Through the Transcendental Meditation technique, we can experience the foundation of peace and harmony, and grow in appreciation of the finer qualities of our neighbors and of our whole world family.

The world is my family
by Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, IA, USA, The Review
2 February 2010

In part because of the broad mix of cultural backgrounds on campus, and because of a specific incident in that regard, the students at Maharishi University of Management have organized a five-session lecture series titled "The World Is My Family: Diversity Lecture Series."

There will be one presentation per month, with the first event in January being a great success, said Baruti KMT, president of Global Student Council. About 40 students, faculty, and staff learned from sociologist Ron Perry about how to become more sensitive to community members and how to interact with one another—and how to do it in a better way. The goal was to have people become aware how their actions may be viewed by others.

"We wanted to have people come to realize that their thinking is not the same as the others are thinking," Mr. KMT said. One participant later shared a eureka with Mr. KMT, telling him that she suddenly realized, "I'm not always right."

Mr. KMT said that in a mix of cultures, it's sometimes a challenge to learn the rules of the culture that one is in. He said it's especially difficult when a student doesn't know English well. Participants were encouraged to put themselves in the position of people coming from other countries.

The first event was a preparation for the subsequent lectures, which will include racism in February, gender equality in March, sexual orientation in April, and a wrap-up in May.

Mr. KMT said that ultimately the key to greater sensitivity is the Transcendental Meditation technique, which removes stress and helps people behave in a spontaneously right manner.

© Copyright 2010, Maharishi University of Management