At the dawn of India's Independence, Mahatma Gandhi spoke of Poorna Swaraj. The concept of Poornam or fullness of life was beautifully prefixed to the notion of freedom by Mahatma Gandhi. In his address to the people of India, he emphasized that freedom has many dimensions, and it goes beyond the immediate victory of winning political freedom and the eternal call to realize the fullness of life.
The divides we speak about in modern India today are many.. .yet in the first decade of the 21" century, there is a striking optimism about emerging India.
What happens in India is important, for, not only are we leaders but also are continuing participants in a societal experiment of different cultures, religions, socio-economic experiences, co-existing and tempered by scientific development & participatory democracy.
Conceptual & Logical Framework
Peace Education experts speak about the 'problematique of peace' i.e. the matrix of factors over which peace is either built or lost. For these factors to come together in a positive way, it is suggested that investment of time, thinking, resources, leadership, and constructive work must be made. We have seen many situations where the lack of investment has led to violence, injustice, conflicts and poor human development.
Goals of the Project To engage Young leaders, Gandhian Thinkers / Academics & Social Development organizations in Peace Building & Conflict transformation. What will distinguish the project participants will be the spirit of voluntarism & the commitment of linking education (both formal & experiential) with societal problem solving. The initiatives planned to achieve the goals of the project will focus on
> To Map & Develop From Southern India A Database Of Interested.
Young Leaders & Youth Organizations.
Universities & Institutions pursuing GandhianThought & Peace Science as a discipline.
Voluntary Social Development organizations implementing Peace Building Initiatives.
> To Commission Special Consultancies For Carrying Out Situational Analysis in
Peace education programmes & their implementation through Institutions of Higher Education.
Youth perceptions on Violence reduction & Peace Building.
> To design a short course on Violence Reduction & Peace Building in accordance with the Gandhian Philosophy for Youth pursuing higher education & leading voluntary organizations.
> To build upon both the above conceptual collaborations & implement three action -oriented projects. Areas the programmes will be built on:
> To organize a culminating Southern India Consultation on : Peace & Conflict Transformation: The Gandhian
perspective : Bringing together 50 leaders from five Southern States, representing Young leaders, Gandhian Thinkers / Academics and Voluntary Social Development organizations.
> To Evaluate, Document, Share & Disseminate the experience of thinking & working together.
The driving hope andidea hehindthis initiative is that engaging leaders,
youth, academics, development workers & active citizens in an 'Ontergenerational Collaboration' hasedon the gandhian modelof "Peace "Building will unleash new opportunities for the holistic development of our communities and building peace loving youth leadership.
Making available a Directory of young leaders, Gandhian thinkers, Academics & Voluntary Social Development Organizations working on peace building in the Southern part of India.
Development of a course curriculum on Violence Reduction & Peace Building in accordance with the Gandhian Philosophy for Youth, to be used by universities, Gandhian institutions, and organizations engaged in youth development work.
Exposure for 100 leaders to current initiatives and Gandhian perspectives on peace building.
Implementation of 3 action oriented small grant programs and gaining experiences in best practices of peace building.
Organizing of a National Seminar where the sharing of experience would help in furthering initiatives for violence reduction and peace building.The proceedings of the seminar can be compiled for a publication.
"What do I want- to achieve?
To this I answer myself, what I have been
striving and finding to achieve the self realization
to see God face to face and see God through people. In sharing my experiments, I claim for them nothing more than what a Scientist does. As he conducts his experiments with atmost accuracy,forethought and minuteness, never claiming any finality of his conclusions, but keeping an open all to go through deep introspectionss and analyze every situation to the best of our ability.........
"May each of us be the change we want to see in the world".
> Mapping of institutions, leaders & networks currently engaged in or interested in Peace Building Initiatives.
> Situational Analysis of
Peace education programmes in Institutions of Higher Education.
Youth perception of Violence reduction & Peace Building.
> Informed Action including youth education & collaboration for action-oriented projects & networking.
> learning Together to capture the communicative dimension. Technology enabled knowledge products will allow learners to work together, independent of place and time. Public Education would be an important vehicle of the learning process.
> Ensuring Diversity & People's Participation.
> Using Shanti Ashram's experience & expertise in the area of Peace-building over two decades, operating through programmes & collaborations at the local, national & International levels, will help enable successful project execution.
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Promoting andencouraging trans-disciplinary reflection and ethical implication of violence reduction & peace building and their impact on the society.
SHANTI ASHRAMwas founded in 1986 by Dr. M. Aram & Mrs. Minoti Aram along with fellow Gandhians based on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and his vision of Sarvodaya.' Since its inception, the Ashram's activities have expanded
over the past two decades, now including 8 program areas and over 60 projects 8c ongoing programmes allowing for closer interactions with people, communities, institutions & governments
Youth Leadership Program
Shanti Ashram's commitment to engaging youth in community development work finds expression in the youth leadership section of the Ashram. Organizational, programmatic and resource suppport to the youth section has been high on the Ashram's agenda for the past two decades. The section organizes leadership building programs, vocational training, fund raising & out reach programs for youth at the local, national and international levels.
Sangamam finds convergence with the following National Council of Rural NCRI Institute's objectives:
To encourage other educational institutions and voluntary agencies to develop in accordance with Gandhian Philosphy of education.
To strengthen teacher training facilities for Gandhian Value centered education.
Encourage field oriented courses of rural institutes.
To promote research as a tool for social and rural development.
To promote extension services to the community through micro level planning.
