Myself and some others are planning a summer program for young NRI's (ages 18-24). The following is the "Concept Document". There are definitely many opportunities to get involved (could be paid), including:
- Coordinator for the entire 6-week program - 1 batch or both batches (be with the group for the entire time)
- Logistical planning in India - travel, lodging, food, first-aid, emergency planning, cost estimation, etc.
InSPIRE is a 6-week long immersion program that reconnects young Indians from abroad to India. The goal is for the participants to re-evaluate their aspirations as they explore and challenge their assumptions about themselves and their relationship with the world around them.
The program will be launched at the end of May 2007. In the first year, there will be two different batches with 20 to 30 participants in each batch. The prospective dates are: 26th May to 8th July, and 7th August to 19th September. The participants will be between the ages of 18 and 24.
BackgroundOver the past years, there seems to be a growing trend for Indian youth abroad to want to come back to India for various reasons. Some want to give back to their ‘motherland’. Others want to understand what it means to be “Indian”. There are those that want to explore spirituality, and those that want to tour the land and travel. Whatever the reason, many young Indians abroad seem to have the desire to come to India.
In the United States and countries of the “West”, NRIs’ understanding of India usually comes from what’s in the news and from the perspectives of their families. Many other perspectives that are closer to the ground reality are often missed.
In the “West” and in Indian city life today we are often unaware of what goes into producing the goods and services that we consume, and shielded from the consequences of our actions. All we know is what happens at the point of consumption, not aware of the before or after.
College students are at the period of life when they are deciding what their next step will be – career, post-graduation, social work, etc. Many times they feel that their options are limited.
Vision/Purpose
We’d like to create a space and open up avenues to help figure out what to do with our lives and why. This experience would enable us to explore what it means to be Indian by seeing India through a different lens and engaging in mutual learning and sharing process with various communities/NGOs in India. Through these experiences, we hope that participants will be able to recognize and re-discover one’s relationship with India. As we explore and understand our aspirations and our interrelatedness we anticipate a sense of personal responsibility being developed that eventually leads to a global consciousness. This program also aims at building a fluid network of young Indians to continually share ideas, visions and thoughts leading to inspiration, exploration of aspirations and Self-understanding, which will lead towards positive collective action.
Exploration -> Understanding -> Integrity and Personal Responsibility -> Global Consciousness and Productive, Collective Action
ItineraryWe are going to attempt to realize our vision through a process of self-exploration. This exploration will be instigated by exposures, sessions, examination of various issues in India from multiple perspectives, readings, films, dialogues and activities that develop personal responsibility. At each “site”, we will also figure out ways to add something of value back to the organization, cause, and/or community.
Delhi: 4 days
Introductions of participants, and of the program. Orientation. Expectations. Cultural context. Interacting with college counterparts and various connected movements. Looking at social, environmental, developmental and other urban concerns and inspirational work by people within their own communities.
Doing this through:
- Manzil
- Yamuna Walk
- Beyond Borders, Pravah, etc.
- CSE
- Hazard Centre
Coca-Cola Factory, Benares: 5 days
Exploring interrelatedness of major corporations, economic globalization, environmental issues, social issues, local and indigenous lifestyle and one’s aspirations in the US and in India
- Interactions with those involved in the protest, villagers affected by the factory, and people from the factory to represent the Coca-Cola viewpoint.
Narmada Dam, MP, NBA: 7 days
Looking at multiple perspectives of development
- Specifically at development of dams
- Effect on indigenous population
- Benefits of dams: irrigation and power
Manav Sadhna, Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad: 7 days
Experiencing the ‘spirit’ of service being lived and feeling the power of relationships, love and positive thought. Becoming inspired
- Discussions
- Doing service work
- Meeting other NRI’s who are involved with work in India.
SIDH: 14 days
Interactive sessions about decolonisation and Gandhi; exploration of the Self, the other, society, nature and the inter-relations of each; supplementing this through learning from exposure to village life; re-looking at the purpose of education; introduction to Yoga and meditation; exploring our own sense of responsibility and contribution through regular productive work; tuning into our senses through activities such as rafting and trekking in nature.
Understanding the importance of being aware of what you’re consuming, where it comes from, what it does – to you and others. Exploring the connectedness and range of impact of our lives. Looking anew at our concepts of development and our aspirations.
Bija Vidhyapeeth: 3 days
Looking into farming issues in India
- Workshop on the Green Revolution, BT Cotton, farmer suicides, use of pesticides and fertilizers, possibilities of organic farming and it’s benefits, environmentally sustainable living
- discussion – where does our food actually come from? what does it contain?
- Participation in organic farming; trainings, such as compost making, gardening, etc.
Delhi: 2 days
- Evaluation, feedback
Contact UsIf you want more information, have ideas, or would like to join us, please contact us.
Email: Raj -
rkanani@gmail.com, Asha -
ashabpatel@gmail.com Phone: Chaiti - 09873977582
things wont change unless you want them to ..and then again change for changes sake ..is well, a fart we have all smelt...There has to be an ultimate aim ..an awareness...what do you want to change and how do you want to change it. Do you want to revolt..well try it...revolutions only make good stories.
My point is this... Reacting to things and circumstances wont get you anywhere. We have to act.NOt react.
P.SThinking is a natrual process everybody does it. Its what you think that makes the difference. What are you thinking ??
8:02 PM
well ... i kind of agree to what amitabh said .. if u let us know what .. u really think .. we may togeather .. come to a solution and check out ..whether it balances most of our accountable equations or not..
10:05 PM
i dont think i am prepared for a revolution...i might dream about it but in the end its cold reality which plays the spoilsport...i think right now its all about what i want to do further in life...i hv chosen to become an engineer because i thought that i liked it...still do...at least i hope so...so far so good..its what i want to do after it...just go with the flow and become a clog in some company working ur ass off(cant help that either)...or do something more meaningful(read risky)....but its the rick which frightens me the most..what if i later realize the catch wasnt worth the bait??
12:30 AM
its been all over me lately...honestly...i have thought abt plans which i thought were rock solid...nothing could come in their way....still i think they are holdin off....but is that happines apparent or real??
that is the crux of the matter
12:49 AM
I like the idea -- we're looking for "evolution, not revolution". The difference to me is that in "revolution" the change is sudden, and may end up being for good or bad. "Evolution" is a change, but it's a slower, more natural process... and in its meaning, you are moving forward, progressing.
I, myself, have started becoming more aware of the subtler things in my life - I was at a "hi-fi" event, and we were eating food, chatting, etc. But, i felt discomfort... there were all these people around me that were working, cooking the food, serving the food, putting back the chairs, etc... doing physical work. And here I was standing, and chatting. And, most of us that were standing and chatting would think that our "mental activity" was more important than the worker's "physical activity". And, I thought.. I'm just a consumer, I don't produce anything.
At that moment, I looked for a friend to go help out with the work. I asked one person, he refused. Then, I asked Sameer.. and he came along with me. Basically, there was only one thing left to clean up... pick up and put in the van. So, I helped out.
However, the process started. I felt uncomfortable, and I was aware of this discomfort. That was step 1. Step 2 was being able to act on this discomfort (which I partly was able to do). Step 3, I think is being able to act right away and naturally whenever there is discomfort. Step 4 is creating situations and spaces, and planning for the future, where we rid ourselves of these discomforts, and live according to Understanding.
I've definitely oversimplified it. These steps don't always go in chronological order and can also be simaltaneous. Also, with different aspects of Reality/Truth, we may be at different stages. Already in our lives, we live according to many aspects of Truth. Also, there are many aspects which we have no awareness of.
Continual sharing, continual exploration, continual awareness, continual efforts to put 'understanding' into action... for me, this is my path.
4:07 PM
I agree with raj. Till late the feeling of discomfort would be apparent. Lets call it awareness. But awareness alone wont lead to anothing , its the application of that awareness in the terms of work and baehaviour that is important .And once I began applying myself to erase my discomfort, then the actual process began ...
Siddhartha feeling that cold life spoils the party is because of a lack of implementation. Try once ..in the smallest of things ..the pettiest of habits. Try to think it through and change it as an excercise...I think we realise how much control we have over our life..
And once that realisation seeps in , the process begins I think.
to put it into a nutshell ..I feel that this is philosiphy/school of thought etc..that works from micro to macro. From personal to social and then so on ..so to bring about a change in the larger order..we need to first understand and change our selves.