderstanding thedynamicsofbiopsychologythat breed such imbalances. Themoral choice of adopting the path for the futurewilldeterminetheendresult.

IfAI canassistandserve to revealalldisparitiesandhelpbuildaworldofbalance,ofequipoise,ofresilience,ofsustainability,itwouldindeedbeadayofcelebrationfortheentire humanity. On the other hand, if economic inequalities continue to persist andincrease,AIcouldaidtheprocessoftranslatingtheseeconomicdisparitiesintobiologicalinequalities thereby threatening the very existence and worth of ordinary humans.Hence, ongoing research on technological impact assessment is needed and should bewelcomed.PRAMA-THEPATHOFRESILIENCEPramaisaSanskritwordmeaningwell-proportionedeffort,apropermeasure,balance,harmony,dynamicequilibriumanddynamicequipoise.ThetheoryofPrama(5),astheguiding principle of a society,was first introduced by an Indian sage and philosopherShri P.R. Sarkar in 1987 in order to address the diverse problems of human societyemanating from the inherent vulnerabilities in any system and strengthen resilience.Search for a proper path of progress in the midst of conflict-ridden situations is thecryingneedofourtimes.InShriiSarkar’sview,“theprimordialnaturalstateofdynamicequilibriumand equipoise of theTranscendental Entity is calledPrama-trikonawhosenucleus is Purus’ottama–Supreme Consciousness.” Disasters are reminders to us tocorrectallimbalancesthathavecreptindifferentspheresofourlife.LOSSOF‘PRAMA’INSOCIETYWhenthesocietylosesprama(looselytranslatedasbalance),chaosbeginstosetin.Inthe first phase, the condition of society may be called Vikra’nta-avastha. It is thederangedstate.Inthiscondition,thelossofpramacharacterizesasortof“looseningofstrings”, a consequent deviation from the inherent harmony found in the primordialphase of creation. In this stage, the balance among the three spheres begins to getdisturbed.Inthesecondphase,thefurtherlossofpramaincollective-existencemaybecalledVikrta-avastha.Thisstateofaffairs is thedisruptedstagewherethesubstrataof

each sphere of existence loosen their internal correspondence. Dislocations,inefficiencies,complexes,inhibitionsandlopsideddevelopmentscharacterizethisstage.If prama is still not restored, the society ends up in themost ‘degenerated stage’: thestateofdoldrumsandcompletechaos.ThisisthestageofViparyastaavastha—thestatewheretheoriginalflavorgetscompletelylostandthedharma(inherentcharacteristicoressence)oflifeistotallyforgotten.Inthisthirdphase,boththegoalandthepathbecomedefective. Society becomes directionless, without proper vision and without even aproper approach of action. This is the state of total blindness. The problems keep ongettingcompoundeduntil thesituationseemshopeless,withoutany light insight.Theresult couldbe total annihilationof civilizationandculture.Massdestructionbecomescommonplace.Nation-statesreachthebrinkofbankruptcy.Conflictsincrease,leadingtowidespreadsufferingofinnocentcitizens.Disparitiesaboundandthepurchasingpowerof commonpeople declines to belowpoverty level. Such a state of affairs exposes thetotal lack of ‘prama’. There is then dearth of structural balance (equipoise) aswell asutter lack of dynamic equilibrium. At its climax, such situations give rise to massdiscontentandevencauserevolutions.RESTORINGPRAMAIn every sphere of life, there exists the expression of the threefold forces ofnature:sentient (sattva), mutative (rajah) and static (tamah). The interplay of theseforces is symbolized through the triangular representations called “Trikonas”.Physicalprama-trikonareferstothebalanceofphysicalexpressions.TheattainmentofpramainthephysicalsphereiscalledPrama-Samvriddhi.MaterialprosperityofoneandallisthenaturaloutcomeofPrama-Samvriddhi.Psychicprama-trikonareferstothebalanceinthepsychic expressions. The attainment of prama in the psychic sphere is calledPrama-Riddhi. The spiritual prama-trikona refers to the balance of forces in the spiritualstratum, its attainment being termed as Prama-Siddhi. The culminating resultantbalance among physical, psychic and spiritual attainments is the eternal loka-trikona.The status of loka-trikona comes close to the primordial force of creation and is apinnacled macro-cosmic stance of combined social-expressions. In loka –trikona, thethree sides of the cosmic triangle are represented byprama-samvriddhi, prama-riddhiand prama-siddhi. In his magnum opus Ananda Sutram (6), Shrii Sarkar reveals theoriginsofendlessgun’atrikonascomprisedofsattva,rajahandtamahattributesofthecosmicoperativeprinciple.

Sutra4.1“Trigun’aa’tmika’srs’t’ima’trika’ashes’atrikon’adha’ra’”[Thetri-attributionalprimordialforce(progenitrixofcreation)flowsoninendless

triangularforms.]AllofcreationistheresultofthreebindingforcesactingonthecosmicbodyofSupremeConsciousness in order to create endlessmutual transformations through the processcalled homogenesis or homomorphic evolution. In the process of constantmetamorphosis,astagecomeswhenduetotherelativepressuresofgun’as,thebalanceof cosmic triangle of forces is lost and creation ensues through one of the vertices asichhabiija or ka’mabiija. That starting point is termed as Shambhuliunga followed byjinanashakti na’da (vibrational flow without curvature) and kala’-prava’h (withcurvatures) inasequential flow.Thepsychicandphysicalworldsarecreateduntil thecreationreachesanadircalledSvyambhuliunga.ThecosmicforcelyingquiescentaroundSvyambhuliunga iscalledKula-Kund’alinii(jiivabha’va)andisthesourceofstaminaandmicrocosmicpower.Theresilienceofagroupofpeopleisintimatelyconnectedwiththeawakeningofthisdormantpowerlyingwithinus.Theendeavortoreverttoabalancedprama-trikon’aandconsequentresilience lies inbuildingsystemsthatare friendlytoallbeings-animateandinanimate(7).Recognizingtheroleofmicrovita(smallestsubatomicvitalstructures)andtheself-controllingfaculties increationisthefirststep

towards achieving equilibrium and equipoise in all strata of existence. ArtificialIntelligence(AI), thoughapowerful tool,cannotbeplacedabovetheNaturalorNativeIntelligence(NI)thatisendowedtoeverylivingbeing.RESTORINGPRAMAININDIVIDUALLIFETheyogic life styleofyogaasanas,properphysicaleffort,balanceddiet,moral codeofconduct, periodic fasting, regular practice ofmeditation and selfless servicewill bringabout “prama” in individual life. Anything that helps individuals to restore dynamismandequipoiseintheirlivescomeswithinthescopeofprama-orientedinterventions.RESTORINGPRAMAINCOLLECTIVELIFEThe taskof restoringprama in collective life ismuchmore challenging than the effortrequiredtorestorepramainindividuallife.Itisduetotheextremeinfluenceofthestaticprincipleinthecollectivepsychologyofanage.Itisthereforenecessarytotransformthecollectivepsychology in order to begin to restoreprama in collective life. It is not animpossibletaskeventhoughit isnoteasy.Narrow‘isms’willhavetobetampeddownbecausetheyinhibittheprogressiveandonwardmarchtowardsthedesideratum.Inordertorestorepramainthephysicalsphere,allunduedisparitiesmustberemovedthroughpropereducationandbenevolentleadership,andeconomicdecentralizationisamust.This,ofcourse,cannothappenwithoutwidespreadshiftinthesocialandpoliticalconsciousness. If thewelfareofallsocio-economicareas iskept inmind,pramacanbeeasily restored. Instead of competition, cooperation becomes the slogan of prama-oriented policies. The spirit of seva (service) will replace the propensity of selfishpleasure.Inthepsychicrealm,theinitialtaskistosmashalldogmasthatdivideonecreaturefromanother. A cosmic–sentiment can replace geo-sentiments, socio-sentiments, pseudo-humanisticsentimentsandothersuchnarrowattitudes.Theattainmentofprama-riddhiandattainmentofuniversalismcanbeachievedthroughscientifictrainingandpracticeof the correct system of tantra and yoga sadhana. In addition, the educational systemmustbebasedonuniversalismandutilizethebalancedapproachofteachingbothpara-vidya(transcendentalknowledge)andaparavidya(mundaneknowledge).Theculminatingpointofpsycho-spiritualactionisthemergerintotheCosmicNucleus,which lies beyond the scope of all bondages of action. This spiritualmarch brings usclose to theKaoshiki Shakti– the primordial force of creation. In the balanced trianglealso lies the expression of prama-samvriddhi (material prosperity), prama-riddhi(psychic composure) and prama-siddhi (spiritual attainment). Attainment of such abalanceinindividualandcollectivelifecanbringheavenonearthandshouldbethegoalof every resilient and sustainable community. Prama is the shining characteristic of avibrant individual and collective life. Lack of prama in personal life brings physicaldiseases,psychiccomplexesandspiritualvacuum.Thelackofpramainsociallifeisthecauseofphysicaldisparities,dogma,andexploitativeandimperialistictendenciesinthecollectivepsyche,andspiritualbankruptcy.Pramaistheloomtoweavetogetherallthepotentialitiesofsocialfabricandhelpalleviatesufferingsofallkinds.Itistheintegrativeelement,theharmonizingforce,theunifyingspiritandthedirectiveenergy.The path of resilience is thus the shortest critical path to achieve better disastermanagementcapabilityaswellastoattainthegoalofsustainabledevelopment–therebyensuring optimum utilization of resources while providing economic justice to thenatural environment, future generations, vulnerable groups and all beings in general.

Thisfollowingsectionexploreshowwecanbringaboutaresilientsocietybasedonthisprincipleofseekingbalance.SURVIVAL(ASTI)–THEFIRSTTASKThe three facets of resilience of a society are: Survival (Asti), Growth/Development(Bhati) and Anandam — the progressive goal that encourages forward acceleratedmovement (Dyut-Gati). The three primary elements of pursuing the goal of ensuringminimum requirements and maximum amenities and consequent resilience in themundanesphere,forinstance,are

i) ContinuousAssessmentofCommunityNeedsii) CommensurateIncreaseinPurchasingPoweriii) AvailabilityofGoodsandServices

AI canbe fruitfully applied inhelpingus to respond tobring about equipoiseof thesethreeareasofphysical-prama.

The task of a proper socio-economic system is to create conditions where there ismaximum utilization of all resources, rational distribution of wealth, and where theutilizationsareofprogressivenature.This inanutshellwouldbeaneconomic systembasedonPROUT—a theoryofProgressiveUtilizationaimedatcreatingsustainabilityand high degrees of resilience in the mundane sphere. In the words of Dr. SohailInayatullah,“ThevisionofPROUTtakesusbeyondthedominanteconomicideologiesofcapitalismandcommunism.ShriiSarkarimaginedaworldwithfargreaterefficiency,fargreaterproductivity,farlessinequality,livingwithnatureandenhancedbyamazingnewtechnologies—“mindintechnology”,ifyouwill—whatweknowtodayasthebeginningofartificialintelligence(AI).Thiswouldbeaplanetarycivilizationwheretheboundarieswould be functional not sentiment based as in today’s nation-states. In this vision,contradictions do not magically disappear; however, exploitation decreases and theworld gets better and better”(8). It would encourage achieving regional self-reliancethroughapolicyofeconomicdecentralization, integratedfarmingasopposedtomono-cultures,useofrenewableenergyandgreentechnologies,healthycollaborationofpublicand private sectors, strong national security apparatus, stable and robust politicalleadership systems, integrated policy making, deliberate foresight planning, risk

assessment & horizon scanning, clearly defined national goals, multiple streams oflearning, while embracing psycho-social factors such as patriotism, justice, socialidentity,belongingandasenseofcosmickinship.DisasterscanalsobeseenasopportunitiesprovidedbyNaturetocorrectthelacunasofthepast,removetheprevailingimbalancesandachievethegoalofsustainabilityinpostdisaster phase. Developmental aspect of post-disaster management needs to beintegrated with progressive developmental strategy of each area in order to ensureequitable growth and sustainabilitywhile removing thedisparities andpreserving thediversities. There is a need to constantly scout, locally and globally, for the mosteconomicalandsustainablyprogressiveviablealternativesandmakesuchoptionsandinformationaccessibleforallneedyparties.Theneed for speed inpost-disaster responsealso raisesa setof issuesofhowbest toutilize technological connectivity coupled with spirit of service in order to servevulnerable groups especially childrenwho are greatly traumatized after the disasters.Just as establishing fire brigades in a city is necessary to fight local fires, similarlysupportsystemsneedtobebuiltineverycommunitytoactivelyrespondtoalltypesofcalamities.Newcommunicationstechnologiesofferopportunitiestocreate,strengthen,andmaintainreal-world tiesandenablerapidresponse toemergencies.Technology, ifused benevolently, certainly has the power to strengthen the proximate community.Technology alone, however, cannot deliver a balanced and resilient society unless thehumanbeingschosetoactresponsiblyforcollectivegood.Advancements in technology must be balanced with enlightened leadership and anincrease in compassion, magnanimity and wisdom among all citizens. For instance,AMURT (www.amurt.net) was started in India over five decades ago as a globalgrassroots relief and development organization by Shrii P.R. Sarkar on neohumanistprinciplesandhasshownagoodtrackrecordtohelppeoplebuildtheirlivesthroughavoluntaryservicespirit.Creating“ChildFriendlySpaces”inrecentdisasterswasasmartway to help vulnerable target group to get a head start in life. Such examples pointtowards a need to build up community-led disaster response centers linked withgovernmentsupportprogramsineveryvillage,cityortowntoensurethathelpwillbereadilyavailableinanyemergencysituation.The idea that resilience can be engineered and measured through technologies andmethodologies in areas such as risk management, disaster management, forecasting,surveillance,biosciences,adaptiveresourcemanagementandhealthsciencescontinuestodominatemostapproachestoresilience(9).Somecurrentexamplesincludedevelopmentof genetically engineered drought resistant crops; new water harvesting structures toovercomeirregularrainfallanddepletedwatertables;improvementsinnationalsecurityand surveillance systems to thwart terrorist attacks, social unrest and crime; re-engineeringofflooddefenses,transportsystemsandbuildingstowithstandtheeffectsofclimate change;pre-assessmentofhealthandother risksassociatedwithadoptingnewtechnologies. It is nowbeing increasingly recognized thatpsycho-socio-spiritual factorsare equally important to successfully adapt and organize communities of people in aconstantlychangingandcompetitiveglobaleconomicandecologicalenvironment,forthesakeofsurvivalandprosperity.Economicdevelopment,whichisbuiltontheexploitationof resources of other nations or colonization or by mere use of unjustified force, isantithetical toprama.Anysustainableapproachis inherentlybasedoneconomic justiceto the environment, needs of future generations, needs of all species and especially allvulnerable groups. Advances in technology must be balanced with increases incompassion,magnanimityandwisdomamongallcitizens.

ALLROUNDDEVELOPMENT(BHATI)Thedevelopmentofsocietyalsorequiresrecognizinguniversaltruths,widespreaduseofintuitional practices, magnanimous social outlook, a proper socio-economic theory,intervention role of wisdom teachers and guiding texts. Resilience strategies thatstrengthen psychic and spiritual stamina contribute towards a better disasterpreparednessandsuchtrainingmustideallybeginatanearlyage.Whileitmaybeeasiertoestablishphysicalequipoiseinthemundanesphereassomewesternnationsclaimtohave achieved, it is more difficult to achieve mental equanimity. It is no surprisetherefore that yoga and meditation have become household words in response to acompelling need to deal with themenace of ‘stress’ in themodernworld. Cultivatingneohumanist awareness, following a sentient life style and imbuing all actionswith aneohumanist service spirit are a panacea for establishingPrama-Riddhi in the psychicstratum, both at an individual and collective level. Cultivating neohumanist values,developing a spirit of service, a cooperative mentality and imparting survival skillscontributegreatlytobuildingtheresiliencecapabilityofacommunity.TheendeavortocreateaGLOBAL NEOHUMANIST CHARTER *canalsoinspiretheyoungergenerationtoenvisionaworldfreefromself-centeredworldviewsandmyopicvisionsofthefuture.

* THE GLOBAL NEOHUMANIST CHARTER [envisioning resilient sustainable local communities]

where there is freedom without fears;

and a constant endeavor for harmony among all species;

where good health of all is the norm; and, there is local sustenance: free from scarcities, poverty & disparities

and, where purchasing power of all keeps improving; where conflicts are resolved through dialogues

and challenges are faced with optimism and courage;

where the uniqueness and diversities are celebrated; and, where ethics is the foundation of personal & social life; where science & technology are dedicated to greater welfare

where higher-consciousness guides all forms of biological & AI;

where religion & spirituality affirm cosmic kinship and rationality; where creativity, imagination, fine arts are for service and blessedness;

and, where compassion, humor, joy & universal love pervade & reign!

And, where deep-education (NHE)* inculcates and nurtures “deeper understandings, intrinsic values, innovations and leadership”; Relief Teams lend a ready helping hand in disasters;

and Renaissance Movement & PROUT** offer a new paradigm for self-sufficiency and economics of abundance and coordinated cooperation.

*Neohumanist Education (NHE) ** Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT)

ROLEOFINTUITIONALPRACTICESANDTHEGOALOFANANDAMHuman beings came on this earth amillion years ago and started a civilization about15000yearsago.Wehavestillnotsuccessfullyachievedaperfectbalanceinallspheresof human endeavor. This is due to a lack of psychic and spiritualprama trikon’a. Thepresenceofdogmaandsuperstitionhaskepthumanintellectlockedinsenselessegoism.InthewordsofDr.MarcusBussey,“TransformativeharmonyasanexpressionofPramais not the end of tension but its benevolent expression. It is the pragmatic quest forbalance between the two polarities of culture, one that is more inward looking andcentralized and the other that is more resilient and receptive to learning. Harmonywithoutdynamismisstatis.Harmonyasanelementofsocialprocessisanormativegoalthatcallsforsocialactorstoreflectontheiractionsandtheireffectsontheworldaroundthem.”(10)Thebenevolent lustreof cosmickinshipanduniversal lovewillbeable toexpress thegrandeur of spiritual prama trikon’a when there is a sweet blending of knowledge(jinana), action (karma) and devotion (bhakti). The endeavor to create a globalneohumanistcharter*canalso inspiretheyoungergenerationtoenvisionaworld freefrom self-centered worldviews and myopic visions of the future and to establish ourworldinPrama-Siddhi.Iwould remiss if I failed to point out that traditional community practice of chantingkiirtans in India have long been believed to be a disaster-mitigating activity. Itsimportanceshouldnotbeslighted,asdeclaredbyShriiCaetanyaMahaprabhuandotherspiritualmasters.

“The physical afflictions of this material world are caused partly by nature, and partly by human beings themselves. Now, whatever might be the physical miseries – be they natural or man-made – if people collectively chant kiirtana, the calamities are dispelled. In case of natural calamities like flood, famine, drought or epidemic, or man-made calamities, miseries and tortures - if kiirtana is chanted with maximum sincerity, it will bring direct relief in no time. In addition, kiirtana removes the collective psychic afflictions as well - those which are already existing, and those which have not yet arrived but about which we have premonitions of their impending arrival. If kiirtana is done in advance, those impending troubles disappear. Why do they disappear? They are dispelled not merely because of the collective mental force of so many people, but also due to the impact of so many minds moving with tremendous speed under the inspiration of Parama Purus ́a. At the place of kiirtana, not only the people who are themselves doing kiirtana will be benefited, but also those who are not participating – and even those who are not participating and who do not even like it – they will also be benefited! Those who listen sincerely to the chanting of kiirtana will be benefited and those who do not listen sincerely but simply hear inadvertently without any respect, they too will be benefited. (Shrii Shrii Anandamurtii, 1982, Kolkata)

CONCLUSION—ACALLFORMORALADVANCEMENTInsummary,thepathofresilienceisaconstantendeavortobuildaworldofbalanceinall strata of existence. Disasters affect life on local, regional, national and even globallevels. Climate change resulting from solar activity, stratospheric ozone depletion,atmospheric aerosol loading, ocean acidification, biochemical flows, fresh water use,land-system change and biosphere integrity are some of the variables that needmonitoringonaglobalscaleinordertoensuremaintenanceoftheEarthSystem(ES)ina resilient and accommodating state (11). Some of these variables have high risk, likegeneticbio–diversityandbio–chemicalflows,whileothervariableslikeaerosolloading,novel entities, and biosphere integrity, await quantification. Preparedness will becommensurate with the scale and nature of disaster that could possibly strike. Sincetherearecostsassociatedwithpreparedness,thelikelihoodofsuchdisastersneedstobeassessed andpro-active steps taken accordingly. Technologies coulddefinitely help usbecome more alert or aware of the impending crises before they actually strike and

shouldbemaximallyutilizedtoassessthevulnerablegroupsandrisksinvolvedineachcase.Theabilitytocopewithanycrisisalsorequirespsychological/spiritualpreparationandskills development. That is irrespective of the scale of disasters that may strike anycommunity.Theresponsibilitytorespondtothecrisesmustalsoincludethewelfareofplants,animalsandotherlifeformsandevenso-calledinanimatethings.Forinstance,itisbeingrecognizedthatextensiveuseofpesticideshaveinfiltratedintotheundergroundwater system in Punjab and could be the primary cause of cancer in the humanpopulation.Theongoing impactof technologiesbeingemployedandtheassessmentofriskstoenvironmentandlifeformsneedtobecontinuouslyreassessed.Vulnerabilities in any system are indicative of the potential weak links in disasterpreparedness. Resilient strategies must therefore include ways to address thevulnerabilities and strengthen the quickest responses towards survival, growth andsustainability. Some vulnerability is systemic and others are the result of inadequatepoliciesornon-implementationofestablishedprotocolsandprocedures.Eachneedstobehandled appropriately. Every communityneeds tobe equipped and trained todealwith emergencies stemming from calamities, disasters or crises of any kind. Inbuiltsystems of prevention are better than reliance on the vagaries of human moods anddiscretions. Yet, the discriminating faculty is also essential in each situation. By pre-planningsystemsofquickrehabilitationusingtheprama-basedeco-friendlyandenergy–efficienttechnologiesasshownbyCelleniumCorporationinThailand,communitiescanbebroughtintoharmonywiththegreatergoalsofsustainabledevelopment.Threatscanbeconvertedintoopportunitiesbyadheringtoaneohumaniststanceandtheprinciplesofbalance(prama)inallwalksoflife.Inthefaceofmassautomationandartificialintelligence,theimpendingthreat/promiseisthatwewillallbecomeproductivelysuperfluous.AIcanneverbeasubstituteforhumanintelligence,creativeexpressions,supportingrelationshipsandwisdom.AI,somewarn,couldleadordinaryhumanstowards“newaddictions,apathy,indolenceandboredom”.AsweembarkonusingAIandrelatedtechnologiesingreatermeasure,wecannotlosesightoftheequalneedformoraldevelopmentofcitizensineverycommunityandexemplarymodelsofleadershipateverylevelofsociety-fromhometonations.Technoethics(12)asalivingdisciplinemustaccompanyalltechnologicalandscientificresearch.Theissuesofprivacy,dignity,equity,diversity,disparities,health,safety,fairness,transparency,collectivewelfare,innerpeace,moraladvancementandelevationofhumanconsciousnessbecomeincreasinglyimportantinthedigitalageofICT,AIandML.Age-appropriatecoursemoduleson“TheHistoryofMoralAdvancement”couldthusbedevelopedandintroducedasamandatorysubjectincurriculaofalltechnicalinstitutions.AIcannotbeseenasapanaceawithoutcontinuouseffortstowardsupgradingmoralstandardsandelevatinghumanconsciousness.EchoingthethoughtsofAlbertEinstein,“weareconcernednotmerelywiththetechnicalproblemofsecuringandmaintainingouterpeace.Wealsoneedinnerpeaceandsoweshouldalsobeconcernedwiththeimportanttasksofeducationandenlightenment.Whentheideasofhumanityarewarandconquest,thesetoolsbecomedangerous.Thefateofhumanityisentirelydependentuponitsmoraldevelopment.”(13)AIasatoolofmass-surveillanceandautonomousweaponshasitsscarysidebutasatooltohelpactualizemillenniumdevelopmentgoalsandbuildefficientdisastermanagementcapabilities,itisindeedaboon.Solikeanytechnologicaladvancement,itisacurseora

boondependsonwhousesit,forwhatpurpose,inwhatwayandwithwhatdegreeofethicalresponsibility. Selected References 1. McKinsey Global Institute , AI for Social Good –Discussion Paper, December 2018

2. Report: The malicious use of AI: Forecasting, Prevention and Mitigation, February 2018, Oxford, UK 3. Sarkar, P.R. Prama , 1987, AM Publications, Anandanagar, West Bengal India 4. Piketty,Thomas , Capital in the 21st Century, April 2014, Harvard University Press, USA Rising Inequality and Globalization, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtIw-n7z3VY 5. Batra, Ravi , Common Sense Macroeconomics, 2003, Liberty Press, Dallas, Texas, USA 6. Shrii Shrii Anandamurtii. Ananda Sutram, AM Publications, Anandanagar, WB, India 1967 7. Dr. Shambhushivananda , Thoughts for a New Era, Gurukula Press, Sweden 2017 8. Dr.Sohail Inayatullah (UNESCO Chair in Future Studies) p.xi & Dr. Shambhushivananda p.203-220 in Mulay,Apek (Ed.) Economic Renaissance in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Business Expert Press, New York, NY10017 ,2019 pp.313 9. Adaptation to Environmental Change: Contributions of a Resilience Framework by Donald R. Nelson, L V. Neil Adger, and Katrina Brown , Annual Review of Environment and Resources . 2007. 32:395—419 10. Culture, Harmony and Prama by Dr. Marcus Bussey, University of Sunshine Coast, Gandhi Marg Quarterly 35(1): 25-30 © 2013 Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi http://gandhipeacefoundation.org/ 11. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet Persson, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Belinda Reyers and Sverker Sörlin Stephen R. Carpenter, Wim de Vries, Cynthia A. de Wit, Carl Folke, Dieter Gerten, Jens Heinke, Georgina M. Mace, Linn M. Will Steffen, Katherine Richardson, Johan Rockström, Sarah E. Cornell, Ingo Fetzer, Elena M. Bennett, Reinette Biggs, DOI: 10.1126/science.1259855 originally published online January 15, 2015 Science 347 (6223), 1259855. 12. Gupta, Savita on Technoethics: From Society to Classrooms in “Proceedings of International Educational Futures Conference”, (Edited by Dr.Shambhushivananda & Dr Sanjay Sharma ), NITTTR-NERI Joint Initiative, Chandigarh, November 18-19, 2016 p.51-55 13. In Einstein’s own words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TmlYGdBodQ