Mandar is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Cities4Peace initiative. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter School for Conflict Analysis & Resolution, George Mason University. Prior to that, Mandar worked at Shell International for nearly two decades and managed Shell’s GameChanger social innovation program. Mandar is also the Producer/Director of “From India With Love” - a documentary film that promotes nonviolence. He has been studying, practicing and teaching meditation for the Art of Living Foundation for nearly two decades. For more visit here.
Deepak is the co-founder and Director of Strategy & Operations for the Cities4Peace initiative. He is a Breathwork and Resilience program instructor with the International Association for Human Values, a global non-profit organization. He was the Director of Operations for the World Summit for Countering Violence & Extremism and also serves as Director, Strategic Partnerships for the From India With Love initiative. He lives in Austin and works for Apple Inc. in Silicon Management.
Introduction
The murder of George Floyd, now three years ago, was a pivotal moment in the awakening of American society about the importance of honoring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in fostering a fair and inclusive society. Several multinational businesses, as well as institutions from the governmental, educational and non-governmental sectors modified their vision statements, made investments in minority owned businesses as well as hired experts in the C-suite with a specific mandate for promoting DEI within their organization.
The Limitations of Current Definition of DEI
While DEI initiatives have undeniably propelled us forward, they have their limitations. The term ‘diversity’ tends to emphasize representation and numerical goals, often reducing people to checkboxes, in an effort to create a visually diverse workforce. In the same vein, the notion of "inclusion" can at times become a mere façade, leaving marginalized individuals with a sense of being reduced to tokens rather than being recognized as valuable contributors. Furthermore, equity can be misconstrued as a form of charity or handout, rather than recognizing the inherent rights and dignity of every individual.
Several vectors are simultaneously affecting our global society including wars, refugee crisis, growing use of drugs, homicides, the impacts of climate change, and the polarization based on race, nationality, sexual preference, etc.
As we continue to navigate the complexities of this unfolding world, it becomes evident that merely striving for diversity and inclusion may not be enough to create the lasting change that we may seek. To truly address systemic inequalities, it is essential to broaden our perspective moving from ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion’ and bring a new paradigm shift - one that emphasizes a revised version of DEI - ‘Dignity, Equanimity and Interdependence’. By adopting this new paradigm, we can build a more harmonious, inclusive and sustainable future for all and move together as One World Family.
Embracing Dignity
Dignity is the cornerstone of any thriving society. By shifting our focus from diversity to dignity, we acknowledge the inherent worth and value of every person, irrespective of their background, race, gender, or any other aspect of their identity. Dignity means treating individuals with respect, fostering an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. It goes beyond quotas or surface-level representation. We must seek to dismantle the biases and prejudices that hinder our human progress. When we move from ‘diversity’ and instead prioritize ‘dignity’, we create a space where individuals can thrive and contribute with their unique perspectives.
Fostering Equanimity
Equanimity encompasses the cultivation of emotional balance, maintaining integrity, and promoting justice. Evidence based practices like SKY Breath and meditation can empower leaders to develop the ability to be equanimous and stay centered amidst chaos. With equanimity, we will create solutions that promote harmonious co-existence.
Building Interdependence
Global issues like the COVID 19 pandemic, as well as the challenges posed by climate change, have made us realize the value of ‘Interdependence’ between individuals, organizations and systems. By recognizing and promoting interdependence, we can move away from individualism and embrace the reality that our collective success relies on collaborating with and uplifting one another. It encourages developing synergies and promotes a ‘win win’ approach. This will require healing the wounds of the past, overcoming existing trivial differences and focusing on finding common ground.
Conclusion
While the current DEI framework has played a crucial role in raising awareness about inequality, it is time to expand our vision and shift towards a broader paradigm that prioritizes dignity, equanimity, and interdependence. By embracing this shift, we can move beyond the surface-level goals and work towards building a society where every individual is respected and recognized for their inherent worth. Together, by invoking valor to embrace this paradigm, we can create a lasting change and shape a future that celebrates the dignity of all.
Resources:
- Be The Change - an online workshop to promote DEI and mental wellness
- Mindful Leadership workshops - a workshop to develop equanimity using meditation practice
- Ambassadors of Peace - a certification program to become a stronger advocate for peace
- Notes for the Journey Within - a leaders guide to invoke the power within by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
A golden tray sits on the Resolute Desk as President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement on American nuclear innovation in the Oval Office at the White House on July 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Trump is signing multiple executive orders targeting the nuclear energy sector and easing rules for new reactors and nuclear fuel supply chains.
Trump’s hubris rivals the fallen heroes of ancient Greek mythology
In January, the New York Times asked President Donald Trump if there were any limits on his global powers.
“Yeah,” the president responded, “there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
That was eight months ago, but fortunately Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster adaptation of “The Odyssey” has made ancient Greek literature newly relevant. Before that window closes, I’d like to talk about hubris.
Today, the term mostly means excessive pride or arrogance. That’s part of what the Greeks meant by it too, but the meaning was a bit richer and more specific. Hubris was an insolent or outrageous act that offended the gods, often because the transgressor was claiming abilities or authorities that solely belonged to supreme beings.
Nolan renamed and slightly modified the concept of xenia for the film, calling it “Zeus’ law.” In the director’s telling, mortals should follow the rules laid out by the gods, specifically the requirement to treat strangers with respect lest they be gods in disguise.
In a sense, hubris is the opposite, or at least the rejection, of xenia. The hubris of the suitors, and at times Odysseus himself, invites punishment by the gods and their mortal instruments.
Which brings me back to Donald Trump. His claim that there are no constraints on his personal power to dictate events on the global stage was one of the greatest expressions of hubris ever uttered by a political leader.
Trump’s claim was obviously false when he made it.
He vowed that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. He’s proved powerless to make that happen. If he had divine powers to work his will, why would he have balked at implementing his tariffs so often that Wall Street adopted the “TACO trade” term for his deals? “TACO” stands for “Trump always chickens out.”
And why would Trump have made so many embarrassing concessions to China — from rescinding tariffs on Chinese goods to allowing them to buy crucial and incredibly valuable computer chips?
But Trump saw his success at capturing Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro as proof of his ability to launch missiles to the same effect as Zeus’ lightning bolts. Trump believed he was the most powerful man who ever lived.
This is no exaggeration. In March, when the Iran invasion seemed successful, Trump gave a document penned by“Presidential Historian David King” to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan purporting to prove that Trump was “the most powerful person to have EVER walked this planet.” King was, in fact, a businessman and occasional caddy for legendary golfer Gary Player.
King compared Trump favorably to many of history’s most powerful, and often heinous, figures: Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, William the Conqueror, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Genghis Khan, Mao Tse Tung, Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. Many of these men thought they were the most powerful person in the world, too. And many were defeated precisely because they believed it.
At least Napoleon and Hitler had a string of truly impressive victories before they learned the folly of hubris. The limits on Trump’s power have been exposed by far less august forces than the combined might of the allies in World War II or the fearsome Russian winter.
Iran is a comparatively middling power. But the regime’s ability to absorb punishment while imposing its will on the Strait of Hormuz has proved to be a greater constraint on Trump’s power than his morality or mind. We should note that, at least rhetorically, his morality has not proved much of a constraint. He has repeatedly promised to destroy Iranian “civilization” if the regime refuses to capitulate.
But they haven’t — and won’t anytime soon — because the regime’s tolerance for pain far outstrips Trump’s. The combined fear of skyrocketing oil prices, outrage of Gulf state potentates, diminishing weapon supplies and domestic unpopularity is doing the work that international law, congressional oversight and the collective opinion of foreign policy experts can’t or won’t do.
If I considered Trump more heroic than reason and facts could allow, I would say his Sisyphean predicament has the whiff of Greek tragedy to it. Trump is vexed by the fact that the Iranians won’t honor deals or ratify his countless premature claims of victory — giving new meaning to his vow that his presidency would make people tired of winning. It’s almost like they’re out-Trumping Trump.
Things might have gone better if he’d heeded that great Greek tragedian Sophocles: “For Zeus utterly abhors the boasts of a proud tongue.”
____
Jonah Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His Twitter handle is @JonahDispatch.