Mahatma Gandhi is 'set to return to life' in the form of a hologram at UNESCO Paris to mark the International Day of Non Violence 2019. The life size 3D hologram will "address audience" to explain the Mahatma's philosophy in a life-like audio visual medium.
The 3D hologram will feature in the Ahimsa Lecture delivered by leading proponents of peace and non-violence for the benefit of peace builders, policy makers, UNESCO Member States, youth and the international community.
The Ahinsa Lecture is organised to mark the International Day of Non-Violence celebrated on October 2, the Mahatma's birth anniversary.
According to plans, the hologram would speak for 2 to 3 minutes to set the tone for the panel discussion and would also indulge in a question answer session.
"While Gandhi Ji was amongst the most photographed people of his time and the world has access to his photographs, filmed interviews and radio addresses, it is less than 5 per cent of the compiled 98 volumes," said Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director, UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP)
"A 3D hologram can bridge this gap and the written word of the Mahatma can be experienced. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based voice generator would create the voice while 3D animation along with reprographic mapping of photographic data would create the image. The hologram in colour would lip-sync the words of the Mahatma and body movement incorporated that's associated with a speaker on stage," Duraiappah said while speaking to IANS.
Through Holography, a standing hologram of Mahatma Gandhi will speak for 2 to 3 minutes and set the tone for the panel discussion. (The talk will be extracted with due reference of his writings on Satyagraha, Ahinsa, Kindness, critical inquiry and education).
The hologram will then sit with the panellists, to take part in the discussion, during which he will answer 5 questions with 2 to 3 minute interventions.
"It is envisaged to create 5 segments of 2 to 3 minutes each, so that these segments can be played out as per a pre-determined script to act as a catalyst at a "Panel Discussion" in UNESCO Paris to mark the International Day of Non Violence 2019," Duraiappah added.
The Distinguished Lectures Series was inaugurated in 2014 and has since become a space for renowned academics, policymakers and practitioners to discuss and debate on topics related to education for peace, sustainable development and global citizenship.
UNESCO MGIEP is a category 1 research in education institute integral to UNESCO. It is supported largely by the MHRD, and is the only UNESCO category 1 institute in the Asia Pacific Region with a mandate to mainstream social emotional learning in education systems using innovative pedagogies (including intelligent platforms, video games, dialogic platforms and more).