UNESCO

“Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.”

The Mother, founder of Auroville

The universal township of Auroville was founded on February 28th, 1968, in a ceremony where youth of 124 nations and the states of India deposited the soil of their countries in a foundation urn to symbolize the coming together of the nations of the world. At the occasion, the Charter of Auroville was read, stating amongst others that Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole.

Auroville aims at international understanding, peace, innovative education, a learning society and a place of an all-round material and spiritual development for a harmonious individual and collective growth.

The General Assembly of UNESCO, recognizized that the project of Auroville contributes to the advancement of UNESCO’s objectives,   noting that :

• the Charter of Auroville, announced at the Foundation Ceremony, declared that Auroville belongs to nobody in particular but to humanity as a whole and enunciated the aims of unending education and youth that never ages, as also material and spiritual research for the living embodiment of an actual human unity,
• that Auroville seeks to ensure international understanding, peace, innovative education, a learning society and all round material and spiritual development for harmonious individual and collective growth and that such aims contribute to the advancement of the objectives of UNESCO.

Starting in 1966, UNESCO’s successive resolutions invited Member States and international non-governmental organizations to participate in the development of Auroville as an international cultural township

• designed to bring together the values of different cultures and civilisations
• in a harmonious environment with integrated living standard
• which correspond to man’s physical and spiritual needs.

In 2018, Auroville celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding with a ceremony bringing together water from rivers, lakes, and streams from all over the world. This water is gathered at Auroville’s soul and center, the Matrimandir.

Read more about UNESCO’s support for Auroville: UNESCO AND Auroville – A Comprehensive Brochure.pdf

Auroville’s Inauguration – 28 February 1968:

Auroville’s 50th Anniversary Ceremony  – 28 February 2018: