Alfredo Sfeir-Younis is currently President and Founder of the Zambuling Institute for Human Transformation (ZIHT). One of the aims of the ZIHT is to create a grassroots world forum on human rights and human responsibilities and mainstream spirituality in public policy and business.

Spiritual Activist. Alfredo has been recognized as a World Healer and a spiritual authority by many great masters from different spiritual traditions. His spiritual name is Cho Tab Khen Zambuling. He has also been recognized as a Mayan Priest (Kamalbe). He has worked with North and South American Elders and he has increased his metaphysical knowledge under their influence. He follows a unique spiritual path with commitment, dedication, discipline and very high standards that synthesizes the essence of different religious and spiritual traditions. He has practiced meditation and other forms of healing for more than 30 years. He has recently published two books: “Another Meaning of Enlightenment” and “Ten Spiritual Laws to Heal the World”.

International Public Speaker and Communicator. Alfredo has been speaking for sometime now at niumerous international conferences and fora on Globalization, Economics and Business, Alternative Medicine, Environment, Peace, Spirituality and Interfaith Dialogues, in several countries (Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Chile, Hungary, Venezuela, Thailand, China, Mongolia, Spain, Sri Lanka). He has also authored more than 100 papers, chapters, articles, World Bank and United Nations statements in such areas as poverty eradication, human rights, international trade and finance, spiritual economics, financing of development, gender and women, trade and development, role of indigenous peoples, the right to development, peace and conflict, forestry, fisheries, water management and irrigation, desertification, biodiversity, culture and spirituality in sustainable development, alternative medicine, and many other important topics.

Peace Ambassador. Alfredo is an advocate of inner and world peace. He has written many articles on how to reach peace and making peace with the environment and with ourselves in magazines, newspapers and international fora. He has also delivered speeches at the United Nations, World Conferences in Europe and in Spiritual and Religious Institutions. He has been teaching meditation to many persons, giving them an opportunity to experience inner peace. He has received several international awards; Lifetime ambassador of Peace (2001), World Healer Award (2002), The Messenger of Peace (2002), The Peace, Mercy and Tolerance Award (2003), The Supreme Advisor of the Buddhist Spiritual Forum Award, the World Peace Mercy and Tolerance Award (2004), Diamond Peace Award (2005), Graz, Austria, Peace Ambassador Award (2006), Doctorate in Science, International Free University For Alternative Medicine. Since 2006, he is dedicated to offering Silent Meditations for World Peace. The first one was carried out in Bombarral, Portugal.

Spiritual Grass Roots. Alfredo has participated in spiritual pilgrimages to many holy places like the Golden Temple and Punjab Amritzar in India, Mayan Sacred sites in Guatemala and Salvador, in Central America, Inca Sacred sites in Peru, Indigenous sites in Chiapas, Mexico, Mapuche special lands in Argentina and Chile, and many Buddhist sacred sites in Tibet, China, Mongolia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand. During these pilgrimages he uplifts and blesses the poor, the children, the monks and nuns and the common people he encounters. He has also provided material support to schools, temples, medical dispensaries and scholarships. At his retirement party from the World Bank, Alfredo chose to share his ultimate moments with the homeless and colleagues from work at a homeless shelter in Washington DC (Central Union Mission) where he volunteered for 10 years.

Human Rights, Economic Development and Public
Policies. Alfredo held the position of the Institutional Focal Point on human rights at the World Bank. He was the principal spokesperson for the World Bank at the UN and WTO and other international forums, including civil society organizations on the subject. For at least two decades, Alfredo has developed many new and innovative insights about the need to embrace human rights in socioeconomic development as well as the importance of human values and spirituality. His statements at international economic meetings and in academic circles have earned him recognition as an expert in the topic. Alfredo undoubtedly influenced many organizations like the World Bank, World Trade Organization, many Committees at the United Nations such as the Values Caucus, Spiritual Caucus, URI-UN and the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, other Development Banks such as CAF (Andean Development Corporation) and government agencies siuch as the Andean Parliament, Governments of Guatemala, Butan, Ecuador and Chile. He was the recipient of the Social Corporate Responsibility Award (2003) and the Person of the Year, World Association of Retired Person, NYC (2004). In 2005, the Inter-american Development Bank in Washington DC invited him to give a presentation on “Economics and Human Rights: Human Rights as Capital”.

Spiritual Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. Alfredo’s interests go far beyond traditional economics. During 29 years at the World Bank, he has developed a new paradigm based on the linkages between spirituality and economics, and on the role that human values play in the decision-making process both nationally and globally and the elements that enliven the soul of business. Some of his public statements at the UN and other conferences include: peace and economic development, human security, education, spiritual dimensions of the globalization process, and the relations between the material and the non-material aspects of development and progress including moral and ethical dimensions. He played a key role in the organizations of a world meeting on Ethics, Moral and Spiritual Values for Sustainable Development. He has given many seminars on the relationship between spirituality and economic development. He has published several articles and made numerous public statements on the subject. He is advisor to the First World Moral Forum, Thailand.

Indigenous Knowledge & Cultural Diversity. Alfredo has made significant contributions to improve the understanding of the role that indigenous people and their knowledge play in sustainability and economic development. He has become increasingly involved in learning about the holistic views of the Mapuche, Maya, Kuna and Lakota peoples. He has prepared a proposal to create a Bank for Indigenous Peoples and his interest continues to focus on developing appropriate recognition of indigenous peoples wisdom and provide them with educational systems appropriate to their cultures.

Environmental Activist. Alfredo was the first environmental economist (natural resource economist) hired by the World Bank in 1976. He actively engaged into creating a framework and the corresponding implementation instruments and practices to promote sustainable development in developing countries, specifically in the areas of fisheries, forestry, land management, sustainability, desertification and biodiversity as an example. He organized a world conference on Innovative Forms of Financing for Sustainable Development. He prepared and disseminated a number of proceedings on matters related to financing. More recently he has given public presentations on the economic diseases and the environment as well as issues related to making peace with the environment.

Economist. Alfredo Sfeir-Younis is an economist graduate from the University of Chile, with a Master and Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin and University of Rhode Island, USA. He recently retired from the World Bank where he held various key positions for nearly 29 years. His last position was Senior Advisor to the managing directors of the World Bank and the Institutional Focal Point on human rights. Previous to this position, from 1999 to 2003, he was the Director of the World Bank Office in Geneva, Switzerland, and The Special Representative to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization and, from 1996 to 1999, he was the World Bank Special Representative at the United Nations in New York. He regularly participated at the Commission of Human Rights as well as many international meetings on issues related to trade, globalization, indigenous rights, poverty, women and justice both in New York and Geneva.  

Special Interviews & Articles. 

1999  Hearing the Call Spiritual Economics, 

February 2007, TV Oeste, Portugal

April 2007. Transitions Radio Magazine. USA 

May 12, 2007. Natural Solutions Radio. USA

June 9, 2007. Rádio Litoral Oeste. Portugal

2007. Embracing Spiritual Economics, Kosmos Journal, USA

June 29, 2006. Policy Innovations - Human rights must be a consideration for development organizations. Published in Pol
icy Innovations.

2005. Earth Summit, Oxford U, UK2005. Interview, Central Union, Washington

2004. Revolution in Values, World Peace Herald, Hungary

2003. Is Peace Another Utopia?, Miracles Times

2002. We live a moment in history, World Civil Society Forum at the UN 2002  Interview UN on Spirituality & Economic Development 1999. Speech at the UN, Planetary Consciousness The role of civil society in foreign policy 

Detailed list of books, publications, radio interviews 2005-2007

Books October 2006. Another Meaning of Enlightenment.  80 pages.April 2007. The Ten Spiritual Laws to Heal the World, Book, 159 pages. (Excerpt)

Articles and Speeches

October 22, 2004. Revolution of values needed to solve world problems. Speech delivered at the annual conference of World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations. Budapest, Hungry.

January 25, 2005. “Economics and Human Rights; Human Rights as Capital” IDB speech and article published in ECLAC Revista CEPAL Economics and Human Rights

May, 2005. “Las Enfermedades Economicas y una Nueva Ecomoralidad”. Speech and paper delivered at the annual conference of the Fundacion Lama Gangchen para la Paz Mundial, Madrid, Spain.

June 2005. “Humanity has another option: Making peace with the environment”. Speech delivered in III World Congress- Verbania, Italy.

June 2005. “The Key Challenge Of The 21st Century: Coping With Economic Diseases” Speech and paper delivered at III World Congress – Verbania, Italy.

October 2005. Human Rights as another form of Capital. Speech delivered at the Interamerican Development Bank, Washington DC.

November 2005. The Alfredo Sfeir Younis Story. Kosmos Journal, Vol. V, Number 1. New York.J

Junio 14, 2006. Medio Ambiente: mente sana en cuerpo sano. Article published in El Commercio, Peru.

May 13, 2006. Healing the World as a condition for Global Peace. Speech and paper delivered at The Open International Conference on Alternative Medicines – The New York World Congress – Harvard Club.

July 27, 2006. El fracaso de la paz. La Nacion, Chile.

May,2006 “Las Diez Leyes Espirituales Para La Sanación Del Mundo”. Speech and paper delivered at the annual conference of the Fundacion Lama Gangchen, Madrid, Spain.

May 22, 2006. Comunicación Moderna: Bien colectivo. Article published in El Mercurio, Chile, 

May 24, 2006. Desarrollo e innovacion: Inversión tecnológica: enfoque equivocado. Article published in La Nacion, Chile. 

June 7, 2006. The external effects of modern economics. IV World Congress – Verbania, Italy

July 10, 2006. “Living in a Global Neighborhood without Global Being: Human Transformation Through Love and Compassion”. Speech delivered at the National Event of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Milwaukee.

September 8, 2006. “The Buddha’s Relics At The UN: The Power Of Love And Compassion”, Publication delivered at the United Nations in the occasion of the installation of the Vesak Buddha Relics and Stupa.

November 3, 2006. La competitividad económica no puede ni debe ser entendida como un concepto, práctica o plataforma político-institucional independiente, menos ser concebida dentro de un contexto social vacío. Article published in La Nacion Chile

November 10, 2006. “Las Diez Leyes Espirituales Para La Sanación Del Mundo” Guatemala.

November 29, 2006. “A New Paradigm for Human Transformation: Respect For Nature, Solidarity and Shared Responsibility In The 21sst Century”. Our Common Humanity in the Information Age Principles and Values for Development, New York, Global Alliance for ICT and Development,

November 29, 2006 January 2007 - Una Nueva Política Social Para América Latina: Hacia Un Desarrollo Empoderado – Report delivered to CAF (Corporación Andina de Fomento).

2007. ’Violation of human rights is a threat to human security’, Conflict, Security & Development, 4:3, 383 – 396

April 26-28, 2007, Sisters of Saint Joseph, Annual Conference, New York, USA. Five speeches:1- “Healing The World As A Condition For World Peace”2- “Embracing Youth Leadership With A Spiritual Charisma”3 -“Being Global Neighbors: We, Together In Transformation”4- “The Path Towards Individual and Collective Transformation”5- “Towards The Two Hundred Percent Society: Knowing, Having, Doing, Being and Becoming”

April, 2007 “Why Economics Assaults Human Rights And Creates Human Wrongs?” Speech delivered at the Conference: Participative Democracy Beyond Borders, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

May 2007. Two speeches: Through Healing We Unite in Peace and a Revolutionary idea of peace. 

2007 World Congress of Integrated Medicines. Albuquerque, USA.

News and Radio Interviews

October 22, 2006. World Peace Herald. Topic: “Economics and spirituality must be reconciled”. Graz, Austria.

February 2006. HBC 94 fm Radio Nepal.

Professional and civic affiliations 

Advisor to First “World Moral Forum”, Bangkok 2007-2008

Patron of Global Foundation for Integrative Medicine, USA

Member of Editorial Board of “Kosmos”. Nancy Roof, Editor, New York.