Plenaries

We have an exciting lineup of presenters for our morning plenaries.

DAY 1 – Saturday, July 12, 2025

Generating the New Cosmic Story
How can we generate new narratives that lead us towards the next steps in the evolution of human consciousness and the transformation of society toward greater justice, sustainability, wisdom and joy?

Emergence and Awakening: The Unfolding of a New Cosmic Story 
Kathleen Kesson

Worldviews are stories we tell ourselves about the nature of the universe, our human origins, our values, our ways of knowing, and our purposes. The mythic stories of the past are important, but they no longer give us an accurate picture of the universe we now dwell in. We are in-between stories now, hungry for a new cosmic story that can explain what we now know about the universe and how that new story can provide a pathway into the future of a vibrant life.

Neohumanism, the reconceptualization of the old story of Humanism articulated by the philosopher Prabhat Rainjain Sarkar, sketches the blueprint of such a new story. It is a story that calls for a far richer, more insightful understanding of human possibility, one that decenters human “exceptionalism” in favor of a new ecological consciousness, one that promotes harmony and cooperation between humans and non-human others, and one that cultivates wisdom. This opening talk will address the key principles of  this new paradigm, and outline our hopes for the conference: that through our shared ideas we will generate new narratives that lead us towards the next steps in the evolution of human consciousness and the transformation of society toward greater justice, peace, sustainability, wisdom, and joy.

Kathleen Kesson is Professor Emeritus of Teaching and Learning from the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University.  She is the former Director of Education at Goddard College in Vermont, and the founding Director of the John Dewey Project on Progressive Education at the University of Vermont, a research and policy organization. She currently serves as Program Director and Faculty for the Neohumanist Education teacher preparation program offered by Gurukula through the new Neohumanist College of Asheville in North Carolina. She has published numerous books and articles on democracy and education, arts in education, critical theory, curriculum theory, and spirituality and education. Her 2024 book, published by Information Age Publishing is Becoming One With the World: A Guide to Neohumanist Education. She is a Global Affiliate with the GUND Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont, and a contributing member of the Great Transition Initiative, an international  network and think tank of the Tellus Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, dedicated to shaping our global future.

Making It Real: Bringing the New Story Down to Earth
Eric Jacobson

The Progressive School of Long Island is one of the longest running and successful Neohumanist schools in the world. Inspired by the vision of Sarkar over 40 years ago, the school has stayed true to an evolving vision of how to best support each child’s unique interests, skills, and talents, while nurturing a strong sense of community, justice, and service for the greater good. This keynote will address the very practical ways that the PSLI brings the “new cosmic story” into every aspect of its curriculum and the daily life of the school, demonstrating the value of an educational approach that balances academic rigor, intellectual development, and character education with the cultivation of the subtle human qualities  – emotional connections, intuition, meaning, care, compassion, and empathy – necessary to birthing a bright new future.

Eric Jacobson founded the Progressive School of Long Island in 1985 and has been its Director for the past 40 years. The school currently has 75 in-person students in grades K-8, and is concurrently developing an online outreach program in collaboration with Hofstra University called Big Ideas. His lifelong dedication to education includes 11 years previous work as a teacher and Assistant Director of a Montessori School. Eric was recognized by Nassau County, the county in New York State where his school is situated, for 25 years of “selfless commitment to the community”. As a global trainer for Neohumanist Education, Eric has conducted Teacher Training workshops and programs in Sweden, Australia, Venezuela, Mexico, Asheville, Portland and New York. In addition to his work with in Neohumanist Education, Eric is also a student of the songs of Prabhat Samgiita, having been personally chosen by Shrii P. R. Sarkar to teach them. He also composes songs to teach meditation to children which are available free to all on his music website, https://arunj.bandcamp.com.  Regarding Progressive School, Shrii P. R. Sarkar once said, “What is accepted in New York today will be accepted in the world tomorrow.”

DAY 2 –  Sunday July 13, 2025

Cultivating Spiritual Wisdom and Personal Well Being
What are practical ways to develop spiritual wisdom that enhance critical thinking, psychological resiliency and the construction of meaning?

The Hidden Inner Dimension of Education

In our modern, secular society, deeply influenced by the scientific materialist worldview, how can the inner dimension of life be addressed within education as an intrinsic, subtle part of the human experience that needs conscious nurturing care to sprout and develop? Didi will explore how to find common ground and build bridges across differences in belief systems, so that this spiritual, inner dimension of life can be reclaimed from its marginalized position and cultivated in inclusive, universally relevant and respectful ways.

There will be a practical exploration of how to integrate simple practices that promote wellbeing, resiliency and introspection, as well as practices that promote developing caring and connectedness in learning communities

Didi Ananda Devapriya has been a dedicated meditation teacher since 1996 and the president of AMURTEL Romania since 2005, overseeing various projects including a children’s home, organic farm, kindergarten, and refugee support initiatives. She is an international teacher trainer with the Global Association of Neohumanist Educators, conducting teacher trainings globally, reaching countries such as Romania, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, the USA, and Haiti.  She serves as a professor specializing in Neohumanist Philosophy at the Neohumanist College of Asheville.Didi has co-authored the manual “Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share in Education” for teaching permaculture in educational settings and has published numerous therapeutic children’s stories and make regular contributions to the Gurukul Network journal. In response to the Ukraine refugee crisis in Romania, Didi developed a “Resiliency Workshop” for parents and educators, impacting over 7,500 individuals with mental health services.  She is a motivational speaker on the YouTube channel “Meditation Steps” in both English and Romanian. Her extensive experience in yoga and meditation informs her training programs, empowering individuals to build resilience in challenging circumstances.

Kinship, Love, and Ecological Citizenship
How can educators play a meaningful role in fostering unity, love, and solidarity, not only between diverse humans but also with the other beings with whom we share the planet?

Cultivating Ecological Kinship: Love and Responsibility in Neohumanist Education

This panel discussion will explore the intersection of ecology, kinship, and love within the framework of Neohumanist education, featuring insights from Teia Ciulacu, Marilyn Mehlmann, and Ruai Gregory. Each panelist brings a wealth of experience in promoting sustainable practices and community engagement, emphasizing the importance of nurturing a profound connection to nature and each other. Facilitated by Kathleen Kesson, the discussion will delve into how educators can foster a sense of ecological responsibility and love for all living beings, encouraging students to become active stewards of the planet. Participants will engage in dialogue about innovative approaches to integrating ecological awareness into educational curricula and the role of love as a transformative force in building resilient communities.

Ruai Gregory holds a M.A., Human Development, with specialization in Parent/Community Work. She is an instructor of nhe for the nhe teacher preparation program at nhca through gurukula. She is also a Professor of Early Childhood Education, at Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon, USA. 40+ years of her career in Education include curriculum development, teaching, consulting and work in parent education and early intervention (with children 0-5 years with disabilities). She is the founder and Co-Director of Harmony Home Nature Camp, part of Pine Eagle Art Camp, a summer program serving students of all ages.  In addition to working in education, Rekha is a writer, musician, avid hiker, yoga practitioner and grandmother.

 

Marilyn Mehlmann is a founder member of Legacy17, an international not-for-profit cooperative of leading-edge consultants, practitioners and educators focused on supporting the realization of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. She combines backgrounds in psychosynthesis, empowerment and action research to co-create new methods and tools for community, personal and professional development. For 27 years Marilyn was General Secretary and Head of Development at Global Action Plan International, a network of NGOs supporting the transition to more sustainable behaviour; and was awarded the Rachel Carson Prize 2011– 2012 “for her long-term efforts to involve individuals, companies and NGOs in acting sustainably”. She is an entrepreneur and former management consultant, and co-creator of methods and tools including a highly innovative ‘Learning for Change’ methodology introduced in more than 40 countries. Marilyn is Vice President of the Union of International Associations (Brussels), a member of several advisory boards, was previously involved with product development at IBM, and with action research at the Swedish Centre for Working Life. She is the author and co-author of numerous publications, including ESD Dialogues: a pedagogy for sustainable development, Online Alchemy, Unlearning for a Thrivable Future, and A Transformative Edge.    https://legacy17.org

Teia Ciulacu is the founder and president of ViitorPlus, an association dedicated to sustainable development in Romania since 2006. A graduate of the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, her passion for social impact was ignited during her student years through volunteering with AIESEC, where she contributed to youth development in countries such as Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. These experiences shaped her lifelong mission to advance sustainable development at individual, community, and organizational levels. With over 20 years of experience, Teia has worked in both the private sector—coordinating sustainability initiatives at ABN AMRO Bank Romania —and the public sector as part of Romania’s Ministry of Environment, before establishing ViitorPlus. As a social entrepreneur, Teia has led impactful projects such as Recicleta, a carbon-free waste collection initiative employing socially disadvantaged individuals, The Canvas Workshop – employing people with disabilities and producing reusable tote bags, Adopt a tree – afforesting degraded land by involving donors and volunteers, and many other programs focused on environmental education and sustainable practices. Her work has been recognized for its innovative approach to integrating sustainability into everyday life while fostering resilience and community empowerment. Through her leadership, ViitorPlus has become a model for sustainable social enterprises in Romania, reflecting Teia’s unwavering commitment to creating a greener and more inclusive future.

DAY 3 – Monday July 14, 2025

Community, Service, and Social Justice
How to support the development of an inspiring vision that gives the courage for  engaged social action?

Empowering Future Change-makers: Teaching Neohumanist Activism to Students
Howard Nemon and Christy Shaver

The session will address the importance of integrating spiritual-based social activism as an essential part of Neohumanist education. Cultivating spiritual and moral values, an awakened rationalistic mentality, and the skills to overcome exploitation in society requires a systematic educational approach.

This workshop will discuss how to inspire and empower students K-12 to become change-makers on the individual, interpersonal, community, and broad social levels. Examples of age-appropriate curriculum will be presented which are designed to develop moral courage, collective activism, and skill sets to work for justice in the social, economic, political, and environmental spheres.

Howard Nemon holds a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked on country-wide indicators for social progress. His research and academic teaching focus on social policy,community organization, and international sustainable development. For several years, he has worked with the PU Global Office on publications, training, and website development. He has also helped organize Prout work both nationally and locally in the USA. Howard is currently the Executive Director of the Prama Institute which is a Center forNeohumanist Studies under Gurukula.

Christy Shaver is a Neohumanist educator, advocate, and NHCA board member, also serving as faculty. Passionate about holistic learning, ethical leadership, and service-based advocacy for social and environmental justice, sustainability, and community resilience. Committed to empowering individuals and communities for meaningful change. Currently pursuing a graduate degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on advocacy and social justice at Antioch University.

Awakening the Aesthetic Spirit
How can educators cultivate deep learning, personal development, and community through the arts?

Writing a Future: Constructive and Neohumanistic Storytelling
Dr. Ivana Milojević

How do the stories we tell shape the world we create? In this session, Dr. Ivana Milojević examines storytelling as a vital educational practice for imagining and building just, inclusive futures. By analysing examples of both dystopian and eutopian storytelling, she highlights the ethical and pedagogical implications of the narratives we construct. Participants will be encouraged to engage in a dynamic discussion on how neohumanistic and progressive educators can use storytelling to inspire hope, agency, and transformation in their communities. More information: https://tales.metafuture.org/

Dr. Ivana Milojević is a researcher, writer, and educator with a trans-disciplinary background in sociology, education, gender studies, peace studies, and futures studies. She obtained her PhD in Education from the University of Queensland and has since held academic positions at universities in Australia, Serbia, Taiwan, and the UK, where she is currently a Senior Lecturer in Futures at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh. As a foresight specialist and consultant, she has collaborated with numerous multilateral, governmental, and non-governmental organizations. Through the global foresight think tank Metafuture, she has applied innovative futures tools and action-learning approaches, delivering speeches and workshops worldwide. Extensively published, she is the author of The Hesitant Feminist’s Guide to the Future (2024) and The Heroine’s Journey: Futures Tales for Change Makers series (2022), as well as the co-editor of Neohumanist Educational Futures: Liberating the Pedagogical Intellect (2006). More information: https://tales.metafuture.org/, https://metafutureschool.org/, and https://www.de.ed.ac.uk/people/dr-ivana-milojevic

DAY 4 – Tuesday July 15, 2025

The Emerging Digital World
How can educators make wise choices that ensure that new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, serve the aims of positive human development?

Exponential Thinking: Integrating The Rapid Pace of Technological Change
Aaron Frank

The unprecedented development of digital technologies is one of the most consequential forces shaping modern human society. In this session, participants will gain insight into the mechanisms driving this rapid change and a framework for how educators can situate these shifts within the context of Neohumanism. Core to this session is, first, understanding the nature of exponential growth and why technologies develop at such an astonishing speed. Next, due to this technological development, we’ll explore the ways small teams and individuals are now capable of achieving what was only possible for well funded governments or corporations only a short time ago. Finally, one of the core arguments will be that while technology alone won’t solve the world’s problems; it is our obligation as educators to ensure that morally, rationally, and spiritually elevated individuals are able to leverage technology to address some of the tremendous global emergencies we now face

Aaron Frank (Ananta) is a Silicon Valley based researcher, writer, and consultant who has spent over a decade working with senior leaders on issues related to emerging digital technology. He currently serves as a Global Fellow and lead facilitator at Singularity University where he teaches about the impact of accelerating technological change on business, society, and culture. He routinely advises companies, startups, and government organizations with clients including several national governments, Sony, The Economist Group, Ernst & Young, and many others. As a writer, his articles have appeared in Vice, Wired UK, Forbes, and Venturebeat. He is also a guest lecturer on innovation at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, where he also completed his MBA. (just for added context about Singularity University https://www.su.org/): Originally headquartered at NASA Research Park with funding support from Google, Genentech, Cisco, Nokia, and others, Singularity University was established with the mission of empowering leaders to understand the rapid development of emerging technologies in order to leverage them as tools to solve global challenges. I’ve worked there for over a decade researching and teaching in their programs.

Macrohistory and Macrofutures
Sohail Inayatullah

In this presentation, Inayatullah will explore the future possibilities for the global system, focusing on the challenges we face as we transition to something new, a period that the Italian philosopher Gramsci called “the time of monsters.” Using Shri Sarkar’s theory of macrohistory, different potential paths for the next 30 to 70 years will be examined. The ideas of thinkers like Sorokin, Toynbee, and Galtung will help explain these possible futures. The concept of neohumanism and its impact will also be discussed. The session will include an interactive exercise to create different future scenarios, followed by a reflective activity to help us find our personal sense of control during difficult times.

Professor Sohail Inayatullah is a distinguished political scientist and the inaugural UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies at the Sejahtera Centre for Sustainability and Humanity, IIUM, Malaysia. With a career spanning over three decades, he has significantly contributed to the field of futures studies, particularly through his development of Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), a transformative methodology for understanding complex social issues. He is also a professor at Tamkang University in Taipei and has held various academic positions globally, including adjunct professorships in Australia. His extensive research and writings have positioned him as a leading voice in futures studies, with over 400 publications and contributions to major encyclopedias. In addition to his academic roles, Professor Inayatullah serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Futures Studies, where he shapes discourse on foresight and strategic planning. His work has garnered international recognition, including the Laurel Award for best futurist by the Shaping Tomorrow Foresight Network. He has played an instrumental role in numerous global initiatives, including educational programs that empower communities and organizations to envision and create preferred futures. As a keynote speaker, he inspires audiences with insights into futures thinking and its application across various sectors, fostering resilience and innovative strategies for navigating an uncertain world.