Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities. "Active citizenship" is the philosophy that citizens should work towards the betterment of their community through economic participation, public, volunteer work, and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens. In this vein, schools in some countries provide citizenship education. Citizenship was equated by Virginia Leary (1999) as connoting "a bundle of rights -- primarily, political participation in the life of the community, the right to vote, and the right to receive certain protection from the community, as well as obligations."

The group of all citizens is the citizenry.

National citizenship

Generally citizenship is seen as the relationship between an individual and a particular nation. In ancient Greece, the main political entity was the city-state, and citizens were members of particular city-states. In the past five hundred years, with the rise of the nation-state, citizenship is most closely identified with being a member of a particular nation. To some extent, certain entities cross national boundaries such as trade organizations, non-governmental organizations as well as multi-national corporations, and sometimes the term "citizen of the world" applies in the sense of people having less ties to a particular nation and more of a sense of belonging to the world in general.

In modern times, citizenship policy is divided between ''jus sanguinis'' ("right of blood") and ''jus soli'' ("right of soil") nations. A ''jus sanguinis'' policy grants citizenship based on ancestry or ethnicity, and is related to the concept of a nation state common in Europe. A ''jus soli'' policy grants citizenship to anyone born on the territory of the state, a policy practiced by many countries in the Americas. Many countries have a hybrid birthright requirement of local nativity and citizenship of at least one parent.

Citizenship can also commonly be obtained through marriage to a person holding the citizenship (''jure matrimonii''), or through naturalization.

International citizenship

In recent years, some intergovernmental organizations have extended the concept and terminology associated with citizenship to the international level, where it is applied to the totality of the citizens of their constituent countries combined. Citizenship at this level is a secondary concept, with rights deriving from national citizenship.

Commonwealth citizenship

The concept of "Commonwealth Citizenship" has been in place ever since the establishment of the Commonwealth of Nations. As with the EU, one holds Commonwealth citizenship only by being a citizen of a Commonwealth member state. This form of citizenship offers certain privileges within some Commonwealth countries:

Some such countries do not require tourist visas of citizens of other Commonwealth countries.

In some Commonwealth countries resident citizens of other Commonwealth countries are entitled to political rights, e.g., the right to vote in local and national elections and in some cases even the right to stand for election.

In some instances the right to work in any position (including the civil service) is granted, except for certain specific positions (e.g. defense, Governor-General or President, Prime Minister).

Although Ireland left the Commonwealth in 1949, it is often treated as if it were a member, with references being made in legal documents to 'the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland', and its citizens are not classified as foreign nationals, particularly in the United Kingdom.

Canada departed from the principle of nationality being defined in terms of allegiance in 1921. In 1935 the Irish Free State was the first to introduce its own citizenship (However, Irish citizens were still treated as subjects of the Crown, and they are still not regarded as foreign, even though Ireland is not a member of the Commonwealth; ''Murray v Parkes'' [1942] All ER 123). The Canadian Citizenship Act which came into effect on January 1, 1947 provided for a distinct Canadian Citizenship, automatically conferred upon most individuals born in Canada (with certain exceptions) and defined the conditions under which one could become a naturalized citizen. The concept of Commonwealth citizenship was introduced in 1948 in the British Nationality Act 1948. Other Dominions adopted this principle, in New Zealand, in the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948. Citizenship has replaced allegiance, a more than symbolic change.

European Union (EU) citizenship

The Maastricht Treaty introduced the concept of citizenship of the European Union. Article 17 (1) of the Treaty on European Union (consolidated version) states that

Citizenship of the Union is hereby established. Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union. Citizenship of the Union shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship.

The amended EC Treaty establishes certain minimal rights for EU citizens. Article 12 of the amended EC Treaty guarantees a general right of non-discrimination within the scope of the Treaty. Article 18 provides a limited right to free movement and residence in Member States other than that of which the EU citizen is a national. Articles 18-21 and 225 provide certain political rights.

Union citizens have also extensive rights to move in order to exercise economic activity in any of the Member States (Articles 39, 43, 49 EC), which predate the introduction of Union citizenship.

Subnational citizenship

Citizenship most usually relates to membership of the nation state, but the term can also apply at subnational level. Subnational entities may impose requirements, of residency or otherwise, which permit citizens to participate in the political life of that entity, or to enjoy benefits provided by the government of that entity. But in such cases, those eligible are also sometimes seen as "citizens" of the relevant state, province, or region. An example of this is how the fundamental basis of Swiss citizenship is citizenship of an individual commune, from which follows citizenship of a canton and of the Confederation. Another example is Åland where the residents enjoy a special provincial citizenship within Finland, ''hembygdsrätt''.

The United States has a system of dual citizenship where one is a citizen of the state of residence as well as a citizen of the United States. State constitutions may grant certain rights above and beyond what are granted under the US Constitution and may impose their own obligations including the sovereign right of taxation and military service (each state maintains at least one military force subject to national militia transfer service, the state's national guard, while some maintain a second military force not subject to nationalization).

History

The concept of citizenship arose with the first laws.

Polis citizenship

The first form of citizenship was based on the way people lived in the ancient Greek times, in small-scale organic communities of the polis. In those days citizenship was not seen as a public matter, separated from the private life of the individual person. The obligations of citizenship were deeply connected into one’s everyday life in the polis. To be truly human, one had to be an active citizen to the community, which Aristotle famously expressed: “To take no part in the running of the community's affairs is to be either a beast or a god!” This form of citizenship was based on obligations of citizens towards the community, rather than rights given to the citizens of the community. This was not a problem because they all had a strong affinity with the polis; their own destiny and the destiny of the community were strongly linked. Also, citizens of the polis saw obligations to the community as an opportunity to be virtuous, it was a source of honour and respect. In Athens, citizens were both ruler and ruled, important political and judicial offices were rotated and all citizens had the right to speak and vote in the political assembly.

However, an important aspect of polis citizenship was exclusivity. Citizenship in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as Medieval cities that practiced polis citizenship, was exclusive and inequality of status was widely accepted. Citizens had a much higher status than non-citizens: Women, slaves or ‘barbarians’. For example, women were seen to be irrational and incapable of political participation (although some, most notably Plato, disagreed). Methods used to determine whether someone could be a citizen or not could be based on wealth (the amount of taxes one paid), political participation, or heritage (both parents had to be born in the polis).

In the Roman Empire, polis citizenship changed form: Citizenship was expanded from small scale communities to the entire empire. Romans realised that granting citizenship to people from all over the empire legitimized Roman rule over conquered areas. Citizenship in the Roman era was no longer a status of political agency; it had been reduced to a judicial safeguard and the expression of rule and law. (See Civis romanus sum.)

Medieval and early modern citizenship

During European Middle Ages, citizenship was usually associated with cities, see burgher, Great Burgher and Bourgeoisie. Nobility used to have privileges above commoners (see aristocracy), but the French Revolution and other revolutions revoked these privileges and made citizens.

Honorary citizenship

Some countries extend "honorary citizenship" to those whom they consider to be especially admirable or worthy of the distinction.

By act of United States Congress and presidential assent, honorary United States citizenship has been awarded to only seven individuals. Honorary Canadian citizenship requires the unanimous approval of Parliament. The only people to ever receive honorary Canadian citizenship are Raoul Wallenberg posthumously in 1985, Nelson Mandela in 2001, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso in 2006, Aung San Suu Kyi in 2007 and Prince Karim Aga Khan in 2009.

In 2002 South Korea awarded honorary citizenship to Dutch football (soccer) coach Guus Hiddink who successfully and unexpectedly took the national team to the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Honorary citizenship was also awarded to Hines Ward, a black Korean American football player, in 2006 for his efforts to minimize discrimination in Korea against half-Koreans.

American actress Angelina Jolie received an honorary Cambodian citizenship in 2005 due to her humanitarian efforts. Cricketers Matthew Hayden and Herschelle Gibbs were awarded honorary citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis in March 2007 due to their record-breaking innings in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

In Germany the honorary citizenship is awarded by cities, towns and sometimes federal states. The honorary citizenship ends with the death of the honoured, or, in exceptional cases, when it is taken away by the council or parliament of the city, town, or state. In the case of war criminals, all such honours were taken away by "Article VIII, section II, letter i of the directive 38 of the Allied Control Council for Germany" on October 12, 1946. In some cases, honorary citizenship was taken away from members of the former GDR regime, e.g. Erich Honecker, after the collapse of the GDR in 1989/90.

In Ireland, "honorary citizenship" bestowed on a foreigner is in fact full legal citizenship including the right to reside in Ireland, to vote etc.

According to the Chapter II, Article 29, Paragraph 'e)' of the Cuban Constitution, Cuban citizens by birth are those foreigners who, by virtue of their exceptional merits won in the struggles for Cuba’s liberation, were considered Cuban citizens by birth. Che Guevara was made an honorary citizen of Cuba by Fidel Castro for his part in the Cuban Revolution, of which Guevara later renounced in his well known farewell letter.

Historically, many states limited citizenship to only a proportion of their population, thereby creating a citizen class with political rights superior to other sections of the population, but equal with each other. The classical example of a limited citizenry was Athens where slaves, women, and resident foreigners (called metics) were excluded from political rights. The Roman Republic forms another example (see Roman citizenship), and, more recently, the nobility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had some of the same characteristics.

Citizenship education

United Kingdom

Citizenship is offered as a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) course in many schools in the United Kingdom. As well as teaching knowledge about democracy, parliament, government, the justice system, human rights and the UK's relations with the wider world, students participate in active citizenship, often involving a social action or social enterprise in their local community. Citizenship is a compulsory subject of the National Curriculum in state schools in England for all pupils aged 11–16. Some schools offer a qualification in this subject at GCSE and A level. All state schools have a statutory requirement to teach the subject, assess pupil attainment and report student's progress in citizenship to parents. In Wales the model used is Personal and Social Education. Citizenship is not taught as a subject in Scottish schools, however they do teach a subject called "Modern Studies" which covers the social, political and economic study of local, national and international issues.

Ireland

It is taught in the Republic of Ireland as an exam subject for the Junior Certificate. It is known as Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE).

Nova Scotia

Citizenship is taught as a unit as part of the curriculum in Grade 8 Social Studies in Nova Scotia.

Responsibilities or duties of citizenship

The legally enforceable duties of citizenship vary depending on one's country, and may include such items as:

conscription (or volunteer in fighting in the armed forces, in countries without a conscription)

paying taxes

serving on a jury

voting

obeying the criminal laws enacted by one's government, even while abroad

for children and teens, attending school; per law by compulsory education

See also

Transnational citizenship

References

Further reading

External links

Category:Human migration Category:Government

af:Burgerskap ar:مواطنة az:Vətəndaş bs:Državljanstvo bg:Гражданство ca:Ciutadà cs:Občanství cy:Dinasyddiaeth da:Statsborgerskab de:Staatsbürgerschaft et:Kodanik es:Ciudadano eo:Civito fa:شهروندی fr:Citoyenneté gu:નાગરિક ko:공민 hy:Քաղաքացիություն hr:Državljanstvo id:Kewarganegaraan is:Ríkisborgararéttur it:Cittadinanza (diritto) he:אזרחות ka:მოქალაქეობა kk:Азаматтық ku:Welatînî lt:Pilietybė hu:Állampolgárság mk:Државјанство ms:Kerakyatan nl:Burger ja:市民 no:Statsborgerskap nn:Statsborgar uz:Fuqarolik pl:Obywatelstwo pt:Cidadania ro:Cetățenie rmy:Themutnipen ru:Гражданство sq:Shtetësia simple:Citizenship sk:Občianstvo sl:Državljanstvo ckb:شارومەندێتی sr:Држављанство sh:Državljanstvo fi:Kansalaisuus sv:Medborgarskap tl:Pagkamamamayan ta:குடியுரிமை tr:Vatandaşlık uk:Громадянство vec:Sitadinansa vi:Quyền công dân yi:בירגערשאפט yo:Àyèọmọìlú zh:公民

World citizen has a variety of similar meanings, often referring to a person who disapproves of traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship.

An early incarnation of this sentiment can be found in Socrates, who said, "I am not an Athenian, or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.". The Tamil poet, Kaniyan Poongundran wrote in Purananuru, "To us all towns are one, all men our kin". In later years, political philosopher and Founding Father of the U.S.A. Thomas Paine would declare, "My country is the world, all men are my brethren and my religion is to do good." World citizenship has been promoted by distinguished people from Walter Cronkite to Garry Davis, who has lived for 60 years as a citizen of no nation, only the world. Davis founded the World Service Authority in Washington, DC, which issues the World Passport (usually not considered a valid passport) to world citizens.

In 1956 Hugh J. Schonfield founded the Commonwealth of World Citizens, later known by its Esperanto name "Mondcivitan Republic", which also issued a world passport; it declined after the 1980s.

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith promotes the concept through its founder's proclamation (in the late 19th century) that "The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." As a term defined by the Bahá'í International Community in a concept paper shared at the 1st session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, New York, U.S.A. on 14–25 June 1993. "World citizenship begins with an acceptance of the oneness of the human family and the interconnectedness of the nations of 'the earth, our home.' While it encourages a sane and legitimate patriotism, it also insists upon a wider loyalty, a love of humanity as a whole. It does not, however, imply abandonment of legitimate loyalties, the suppression of cultural diversity, the abolition of national autonomy, nor the imposition of uniformity. Its hallmark is 'unity in diversity.' World citizenship encompasses the principles of social and economic justice, both within and between nations; non-adversarial decision making at all levels of society; equality of the sexes; racial, ethnic, national and religious harmony; and the willingness to sacrifice for the common good. Other facets of world citizenship—including the promotion of human honour and dignity, understanding, amity, co-operation, trustworthiness, compassion and the desire to serve—can be deduced from those already mentioned."

Other uses

In a non-political definition, it has been suggested that a world citizen may provide value to society by using knowledge acquired across cultural contexts.

In some scenarios, a savvy businessperson who has travelled the world would be able to use knowledge about resources and products found abroad to create business where value can be maximised.

The United Nations Correspondents Association issues an award called Citizen of the World.

It may be used by activists such as the World Service Authority that promote an integrated, supranational world government.

It may sometimes refer to persons promoting internationalism, predicated on the closer cooperation of sovereign states.

Oxfam UK has an educational programme on global citizenship.

The Boy Scouts of America offers a merit badge called Citizenship in the World.

See also

Anationalism, an Esperanto-based movement for the suppression of nationalism.

Anti-nationalism, the humanist or humanitarian form of which generally corresponds to the world citizen concept.

Anti-patriotism

Cosmopolitanism

Cosmopolitan democracy

Garry Davis, creator of the "World Passport" and founder of the World Service Authority

Global citizenship

Global Citizens Movement

Global civics

Global justice

Global democracy

Mundialization

Nutopia

Perpetual traveler

Postnationalism

Transnationalism

Third Culture Kids, people that grew up in a culture different from their own

World city

World government

World Passport

Notes

References

A World Citizen Program site

Primary School Global Citizenship site

Cosmopolitanism at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Global Culture Essays on the influence of Global Citizens

Living in the World Risk Society by Ulrich Beck at the London School of Economics

Great Transition Initiative Paper Series ''Global Politics and Institutions'', paper #3 , and ''Dawn of the Cosmopolitan: The Hope of a Global Citizens Movement'', paper #15, explore the potential for the emergence of a cosmopolitan identity and corresponding institutions.

External links

Category:Globalization terminology Category:Political people Category:World government

ca:Ciutadà del món de:Kosmopolit et:Kosmopoliit es:Ciudadano del mundo eo:Mondcivitano fr:Citoyenneté mondiale id:Penduduk dunia it:Cittadino del mondo he:אזרח העולם lt:Pasaulio pilietis no:Kosmopolitt pt:Cosmopolita ru:Космополитизм (значения) fi:Maailmankansalaisuus sv:Kosmopolit tr:Dünya vatandaşlığı uk:Космополіт vi:Công dân toàn cầu zh:世界公民

Nalaka Gunawardene was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February 1966. Trained as a science writer, he has worked as a journalist, broadcaster and development communicator since 1987.

He initially worked as a science journalist in Sri Lanka's English language newspapers, and also freelanced for radio and television. After winning three national awards for outstanding science journalism, he moved on to the development sector, where he worked as a editorial consultant, journalist trainer and communication advisor.

In 1996, he co-founded TVE Asia Pacific , a Colombo-based regional not-for-profit media foundation communicating sustainable development issues through TV, video and the web. As its Director since 2002, he has scripted, directed, produced or executive produced several dozen Asian and global documentaries, including ''Children of Tsunami: No More Tears'' (2005).. In 2006, he called for media content on poverty and development to be recognised as a 'copyright free zone' to enhance their secondary use for public education purposes.

He is the author/editor of several technical books related to science, technology and development, most recently ''Communicating Disasters: An Asia Pacific Resource Book'' (TVEAP/UNDP, 2007). He was part of the British and South Asian team of researchers associated with the Media South Asia Project that studied the nature of the satellite television revolution which began in the early 1990s and transformed South Asian societies and cultures.

He is especially known for his analytical writing on the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on developing Asian societies. From 2003 to 2008, he was Contributing Editor (Sri Lanka) of the bi-annual regional survey ''Digital Review of Asia Pacific'', , and co-authored ''National Human Development Report – Promoting ICT for Human Development in Sri Lanka'' Report (UNDP, 2004).

He is a regular speaker or panelist at international conferences on public communication of science and technology, development journalism, public interest broadcasting and ICT for development. He has been on juries at leading international documentary film festivals. Most recently, he was a juror for the International Digital Emmy Awards 2011, presented in Cannes, France on 4 April 2011.

He is on the Board of Directors of Panos South Asia , and a Trustee of the Science and Development Network in the UK .

References

External links

Communicating Disasters book, co-edited in 2007

Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Colombo Category:Sri Lankan journalists

Name	Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Birth date	May 13, 1956
Birth place	Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, India
Footnotes	}}

Ravi Shankar () usually known as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, born Ravi Shankar Ratnam, born 13 May 1956) is a spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation (founded 1982), which aims at relieving both individual stress and societal problems and violence. It is an NGO with UNESCO consultative status. He is also frequently referred to simply as "Sri Sri" (honorific) or as Guruji or Gurudev,. He also established in 1997 a Geneva-based charity, along with the 14th Dalai Lama, the International Association for Human Values, an NGO that engages in relief work and rural development and aims to foster shared global values. In 2010 Shankar was named by Forbes Magazine as the fifth most influential person in India.

Life

Ravi Shankar was born to Smt. Vishalakshi Ratnam and R. S. Venkat Ratnam, who was then active in the automobile business. He was named "Ravi" (a common Indian name meaning "sun") because his birth was on a Sunday, and "Shankar" after the 8th century Hindu saint Adi Shankara, with whom he shares the birthday. He received a Bachelor of Science degree at the age of 21 from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore University.

After graduation, Shankar traveled with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and was invited by Maharishi to give talks on Vedic science, arrange conferences on the Vedas and science, and set up Ayurveda centers. He was with the Maharishi at the inauguration of the first of the Golden Domes at Maharishi International University. He was earlier addressed as "Pandit Ravi Shankar" (or "Punditji") but in the early 1990s changed his name to "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar" after the renowned sitarist Ravi Shankar objected that the guru was using the name he had made famous.

The 1980s saw Shankar initiate a series of practical and experiential courses in spirituality around the globe. Shankar says that his rhythmic breathing exercise ''sudarśana-kriyā'' () came to him in 1982 "like a poem, an inspiration", after a ten-day period of silence on the banks of the Bhadra River in Shimoga, state of Karnataka, adding, "I learned it and started teaching it".

Shankar says that every emotion has a corresponding rhythm in the breath and regulating breath could help relieve personal suffering. After realizing Sudarshan Kriya, Shankar started sharing it with others through the Art of Living course, first held in Shimoga.

Shankar inspired his father and several other prominent citizens of Bangalore to found ''Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth'', an educational and charitable trust, in 1981. Under the auspices of this trust, he opened a school south of Bangalore for local rural children which now provides free education for 2,000 such children.

In 1983 Shankar held the first Art of Living course in Europe in Switzerland. In 1986 he travelled to Apple Valley, California in the USA to conduct the first course to be held in North America.

In 2010 Shankar appeared on MTV's "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" in which he and Rob's manager, Jeremy Larner, attempt to help Rob find true happiness in life.

Teaching

Spirituality

Shankar teaches that spirituality is that which enhances such human values as love, compassion and enthusiasm. It is not limited to any one religion or culture. Hence it is open to all people. He feels the spiritual bond we share as part of the human family is more prominent than nationality, gender, religion, profession, or other identities that separate us.

According to him, science and spirituality are linked and compatible, both springing from the urge to know. The question, "Who am I?" leads to spirituality. The question, "What is this?" leads to science. Emphasizing that joy is only available in the present moment, his stated vision is to create a world free of stress and violence. His programs are said to offer practical tools to help accomplish this. He sees breath as the link between body and mind, and a tool to relax the mind, emphasizing the importance of both meditation/spiritual practice and service to others. In his view, "Truth is spherical rather than linear; so it has to be contradictory."

Peace and humanitarian work

In the 1990s, Shankar initiated a number of humanitarian projects, which continue to this date, under the auspices of the Art of Living Foundation and its numerous national organizations. In 1992 he started prison programs to rehabilitate prison inmates and help them reintegrate into the mainstream. 1997 saw the beginning of the International Association for Human Values, a humanitarian organization, and its 5H program, which aims to bring sustainable development to rural areas and revive human values. After the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Art of Living Foundation offered free courses in stress reduction to New Yorkers. The group also ran a relief program in Kosovo for the war-ravaged population and for public health, university and UN personnel. The organization also started an operation in occupied Iraq in 2003 aimed at relieving the stress of the Iraqi population, particularly the rising population of traumatized widows. A similar program was implemented in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2006 teaching war victims as well as UN and NGO personnel. In 2007, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited Iraq at the invitation of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and also met with Sunni, Shia and Kurdish leaders. He visited Pakistan in 2004 and met with political and religious leaders there as a part of his efforts to promote global peace. He is also involved in interfaith dialogue, and currently sits on the Board of World Religious Leaders for the Elijah Interfaith Institute. Many volunteers assisted the 2004 tsunami victims and Hurricane Katrina victims, in Haiti, and many other regions of conflict and natural disaster. There is also a prison stress management and rehabilitation techniques program, known as Prison SMART (Stress Management and Rehabilitation Training), which assists many prisoners and prison staff worldwide.

Sudarshan Kriya

Sudarshan Kriya is a "breathing-based technique" that is a core component of the Art of Living courses and "the cornerstone of ... Art of Living Foundation's trauma relief programs".

In some of his talks Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has described Sudarshan Kriya as a rhythmic breathing exercise that cleanses and harmonizes the physical, mental, and emotional levels.

A number of medical studies on its preparatory practices have been published in international peer-reviewed journals. A range of mental and physical benefits are reported in these studies, including reduced levels of stress (reduced cortisol—the “stress” hormone), improved immune system, relief from anxiety & depression (mild, moderate & severe), and increased antioxidant protection, enhanced brain function(increased mental focus, calmness & recovery from stressful stimuli), among other findings.

Persons enrolling for the courses sign a non-disclosure agreement with an undertaking not to teach the learned techniques (including Sudarshan Kriya) to other people without taking Teacher's Training.

Criticism

While there are a number of published peer-reviewed studies on Shankar's techniques, some Art of Living volunteers have been criticized for using pseudo-scientific language in presentations, such as claims that HIV cannot survive in the oxygen rich environment produced by Sudarshan Kriya. It has also been claimed that Sudarshan Kriya may involve hyperventilation, could cause hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis. However, according to Bharti Verma, M.D., in ''The Way of Grace,'' by David Lucas Burge and Gary Boucherle, "Sudarshan Kriya is not hyperventilation.... The process is unlike hyperventilation and seems much more complex in its nature. A person hyperventilating will often experience lightheadedness, blurred vision, muscle spasms of hands and feet, a general feeling of being unwell, fainting and loss of consciousness. In contrast, course participants learning Sudarshan Kriya report a state of deep relaxation while feeling rejuvenated and re-energized. Clearly the experiences of persons practicing Sudarshan Kriya are exactly the opposite of what a hyperventilating exercise would be expected to produce."

Local Art of Living organizations exist in 152 countries and Shankar is not likely involved in the promotional material they all produce. According to an article in Reader's Digest: "There is no doubt, however, that some of its claims are exaggerated. For instance, according to [a locally produced] AOL brochure its “Youth Empowerment Seminar” is compulsory at 10 German universities. A random check by Reader’s Digest at five of the universities revealed that not only is the seminar not compulsory, it is not even part of the academic curriculum. It is offered as a leisure activity, alongside tennis and aerobics."

See also

Art of Living Foundation

Further reading

Numerous books are based on Shankar's discourses and teachings, and are available in a number of languages.

An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker (volumes 1-7)

ISBNs: Vol 1: 1885289294,V2: 1885289308,V3: 1885289332,V4: 1885289367,V5: 1885289383,V6: 1885289405,V7: 1885289413

Buddha: manifestation of silence ISBN 8189291912

1999 - Be A Witness: The Wisdom of the Upanishads, 106 pp. ISBN 8176210633

2000 - God Loves Fun, 138 pp. ISBN 1-885289-05-7

2001 - Celebrating Silence: Excerpts from Five Years of Weekly Knowledge 1995-2000, 206 pp. ISBN 1-885289-39-1

Celebrating Love ISBN 1885289421

2005 - Narada Bhakti Sutra, 129 pp. ISBN 8178110296

Notes

References

Gautier, François, ''The Guru of Joy. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar & the Art of Living'', Carlsbad, California, Hay House, Inc., 2008. ISBN 978-1-4019-1761-6 (First edition: India, Books Today, 2002. ISBN 8-187-47842-X)

External links

Official website

Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Hindu gurus Category:Indian religious leaders Category:People from Tamil Nadu Category:Tamil Brahmins

bg:Шри Шри Рави Шанкар de:Sri Sri Ravi Shankar es:Sri Sri Ravi Shankar fr:Ravi Shankar (guru) hi:श्री श्री रवि शंकर he:שרי שרי ראווי שנקר kn:ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀ ರವಿ ಶಂಕರ್ ml:ശ്രീ ശ്രീ രവിശങ്കർ nl:Ravi Shankar (spiritueel leider) ja:シュリ・シュリ・ラビ・シャンカール ru:Шри Шри Рави Шанкар sa:श्री श्री रवि शंकर ta:ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர் te:శ్రీ శ్రీ రవి శంకర్ kn:ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀ ರವಿ ಶಂಕರ್

name	Ravi Shankar
alt	An old man sits on a platform and holds a long-necked lute while looking to the side.
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury
born	April 07, 1920Varanasi, United Provinces, Indian Empire
instrument	''sitar''
genre	Hindustani classical music
occupation	composer, musician
years active	1939–present
website	RaviShankar.org
associated acts	Uday Shankar, Allauddin Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, Lakshmi Shankar, Yehudi Menuhin, Chatur Lal, Alla Rakha, George Harrison, Anoushka Shankar }}

Ravi Shankar ( ''Robi Shongkor'' ; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury on 7 April 1920), often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument ''sitar''. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in ''Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart''.

Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent his youth touring Europe and India with the dance group of his brother Uday Shankar. He gave up dancing in 1938 to study ''sitar'' playing under court musician Allauddin Khan. After finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, creating the music for the ''Apu Trilogy'' by Satyajit Ray, and was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956.

In 1956, he began to tour Europe and America playing Indian classical music and increased its popularity there in the 1960s through teaching, performance, and his association with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of The Beatles. Shankar engaged Western music by writing concerti for ''sitar'' and orchestra and toured the world in the 1970s and 1980s. From 1986 to 1992 he served as a nominated member of the upper chamber of the Parliament of India. Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999, and received three Grammy Awards. He continues to perform in the 2000s, often with his daughter Anoushka.

Early life

Shankar was born 7 April 1920 in Varanasi to a Brahmin family of Bengalis as the youngest of seven brothers. Shankar's Bengali birth name was Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury. His father, Shyam Shankar, an administrator for the Maharaja of Jhalawar, used the Sanskrit spelling of the family name and removed its last part. Shyam was married to Shankar's mother Hemangini Devi, but later worked as a lawyer in London. There he married a second time while Devi raised Shankar in Varanasi, and did not meet his son until he was eight years old. Shankar shortened the Sanskrit version of his first name, Ravindra, to Ravi, for "sun".

At the age of ten, after spending his first decade in Varanasi, Shankar went to Paris with the dance group of his brother, choreographer Uday Shankar. By the age of 13 he had become a member of the group, accompanied its members on tour and learned to dance and play various Indian instruments. Uday's dance group toured Europe and America in the early to mid-1930s and Shankar learned French, discovered Western classical music, jazz, and cinema, and became acquainted with Western customs. Shankar heard the lead musician for the Maihar court, Allauddin Khan, in December 1934 at a music conference in Kolkata and Uday convinced the Maharaja of Maihar in 1935 to allow Khan to become his group's soloist for a tour of Europe. Shankar was sporadically trained by Khan on tour, and Khan offered Shankar training to become a serious musician under the condition that he abandon touring and come to Maihar.

Career

Training and work in India

Shankar's parents had died by the time he returned from the European tour, and touring the West had become difficult due to political conflicts that would lead to World War II. Shankar gave up his dancing career in 1938 to go to Maihar and study Indian classical music as Khan's pupil, living with his family in the traditional ''gurukul'' system. Khan was a rigorous teacher and Shankar had training on ''sitar'' and ''surbahar'', learned ''ragas'' and the musical styles ''dhrupad'', ''dhamar'', and ''khyal'', and was taught the techniques of the instruments ''rudra veena'', ''rubab'', and ''sursingar''. He often studied with Khan's children Ali Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi. Shankar began to perform publicly on ''sitar'' in December 1939 and his debut performance was a ''jugalbandi'' (duet) with Ali Akbar Khan, who played the string instrument ''sarod''.

Shankar completed his training in 1944. Following his training, he moved to Mumbai and joined the Indian People's Theatre Association, for whom he composed music for ballets in 1945 and 1946. Shankar recomposed the music for the popular song "Sare Jahan Se Achcha" at the age of 25. He began to record music for HMV India and worked as a music director for All India Radio (AIR), New Delhi, from February 1949 to January 1956. Shankar founded the Indian National Orchestra at AIR and composed for it; his compositions experimented with a combination of Western instruments and classical Indian instrumentation. Beginning in the mid-1950s he composed the music for the ''Apu Trilogy'' by Satyajit Ray, which became internationally acclaimed.

International career 1956–1969

V. K. Narayana Menon, director of AIR Delhi, introduced the Western violinist Yehudi Menuhin to Shankar during Menuhin's first visit to India in 1952. Shankar had performed as part of a cultural delegation in the Soviet Union in 1954 and Menuhin invited Shankar in 1955 to perform in New York City for a demonstration of Indian classical music, sponsored by the Ford Foundation. Shankar declined to attend due to problems in his marriage, but recommended Ali Akbar Khan to play instead. Khan reluctantly accepted and performed with ''tabla'' (percussion) player Chatur Lal in the Museum of Modern Art, and he later became the first Indian classical musician to perform on American television and record a full ''raga'' performance, for Angel Records.

Shankar heard about the positive response Khan received and resigned from AIR in 1956 to tour the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. He played for smaller audiences and educated them about Indian music, incorporating ''ragas'' from the South Indian Carnatic music in his performances, and recorded his first LP album ''Three Ragas'' in London, released in 1956. In 1958, Shankar participated in the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of the United Nations and UNESCO music festival in Paris. Since 1961, he toured Europe, the United States, and Australia, and became the first Indian to compose music for non-Indian films. Chatur Lal accompanied Shankar on ''tabla'' until 1962, when Alla Rakha assumed the role. Shankar founded the Kinnara School of Music in Mumbai in 1962.

Shankar befriended Richard Bock, founder of World Pacific Records, on his first American tour and recorded most of his albums in the 1950s and 1960s for Bock's label. The Byrds recorded at the same studio and heard Shankar's music, which led them to incorporate some of its elements in theirs, introducing the genre to their friend George Harrison of The Beatles. Harrison became interested in Indian classical music, bought a ''sitar'' and used it to record the song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". This led to Indian music being used by other musicians and created the raga rock trend.

Harrison met Shankar in London in 1966 and visited India for six weeks to study ''sitar'' under Shankar in Srinagar. During the visit, a documentary film about Shankar named ''Raga'' was shot by Howard Worth, and released in 1971. Shankar's association with Harrison greatly increased Shankar's popularity and Ken Hunt of Allmusic would state that Shankar had become "the most famous Indian musician on the planet" by 1966. In 1967, he performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance for ''West Meets East'', a collaboration with Yehudi Menuhin. The same year, the Beatles won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' which included "Within You Without You" by Harrison, a song that was influenced by Indian classical music. Shankar opened a Western branch of the Kinnara School of Music in Los Angeles, California, in May 1967, and published an autobiography, ''My Music, My Life'', in 1968. He performed at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969, and found he disliked the venue. In the 1970s Shankar distanced himself from the hippie movement.

International career 1970–present

In October 1970 Shankar became chair of the department of Indian music of the California Institute of the Arts after previously teaching at the City College of New York, the University of California, Los Angeles, and being guest lecturer at other colleges and universities, including the Ali Akbar College of Music. In late 1970, the London Symphony Orchestra invited Shankar to compose a concerto with ''sitar''; ''Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra'' was performed with André Previn as conductor and Shankar playing the ''sitar''. Hans Neuhoff of ''Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'' has criticized the usage of the orchestra in this concert as "amateurish". George Harrison organized the charity Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971, in which Shankar participated. Interest in Indian music had decreased in the early 1970s, but the concert album became one of the best-selling recordings featuring it and won Shankar a second Grammy Award.

During the 1970s, Shankar and Harrison worked together again, recording ''Shankar Family and Friends'' in 1974 and touring North America to a mixed response after Shankar had toured Europe. The demanding North America tour weakened Shankar, and he suffered a heart attack in Chicago in September 1974, causing him to cancel a portion of the tour. In his absence, Shankar's sister-in-law, singer Lakshmi Shankar, conducted the touring orchestra. The touring band visited the White House on invitation of John Gardner Ford, son of U.S. President Gerald Ford. Shankar toured and taught for the remainder of the 1970s and the 1980s and released his second concerto, ''Raga Mala'', conducted by Zubin Mehta, in 1981. Shankar was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Music Score for his work on the 1982 movie ''Gandhi'', but lost to John Williams' ''E.T.'' He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Parliament of India, from 12 May 1986 to 11 May 1992, after being nominated by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Shankar composed the dance drama ''Ghanashyam'' in 1989. His liberal views on musical cooperation led him to collaboration with contemporary composer Philip Glass, with whom he released an album, ''Passages'', in 1990.

Shankar underwent an angioplasty in 1992 due to heart problems, after which George Harrison involved himself in several of Shankar's projects. Because of the positive response to Shankar's 1996 career compilation ''In Celebration'', Shankar wrote a second autobiography, ''Raga Mala'', with Harrison as editor. He performed in between 25 and 40 concerts every year during the late 1990s. Shankar taught his daughter Anoushka Shankar to play ''sitar'' and in 1997 became a Regent's Lecturer at University of California, San Diego. In the 2000s, he won a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for ''Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000'' and toured with Anoushka, who released a book about her father, ''Bapi: Love of My Life'', in 2002. Anoushka performed a composition by Shankar for the 2002 Harrison memorial Concert for George and Shankar wrote a third concerto for ''sitar'' and orchestra for Anoushka and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. In June 2008, Shankar played what was billed as his last European concert, but his 2011 tour includes dates in the United Kingdom.

Style and contributions

Shankar developed a style distinct from that of his contemporaries and incorporated influences from rhythm practices of Carnatic music. His performances begin with solo ''alap'', ''jor'', and ''jhala'' (introduction and performances with pulse and rapid pulse) influenced by the slow and serious ''dhrupad'' genre, followed by a section with ''tabla'' accompaniment featuring compositions associated with the prevalent ''khyal'' style. Shankar often closes his performances with a piece inspired by the light-classical ''thumri'' genre.

Shankar has been considered one of the top ''sitar'' players of the second half of the 20th century. He popularized performing on the bass octave of the ''sitar'' for the ''alap'' section and became known for a distinctive playing style in the middle and high registers that uses quick and short deviations of the playing string and his sound creation through stops and strikes on the main playing string. Narayana Menon of ''The New Grove Dictionary'' noted Shankar's liking for rhythmic novelties, among them the use of unconventional rhythmic cycles. Hans Neuhoff of ''Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'' has argued that Shankar's playing style was not widely adopted and that he was surpassed by other ''sitar'' players in the performance of melodic passages. Shankar's interplay with Alla Rakha improved appreciation for ''tabla'' playing in Hindustani classical music. Shankar promoted the ''jugalbandi'' duet concert style and introduced new ''ragas'', including ''Tilak Shyam'', ''Nat Bhairav'' and ''Bairagi''.

Recognition

Shankar won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at the 1957 Berlin International Film Festival for composing the music for the movie ''Kabuliwala''. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1962, and was named a Fellow of the academy for 1975. Shankar was awarded the three highest national civil honors of India: Padma Bhushan, in 1967, Padma Vibhushan, in 1981, and Bharat Ratna, in 1999. He received the music award of the UNESCO International Music Council in 1975, three Grammy Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award. Shankar was awarded honorary degrees from universities in India and the United States. He received the Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh for 1987–88, the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 1991, the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1992, and the Polar Music Prize in 1998. Shankar is an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1997 received the Praemium Imperiale for music from the Japan Art Association. The American jazz saxophonist John Coltrane named his son Ravi Coltrane after Shankar.

Personal life and family

Shankar married Allauddin Khan's daughter Annapurna Devi in 1941 and a son, Shubhendra Shankar, was born in 1942. Shankar separated from Annapurna in the 1940s and had a relationship with Kamala Shastri, a dancer, beginning in the late 1940s. An affair with Sue Jones, a New York concert producer, led to the birth of Norah Jones in 1979. In 1981, Anoushka Shankar was born to Shankar and Sukanya Rajan, whom Shankar had known since the 1970s. After separating from Kamala Shastri in 1981 Shankar lived with Sue Jones until 1986 and married Sukanya Rajan in 1989.

Shubhendra "Shubho" Shankar often accompanied his father on tours. He could play the ''sitar'' and ''surbahar'', but elected not to pursue a solo career and died in 1992. Norah Jones became a successful musician in the 2000s, winning eight Grammy Awards in 2003. Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2003.

Shankar is a Hindu and a vegetarian. He lives with Sukanya in Encinitas, California.

Discography

Bibliography

Notes

References

External links

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Category:1920 births Category:Apple Records artists Category:Artists from Varanasi Category:Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hindustani instrumentalists Category:Indian composers Category:Indian film score composers Category:Indian Hindus Category:Indian vegetarians Category:Living people Category:Maihar Gharana Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners Category:Recipients of the Bharat Ratna Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship Category:Sitar players

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