Are values contributing to rural development and poverty reduction?
6 June 2007
FAO Headquarter, Rome, Italy

The experience of the Brahma Kumaris NGO - an ERP member – was presented by Ms Gayatri Naraine, Brahma Kumaris’ representative to the United Nations and liaison person for international projects with the United Nations.

Brahma Kumaris has chosen to invest some energies and resources in educating rural people in living their values. She explained that "values are the link between the social, economic and cultural dimension of rural development".

Ms Gayatri presented the Living Values Education Programme. A comprehensive values education programme that provides resources for values–based education, including training and a wide variety of experiential, values–based activities and methodologies for educators, facilitators, parents, and caregivers. These activities and methodologies enable children and young adults to explore and develop 12 universal core values: cooperation, freedom, happiness, honesty, humility, love, peace, respect, responsibility, simplicity, tolerance, and unity.

The Brahma Kumaris NGO earned six national and one international Peace Messenger Awards from the Secretary-General of the United Nations.