Conscious Diplomacy: How France and India Can Co-Radiate Wise Power

I want to use the graphic below to illustrate how countries could pioneer what I call CONSCIOUS DIPLOMACY by engaging with other nations strategically as true equal partners to co-project WISE POWER globally.

During his current visit to India, French President Emmanuel Macron is acting as the Hindu God who offers PROTECTION to India with French military power (Abhaya Mudra — hand gesture symbolizing safety & security) and bestows PROSPERITY (Varada Mudra —hand gesture bestowing boons) with French science & tech know-how.

This is SMART POWER. This is a good start to reboot French-Indian relationship, which has languished for decades. France’s SmartPower will address India’s short-term needs (physical security and economic prosperity).

Next stage for France is to learn to engage India not just as a MARKET, but as a true EQUAL PARTNER with whom it can jointly bring SAFETY and PROSPERITY to ALL.

All Hindu prayers end with “Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti” (Peace, Peace, Peace). We say Shanti 3 times so we are safe from 3 sources of harm:
1) May we be safe from NATURAL elements (with today’s Climate Change, this makes sense!!!)
2) May we be safe from OTHER beings (e.g., terrorism)
3) May we be safe from INNER-harm (caused by our own monkey MIND and fueled by our excess fear and greed!)

As a French-Indian, I hope we could integrate Indian spiritual wisdom traditions with French science & tech capabilities to foster INNER-PEACE among all human beings while enabling inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development worldwide.

Together India and France could jointly demonstrate WISE POWER and MORAL LEADERSHIP on the world stage (at a time when the US — under President Trump — is rapidly losing its SOFT POWER and global leadership).