Professor Guna Magesan, CEO of World Hindu Economic Forum and head of the department of Environmental Science at Fiji National University, also dabbles with film-making in biological farming

Please tell us about the recently concluded World Hindu Economic Forum meet in Kenya. What was it about, who participated and what was the biggest takeaway from a Forum like that?

The World Hindu Economic Forum seeks to bring financially successful people together, such as traders, bankers, technocrats, investors, industrialists, businessmen, professional, economists and thinkers. This is so as to facilitate each group to share their business knowledge, experience and expertise with their fellow brethren, so that everybody can learn how to generate surplus wealth and to make society prosperous.

The reason for conducting the Forum in Kenya is that East African region (countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Zambia) is one of the most rapidly growing economic regions. The rate of return on foreign investment is high. Major economic growth is coming from the sectors like wholesale and retail, infrastructure and transportation, telecommunication and manufacturing.

Over 150 business people, investors, technocrats from over 10 countries participated. Senior Government officials and Governors of 2 Counties, made presentations on investment opportunities. The people from overseas countries were happy that they participated in this Forum. Already some collaborations and Memorandum of Understandings were discussed.

What inspired you to take up the responsibility of WHEF?

As a professional, I have worked as a senior scientist and Professor in University. It was more for my personal development and family requirements. Now a thought came into my mind: how I can make a difference to humanity at large? As we know, the basic problems of the world today are hunger, poverty and illiteracy and these problems cannot be solved just by donations and charity. However, creating new surplus wealth and then sharing could empower the masses. I was impressed, or rather attracted, by the vision and mission statement of WHEF.

Vision - Making society prosperous

Mission - Making society prosperous through the generation and shaping of surplus wealth.
So I decided to join WHEF.

How would you link your interest in WHEF with your interested in environmental sciences? What prompted you to make documentary films? When will the second film be available for public viewing?

In addition to environmental sciences, promoting biological farming is one of my goals. After my presentation on biological farming at the WHEF2013@Bangkok, World Hindu Economic Forum as an organization is interested in promoting biological farming.

I made my first documentary film on biological farming to encourage more farmers to move into biological farming systems which is good for food quality and environment.

The second documentary film will be released in September/October when I am back in New Zealand.

What is the third film about?

‘Where to from here?’ is my first short film as a producer and director. It is a story of a 65-year old, lonely, bachelor coming to a new country. It shows his loneliness and how his mind struggles between spiritual upliftment and his physical needs.

My son Murali Krishna Magesan is a second year student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the University of Auckland. Although he is not professionally trained as an editor, he has natural feeling for the same. It was his first attempt to edit this film.

Where are your roots?

I am from a small village near Ooty in Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu, India.

I came to New Zealand in July 1988 for my PhD in soil science at Massey University, Palmerston North. After completing the degree, I joined HortResearch as a postdoctoral fellow in 1992. After a year, I joined Landcare Research in Hamilton as an environmental scientist. In July 2001, I joined Forest Research (now known as Scion), as a senior environmental scientist, and lead a group of scientists working in 'land treatment' research. Then set up Maori Research Institute. In the last two years, I was Professor and Head, Department of Environmental Science, at the Fiji National University.

Community and social work: As the General Secretary of Hindu Council of New Zealand, I am actively involved in social and community projects such as youth development, tree planting, and organizing Hindu festivals to build links between the Hindu community and other New Zealanders. I believe in the Vedic principle of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam (The world is one large family).

Any message for the Kiwi-Indian community of today?

I would like to share two things:

Firstly, for the business community, there are lots of opportunities available who want to invest in African countries.

Secondly, follow your heart. People should do what they are really interested in.