Are the criminal justice systems across the world administering a system of punishment or rehabilitation? After an extended period of being locked in a prison cell, are prisoners realistically able to re-enter and contribute effectively to society? If not, what are we doing wrong? In order to bring about harmony in society, what is the most effective way of dealing with criminals or criminal-like behavior? Or rather, what causes such behavior in the first place?

Dr. Kiran Bedi, the Civilian Police Advisor in the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations, has a very different approach to dealing with prisoners. Her humane and fearless approach has contributed greatly to innumerable innovative policing and prison reforms. Dr. Bedi has also extensively studied drug abuse and domestic violence. In her session, she will explore how society can better itself by teaching those with the most a-dharmic tendencies to better themselves, techniques we can apply both to our society and to ourselves.

Are Corporate Interests Controlling Your Education?

Students are affected by commercialization and globalization in ways that are sometimes hard to see. Colleges routinely sell private research to corporate partners and can tailor curricula to fit commercial interests. The education process itself has been globalized through such companies as Sylvan, who provide can educational services for entire countries, but for a price. Do students today care enough about the quality of their education to make sure it is not a victim of consumerism? If students can act to make sure that they all are given a holistic education, how else should they act to impact society? What can students and student groups do to limit cultural degeneration, sectarian violence and divisive politics?

Dattathreya Hosabale has worked with the ABVP (Indian Hindus student group) for decades helping students act in their own interests and in the greater interests of the country. His own experiences will provide a springboard for other student groups to become even more involved in transforming society

Genetic cloning. Generic Drugs. The Hydrogen Bomb. Science and Technology have furthered the quality of life of humanity immeasurably. Sometimes, they have lessened our quality of life or have spun out of control. With the race towards cloning, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein seems less a fantasy than ever before. But cloning may be a way to help cure disease and help save endangered species. Generic drugs are extending and saving the lives of thousands of people in Africa and India. But science companies are fighting tooth and nail the expansion of generic drugs. Science is an incredible tool, but how do we use it?

Dr. Mahesh Mehta, a polymer scientist by profession, is the Vice President of Research & Development at Koch Membrane Systems. Dr. Adarsh Deepak, the President of the Science and Technology Corporation (STC) and a Professor of Physics and Meteorology at the Old Dominion University, is an internationally recognized expert in the area of remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols. Together, Dr. Deepak and Dr. Mehta will help to define for us the Dharma of Science.

Temptation Island. The Bachelor. Joe Millionaire. 50 cent. Eminem

What is your favorite television show? Your favorite movie? Your favorite song?

The entertainment industry in this country heavily exploits sex and violence to create popular products and make money. Even Bollywood is on a trajectory towards more explicit sex and violence.

Do the performing arts, given their central importance in society, have a responsibility to uphold and teach morality? Should they be a reflection of the world? Or given their economic importance, should they do whatever they can to make the most money possible?

The United States shows extreme violence on its big screen, but is very prudish about sex, unlike the European film industry. This is despite the fact that violence in media is much more socially harmful than sex. Why is this?

What should the government's role in this be? Should there be some sort of "morality police?" Or, for the sake of artistic integrity, should performing arts be completely unfettered?

Mr. Daya Prakash Sinha is a celebrated cultural and political figure in India today. He is a prominent Indian playwright and author, the National Convener of the Cultural Cell, and the Chairman of the UP Academy of performing Arts. He will lead us in a discussion that tackles some of the difficult questions raised above.

Corporations have often come under fire for acting unethically. The recent wave of Enron-style accounting scandals follow other unethical and illegal practices such as racist hiring practices (Texaco), sweatshop labor (Nike), and inadequate environmental protections (Exxon Valdez). At a first approximation, companies should at least be using the law as a proxy for dharmic management practices, but even then, many still choose to act unethically to the detriment of the societal whole. Why do they do this? What dharmic practices should we demand of modern managers to promote successful markets? How can we inculcate those practices beyond just our local sphere of dharmic traditions to managers everywhere? When we are faced with stressful ethical dilemmas ourselves, how can we be sure that we are making the right decisions?

Debashis Chatterjee is an internationally known management thinker, Fulbright scholar, corporate consultant, mystic and writer who has conducted training in Fortune 500 companies and lectured and taught at MIT, Harvard Graduate School Of Business, the University Of St. Thomas and Tufts University. He is currently a member of faculty in the behavorial sciences department of Indian Institute Of Management, Lucknow - India. He will conduct this session on how modern managers should use spiritual traditions to guide their decision making and actions.

CNN was allowed to stay in Iraq by hiding negative stories about the regime.
Tehelka.com claims government harassment after its stunning expose of corruption in the Indian Defense Department and ruling party. How do news media maintain integrity and critical voices when faced with hostile governments?

The recent FCC ruling allows big corporations to control even more information sources in a given market than ever before. In an age where the media are increasingly concentrated and controlled by fewer entities and special interests, it is incumbent upon journalists to remain independent and report the news in objective manner.

The NY Times is at its lowest point in its 152-year history as two senior writers, one of whom has won the Pulitzer, were exposed as plagiarizing others' work. Information flow is instantaneous in the internet age, meaning that bad information proliferates very quickly. Journalists must be more responsible than ever before in managing the integrity of their sources.

Tarun Vijay and Seshadri Chari are senior editors of newspapers in India. Together they will help us tackle some of these difficult questions.

The Mahabhatata is old. Really old. Does it have any relevance to our lives today?

The Mahabharata has been described as "the longest exposition on Dharma to ever be written." Through multitudes of situations involving self determination, family conflict, and societal war, each of the many characters makes decisions that help illustrate dharmic concepts. Not always are these decisions correct as each character has his/her own flaws and foibles that make him/her more human. When we look at these characters, we can see them as caricatures of ourselves and our lives. What can we learn from each of the many personalities in the Mahabharata? How can we gain more meaning for this ancient story for our lives today?

Dr. Armstrong will explain how the Mahabharata can give us insight into the personalities of ourselves and those around us, enabling us to better target our potential weaknesses and faults.