Role of Communities in Achieving Sustainable Development

Arsh Dhir‚ Prem Saran Satsangi

The book explores the vital role that communities can play in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring their long-term success. It provides a thorough analysis of progress towards the attainment of SDGs by India as well as at the global level, using the SDG Index developed by Sachs et al. (2018) and the report from NITI Aayog in India. The research reveals a concerning slowdown, halt, or even regression in SDG progress, largely due to crises such as climate change and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

It becomes clear that while the SDGs offer key elements for improving life in all its forms, they do not adequately address the essential conditions for sustaining the SDGs. This book highlights these underlying but widespread issues that, if cultivated within individuals and communities worldwide, could drive greater adoption of the SDGs. The authors introduce the concept of Holistic Sustainability, which encompasses both internal and external dimensions, illustrated through a case study of Dayalbagh - a community that has been practicing sustainable living for over a century.

Prof. Prem Saran Satsangi is the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Education (ACE), a Non-statutory Body, serving as a Think-tank, for building consensus among various stakeholders, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh, Agra- 282005, Uttar Pradesh, India. Revered Prof. Satsangi, the Father of Systems Movement in India, having graduated with a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Banaras Hindu University (presently Indian Institute of Technology, BHU), pursued an MS from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Michigan State University, USA, and earned his Ph.D. in the field of Socio-Economic Systems from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He took voluntary retirement from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India, where he served in various capacities such as Dean Undergraduate Studies, Founding Managing Director for Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT). He also served as the Honorary Director/Vice-chancellor, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed to be University). Prof. Satsangi has generalized the application of Physical Systems Theory to a variety of ‘Conceptual’ socio- economic- environmental systems by extending Physical Systems Theory as a Rudimentary Modelling Framework for complete ‘Creational’ Systems, including not only Physical but also ‘Esoteric’, Astral/Mental, and Causal/Spiritual Processes with extensive use of Abstract Mathematics of Topological Graph Theory. On May 18, 2003, a gathering in Dayalbagh of about 25,000 representatives of the approximately half a million members (followers) of Radhasoami Faith (‘Radhasoami Satsang’ Dayalbagh) from all over India and abroad “Acclaimed” Revered Prof. Prem Saran Satsangi as the Eighth Spiritual Leader (Waqt/Present Sant Satguru) of the Radhasoami Satsang Community for his lifetime.

Dr. Arsh Dhir is the Technical Assistant to Revered Prof. Prem Saran Satsangi, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Education (a Non-statutory Body), Dayalbagh Educational Institutions. Dr. Dhir holds a B.Sc. (Engineering) in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA, and a Ph.D., all earned from Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra, India. Previously, he held the position of Chief General Manager at Dayal Motors in Agra and also worked at Headstrong Services India Pvt. Ltd.