'Individuals should use differences to complement each other'

Against the backdrop of global conflicts, terrorism and financial crises, Chairperson of the Hinduja Foundation US Shanu SP Hinduja has strongly emphasised the need for sharing of individual resources to achieve a balance of power in the world.
Hinduja, who is also an ardent advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment, stressed that individuals have to focus on "oneness of mind and oneness of thought."
"We breathe the same air. Oxygen is common to all" and not divided among individuals based on their fortunes, Hinduja told PTI.
She said individuals should use their differences to complement each other and not against one another.

With the world grappling with the scourge of terrorism and instability, she said people should compensate for each others' weakness and drawbacks to achieve balance in the world. "The more we share, the more we learn to grow in oneness," she added.
She cited the conflicts in the Middle East and the terrorism perpetuated by the ISIS as well as the Greek financial crisis to stress on the need for the world to embrace oneness and unity.

Hinduja, who regards her father industrialist and philanthropist S P Hinduja as her mentor and inspiration, said it is important to embrace each others' differences since accepting uniqueness in individuals is crucial to live in unity and achieve equality.

She emphasised that not just on personal levels but also on the levels of governments and nations, it is important to understand that happiness should not be measured with money.
"Money is something that was created by humans, but today money is more powerful than us. Happiness gives money; money should not be giving happiness," she said, adding that the solution lies for people to learn to give this power away.
"We need to give in order to increase the power of giving. If we can increase the power within each of us to give, that could in turn bring the balance in humankind," she said.

She also made a strong case for each human being to find a way to reduce the power of money, and "share the giving of our fortune to create opportunities that will bring to the world balance of power."
Hinduja said corporations and countries can help create balance by empowering people to learn and train, which will in turn help them make a livelihood and "reduce the imbalance which gives more power to money."
"Reduction of poverty will reduce the power of money to control happiness-everyone will buy everything, everyone will live better. Happiness will not come from money but from giving and sharing," she said.

Hinduja, who is also Co-chair of the UN Foundation's Global Accelerator, stressed that the issue of youth empowerment and poverty eradication should be among the main pillars of the post-2015 global development agenda.