tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57212704747960667752024-03-13T09:53:25.967+05:30Samanvaya News RoomThis Blog provides you with updates on the happenings at Samanvaya. More details are available at the Samanvaya Website - www.samanvaya.comSamanvaya Indiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14602383119628695441noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-16990481956172550652022-11-18T23:53:00.000+05:302022-11-18T23:53:11.888+05:30Presentation to the 1st year students on Green Enterprises in MSSW - 18th Nov 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='614' height='494' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx6DB9e_BV2MnPu850rFLWBMu0giSe2VqIrPPM5N3D-K0sOc41pfPGnBxNixfOvjuRaZaZZVR_1fVcUblJupA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com032, CASA Major Rd, Sulaiman Zackria Avenue, Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600008, India13.0711246 80.2524474-15.239109236178846 45.096197399999994 41.381358436178843 115.4086974tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-15995956280787981712022-11-14T11:07:00.003+05:302022-11-14T11:07:48.923+05:30a request and a quick response...on Circular Economy<p>Recently I was asked by a govt. agency in Tamil Nadu to participate in a short introductory meeting on how to promote a #CircularEconomy idea within the state, what forms of systems and policies needs to be put in place. </p><p>In the meeting I realized that the basic challenge is with achieving a common understanding and ensuring that people agree on what is pragmatic approach to take within the typical govt. implementation challenges. </p><p>Normally i will send such notes to govt. with a prayer and forget it. but this time was different. i have been teaching Circular Economy as part of diverse alternate economies that have emerged across the world to the current global capitalist model. i profile 12 such models and look at their pros and cons based on available material. This I have built over a period of time as part of the Introductory Course on Green Economy that I offer to colleges and universities. What i put together as a quick note to the govt. is basically expand one part of the classroom material and add a couple of more slides exclusively for the govt. </p><p>A friend suggested that this time I should share the same with a wider audience so that people know that this is available as an option. apparently govt. departments everywhere are crazy about the term ''circular economy'' now. </p><p>so, here is a short video that doesn't pretend to be comprehensive, but, as a conversation starter...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='607' height='504' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzC-Kj8e_ivD5D3b4oUVppBum4cZocHyHwVPmpP_E4bmBzHF3oh3wuZjiJYIPZWGY4AqV5wdT4wKVq87rJ8VA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><i>p.s.: images have been taken from what's available online</i></p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-89034840912209880982022-03-30T23:55:00.002+05:302022-03-30T23:55:48.312+05:30Ticking time till we lose water and food...<p> <iframe height="300" src="https://www.theworldcounts.com/embed/challenges/113?background_color=white&color=black&font_family=%22Helvetica+Neue%22%2C+Arial%2C+sans-serif&font_size=18" style="border: none;" title="Earth running out of freshwater" width="800"></iframe>
<iframe title='Earth running out of food' src='https://www.theworldcounts.com/embed/challenges/112?background_color=white&color=black&font_family=%22Helvetica+Neue%22%2C+Arial%2C+sans-serif&font_size=18' style='border: none' height='300' width='800'></iframe></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-78357264766495111702021-08-14T08:15:00.004+05:302021-08-14T08:15:49.576+05:3011th Samanvaya Freedom Lecture: 14th Aug 2021<p class="MsoNormal">As a Nation and Society since last year, the
Pandemic has given us many lessons. While the Healthcare professionals
have come much into the limelight thanks to media houses and social
media that has highlighted their work in great detail, the civil society
that responds to every challenge represents the will of the ordinary
people who are willing to step out and do extra ordinary work. Voluntary
work that ordinary citizens often initiate without worrying about the
nature of the challenges or their agreement or dis-agreement as its
causes, who is responsible or what may be the consequences. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">This year we bring to the focus one such individual, <b>Mr. Thilak Raj.</b>
He has been at the forefront of supporting the migrants returning back
to their native places here in Chennai, facilitating their long arduous
journey last year, by organizing a support system. This was the first
phase of the pandemic. The second phase saw Thilak reach out to those
who were struggling to find hospital beds, guidance in the hospitals,
oxygen cylinders, etc., with a civil society initiative that brought
together several organizations to create a support structure and
network. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2_WasW0LDpfKJBF3x_-XV_6qngyCnAhyphenhyphenKXNz2y5TtkkAv-93stez4Fi26KENyCQjKfKkZdc2jhsdCUgdsd8FErV0dn4Nk1pv8hhX-ffqtEe6XVG_f6F-QqT2S2Jsly_lgThI1Ifl1K14/s843/196326304_4174724395943835_4607391395431192598_n.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2_WasW0LDpfKJBF3x_-XV_6qngyCnAhyphenhyphenKXNz2y5TtkkAv-93stez4Fi26KENyCQjKfKkZdc2jhsdCUgdsd8FErV0dn4Nk1pv8hhX-ffqtEe6XVG_f6F-QqT2S2Jsly_lgThI1Ifl1K14/w400-h400/196326304_4174724395943835_4607391395431192598_n.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">He
has not been articulating the challenges of the migrants or for that
matter the problems faced by the patients at length or writing about
them on social media even. He has managed to work through this period
and provide support like most people would do, only at a much larger
scale. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">On the 14<sup>th</sup>
evening, we will have Thilak reflecting on what are his thoughts on
Freedom. What does Freedom mean in the context of the Pandemic and
capacity of the individual citizen to create and manage support
structures. He will be introduced by another old friend of Samanvaya, <b>Mr. Ananthasayanan</b>
of the Organic Farmer’s Market and ReStore fame. Ananthoo had written
about Thilak’s effort last year when he had shared his own effort to
reach out to the returnee migrants, Ananthoo records how when he and a
couple of others were trying to reach out the migrants, Thilak was
already in the field offering them food and other needs.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p>Freedom
is all about celebrating the capacity of the ordinary citizens in any
country to initiate and sustain changes through humane action or
creativity to benefit everyone. An expression of freedom during
polarized political times often gets to be construed as either being
with or against someone or other. Let’s celebrate Freedom of the Citizen
to act humanely this Independence Day. In compliance with the current
times, we are organizing this programme as an online one. Do please use
the link below to log in to the session between 5pm and 6.30 pm.</p><p> </p><p><b><u> Previous Samanvaya Freedom Lecture Details</u></b></p><ol style="text-align: justify;"><li>1st
Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Creator of Rural Spiritual Cultural
Institution, Swami Ananthanandaji of Ulundurpet Sri Sarada Ashram,
Presided over by Dr. A.V. Balasubramaniam, CIKS, Chennai</li><li>2nd Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Organic Farmer Late Sri. Puliyangudi Gomathinayagam, Presided over by late M.V.Murugappan</li><li>3rd
Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Rural Herbal and Home Garden Creator, Smt.
Kasthuri Akka, Presided over by Sri. Muthuvelayudham, CCD, Madurai</li><li>4th
Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Volunteers Network Coordinator Sri.
J.Prabhakar, Ennangal in Sangamam, Presided over by Dr.Badrinath of
Sankara Nethralaya</li><li>5th Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Educationist Ms..L.S.Saraswathi, Presided over by Dr.Annamalai, Director Gandhi Study Cente</li><li>6th Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by r Rural Alternate Educationist Smt. Meenakshi, Puvi dhan, Presided over by Smt. Parimala Rao</li><li>7th
Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Steward of Forests, Sri. Joss Brooks,
Presided over by late Sri. Dattratri, City Planner, Chennai</li><li>8th Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Dr. Sai Lakshmi, Ekam Foundation and Presided over by Smt. Shreya, MD of Malladi Brothers</li><li>9th
Samanvaya Freedom Lecture by Ms. Aparna Nagesh of Dark is Beautiful
Campaign, Ms. Nandhini, Volunteer along with Dr. V. Suresh of PUCL under
the title 'Small is Beautiful'</li><li>10th Samanvaya Freedom Lecture
by Swami Vimurthananda, currently head of the Ramakrishna Math in
Tanjavur on the occasion of the 150th birth centenary year of Swami
Vivekananda.<br /></li></ol><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-67388428125073821172021-01-20T00:30:00.006+05:302021-01-20T00:30:08.655+05:30Hope & Promise: Gandhi 151 Dialogue - Interview with American Climate Organizer & Activist, Ania Wright<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/2RI1xdKe4XE" width="480"></iframe><div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, Noto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, Noto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">USA has just gone through a serious political crisis and it is not over as yet. While they may have a new Government as you read this today, the politics in recent weeks has left many across the world shocked. And yet, America inspires hope in several ways. In the middle of the worst pandemic in which 25 million Americans have been affected, several stories of neighbourhoods, people helping each other and generosity has come up. In the midst of a political crisis, the voices of sanity, of peace and non-violence has sprung up. In the middle of last year's major protests during the Black Lives Matter movement, several new ideas, questions, challenges were posed by the country and its citizens to itself and many have transpired into policies and initiatives and perhaps the most diverse colored government takes oath today as that country tries to eclipse the diverse power centres that visibly held sway for some years.
It was in this context that I interviewed <b>Ms. Ania Wright</b>, an young Climate activist from Bar Harbour on the east coast of the USA facilitated by Gray Cox. Her concerns, ideas and thoughts are representative of her generation and truly something that can inspire youth everywhere.
Ania Wright, 23, a climate organizer and activist. Her list of initiatives includes serving as the Youth Representative to the Maine Climate Council; helping found both Maine Youth for Climate Justice and the Downeast Climate Emergency Action Coalition; and co-authoring the Climate Justice Syllabus. Ania’s involvement in climate organizing stems from her desire to address issues of climate change with a just and equitable framework. She advocates for changes that will address the effects of climate change that are disproportionately felt by low-income and marginalized communities. Ania’s work at global, state, and local levels has allowed her to gain the knowledge and skills to translate the global issue of climate change to local and state action. More about her work here - </span><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, Noto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.brookieawards.org/ania </span><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); font-family: Roboto, Noto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
This interview was recorded couple of months ago and was to be published earlier, however due to some technical challenges at my end I couldn't do so. But, the current US election results and its associated change provides for a better opportunity to hear to younger voices. So, I am happy to present this interview as one voice of freshness that highlights in that battered country, Hope and Promise. Here is wishing them a speedy healing and peaceful economic recovery into a path of responsible global presence.
-- Ram, 20/01/2021</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-13337780579195547012021-01-02T10:13:00.000+05:302021-01-02T10:13:02.146+05:30A Note as you plan the New Year 2021 - Heal the Planet, Heal the People...<p><b>Prof. Samdong Rinpoche </b>has been one of the leading wise voices for the planet for a long time. It was a surprise to receive a note of New Year wishes from him that is timely and emphasizing the needs of the world currently. </p><p>Happy to share the same herewith. </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;" wfd-id="0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfFAKWQYb9I8jLHRsVNGHTZ0wzQZrI_JLbq9uZ-ZdGon9t3vxXcCNQualf9L5EL2lb6njy9Pz1PI2Tyuc1kDyGHvQhAWlEkP2JyDY5J7n3t4bU3HQZFrOF2gvAUzITRipUYmNSPE6jWgj/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfFAKWQYb9I8jLHRsVNGHTZ0wzQZrI_JLbq9uZ-ZdGon9t3vxXcCNQualf9L5EL2lb6njy9Pz1PI2Tyuc1kDyGHvQhAWlEkP2JyDY5J7n3t4bU3HQZFrOF2gvAUzITRipUYmNSPE6jWgj/s16000/image.png" /></a></div>Note: All emphasis in the text is mine and not part of his message.<p></p><p>- Ram, 02/01/2020</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-67116030812486429672021-01-01T12:05:00.003+05:302021-01-01T12:05:23.345+05:30JOIN HANDS - Reflecting on 2020 and Welcoming 2021: An Online event by Samanvaya<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmVWbP1hexCQiV9f9CpcPSCrzLHkPQE3pSYMcylhD6BCVz7usUQuZoun9NrOAWCoScjapqdVzTY9BTeMN9OQCOdFU0dXOhVnFwmR5zrSjO58X9NmHYhErSmxjCuR-zUJm0veyw-wZZ-DT/s2050/Add+a+heading+%25283%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="2050" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmVWbP1hexCQiV9f9CpcPSCrzLHkPQE3pSYMcylhD6BCVz7usUQuZoun9NrOAWCoScjapqdVzTY9BTeMN9OQCOdFU0dXOhVnFwmR5zrSjO58X9NmHYhErSmxjCuR-zUJm0veyw-wZZ-DT/w640-h244/Add+a+heading+%25283%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p>Samanvaya Team wishes everyone a healthy, peaceful and powerful 2021. Let all honest, peaceful and ethical forces across the world gain strength and power this year and let the forces that weaken the planet, that reduce our being human and which contributes to distrust and divisiveness amongst people and animals be removed from the collective human conscience and action.</p><p>The end of the year 7 hour long reflective online exercise was wonderful with a combination of insights, experience sharing and a great amount of warmth and honesty. Here is the video for the same in case you have missed it. </p><p><br /></p><p><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="429" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsamanvayaconsulting%2Fvideos%2F2256700551141527%2F&show_text=true&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-49288596662777871362020-12-31T20:02:00.001+05:302021-01-08T16:50:14.466+05:30Talking about Ahimsa (and many other things)...Reflection of 2020 and Looking Forward to 2021 with Rajni Bakshi<p> It was perhaps in the early days of being introduced to the alternate sector in the late 90s or early 2000s that I was introduced to the amazing book called <b>Bapu Kuti </b>by <b>Rajni Bakshi</b>. It had profiles some of the most amazing people who were making a big impact already in the country. We were fortunate to meet up with some of those in the book and work with a few of them as well. </p><p>But I had not met with the Rajni Bakshi till early 2019. In fact, I saw her name appear in an online group couple of years ago. It was in Jan 2019 when she came to the Vikalp Sangam meeting in Auroville that I actually got to meet with her. A serious scholar, she was hanging out with another one of her generations heroes for me, <b>Uma Shankari</b>. </p><p>While in the office she recorded an interview with with me as part of the <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC63Bx1fQYOkCEom93k4T2tg" target="_blank">Ahimsa conversations </a></b>that she was having. Of course, due to background sounds and poor recording quality, we had to do it again and the same is <a href="https://youtu.be/_-HvezcRfPY" target="_blank">online now</a>. The Ahimsa Conversation kept coming in my inbox continuously and it was amazing to watch some of the most inspiring people have this conversation with her bring out nuances on several domains of human activity. She has completed close to 45 by the end of the year and she has been the most consistent producer of any activity as for as I was concerned in the otherwise challenging year 2020. So, when I wanted to gather the reflections of several people, she was the first person I could think of. To consistently produce a series of interviews and recordings is amazing. </p><p>So, I asked her for an interview with her and wanted it to be a reflection on the overall programme as well. It was an amazing ramble of a conversation full of several insights and interesting ways to move forward. <a href="https://youtu.be/m2Q2lE3CglA" target="_blank">Here is the video</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-67280212979155359922020-10-12T17:12:00.001+05:302020-10-12T17:12:18.702+05:30the best memoir of 2020"so you came to flaunt how rich you are, living among all these amazing people", commented LC Jain when i met him physically the last time in Bengaluru. I had taken an amazing voluntary network coordinator with me to meet him. I had visited him couple of times earlier, once met his wife, Devaki, briefly when I had been to his place for lunch with my wife. Among the many materials he had sent me as reference for my work were one lecture by her. She was charming when we met and made great sense when I read her lecture. In <a href="tel:+442006">2006</a>, when Dharampalji died he sent a personally written note for the memorial meeting we organised in Chennai. When he passed away in Delhi, it was a personal loss because I learnt much even within the short duration.<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br>So, when I ordered this book it was with an expectation that was personal as well as professional. It arrived yesterday and I haven't put it down yet.<br><br>What a remarkable life! It is one thing to be born into an upper class south indian family with privileges as a girl, it is expected in this case that you will be impacted by the culture and surrounding, both limiting and empowering. There are so few who rebel from that clutches of successes and imprisonment. Even fewer who dare to take live in their stride and live it queen size. Devaki Jain is phenomenal.<br><br>Her matter of fact writing has avowed literary figures, giant of intellectuals, national leaders, rebels, Noble laureates appear and disappear as side cast in a remarkable sequence of human engagement, full of life and zest for it.<br><br>India attaining Independence, Gandhi assassination and her father's meeting with him just the day before, Nehru's orientation to Soviet way of politics and the political response, the economic relevance of the boodhaan movement and the long walk of Vinobha, the emergency and Janata experiment, Africa and it's post colonial struggles, the global 'south women' and their bonding and sharing, all worthy of volumes of memoirs i am sure are said as a backdrop for romantic engagements, human dialogues, kisses and child birth, oil baths and swimming suits, accidents and trouble shooting, getting caught in strange situations and stepping out of them, dialogues... everywhere through this remarkably fast paced book is the continued spirit for life and simple aesthetics of trying to make the most of it, a passion for love and life to all of humanity.<br><br>There is no pretension or preachiness, only a sharing with honesty and matter of fact. I felt like an elder sitting and sharing her life story with much laughter interspersed. I think this is the most remarkable memoir of this year to my knowledge, and i have used the best part of the pandemic to sitting at home reading books and gaining weight.<br><br>This will be my choice of gift to all the young women around me, particularly from the upper class south indian english educated privileged backgrounds around me in south Chennai. Many of whom don't even dare to imagine a life half as adventerous as Devaki did, sacrificing their rebel spirit in the altar of parental reverence and spousal commitment. If this book can create more imagination, it can lead to better leaders emerging in our midst.<br><br>The images and words that I am left with as i put the book down, is a kiss in a dark alley in Delhi, a hand that clutches life of love struggling to breathe. My respect to late Sri Jain goes many more rungs higher even as i hopelessly am in love with his wife now.<div><br></div><div>Ram, 12/10/2020</div><div><br><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/9389958679?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_KrdIoshJFxq8L" data-ogsc="">https://www.amazon.in/dp/9389958679?ref=cm_sw_em_r_rw_mw_KrdIoshJFxq8L</a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-28620651177049779642020-08-15T17:28:00.000+05:302020-08-15T17:28:19.392+05:30Samanvaya completes 22 yrs. - Special Newsletter on 15th Aug 2020.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhJPQMkljliEA_-NMG0k3slrFkvtvgqsJaRHvXPpqXMXqCw5Tvhe0bjPWjsL4EOvbT2UDHaAMemH_lyZKVsILO3S30TdfDviSI2JYIN83i-LMoXfCLCbsIt4OgK8gwDB2dHcDAJEqAesC/s2000/1-15th+august+2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhJPQMkljliEA_-NMG0k3slrFkvtvgqsJaRHvXPpqXMXqCw5Tvhe0bjPWjsL4EOvbT2UDHaAMemH_lyZKVsILO3S30TdfDviSI2JYIN83i-LMoXfCLCbsIt4OgK8gwDB2dHcDAJEqAesC/s640/1-15th+august+2020.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXev_DcphhEPcFDyYw8RyD2hEDwZUhZppMrDilBIYIBEbb6SQYEMEPdYVezGzbQLx3vMLNuoBllb0HhxKSq1XEGYN2lJZPZegOmoBB9HJV-TOEMhEt1Oon0TTla12s5tojqn0xadNEwZqY/s2000/2-15th+august+2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXev_DcphhEPcFDyYw8RyD2hEDwZUhZppMrDilBIYIBEbb6SQYEMEPdYVezGzbQLx3vMLNuoBllb0HhxKSq1XEGYN2lJZPZegOmoBB9HJV-TOEMhEt1Oon0TTla12s5tojqn0xadNEwZqY/s640/2-15th+august+2020.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91eSFF5cxODGWQPWmGdPDc3lL3L-UP5hbzFGp_7YjssvEAkqMXYVHGnu5vDbXfC2JCZVF5JPGM1gzF3B0ZPssNVU8j1RhleisQFN7ZAKJZM88JgdDjYVlr9mEDI-F8GxIwp9wI9pRsNfy/s2000/3-15th+august+2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91eSFF5cxODGWQPWmGdPDc3lL3L-UP5hbzFGp_7YjssvEAkqMXYVHGnu5vDbXfC2JCZVF5JPGM1gzF3B0ZPssNVU8j1RhleisQFN7ZAKJZM88JgdDjYVlr9mEDI-F8GxIwp9wI9pRsNfy/s640/3-15th+august+2020.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoDDs1T_HNVV1ZlJQSZMDW-grAMPRrh1ByJfkNNz2F8X7j49J0CEXRmrc1kBnXc27aIIkDY2PBm56Y-OZo8punTDepBQpSEKmkVvN5oldPoEtcB6q8idGTW_ldhbKB5WqC8lfeXy2MKyp/s2000/4-15th+august+2020.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1414" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoDDs1T_HNVV1ZlJQSZMDW-grAMPRrh1ByJfkNNz2F8X7j49J0CEXRmrc1kBnXc27aIIkDY2PBm56Y-OZo8punTDepBQpSEKmkVvN5oldPoEtcB6q8idGTW_ldhbKB5WqC8lfeXy2MKyp/s640/4-15th+august+2020.png" /></a></div> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-76950341373839535402020-06-13T09:40:00.002+05:302020-06-13T10:01:26.038+05:30Snippets: Ahimsa Conversation # 15 Ramasubramanian Oruganti<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CpxTDYlJkFo" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;" wfd-id="2">Snippets of conversations on Ahimsa, it was great to have this conversation with Rajni Bakshi. Though the first conversation was recorded under better environment in the middle of moving around and having lunch together in Sustainable Livelihood Institute in early January, due to disturbing nature of the audio we had to re-record the interview again during the lock down in the more sedentary position with me sitting in my cluttered home office....The full conversation is already<a href="https://youtu.be/_-HvezcRfPY"> available on youtube</a> alongside these snippets. </div><div style="text-align: justify;" wfd-id="1"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;" wfd-id="0"><br /></div><br /><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-54429022455809910422019-08-15T08:34:00.003+05:302019-08-15T08:34:31.638+05:30Samanvaya at 21...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Freedom consistently defined our work culture at Samanvaya. We have always been free to pursue whatever we felt was important at a given point in time. Almost always it had to do with social causes, organizations and initiatives and more recently institutions.<br />
<br />
Looking back to 1998 when we started Samanvaya, I wonder today, whether we had an element of "Patriotism"? or to what extent it was a motivation for us. A honest reply is, "I don't think it mattered", we were happy to experiment working for social causes through a consulting firm. Yes there was inspiration through reading of Vivekananda and Aurobindo to some extent, Gandhi came much later. But, there was no need to justify ourselves with some form of badge or another when we started, all our knowledge on Indian history, studying of India's past 400 years of historical research, our own research on communities and their strengths and extended work with villages came much later. When we started, we had very less requirements (that continues even today) and even lesser money. We were very happy and felt free enough to do whatever we felt was important.<br />
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We chose whom we worked with freely, regardless of whether they were big or small, regardless of their politics and ideology, whether they paid us or not, only one thing mattered - whether we were comfortable with the idea and if it had a larger benefit to humanity. It is this quest for freedom that gave us the flexibility to shut down work and volunteer time and again for various causes, whether it be disaster relief or safe food campaigns. We always found inspiring people who were happy to work with us without much effort which we counted as a blessing.<br />
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Freedom at work, meant no restricts to express our convictions, be creative, to critic, to appreciate, to collaborate, to contribute, shape, laugh, love and participate. When we wanted to organize an annual event on our birthday, i.e., Aug 15th, we chose to do away with the regular self-congratulatory kind of event and instead honoured grassroot workers through the annual "Samanvaya Freedom Lectures", inviting them to articulate freedom in their life and work. Articulating Freedom was as important as freedom to choose whom to work with or what issue to work on.<br />
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Today, the sector itself has become far more complex and gaining understanding on any one aspect means gaining knowledge in several domains. However, the eco-system to freely work in the social sector has started to shrink. I see this happening in the following ways:<br />
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a. there is a <b>continued effort to 'fix' responsibility </b>for all social issues - political, social, ecological or economical. we accepted issues as a challenge, now to blame someone seems to be important rather than resolve issues. divisive strategies benefits most in such situations as clever corporate houses, political parties, faith leaders, all create the image of the "other" with all negative attributes and serve them in different styles and sizes to fit lazy minds<br />
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b. <b>history is no longer a boring subject </b>in our university, every second fellow is an amateur history professor with selective amnesia, picking facts from history that can be exaggerated to justify current political positions or mis-adventures. in fact in many cases, trading selective historical facts is seen as actually addressing an issue, not actually solving it these days<br />
<br />
c. <b>you don't need </b>to have any qualification, comprehension, commitment or continued work to form an informed opinion on social issues, all you need is a social media account. We have keyboard pygmies jabbering text with random labels and call that an opinion and demand responses in the name of fair play.<br />
<br />
d. <b>violence is accepted as a norm</b>. we used to look at non-violence as a fundamental Indian idea. now, everyone finds different scaffolding of chosen facts and myth to justify violence of various kinds inflicted on 'others'. if i write "ahimsa paramo dharma" today, i will be blamed by the right wingers stating that we need weapons and attitude of violence to protect ourselves, by the left wingers to justify 'protecting' people from the State violence, the regionalists for quoting a sanskrit text, some nationalists for daring to quote a sanskrit text, by the warmongers because they think violence is an extended video game and by the senior citizen middle class with their children abroad, because they need something more exciting than the daily news headlines as a laxative as they sit constipated in their sense of irrelevance<br />
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e. <b>patriotism needs to be expressed in symbolic ways </b>rather than serious commitment, a large flag of the Nation flutters in every railway station and airport now, anthem before every movie, i often wonder in a free country, why is there a need to keep emphasizing this Nationhood so much? certainly in the last 20 years I haven't seen any great new threats to the country except greed of the consumers and the exploitative corporate houses with their conniving babu-neta nexus. but, symbolism is used to blind us of this greed and make us part of it, plastic flags to adorn every car front, biryani parties for and extra purchases, preferably in 'discounted' price on all national holidays is the new allegiance to the nation.<br />
<br />
Obviously, these are not limited to social sector issues alone today. The growing urban middle class with dispensable income, secure bank balance, children and grand children's welfare taken care of with diverse investments, capacity to articulate, several social media accounts to boot and time to kill is setting the new national agenda of political and social discourse today. unfortunately, it ingests much of its information from the visual and social media and can be manipulated in its understanding and perception based on what is presented.<br />
<br />
While work in the social space calls for constant communication and articulation, one often finds oneself unprepared to the kind of responses it entails. Over the past few years I have seen a growing noise of intolerance that is not directed at any issue or stems from an ideology, rather it seems to be directed at this sector itself by a chorus of orchestrated idle minds controlled by media houses that are owned and operated to suit corporate interests.<br />
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Shrinking resources across the world means, there is a desperation to exploit more, faster and with lesser accountability. There is an ever increasing need for social sector initiatives and watch today as Nation States everywhere are succumbing in front of the corporate greed. An aware and articulate citizen or social sector organization is a pain in such instances. So, a new band of idle slaves have been indoctrinated through the greatest discovery of modern times perpetrated through the media today, 'the individual choice'. The 'individual' is today packaged through regulation, technology and markets. As citizen, user and consumer, the package defines us as an 'individual' and we seek and give allegiances, lead and follow other 'individual's (often politicians, gods or godmen who themselves are promoting corporate agenda), behave and sing and dance as one or several of the packaged idea of an 'individual'; complex issues and contexts and conflicts, are all shrunk to labels, that which we affix on people, with neither an understanding of the label nor the persons.<br />
<br />
Our times don't grant us the luxury to indulge in vanity fights over titles and papers. Yet, titles and papers are what we fight over, deceiving ourselves with exaggerated claims of threat or importance, often looping our fiction endlessly, seeking to alchemy it into reality. And in the meanwhile, Climate change gives the world a daily challenge of survival and choices to make, none easy. The consuming, entitle-claiming and gadget upgrading individual is far too pre-occupied to reconcile. Denial is not an excuse but a crime today.<br />
<br />
The greatest expression of freedom today seems to be a responsible life both in personal level and at the level of civil life. Responsible in choices we make, in the way we live, in work and in articulation. To work with social challenges today is to address issues for not a location or a community, but, to all of humanity as a whole. Every correction in the larger jigsaw is fixing that one piece of the puzzle, all the pieces are connected. but, to do this we need to escape the packaged 'individual' design that we are presented every day, to escape labels, to see beyond what is sold to us, to see through rhetoric and cynicism, to stay calm with criticism, to measure our own growth and happiness using measures other than growth of corporate markets sold from lecterns to us, to hold on to the idea of Indian ethos which made it one of the greatest civilization, not because it lacked internal issues, but, it evolved culture and systems at different times to address them, it produced great thinkers and workers among people in every century and decade who stood up to articulate to the world, a message of universal brotherhood, peace, love and co-existence. to understand that hatred and intolerance cannot be the legacy of this greatness, that much of it came from inclusiveness and capacity to accommodate, a message that was our inspiration when we started 21 years ago and which looks more relevant today. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-50862750101395043402019-05-01T17:24:00.000+05:302019-05-25T01:12:45.962+05:30Indian - Indian Dialogue: When Indians meet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #833c0b; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When Indians meet</span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #833c0b; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 128;">…An Encounter with the Native
America<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<i><span style="color: #538135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">Ramasubramanian</span></i><span style="color: #538135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #538135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"></span></i><br /><i><span style="color: #538135; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPtNryKDys2ct09w7LV3QPBv0agJJ1WNNdIIkkY4ZIDLwKIh4PUY0v2NkdxvjDOT2ujMb94_aKD6fOY7xIYkWRVe-_WMXSyjbMflxl51Kdc96gaMVxD5fyMrripSvDuqG0P0NRcpRJKxd/s1600/20181022_162025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPtNryKDys2ct09w7LV3QPBv0agJJ1WNNdIIkkY4ZIDLwKIh4PUY0v2NkdxvjDOT2ujMb94_aKD6fOY7xIYkWRVe-_WMXSyjbMflxl51Kdc96gaMVxD5fyMrripSvDuqG0P0NRcpRJKxd/s640/20181022_162025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: #833c0b; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 128;">During Oct-Nov 2018, I
visited the USA for 2 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition
to delivering a few lectures, I interacted with Indigenous American leaders and
thinkers for a dialogue that I call the ‘Indian – Indian Dialogue’. I was
trying to understand their world view, current situation, their struggles and
how they see the world in the context of today’s climate change crisis. In this
article, I highlight some of the salient aspects of the dialogue with the Native
Americans whom I got to meet. </span></i><span style="color: #833c0b; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>This article is informed by my dialogues
with native leaders, my own research, and my extensive conversations with my
colleague and host, Reverend Sara Jolena Wolcott, Director of <a href="http://sequoiasamanvaya.com/" target="_blank">Sequoia Samanvaya</a>,
who is actively engaging in changing the way Americans see their history. A
version of this article was first published in the April 2019 issue of The
Vedanta Kesari, monthly Vedantic magazine published by the Ramakrishna Math,
Chennai. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">America has been a great country and presents
itself today in a glorious manner and has become the aspiration for
hard-working people throughout the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The entire world has been impacted by American commerce, thinking,
culture, language, and its way of living and working and shared this “American
Dream.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet what is this dream, the
“American Way of Life,” really built upon? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality behind the “American Dream” story
is incomplete without the mention of the original inhabitants of the land.
These diverse peoples whose ancestors have lived on the North American
continent for millenia<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> are
alternatively described as “Native Americans,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Indigenous people,” “American Indians,” or
just “Indians” within America; the term “Indian Country” is often used by
Native Americans to refer to their own communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Canada, they are referred to as “First
Nations.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this article, I will use
the term Native American and, where appropriate, refer to individuals by their
tribes, or nations, of which they are a part. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Growing up in India, for me the Native
American story is limited to the few images of ‘Red Indians’ that were copied
from Hollywood movies <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in India and a few
other comic strips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little that I
got to read about the wisdom of the Native American people as a young person
and later with the advent of the search engine, led me to want to understand
them more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my conversations with
them, I find that under the surface of false histories and deep historical
wounds, America is also a land of myriad spiritual wealth and deeply generous,
open hearted indigenous peoples who are still offering their wisdom, the
possibility of sustainable lifestyles and their hospitality to visitors,
immigrants, and settlers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed to
me that there is much in resonance in their culture to our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also occurred to me that we in India never
get to read the real story of the Native Americans, their <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>encounters with the Europeans, their repeated
suppression, near annihilation, slavery, and their current situation, including
their challenges as citizens of the new American State, their land, farming and
food practices, sacred sites, wisdom, knowledge, livelihood, or any other
aspect of their lifestyle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With some understanding of the traditions of my
own land, I wanted to experience and understand the American land from the
Native American view point. It was particularly interesting for me to meet with
them considering the harsh treatment of immigrants being meted out in the USA
and the State’s policy towards refugees. Meeting several of the Native American
leaders, discussing larger challenges today, whether it be continued status of
neglect, suppression and marginalization in their society or their deep pride
and wisdom about their past and spiritual tradition, was an insightful learning
experience. That is what I outline in the rest of the article here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vivekananda never got a chance to meet with
Indians in America<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMwPvEITgEkH3BMBJyPCCxQxhckaJQFmKH-YZrgz8Faep0xc1NzXA6gt-uboWOQquie6oLoJM4rGoQpNE9ekxcs7tbfdoL7YITEwlXvv6XNTe-V_8GfobmvPD7VSmM8ky3s54Lpx8Cm25/s1600/sv-in-parl.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMwPvEITgEkH3BMBJyPCCxQxhckaJQFmKH-YZrgz8Faep0xc1NzXA6gt-uboWOQquie6oLoJM4rGoQpNE9ekxcs7tbfdoL7YITEwlXvv6XNTe-V_8GfobmvPD7VSmM8ky3s54Lpx8Cm25/s1600/sv-in-parl.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swami Vivekananda in the Parliament of<br />World Religions, Chicago, 1893</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">During the famous Parliament of World
Religions in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda’s universal inclusive message of
harmony of religions gained global attention, it is said that there were no
Native Americans present or invited to speak: ‘… despite sentiments of
universal fellowship expressed at the Parliament, there were no Native
Americans present except in the curiosities display of American Indians on the
fair’s midway. For many visitors, these Indians were as exotic as Vivekananda.
But no native elder or chief was invited to speak at the Parliament. Native
American lifeways were not yet seen as a spiritual perspective. Just three
years earlier, one of the great Native American leaders, Chief Sitting Bull, had
been arrested and killed, the Ghost Dance had been suppressed, and 350 Sioux
had been massacred at Wounded Knee Creek.’<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title="">[i]</a></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn1" title=""><!--[endif]--></a></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What was not discussed in 1893 was the extent
to which the Christian colonial legacy of America remained an unquestioned
ethos of the land. To understand this omission, we need to perhaps go back
another 400 years in history, wherein the Christian project of ‘enlightening
the world’ (apart from quest for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wealth
of coruse) set sail from Europe with the singular mission of conquering all the
lands that were not ruled by Christians and converting all ‘heathens’, or
non-Christians, to Christians. Columbus was one such who set sail westward in
search of India with a faulty understanding of the global navigation.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came from a family of slave-traders and
entered what we now call the Carribean (he never set foot on the American
mainland) with a worldview that saw darker skinned people as inferior to white-skinned,
Christian Europeans. He was known for his arrogance and his greed. We can only
wonder what our people, our ancestors, in India would have done with him had he
actually come to our land. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Upon Columbus’ return to Europe, Spain and
Portugal sought to gain wealth from land they did not previously know existed.
The Pope of the time agreed, writing a decree, known as a Papal Bull. This Bull
is worth quoting at length. It commended voyagers who: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘intended to seek out and discover certain
remote and unknown lands, to the end that you might bring to the worship of our
Redeemer and the Catholic faith their inhabitants… By the authority of Almighty
God and of the new land that has been discovered shall belong to you and your
heirs. Furthermore, under penalty of excommunication, we strictly forbid anyone
else to visit these lands for the purpose of trade (or for any reason) without
your consent. Should anyone attempt this, be it known to him that he will incur
the wrath of almighty God.’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This Bull thus gave Spain and Portugal legal
and moral permission to steal and enslave the people and the natural resources,
(or, to use less Western terminology, the human and non-human beings). The
language is deeply theological, and imparts a religious and cultural
superiority that may seem shocking to us today, but which has shaped our world
ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Columbus himself is supposed to have said this
about the natives: ‘They should be good and intelligent servants, for I see
that they say very quickly everything that is said to them; and I believe that
they would become Christians very easily,….’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Papal Bull, became a key document in what
is today referred to as the Doctrine of Discovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This doctrine has a sway over the American
land even today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the noted elder from
the Onondaga Nation in northern New York state, Betty Lyons, stated in a recent
article, “the Doctrine of Discovery,…granting European nations sovereignty over
non-Christian lands “discovered” by their explorers …continues to provide the
legal underpinning of the denial of land rights to our peoples.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> With
the denial of land rights comes the denial of ways of life, including caring
through the earth via traditional ways of farming, rituals for water bodies and
health for the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not new
to us in India, we have seen how the denial of land rights, both individual and
collective was the beginning of the loss of traditional knowledge in our
context as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The vast “American” land that Columbus
‘discovered’ was inhabited by deeply spiritual communities. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The image of the “savage Indian” that was on
the cartoons I watched as a kid is utterly false. Instead, they revered their
land as sacred, worshipped the spirits of the land, paid homage to their
ancestors and had diverse rituals and customs associated with all of this
across their many diverse cultures – just as in India. They were self-organized
into Nations or regions inhabited by different tribes that were clearly
demarcated and where the tribes and their customs ruled. The area had been a
homeland to numerous groups of Native Americans with their own thriving
societies, songs, and histories. Many in the Northeastern region, especially in
Maine, called themselves People of the Dawn. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For thousands of years, these peoples had
managed to maintain their unique culture and lifestyle and to make their
living. They were tall and healthy: every early colonial report remarks on
their physical strength and beauty; their diet was far superior to the
Europeans at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had
complex political arrangements, vast trade networks, cities,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arts, and had developed many of the foods we
eat today, including corn and tomatoes. The New Jersey airport where I landed,
not far from where many Indians from India who work in the tech industries
today, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was the land of the <b>Lenape </b>people.
Instead of concrete, there were rich wetlands, with some similarities to the
area around what is now Chennai.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘The arrival of the Europeans meant a drastic
change for the Native Americans. Together with diseases which decimated the
native population, the English settlers also brought an alien culture and
religion.”<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn6" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Betty Lyons puts it, “we know that supposed
discovery of the so-called New World has had its greatest negative impact on
the tens of millions of indigenous peoples who lived here.” The colonial
invaders looked at most of the landscape as “commodified” products that could
be shipped back to Europe. Historian William Cronon cites the way the ecology
of the land was viewed by the colonizers in the New England area, “Visitors
inevitably observed and recorded greatest numbers of “commodities” than other
things<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn7" name="_ednref7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[vii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Native peoples did not look at the other beings, from the fish to the land
itself, as “commodities”. Their worldview was much more similar to the Indian
village pre-colonial worldview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
trade certainly occurred, all beings existed in a sacred web of life, and
“ownership” and “commodification” of living beings, be they animals or humans,
was not the norm. Obviously, the worldviews of the English and Native Americans
differed significantly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The resulting conflict is sustained till
today, this was echoed by Chief Perry, one of the Native American leaders I met
in the Lenape land outside New Jersey, <b>“Rich people everywhere are afraid of
the spiritual people, we show the truth you see”,</b> he said sharing the story
of struggle to sustain their sacred prayer site<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>country houses expansion for
millionaires all around that threaten him and his tribe from accessing their land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we walked with him in the ground just
outside New Jersey, it was interesting to observe a large new Hindu temple just
a few hundred meters away.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6GQJ-5qYqGbsDamTDgKW7CvKZC9sZfw1RcKZ9G-QMP6Nv1hto1ZBumjVFPe2zm7LS5sjsBmmqZpahyphenhypheni6r4L6x9dz8Mk5FnNVfznGOgUaD0lP-hFUpmoyh64X1gPyU70QceCatG9q-PTw/s1600/20181022_164452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6GQJ-5qYqGbsDamTDgKW7CvKZC9sZfw1RcKZ9G-QMP6Nv1hto1ZBumjVFPe2zm7LS5sjsBmmqZpahyphenhypheni6r4L6x9dz8Mk5FnNVfznGOgUaD0lP-hFUpmoyh64X1gPyU70QceCatG9q-PTw/s400/20181022_164452.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Author author with Chief Perry and Ms. Ramona Ferreyra, who works with the <br />heritage of the Native Taino peoples of Domincan Republic, <br />where her ancestors are from. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The contrast in the world view between the
settlers and the indigenous peoples comes out strong even today. For example,
when </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chief Hawk Storm</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, from the Schaghticoke First Nations introduced
himself</span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">, he said ‘I am water, I come from a tribe in which we consider
ourselves water, today we are all polluted, as the water around us are
polluted, so do we consider ourselves polluted.’</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rarely do we see modern “Americans”
identifiying with their elements so strongly! However we do see such
identification here in India. His sentiment deeply resonates with the
sentiments expressed by Swami Swanand a.k.a. Prof. G.D. Agarwal, the
environmental scientist, teacher and philosopher who gave up his body
protesting against the unsustainable building of dams across the Ganga in
India. It was only a few days after the passing away of <a href="https://tapasya-bhagirathi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Swami Swanand</a> that I
spoke to Chief Hawk and was able to witness the same concern and wisdom
stemming from an ancient culture from the other end of the world. It was not
merely fascinating: the resonance was reassuring. When listening to him, I felt
that we and our struggles in India are not alone.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As we proceeded to discuss the current
concerns of humanity as a whole, he made another statement that highlighted the
wisdom of the Native people: ‘</span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">When we are ill, the body rejects the disease
and so does the planet; today we humans are the illness of the planet</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.’</span><span class="MsoEndnoteReference" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn8" title="">[viii]</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To continue the history, the visitors and the
natives discovered the vast differences in the world view resonate in various areas
of life. The Natives not only had an active production and commerce, they also
had systems of governance and methods to resolve conflicts coming from their
wisdom and respect for the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few
hours north of the Lenape land is situated the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee land
(northern New York). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is here that
five Native American nations came together. They taught the US government how
to be democratic. ‘The Gayaneshakgowa, The Iroquois Great Law of Peace, is… the
earliest surviving governmental tradition … based on the principle of peace; it
was a system that provided for peaceful succession of leadership; it served as
a kind of early United Nations; and <b>it installed in government the idea of
accountability to future life and responsibility to the seventh generation to
come.... All of these ideas were present prior to the arrival of the white man</b>.’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn9" name="_ednref9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[ix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Among the several stories regarding the
peaceful aspiration of the people is the story of the Peacemaker and the
Kanien’keha:ka. One of the Native American leaders narrates the same as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘Centuries ago a Natural World people gathered
together at the head of a lake in the center of North America’s then virgin
forest, and, there they counselled. The principles that emerged are unequalled
in any political document that has yet emerged. They evolved a law that
recognized that vertical hierarchy creates conflicts, and they dedicated the
superbly complex organization of their society to function to prevent the rise
internally of hierarchy. The authors continue to establish laws around hunting
and fishing that eased conflicts and ensured freedom and a right to protection
for anyone entering the country of the Haudenosaunee, under what the peacemaker
called the “Great Tree of Peace” which was a white Pine tree. <span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title="">[x]</a></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn10" title=""><!--[endif]--></a></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Coming from southern India, I was struck by
the similarity of justice being provided under a tree. In many of our villages,
we do the same thing. Our version of the White Pine tree is our native <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pipal tree. The sacredness of the tree itself
provided the authority for the decisions as much as it bound the community to
protecting and living with the natural order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, these nuances of understanding and living with the Natural
order was lost on the new arrivals from Europe, who wanted to make a quick
profit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are several narratives of the first
encounter from the Colonizers point of view. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ask, how did the natives see the
Colonizers? What did they perceive to be the motives and the intentions of the
new arrivals? Unfortunately, only a few narratives are available from the
Native American point of view and these are only oral traditions; but, some imageries
that are perhaps passed on through oral tradition, presented by one of the
authors, who illustrates the nature of the first encounters -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">‘On the coast</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">…Native hunters find that several of the traps
that they had set are missing…in the place where these items had been is
smoothly polished upright timber crossed near the top by a second piece of
wood, from which hangs the carved effigy of a bleeding man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<i>In the Indian dwelling</i>, a women tells
her granddaughter about the first meeting between the Natives and Europeans.
One day, she says, a floating island appeared on the horizon. The beings who
inhabited it offered the Indians blocks of wood to eat and cups of human blood
to drink. The first gift the people found tasteless and useless; the second
appallingly vile. Unable to figure out who the visitors were, the Native people
called them <i>ouemichtigouchiou</i>, or woodworkers.’<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title="">[xi]</a></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn11" title=""><!--[endif]--></a></span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Americans
tend to originate their own nation on the east coast of what is now the United
States. They act as if Columbus was one of their Founding Fathers, although he
never set foot upon America. However, as Sara Wolcott explained to me, between
1492, when the Taino people first encountered Columbus, and 1620, when the
Algonquin-speaking people first met the Pilgrims of the Mayflower, were 128
years and much happened during that time which significantly influenced the
development of the United States. While initially friendly and hospitable,
Native peoples throughout the Carribbean, meso-America, South America and North
America came to be highly suspicious if not outright resist the colonial
invaders. The colonists often enslaved, raped, pillaged and massacred the
peoples of the islands and meso-America. They turned the rich, bio-diverse
landscapes of the Caribbean into the monoculture of what became sugar
plantations. The horrific transatlantic slave trade brought Africans to forced
labor work in the plantations, which, combined with gold that was stolen from
the native people in Mexico, created a surplus of wealth for Europe, which is
part of what enabled the capital for the global colonial expansions and the
industrial revolution that subsequently shaped the global colonial enterprise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wV2StDtVYJ03Yv8n0oq8v6eKlVKB7_15WvISx2ZeNm38nmztB1hLvcoTxb34nzr3TRSCbqwSoxG6L6watlKLVK1SIfKk8rmuAgbdZ34u5nQrkTPfllQPxbmAnLZDM1VbfS8WJXgkVXi2/s1600/20181029_193149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wV2StDtVYJ03Yv8n0oq8v6eKlVKB7_15WvISx2ZeNm38nmztB1hLvcoTxb34nzr3TRSCbqwSoxG6L6watlKLVK1SIfKk8rmuAgbdZ34u5nQrkTPfllQPxbmAnLZDM1VbfS8WJXgkVXi2/s320/20181029_193149.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>author with Rev. Sara Wolcott</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
Spanish<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spanish entered present-day New Mexico (1540), Texas
and South Carolina in 1540 – long before the English even began to sail
overseas. The settlement in South Carolina was overthrown by the black slave
rebellion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natives continually worked to
oust the Spanish, cumulating in the successful 1680 Pueblo rebellion in Santa
Fe</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dutch West Indies Company,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a sister company to the Dutch East Indies
company, were in present day New York City before the English – they called it </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">New Amsterdam. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lenape peoples themselves called it Manhattana,
alternatively translated as the “place of many hills”, or the “place to gather
wood for bows and arrows,” or the “place of the meeting of many peoples”, from
which we have the present day term Manhattan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the steel, horses, guns and other forms of weapons certainly
impressed the Native peoples, it was the diseases which the Europeans did not
even really understand that they carried (at least at first) that decimated the
Native peoples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Estimates vary between
30% to 95% of the millions of people who lived in the Americas were decimated
by various European diseases, including small pox. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time the famous Mayflower ship landed
in Plymouth, village after village had been decimated, vastly shifting the
local politics and the people’s capacity to engage (including to resist) the
foreigners, according to Rev. Sara Wolcott.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Symbols of the Native American tribals were
either usurped or slowly changed with the influence of the culture. ‘<b>From
the 1500s to the early 19<sup>th</sup> century, the idealized image of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘America’ was transformed from a
dark-skinned, full bodied woman wearing a feathered headdress and a skirt of
feathers or tobacco leaves, the symbol of fecundity, to a (white) Greek
goddess.</b>’<span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title="">[xii]</a></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn12" title=""><!--[endif]--></a></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Unlike the European arrival in India, where
the initial purpose was seeking trade relations and much later began the
colonization project, in the American land the purpose was conversion to
Christianity and rule over the Natives from the beginning. Hence any resistance
was put down violently. While estimates vary, several sources indicate that as
high as 50 million Native Americans were intentionally killed by the invading
Europeans between the 16<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup> century.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn13" name="_ednref13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Indeed, when one looks at the values celebrated by Modern America and what the
modern Americans think they represent in the world, especially democracy,
equality, and fairness, one can resonate with the question raised by one of the
Native American writers, ‘North America had its own genocide against the First
People – violent, devastating, effective. It was driven by a sense of racial
and religious superiority, and the prize was land and resources. How could it
be that the people so dedicated to democracy and freedom could have been so
cruel to another people? What attitudes, beliefs, myths and misunderstandings
give rise to and fuel this kind of conduct?’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn14" name="_ednref14" style="mso-endnote-id: edn14;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xiv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Official records today place these number as
573 different tribes across the contemporary boundaries of the United States,
separate from Mexico and Canada,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn15" name="_ednref15" style="mso-endnote-id: edn15;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> although
those boundaries are made by the colonists, not the indigenous peoples and do
not make sense to the Native mindset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thus, traditionally,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some of the
drylands on the border of Mexico and the United States were homelands of people
who often travelled across those lands and did not treat them as wholly
separate places, as contemporary politicians insist that they are today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Native Americans today constitute about 5 million people across the continent. They
are dispersed all over the region starting from Canada in the north all the way
to Mexico in the south. In the US, about half are on reservations: inhibit
smaller patches of what once was their own land. Many live in urban centers,
and you can’t necessarily tell by looking at someone if they are Native
American or not. Many of them have the copies of the documents that were signed
by the Europeans and keep reminding settlers that their land has been illegally
(according to their laws) taken over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One study places the amount of land taken over between 1887 to 1934 at
about 90 million acres. Some of them have multiple citizenships today as the US
law permits them to have citizenship of their tribal nation apart from that of
the USA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Nation of United States of America as it
stands today was fundamentally land leased from the Native Americans through
treaties. </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Today 374 such treaties govern the
nation of USA.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn16" name="_ednref16" style="mso-endnote-id: edn16;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xvi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Much of these treaties have never been respected by the American government who
signed them. Often land was violently taken and retained by the governments (US
and Canada). The Native Americans were restricted to ‘reservations’ set-up
exclusively as captive spaces for them and their sacred spaces violated
completely. For five consecutive generations, from roughly 1880-1980, Native
American children in the United States and Canada were forcibly taken from
their families and relocated to residential schools. In these schools, they
were ‘educated’ and ‘civilized’ so that they no longer dress, behave or
remember the culture of the Native American tribes and instead adopt the
European lifestyle. The stated goal of this government program was to ‘kill the
Indian to save the man.’ Half of the children did not survive the experience,
and those who did were left permanently scarred. The resulting alcoholism,
suicide, and the transmission of trauma to their own children has led to a
social disintegration with results that can only be described as genocidal.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn17" name="_ednref17" style="mso-endnote-id: edn17;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xvii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Alluding to the educating of their children
and the shift in their mind-sets subsequently, Chief Perry summarized the
plight of the youth in the community when he said, ‘<b>Our children could
narrate the history of 10 generations; then they were forced into school and
today they don’t know anything about their past.</b>’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn18" name="_ednref18" style="mso-endnote-id: edn18;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xviii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> The
image of what a Native American child looks before being ‘schooled’ and after
is a striking testimony of what happens in schools, where ones’ own traditions
are shown in poor light and that of alien in better light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most absurd length to which to which this
can be extended is when even the “conquest” of the Native is celebrated even
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The modern American holidays such
as ‘Thanksgiving’ and ‘Columbus Day’ are being increasingly opposed by people
who are aware of its historical background; they want the Colombus Day to be
commemorated as day of mourning and day of Indigenous people respectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today about 90 cities across the United
States have already declared the national holiday of Columbus Day as Indigenous
People’s day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Creating better futures through honouring the
past<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R8c0SwxtVxl8Zu_Wr_RW26Tmp9HfjZLomQPjKFpoTStYyr_YUeVC944mW5scBkR3Gozl18kLdAA7wkopBFDZC4DE105jxWtQY8dkmSZYs8iUchG9wZ7KZmLiuhJSTB8_zq1e5uHhxPaQ/s1600/20181023_100337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R8c0SwxtVxl8Zu_Wr_RW26Tmp9HfjZLomQPjKFpoTStYyr_YUeVC944mW5scBkR3Gozl18kLdAA7wkopBFDZC4DE105jxWtQY8dkmSZYs8iUchG9wZ7KZmLiuhJSTB8_zq1e5uHhxPaQ/s320/20181023_100337.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>author with Mr. Mindahi at UN Church Centre<br />where they both spoke </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">One of my first engagements was with <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mr. Mindahi Crescencio Bastida Munoz</span>,
Director of the Original Caretakers Programme and also Director for the Centre
of Earth Ethics in Union Theology College, New York. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hailing from the Otomi people, an ancienti
indigenous community in Mexico, Mr. Mindahi, after a brief ceremony to sanctify
the meeting of <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">our</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>two civilizations, invoked the holy
spirits of his civilization through the blowing of the sacred flute (whistle)
and invoking the ancestors of the two civilizations to guide the process of
dialogue and engagement. He explained the salient components of the indigenous
view. Among other things, he acknowledged that one of the key aspects of the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>culture is the honouring of the ancestors;
according to him, <b>‘honouring the past is important to create the future.</b>’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn19" name="_ednref19" style="mso-endnote-id: edn19;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Having
just left India after the month of Mahlaya when families in Tamilnadu and
elsewhere make offerings to their elders, this sounded familiar to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was one of the
key aspects reiterated by Chief Perry </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">whom
we meet in the Lenape Sacred land outside the city of New Jersey. A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>longstanding Chief of his community and a
voice of wisdom, when he talks of what needs to be done in the current world,
he talks not from the sense of anger or frustration of being denied access to
his own people’s land, but, with a sense of responsibility towards all of humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">He says, ‘the important ways to change things
today are –<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honour the
lineage<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Strengthen
the local communities<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Perform
ceremonies that honour nature and elements, accommodate and accompany others’
ceremonies as well<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cleanse the
earth <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; line-height: 150%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Think beyond
our lives.’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn20" name="_ednref20" style="mso-endnote-id: edn20;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xx]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After an evening walk around the sacred site
and prayers, we asked him before leaving, what was the one thing that he liked
to see changed in the world today. After a pause, he replied, ‘<b>If there is
one thing that I would like to change in the world with which I think many
things can change, I will change the world from the Patriarchal one to one of
Matriarchy</b>.’<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_edn21" name="_ednref21" style="mso-endnote-id: edn21;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: TA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[xxi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The denial of access to their land and natural
resources resonates in utterances of many of the Native American leaders
whether it be in personal conversations or in larger gatherings. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chief Stacey Laforme</span> highlights this
in his statement, ‘I was born into a generation of abuse: alcohol abuse; abuse
of your spouse, abuse of your children. It was just sort of a common way of
life when I was born — I'm sure a lot of it had to do with losing our place in
society, losing our sense of who we were. It was rampant and everybody knew
about it, but they also didn't say anything.’ This, ‘not saying anything’ or
not having the courage to stand up to injustice is a recurring discussion as
well whether it be the engagement with the Native Americans or even in the
Parliament of World Religions in Toronto in early November 2018, which had the Indigenous
People as one of its theme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EbhXFo1v3VNf-naKcF0LqCBAuF-KQp2-QgUfjQqrZIjRRTRC0nU6iJ-gtz11QqeSuywIS8m8h-dA1HLpiC5jTOKE6AUnJ8yB0c0wEDAUSFvY1CCG_NyHpwWA9BsMwZtCfrlq8R7zv3PH/s1600/20181103_175748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EbhXFo1v3VNf-naKcF0LqCBAuF-KQp2-QgUfjQqrZIjRRTRC0nU6iJ-gtz11QqeSuywIS8m8h-dA1HLpiC5jTOKE6AUnJ8yB0c0wEDAUSFvY1CCG_NyHpwWA9BsMwZtCfrlq8R7zv3PH/s320/20181103_175748.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>author with Chief Phil Lane Jr. at the<br />Parliament of World Religions, Toronto</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">But there is always hope in these dialogues.
The people I spoke to had a strong sense of looking forward to a better world,
and the possibility of things improving for the better. This optimism is in
contrast to the general sense of frustration and defeated mind-set of many
non-Native Americans and also many other European countries. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Chief Alina la Flamme</span>, a Chief who
evokes response through drumming, calling herself the ‘daughter of the drum’,
says, ‘<b>We are in this womb world, we are preparing ourselves to come into
the sacred life, it is a tough journey to be born there, it is not easy</b>.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same sentiment is resonated in another
dialogue with the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Hereditary Chief Phil
Lane Jr</span>.: ‘<b>Now is the time for everyone to work together, it is not
time for divisions, the earth mother calls us all to work together</b>.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In each
of these dialogues and discussions, there is a reverence when they speak of the
East Indian land, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">of</span> our land: ‘You
come from a sacred land’, ‘We are honoured that someone from your country is
coming to meet us’, ‘Your civilization and ours needs to work together to
create a better world, these two have a great wisdom within them’ – all
statements made with great sincerity and gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During these conversations, I often remembered
Swami Vivekananda’s words that every word is uttered with blessings behind it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In times of difficulty, every civilization
retains that which is core to itself, its fundamental ethos as though
protecting it for a future time on behalf of all of humanity.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Human history is the history of dominance of
the world culture by people of various ethos. In the current times, when the
accelerated destruction of natural resources and its consequences on human life
has become a major concern of all thinking people, the unconscious collective
mind seems to be reaching out to those people and ethos that hold in their
midst the possible solutions for these times. Creative solutions are held by
the indigenous people everywhere. I felt that perhaps some of the Native
American leaders sense this invocation and have started to articulate their
wisdom with a keen sense of responsibility for all of humanity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eyJxVxndZJ9AwerU2yEMTXVNql49H1iuuTAuWmDCur_5t0eQJ-keh9BvYWrnwnOKLRDwms7x8V2kqt8Y8Tdx3v5ramn2NqHuAkYEIGDtdLKhjF13FsY9YC90znW_EOdKyBlUSiaRzc7G/s1600/IMG_20181104_063450_543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eyJxVxndZJ9AwerU2yEMTXVNql49H1iuuTAuWmDCur_5t0eQJ-keh9BvYWrnwnOKLRDwms7x8V2kqt8Y8Tdx3v5ramn2NqHuAkYEIGDtdLKhjF13FsY9YC90znW_EOdKyBlUSiaRzc7G/s320/IMG_20181104_063450_543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>the tepee at Toronto where the Parliament of World Religions <br />had its inaugural ceremony</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It was a fitting tribute to their wisdom and
Canada’s recent efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation, that the Parliament
of World Religions 2018 started with a ceremony by the people of the First
Nations. As the sacred fire was lit and tobacco, sage and other sacred
materials offered to the fire next to a traditional tepee in the middle of the
cloudy, drizzling and crowded city of Toronto, all Religious leaders joined the
Native Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
More about Rev. Sara Wolcott’s work here - <a href="https://www.sequoiasamanvaya.com/">https://www.sequoiasamanvaya.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Comment by Rev. Sara Wolcott, “At least 20 thousand years ago – far older than
previously thought. They created their own agrarian revolution separate from
the creation of agriculture in india and mesopotania.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br clear="all" />
</span><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
http://pluralism.org/encounter/historical-perspectives/parliament-of-religions-1893/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[ii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Several sources: <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">ttp://dhayton.haverford.edu/blog/2012/03/27/columbuss-voyage-was-a-religious-journey/
- Columbus and Pierre d’Ailley, Imago Mundi, how the circumference of the earth
was under estimated by Columbus based on the works of the theologian</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">http://www.caltech.edu/news/columbus-dailly-are-we-there-yet-36981
- why did Columbus put his faith on the d’Ailley more than the contemporary
knowledge on the circumference of the world?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[iii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Letter from Pope Alexander VI to the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, dated
May 4<sup>th</sup>, 1493<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[iv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Several sources: <a href="https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/why-did-columbus-sail"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/why-did-columbus-sail</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">; </span><a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-35/columbus-and-christianity-did-you-know.html"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-35/columbus-and-christianity-did-you-know.html</span></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">; http://catholicism.org/columbus.html</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[v]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
This is not Columbus Day, Betty Lyons, source: https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-indigenous-peoples-day-20181004-story.html<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref6" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[vi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Relations between English Settlers and Indians in 17<sup>th</sup> Century New
England, Diploma Thesis by Bc. Richard Tetek<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn7" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref7" name="_edn7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[vii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Cronon, The Ecological Transformation of New England, pg. 20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn8" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref8" name="_edn8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[viii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Statements made during conversation with the Author by Chief Hawk Storm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn9" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref9" name="_edn9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[ix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations and the U.S.
Constitution. Ed: Chief Oren Lyons and John Mohawk (1992), pg. 33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn10" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref10" name="_edn10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[x]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Basic Call of Consciousness, Ed. By Akwesasne Notes, Introduction by John
Mohawk, pg 81<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn11" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref11" name="_edn11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Facing East from Indian Country – A Native History of Early America, by Daniel
K. Richter, p 12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn12" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref12" name="_edn12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations and the U.S.
Constitution. Ed: Chief Oren Lyons and John Mohawk (1992), pg. 44<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn13" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref13" name="_edn13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xiii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Several sources: <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">https://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/variables/smallpox.html</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://endgenocide.org/learn/past-genocides/native-americans/</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://americanhistory.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-3</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn14" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref14" name="_edn14" style="mso-endnote-id: edn14;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xiv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
“The North American Genocide” by Nemattenew (Chief Roy Crazy Horse) –
Introduction verses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn15" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref15" name="_edn15" style="mso-endnote-id: edn15;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xv]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Several sources: <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federally_recognized_tribes</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.usa.gov/tribes"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">https://www.usa.gov/tribes</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><a href="https://www.historyonthenet.com/native-american-tribes-nations"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">https://www.historyonthenet.com/native-american-tribes-nations</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>https://www.bia.gov/tribal-leaders-directory</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn16" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref16" name="_edn16" style="mso-endnote-id: edn16;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xvi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">https://americanindian.si.edu/nationtonation/</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/libraries/maps/tld_map.html</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn17" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref17" name="_edn17" style="mso-endnote-id: edn17;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xvii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
https://www.amazon.in/Kill-Indian-Save-Man-Residential/dp/0872864340<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn18" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref18" name="_edn18" style="mso-endnote-id: edn18;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xviii]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Conversation between the author and Chief Perry, Oct 2018 New Jersey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn19" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref19" name="_edn19" style="mso-endnote-id: edn19;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xix]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Conversation between the author and Mindahi, Oct 2018, Manhattana, New York<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn20" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref20" name="_edn20" style="mso-endnote-id: edn20;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xx]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Conversation between the author and Chief Perry, Oct 2018, Lenape land, New
Jersey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="edn21" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div class="MsoEndnoteText">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?tab=mj&blogID=5721270474796066775#_ednref21" name="_edn21" style="mso-endnote-id: edn21;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">[xxi]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
Conversation between the author and Chief Perry, Oct 2018, Lenape land, New
Jersey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India13.0826802 80.27071840000007812.5876862 79.625271400000074 13.5776742 80.916165400000082tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-75519381217772378562019-02-16T23:01:00.002+05:302019-10-24T20:10:23.882+05:30Talks, Lecture, Presentations...2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are speeches given on various occasions in different contexts and many are not documented in the past. So, this year, I am trying to document these here. This blog will have all the speeches I am asked to make, I decided to also add interactive sessions, meetings and exchanges here to ensure that all of these are available in the same location. Hopefully, I can stick to this through the year of 2019.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6CIkii9fFCJmt7V3FCK2agyfHK7QELrqMDWC3c_y7EuTCiKo_90TOMkd5fTudDENgR2ttNdRs8Se770ndzaXwdsR8CX6EdKCuxWzp14I44gDKMQxvW_U-BzfnKejSzGlzLs-qSMqA05u/s1600/49864268_2257118117877022_297126065170546688_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1328" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6CIkii9fFCJmt7V3FCK2agyfHK7QELrqMDWC3c_y7EuTCiKo_90TOMkd5fTudDENgR2ttNdRs8Se770ndzaXwdsR8CX6EdKCuxWzp14I44gDKMQxvW_U-BzfnKejSzGlzLs-qSMqA05u/s640/49864268_2257118117877022_297126065170546688_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Institute, Pondichery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>1. Growing up to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Strategies, Processes and Insights</b> - 4th January 2019 in the '"Local Food Festival" organized by the French Institute, at the French Institute, Pondichery<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC96Qvs99VJ1IRRXpeb3Ur2IviPwdWQ0xIGWBi7Z9Xi4wlxxgVjCq_9laXXwkx5-WIBPKxShTTv3NIyYNCgKJnZZWrlWFALp8OG0NF0Be48WexohKkfA5tugm21pN2_uGYJ6zC4NHa9hga/s1600/50943237_2272610092994491_3590719348106330112_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="714" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC96Qvs99VJ1IRRXpeb3Ur2IviPwdWQ0xIGWBi7Z9Xi4wlxxgVjCq_9laXXwkx5-WIBPKxShTTv3NIyYNCgKJnZZWrlWFALp8OG0NF0Be48WexohKkfA5tugm21pN2_uGYJ6zC4NHa9hga/s200/50943237_2272610092994491_3590719348106330112_n.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NRLM Consultation, Bengaluru</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>2. Presenting the Sustainable Livelihood Institute - </b>29th January 2019 at the National Consultative Meeting on Innovation for Local Governance organized by National Rural Livelihood Mission, Bengaluru.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cQfPCbpSTRAPVawFcOU_jMoLeqeOjn6NzQVaDokxIx575wHMXDJI_hegUUtlXMopzcmPUkZgLTHXLLMhWW6jgJZ8vzySzFSgPVBkoKtWDRQ4iPPVIBmei2ThIt4pJ-ep2SSJGTIcwNuI/s1600/51319408_2273825749539592_4966088225564131328_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cQfPCbpSTRAPVawFcOU_jMoLeqeOjn6NzQVaDokxIx575wHMXDJI_hegUUtlXMopzcmPUkZgLTHXLLMhWW6jgJZ8vzySzFSgPVBkoKtWDRQ4iPPVIBmei2ThIt4pJ-ep2SSJGTIcwNuI/s320/51319408_2273825749539592_4966088225564131328_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with international delegation at SLI, Auroville</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>3. Shaping Sustainable Livelihoods </b>- 30th January 2019 lecture and interaction with the International Delegation from 15 Developing countries visiting Sustainable Livelihood Institute, Auroville. The 2-day exposure visit facilitated by SLI was sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4. Sustainable Livelihoods: Learning, Insights and Experience</b> - 30th January 2019 with the Swadharma team, Auroville at the SAIIER building, Auroville<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>5. Ethical debates for SDG </b>- 7th February 2019 at the National Institute of Rural Development, Rajinder Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9MV1HtqoNHdXFnV4SncPgHOtoLsk-c9gBV8fPBhyphenhyphenKxE55bTkXYkyDDN_Q1wv1UzjbxfdiOGg-fFWp0qPmyT8sYffOdGqbzgJssHvUyV0t1sapf91kVcTsnpJ0mQYe9B4TmvrCTqL_f18/s1600/IMG_20190207_190601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9MV1HtqoNHdXFnV4SncPgHOtoLsk-c9gBV8fPBhyphenhyphenKxE55bTkXYkyDDN_Q1wv1UzjbxfdiOGg-fFWp0qPmyT8sYffOdGqbzgJssHvUyV0t1sapf91kVcTsnpJ0mQYe9B4TmvrCTqL_f18/s320/IMG_20190207_190601.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IIT-M</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvm4SpkTLbC3LBDNDoF-g1CAgbVx_m3Tk3hINjID6d6GPRYGCRkFbjPVFSR6sAvYMNrne3ORVYE0yHXOkChytaQwMHHe8bQxbb9XzyuLAgwlwqTf3ZzIgMcLzACfE8EJImOHATEsi_TnJ/s1600/IMG_20190207_195206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvm4SpkTLbC3LBDNDoF-g1CAgbVx_m3Tk3hINjID6d6GPRYGCRkFbjPVFSR6sAvYMNrne3ORVYE0yHXOkChytaQwMHHe8bQxbb9XzyuLAgwlwqTf3ZzIgMcLzACfE8EJImOHATEsi_TnJ/s400/IMG_20190207_195206.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IIT-M Vivekananda Study Circle</td></tr>
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<b><br /></b><b>6. Harmony Project: Shaping Actions for a better planet</b> - 7th February 2019 with the Vivekananda Study Centre, IIT-M at the IIT-M Auditorium (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1WBEqrOOAc&t=43s" target="_blank">link to lecture on youtube</a>)<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>7. Workshop on Developing Business Plan for Rural Enterprises </b>- 8th & 9th February 2019 at Vivenakananda Seva Pratishtan, Sri Sarada Ashram, Ulundurpet, Tamilnadu<br />
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<b>8. Sustainable Development & Livelihoods </b>- 22nd February 2019 with the Humanities Department students from IIT-M at Sustainable Livelihood Institute, Auroville<br />
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9. Discussion on possible <b>collaboration on Innovative Programmes </b>- 23rd February 2019 with the Farmer's Producer Company and Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems at Sirgazhi, Nagapattinam District, Tamilnadu<br />
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<b>10. Discussion on 'Baingan -> Swaraj' book and GMOs </b>- 25th February 2019 with the Adolescent children at the Cascade Learning Cente, Besant Nagar, Chennai<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WdNQ4mMW4YBthb73TJ5s1TVQYcUBqy4z1ZxyoK_D1Gj2YyX5CnbEQcYAAT6wdfnkUoM6qceq6A0VV4TLrB8N17rlXR2x7HOdEu4X4iKScPyO2fFjVszGRIl-lmNboC5kfbypOZOv76fZ/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2019-03-01+at+5.58.50+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WdNQ4mMW4YBthb73TJ5s1TVQYcUBqy4z1ZxyoK_D1Gj2YyX5CnbEQcYAAT6wdfnkUoM6qceq6A0VV4TLrB8N17rlXR2x7HOdEu4X4iKScPyO2fFjVszGRIl-lmNboC5kfbypOZOv76fZ/s400/WhatsApp+Image+2019-03-01+at+5.58.50+PM.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Discussion with the Director, Rural Technology Centre, NIRD Campus </td></tr>
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<b>11. Presentation of the work of SLI and discussion on the potential of partnership </b>- 28th February 2019 and 1st March 2019 with the HoDs of various Centres at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Rajinder Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuFjwErczWdf7vOHwKSI7oJYG4ZdGwzR-rpp6kMeaA7AvnCfexMmUystMN1NFSJtGFF7pIp1FWbLG4tl3esXV7dOixwB0pAaJ587s_ATEcz_BXmpe92Y2RyHsgVPeSOVQ8TW_tGgE-rzI/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2019-03-01+at+5.57.44+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuFjwErczWdf7vOHwKSI7oJYG4ZdGwzR-rpp6kMeaA7AvnCfexMmUystMN1NFSJtGFF7pIp1FWbLG4tl3esXV7dOixwB0pAaJ587s_ATEcz_BXmpe92Y2RyHsgVPeSOVQ8TW_tGgE-rzI/s400/WhatsApp+Image+2019-03-01+at+5.57.44+PM.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visit to Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), Secunderabad, Telangana and meeting with Dr. Ramanjuneyulu, Director of CSA - here at the Sahaja Aharam store in the CSA centre</td></tr>
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<b>12. Meeting and interaction with Dr. Ramanjuneyulu </b>- 28th February 2019 at The Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) in Secunderabad. Potential discussed includes, sharing the RC certification details and also the details for further joint work.<br />
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<b>13.Participated as an invited Panelist in the Discussion for the Goonj 3.0 Chaupal </b>- 3rd March 2019 at the Madras School of Social Work (MSSW) between 12 noon to 3 p.m. Along with Anshu Gupta, Mini Gupta and several other thought leaders, it was great occasion celebrate the 20th anniversary of this amazingly committed organization. Respect to their efforts and always in solidarity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aEBZFateB5QyQtWYtyJdvv28lGc3Q1-JtFq8iqlTIVcXlBnFq0-2HmLcjpMm0JCgBDXFpfRP16iNJXVzp2pjJ9WrD44FVACdnwfqHQH8CeCOU6C-k4iKU8Kb07QMiwJlBpz-Dawn0NnA/s1600/20190305_171803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aEBZFateB5QyQtWYtyJdvv28lGc3Q1-JtFq8iqlTIVcXlBnFq0-2HmLcjpMm0JCgBDXFpfRP16iNJXVzp2pjJ9WrD44FVACdnwfqHQH8CeCOU6C-k4iKU8Kb07QMiwJlBpz-Dawn0NnA/s200/20190305_171803.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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<b>14. Interaction with faculty and students at the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru </b>- 5th & 6th March 2019. It was great to listen to the programmes and ideas of academics from this vertical university that grows from floor 5 to 10 in a building (that took a while to get used to). The students interested in being interns at SLI were even more interesting. It was different to get to know the challenges and limitations of Universities in allocating students for internship with various agencies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAALqaOJeEJIK7c5ZCTljfXZORYAqgQXfx93XxbRLk7Gu9zoFLVOS3q0w4gbNbM7pMiQ0hOfIWZjMTwXDTiYLuZiST3N97NLLPBUm4u_qb5wUdy7ARwi9-wYk1KqQ0fuXFA5KsJqSAt6H/s1600/20190307_143413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAALqaOJeEJIK7c5ZCTljfXZORYAqgQXfx93XxbRLk7Gu9zoFLVOS3q0w4gbNbM7pMiQ0hOfIWZjMTwXDTiYLuZiST3N97NLLPBUm4u_qb5wUdy7ARwi9-wYk1KqQ0fuXFA5KsJqSAt6H/s640/20190307_143413.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with Meenakshi of Puvidham, Vidya Shankar of Relief Foundation and Krishna McKinsey of Auroville at Solitude Farm, Auroville</td></tr>
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<b>15. Future Institutions - An initiative by Samanvaya</b>: 7th March 2019, Solitude Farm & Cafe, Auroville. Facilitating a workshop among 3 important thought leaders on the Future Knowledge Institution ideas and in the process creating a new venture where that will provide new age rural educators with the medium and content to engage and provide knowledge service to the rural society over all and to the youth in particular.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-tCjk8ISevsvSdHI2Yx2UQRz85MIFKgVlZrOGmrnjN6836I5YqdpExj823O3Db2obkOCyaCAhS7SLx4DyQpQJp3Xudiv3e8ZEpZs5rZLTUwEsGnQ1bxsJNqQXh2CPH3fkNGlSt2o0g-X/s1600/20190323_160547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-tCjk8ISevsvSdHI2Yx2UQRz85MIFKgVlZrOGmrnjN6836I5YqdpExj823O3Db2obkOCyaCAhS7SLx4DyQpQJp3Xudiv3e8ZEpZs5rZLTUwEsGnQ1bxsJNqQXh2CPH3fkNGlSt2o0g-X/s320/20190323_160547.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">summer, no water, drying fruit trees in Puvidham campus in Dharmapuri as we met on the last day of the school, before it shut down as there was no water in the well any longer</td></tr>
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<b>16. Second Meeting of the Future Institutions initiative</b>: 23rd March 2019, Puvidham Rural School, Dharmapuri. Great to have quick follow-up meeting on the idea with Vidya, Meenakshi and Krishna participating with full vigour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhzEkxKEM3o-N8A43EKm_YVFyM5qnKb1U4H-LPY9_lLihe9IL0EnVl42nGCgFcCCMtOR8nOmgq5UAQhtgwJ2rUWC6tCtGZqfoffyUV8caytuq7viXpQQ7491TfLmQWky5h899fL9t3H3I/s1600/20190327_112500-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhzEkxKEM3o-N8A43EKm_YVFyM5qnKb1U4H-LPY9_lLihe9IL0EnVl42nGCgFcCCMtOR8nOmgq5UAQhtgwJ2rUWC6tCtGZqfoffyUV8caytuq7viXpQQ7491TfLmQWky5h899fL9t3H3I/s320/20190327_112500-COLLAGE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beautiful paintings at CESCI campus</td></tr>
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<b>17. Future Institutions Conceptualizing meeting: Vaigai Flora Botanical Garden</b>: 25th - 26th March 2019, CESCI campus, Natham. Brainstorming with Olaganathan annachi, Dr. Nambi and Muthuvelayutham of CCD, Madurai.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>18. MediClown Course, planning & discussion</b>: 27th March 2019, Ekam Foundation Office, Chennai. MediClown course is to be offered in an exciting new programme with a Medical University in Chennai over 6 months. Participated in this crucial meeting that was deciding on the course fee and structuring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunM5wwTUK7Jpw3J8m-s9370Mo8toVx1HpXNroIniZVvj4b3mv23T7iApTkLjSK1CLfAzYMIKtbXaWTd6rDOaAW_wFPxG3mFB5x3U0G_9MougyF9q3_uekbHOkMT1wnpjuCcSV_yoLQ6CW/s1600/IMG_8141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunM5wwTUK7Jpw3J8m-s9370Mo8toVx1HpXNroIniZVvj4b3mv23T7iApTkLjSK1CLfAzYMIKtbXaWTd6rDOaAW_wFPxG3mFB5x3U0G_9MougyF9q3_uekbHOkMT1wnpjuCcSV_yoLQ6CW/s640/IMG_8141.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">interactive session with the NIFT Chennai students at SLI campus, Auroville</td></tr>
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<b>19.</b> <b>Interaction with the students from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai</b>: 28th March 2019, SLI campus, Auroville - Interaction with the students with their questions and responses from experts to the same.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi953wX9uM_WP5KFIF6q2o-bFVm4fAPUfN9hzc_lxyOntnm3rirePFlM4bhAgjih_ertm4KGwOxT20tep8aIP1DM-rOjp99kAo15QLZhTf7YuJrdZZkmN8M19tkD0Z-xvJS2oGe0nFLMh0h/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2019-04-04+at+2.20.16+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi953wX9uM_WP5KFIF6q2o-bFVm4fAPUfN9hzc_lxyOntnm3rirePFlM4bhAgjih_ertm4KGwOxT20tep8aIP1DM-rOjp99kAo15QLZhTf7YuJrdZZkmN8M19tkD0Z-xvJS2oGe0nFLMh0h/s400/WhatsApp+Image+2019-04-04+at+2.20.16+PM.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battery operated cart in the Beach resort to the venue</td></tr>
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<b>20. Workshop on evolving training modules for the TNRTP project:</b> 3rd, 4th April 2019, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu - working with the SIRD and TNRTP teams to evolve modules.<br />
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<b>21. Meeting on eco-system fund raising at Auroville: 5th April 2019</b>. An attempt to bring together several projects to create fund raising for an eco-system in Auroville. </div>
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<b>22. World Bank Mission visit to TNRPT project</b>: 8-10,April 2019, Chennai - workshop mode discussion on TNRTP project for the purpose of redesigning and new time shrinking of the project.<br />
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<b>23. Key Note Address in "Networking of Academic Institutions" </b>at SIRD, 11th April 2019, Maraimalainagar, Chennai. Spoke to the audience of more than 35 academic institution heads on an agenda for future, viz., (a) creating newer forms of knowledge that provides inputs for new kinds of initiatives and institutions through trans-disciplinary research that is able to transcend the existing knowledge discipline boundaries, (b) making ethics, particularly in economic activity, the central argument in academic disciplines, particularly those concerned with business and economy and (c) ensuring that gender sensitivity become central to our social and cultural discourse.<br />
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<b>24. Facilitating Workshop on Management Development Programme (MDP) Development for Rural Development officials at TNSRLM, Chennai on 30th April 2019 </b>- along with Mr. Praveen Nair, I.A.S., PD, TNRTP Project, Govt. of Tamilnadu. Also introduced Prof. Shambu Prasad, of IRMA to the audience during his <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/ALBKDHwMTVrni9vm6" target="_blank">lecture </a>on the status of Farmer Producer Collectives across the country.<br />
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<b>25. Visit to MakaMai Community Institutions in the Districts of Villupuram, Ramanathapuram and Salem as Consultant, World Bank between 3-6 May 2019</b> - these community institutions initially created to be skilled service providers for the community in the rural parts are currently being seen as extension agencies for the government programmes in various parts of the state. They have been functioning as institutions owned and managed by the community members, however, the government rural development department has a large say in their management and often controls the operations of the same. This visit was to conduct a rapid assessment of the MakaMai institutions and explore ways to strengthen them. Interacted with over 50 office bearers and beneficiary women leaders from 3 districts apart from the concerned department officials during the visit.<br />
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<b>26. Facilitating Experiential Learning session for the higher level officials of the Tamilnadu Rural Transformation Project (TNRTP) to the <a href="http://www.tribalhealth.org/" target="_blank">Tribal Health Initiative (THI), Sittlingi</a> and to the<a href="http://www.earth360.in/earth360.html" target="_blank"> Earth360 initiative at Kadiri </a>in Andhra Pradesh, 7 -8 May 2019</b> - 4 top officials of the TNRTP project got to understand the millets value chain better during a 2-day visit to the exemplary efforts of these two initiatives built through dedicated and conviction based work of Gandhian doctor couple of Reji and Lalitha in the first case and Dinesh and Kalyani in the second case.<br />
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<b>27. Co-facilitating workshop on Value Chain Analysis along with 2 World Bank consultants for the officials of TNRTP, TNSRLM, SIRD and other officials of the RD Department between 9 - 11, May 2019 at SIRD, Maraimalainagar, near Chennai</b> - This 3 day workshop was aimed to provide the participants with a comprehensive understanding of VCA and to provide them with the expertise to be able to apply the tool in the context of the project in Tamilnadu to meet its objectives. <br />
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28. <b>Anchored and facilitated a workshop on Rurban Mission, SIRD, 16-17 May 2019 </b>- 2 day workshop explored the economic activity under the Rurban Mission being undertaken in the 11 districts in which it is being implemented in Tamilnadu with over 3 crore budget for each cluster of 6-8 panchayats per district. Reviewed to enhance the programmes in the Phase - I 5 districts and also provide inputs to the Phase II and Phase III districts of the State.<br />
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29. <b>Guest Lecture for a virtual classroom for 'Sustainability Master Class', British Columbia University, 6th June 2019</b>. - <b> </b>Spoke to students attending this course on Sustainability & Leadership on aspects of Sustainability in Traditional Knowledge and social practices in rural India.<br />
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30. <b>Conceptualized and Facilitated 2-day workshop: "BRAINSTORMING YOUNG VOLUNTEERS IN RURAL AREAS", at Kodaikanal, 11-12 June 2019 </b>- Helped conceptualize this unique initiative as<b> </b>a collaborative venture of Department of Panchayati Raj & Gandhigram Rural Institute (University) and utilized unique methodology to facilitate the workshop consisting of heterogeneous mix of academics, bureaucrats, NGOs, faith organizations and activists to bring together their rich experience and insights for shaping the state wide programme.<br />
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"It’s our Pleasure to be part of the workshop.. Experience teaches a lot.. Especially the story telling at campfire is first experience of learning through examples of life..Different age groups and working expertise are power packed with knowledge bank ...Ram Subramanian sir facilitation is just awesome and no words to express.. it’s Strong and deep full subject to discuss and these hot discussions no where felt bored it’s just because of you.." -- <i>Layakari, Young Volunteers Coordintor</i><br />
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31. <b>World Bank Mission visit to TNRPT project</b>: 17-23,June 2019, Chennai - workshop mode discussion on TNRTP project: review of the progress and re-plan the priorities. Worked specifically on the community institution, Makamai and the knowledge institution partnership for the $100 million WB funded project as part of the WB consulting team in trouble shooting, strategizing and re-working the plans.<br />
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32. <b>Conservation Linked Livelihood: exploring opportunity with the Kaani tribals </b>in the Pechipparai region of the Kanyakumari district: 26th June 2019 - visited and met with the kaani tribals in the tail end of the western ghats forest region. Redesigned a comprehensive conservation linked livelihood plan and provided strategic inputs for the project to be executed by the state government as a special one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymoXbUDGclaTU7W1GaeVqaTxCD4kwLrPOo2DDcvn9eXdlKqHmP7jRPP0Dw1JX_ngaHmDmBFB4bafaS7JoazN7a2BCDJ3mTsXgmUW2kCvkHGL6o688OXqFjo2pI46k1AjoCedTn7hm5AZG/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2019-06-28+at+9.35.10+AM%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="682" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymoXbUDGclaTU7W1GaeVqaTxCD4kwLrPOo2DDcvn9eXdlKqHmP7jRPP0Dw1JX_ngaHmDmBFB4bafaS7JoazN7a2BCDJ3mTsXgmUW2kCvkHGL6o688OXqFjo2pI46k1AjoCedTn7hm5AZG/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2019-06-28+at+9.35.10+AM%25281%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"no one gave us the confidence and the clarity that you gave today, <br />
it was great to listen to someone who placed the interest of us, <br />
rural women, as his primary concern. <br />
we are used to the government officials who never really care for us" <br />
- one of the women participants from rural parts of Tamilnadu </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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33. <b>Enterprise training programme for the Community Professionals of the Makamai Community Institutions: 27th June 2019 at the Sustainable Livelihood Institute, Auroville: </b>Did an introductory programme on Value Chain Analysis (VCA) with the Community Professionals of 4 districts in Tamilnadu.<br />
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<<to fill up July and Aug>><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gPosF2yOd6YbhxMYjmJLpnUoOyoLyUIDKdD5OUIgV4jiKOnCWBHbxw3cvMTjImTVXfYP-y6xmEFW2R5QK5c1ONpQvUkmeTQteauTI_0BGLaCWAzHX9brJdn5qG1Ozzg14LSUGRSzS4E3/s1600/VCC_3594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gPosF2yOd6YbhxMYjmJLpnUoOyoLyUIDKdD5OUIgV4jiKOnCWBHbxw3cvMTjImTVXfYP-y6xmEFW2R5QK5c1ONpQvUkmeTQteauTI_0BGLaCWAzHX9brJdn5qG1Ozzg14LSUGRSzS4E3/s320/VCC_3594.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"it was truly inspiring and i am sure the young ones were highly motivated" <br />
- Ms. Alamelu, volunteer at the Vivekananda Centre of Cultrure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS34mbQfvlIRwCZKswoQxKHqa3Q0uYhQaOA9EhTqL4-oPzPo69Iz8L4bhlBmNxj514FxHf_pTJ8OWZb_1qfnKZ2N2QHmGkkHMQsgJWaBtPA12E_nSZyheCk_F9qgPIdgtwQI2pEiY3_F7/s1600/VCC_3601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS34mbQfvlIRwCZKswoQxKHqa3Q0uYhQaOA9EhTqL4-oPzPo69Iz8L4bhlBmNxj514FxHf_pTJ8OWZb_1qfnKZ2N2QHmGkkHMQsgJWaBtPA12E_nSZyheCk_F9qgPIdgtwQI2pEiY3_F7/s320/VCC_3601.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We ourselves were quite inspired by your talk and we are sure the students would <br />
have felt the same as well" - Professor from the Rani Muthiah College</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZxghxXWTEkFyfc2AI2jwlTgtrItZcy9oWwlWsROdJURjyJJsGbNRIWog9vhjhhxE8YeeDrbiIMCNt52_F1aiXoduRUVL-89z548RTTYzWOJpwWtEOtw-a9anXNaL-Da5GQsUZxxbQyh7/s1600/VCC_3602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZxghxXWTEkFyfc2AI2jwlTgtrItZcy9oWwlWsROdJURjyJJsGbNRIWog9vhjhhxE8YeeDrbiIMCNt52_F1aiXoduRUVL-89z548RTTYzWOJpwWtEOtw-a9anXNaL-Da5GQsUZxxbQyh7/s320/VCC_3602.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It was good to have listened to you, I have heard of you before, <br />
it was good to get to listen first hand" - Swami Ranganayanakananda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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34. <b>Pursuit of Excellence, </b>talk to college students: 3rd Sept 2019 at the at the Vivekananda Culture Centre in the Vivekananda Illam, Chennai. It was a honour to be asked to address students in this historic monument, though I had to talk to them inside an auditorium rather than out in the beach because of the traffic noise outside. I could talk to the students on the idea of India, on what is the core of this land, on environment, climate change, on becoming assertive Indians and also why as students it is not enough if they study today, that they need to rebel and challenge authorities, because the past generations have failed to make the world better for them and they have no obligation to the generation that created the systems around them to adhere to these systems without asking questions and being convinced. It was great to see several understanding smiles and later being told by their professors that they felt inspired!!<br />
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35. <b>Development Perspectives: An Orientation Lecture </b>to the newly appointed District Executive Officers and Young Professionals of the $100 million Tamilnadu Rural Transformation Project: 17th Sept 2019, SIRD, Maraimalainagar.<br />
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36. <b>Thematic Editor </b>for the Gandhi <b>150th Birth Anniversary Celebration Special Issue </b>of the <b>Journal for Rural Development</b>, National Institute of Rural Development, Government of India: 2nd October 2019, this premium Journal had several important thinkers from India and abroad contributing their works for the issue. As Thematic Editor, I had to identify and invite some of the prominent thinkers to write for the Journal, write exclusive and independent editorial notes for each of these and also a longer editorial for the special issue. <a href="https://groups.google.com/group/chief-syndicate/attach/fb57d31943318/JRD-38(3)%20-%20FINAL%20172%20pgs%20+%20Title%20pages.pdf?part=0.1&authuser=0" target="_blank">Download the Issue here</a><br />
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37. <b>PodCast on the 150th year of Gandhi</b>: 2nd October 2019 - a joint podcast on the contemporary adoption of Gandhian techniques with Rev. Sara Wolcott of Sequoia Samanvaya (the recording itself was done in the Florida Airport and since uploaded in the <a href="https://www.sequoiasamanvaya.com/regenerative-economies" target="_blank">Sequoia Samanvaya website</a>). A subsequent recording (pic.) was done in the beautiful home of Diane Wolcott in San Francisco.<br />
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38. <b>Evolving a Rights of Nature Economy Framework - Workshop & Experience Sharing, NEXUS LATAM Conference, Quito, Ecuador</b>: 3rd October 2019<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-22449803207281764912018-08-15T12:30:00.002+05:302018-09-22T19:27:14.592+05:3020 years of Samanvaya...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">15th Aug 1998, we started Samanvaya Consulting as a small initiative. It was just a newsletter at that time, but, the resolve was to work as independent consultants only in the social sector. "Shaping actions for a better planet" came about much later as a motto. Today, as we complete 20 years, we stay true to our objective of sticking to truth, making life simpler and staying small even as the world around us during these 2 decades has changed much. During this time, we have<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> enabled and catalyzed initiatives and ventures that have touched perhaps a few thousand lives, changed some of them. To be able to do so is a blessing. To continue to be receiving the opportunity to serve the social space, is bigger blessing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We don't have a habit of celebrating our birthday, but, wanted to share this short story above just to tell anyone out there with a heart to serve or volunteer in the social sector and wondering if it is possible to survive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">YES, we are a living proof. The rules are simple -</span></div>
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1.You receive more than you give voluntarily, so, give.</div>
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2.You achieve more if you don't care who gets the credit.</div>
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3. Whatever is correct, will have an impact, some instantly, some can take 100 years, but, you can't be daunted by it.</div>
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4. There is enough space for everyone in doing the right thing, scale or magnitude doesn't matter.</div>
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5. To stay healthy, happy, maintain inner peace and learn to laugh at oneself is very important.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-58083792868867383702018-03-27T15:38:00.000+05:302018-05-12T03:22:30.202+05:30Wishes of Peace from the Land of Gandhi, dear Emma Gonzalez<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear Emma Gonzalez,<br />
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Today I watched the video online of your silent plea, a plea to be allowed to live, in one of the most amazing show of solidarity and strength seen in your part of the world in recent times. As I saw your tears roll down, I couldn't contain mine either. In your intensity, in your silence, in your final words, I saw the despair of the future generations when they look at the current generation and its unwilling ways to change and make life comfortable or even livable for the future generations.<br />
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The 6 minutes of silence that you paused in your speech was so important in a world that is debating hotly just now, the listening and reading, the interpretation, analysis and commercial exploitation of the smallest of exchange of words between of loved ones. In your silence, you gave a slap to this entire industry that works with words and the analysis of words and the meaning that gets communicated based on the same.<br />
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That you stepped out at your age to seek justice and peace from a system that is run by people who profit from the design, manufacture, usage and control gained through weapons, itself is an act of defiance and courage.You may have done it provoked by the immediate anger and pain of losing friends, but, in your tender hands and shoulders lightly rests as you take on this system, the failure of people who didn't take this confrontation to its conclusion earlier. Several tried and were broken down, they were decimated as movements and run down or deprived of air as a body of protests and slowly, but, decided, they lost. In your is the revival.<br />
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That you could let your sadness show and your emotions in front of the world cameras was an act of utmost courage on your part. This is altering the script in a world that has commodified emotions on camera, it altered and placed a value of life and future on emotions on camera that is normally reserved only for the purpose of commercial benefit of a few. You have forever changed the script.<br />
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From the land of Gandhi, the man who stood for peace everywhere in this planet and who proclaimed more than 100 years back that the only way for the planet to survive is to adopt methods of non-violence and non-greed, this greeting is to cheer you and your friends and to assure you that you are not just a voice heard in your neighbourhood and country alone, that you and your friends have ushered in a global culture of a new script. A script that Gandhi would have been proud of and gladly associated with. I want to thank you for your courage and sincerity and yes, for standing up and being silent. In your silence and intensity is the hope for future generations. Your generation. God bless you and may you and your friends have the strength and the support that you seek and never give up until that system which you protest against submits to your demand and stops the perpetration of violence as a culture. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-75513798000106490762018-02-28T01:30:00.001+05:302018-05-12T03:14:48.986+05:30Auroville at 50: let's cheer and celebrate, there is no another Auroville!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>The intentional community of Auroville located in the states of Tamilnadu and Pondichery has come a long way since its beginning in 1968. As the launch of the 50th birthday of Auroville coincides this week, I am tempted to write this as a ring side viewer of Auroville (or some parts of it) and its several developments since almost 2 decades now.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"What is Auroville?"</b> is an interesting question that is often posed by people who come to Auroville and depending on whom it is posed to, it elicits various types of responses. I have often been asked this question and my response has evolved over a period to currently be this, "Auroville is a congregation of 2000 journeys, journeys that people from different parts of the world have started with a quest for something", the journeys and the congregation, the acknowledgement of the charter and the acceptance of all these people to live along side others with their own quests is what defines Auroville today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, this may look like a stretch, after all everyone is on a journey, and, people congregate in every city and town, and, after all, they DO live with each other or somehow manage to tolerate each other, don't they? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But, that is where the community and the charter comes in, Auroville is NOT a habitat alone, it is a place MEANT for people whose quests are beyond the material and immediate needs. The charter in a simple language places a very high ideal for the co-existence, in its simplicity it is elegant, in its vision, very ambitious and in its scope, rather broad and providing space for creativity.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But, to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the <b>divine consciousness.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Auroville will be the place of an <b>unending education</b>, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Auroville wants to be the <b>bridge</b> between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an <b>actual human unity</b>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Divine Consciousness, Unending Education, Bridge between past and future, embodiment of an actual human unity...are all terms that can have many interpretations and I can vouch that there are several in Auroville as well. But, it draws the contours of what a community of people in journey can and cannot embody. It doesn't say what they can and cannot DO, it rather states, whatever they do HOW and in what spirit the same is done. What is done is left to the community as a collective and of course, there are disagreements and bitterness based on the same, some of which is carried within human hearts for several decades.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, What is there to celebrate when a community such as this achieves 50 years of existence? One can name perhaps 50, but, I choose to name just 5 that is enough to celebrate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. I do think <b>it is a marvel that such a community comes together at all with the sanction and support of the State anywhere in the world. </b>There is no other such intentional community anywhere in the world of this size or with such a broad scope. Western society produces successive generation of disillusionment since over 100 years, if someone got disgusted with colonization and its injustice, someone else got disgusted with the advent of modern science, someone else with religion, modern technology, an idea of civilization, uniformity of civil life, absorption of individual life into a global economy, destruction of environmental wealth, perpetration of 'development' as neo-colonization agenda...there are enough reasons and while many in these societies have struggled and fought these in their own spaces, others, have dropped their national, social and cultural spaces to travel elsewhere in search of such spaces where they can create some other form of society far more meaningful for their own selves and others as well. Such spaces have emerged in different parts of the world as individual and collective enterprises of various longevity and capacity to survive. But, to have the approval and support of the State machinery is something that not many western societies could have tolerated in the previous decades, and definitely not now. <b>This is for me a cause of celebration in the first place</b>. Alain Bernard, a senior Aurovillian often says, "Auroville could only be possible in India, there is something about this soil that welcomes people and gives them a home".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. That <b>such a community continues to live and work by the spirit of the charter after 50 years </b>with the chief visionary no longer in the picture within the first few years of its formation is another reason for it to be celebrated. Across the world, spiritual and cultural institutions of various kinds have been created by visionaries that have hardly managed to survive the life of the visionary, some have managed to survive for a few years afterwards and very few of them for even a decade. Modern Indian spiritual institutions tend towards dilapidated existence once the spiritual guru or visionary is out of the scene, there are a few exceptions. To that extent, Auroville without any visible visionary to "lead" the community has survived with such diverse people and cultural backgrounds, in a space that is quite alien to many of them, and done so for 50 years, is a cause for celebration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. One of the hangovers of colonization in India has always been the assumption that somehow if there is a settlement in India with westerners, then they must be getting money and other forms of support from abroad. This assumption permeates across the Indian social fabric and Auroville has seen a wide variety of these. I can personally testify the diverse manifestation of this assumption - from the local village trader trying to elicit an extra rupee from the uninformed traveller to the government official or politician who challenges why Auroville needs government funds to that of technocrats who feel that Auroville is unfairly subsidized. To the contrary, <b>Auroville has had several funding crises and continues to stumble as a community from not having adequate funds to often support any new venture.</b> There were early days during which it was far more difficult we have heard. To agree as a community that "Aurovillians will not possess anything and everything will be in the name of the community" could have been perhaps a bit easier if the community had very little. However, today with the booming Pondy and ECR economy means that there is an increasing pressure on Auroville to reconcile with its own land and assets value in the current market and also to reconcile to the "tourist" rates for every service that its inhabitants seek. A house in Auroville during the early days could have been a <i>casurina</i> shed that one can construct with the local villagers in a day with very little money spent and only local resources. Today, houses in Auroville for new comers run into hundreds of thousands and are increasing in cost. That the community has still sustained the economic model that it started to experiment with, whereby no one can "own" any assets in Auroville and everyone has to work as the servitor of divine consciousness is something very difficult. This calls for celebration, humanity as a collective has been heading the other way continuously with individual greed and aggrandizement of wealth and its vulgar show-off, becoming a global culture. <b>That there is a place which sets for itself a different economic culture and lives by it for 50 years is a great reason to celebrate. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Often we get to hear of villages across India that have all developed and prospered due to the environmental rejuvenation work undertaken by remarkable individuals and collective efforts, Ralegan Siddhi where Anna Hazare works, the work by Jal Purush Rajinder Singh in Rajasthan, the work of the Panchayat leader Popatrao Chawan in Maharashtra, etc., have all been profiled and celebrated as unique and inspiration models. Due to its own self-criticism, Auroville often fails to realize the environmental resource base it has created for the entire region around Auroville and the economic wealth that has resulted because of it. About 5 villages around Auroville have more than 80% of their residents working in Auroville based or Auroville inspired initiatives and endeavours, and, more importantly, these are people who don't want to leave the village and go elsewhere! Joss Brooks, the steward of one of the most beautiful forests developed in Auroville, Pitchandikulam often points out to the 20 odd saw mills in the region around Auroville that are kept in business because there is enough wood that needs to be processed today that comes from the management of the forests that have all been created. If one were to look further downstream, there are wood working units, carpenters of very high skill and several wood work ancillary units all around Auroville that have only originated because the early Aurovillians planted and conserved trees. The tree and timber is one example, there are several such traditional vocations and many modern ones that have emerged from Auroville and created wealth within the immediate surrounding villages. With a small population of around 2000 people, Auroville is directly influencing the economy of at least 2000 families in the immediate region around. More important today, these efforts are sustainable because they have emerged due to the natural resources. <b>Such economic impact by a community on its neighbourhood without polluting or contaminating the resources around in itself is worth celebrating. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Once a politician in Pondichery, in a conversation mentioned, "these early Aurovillians without realizing have contributed to the social betterment of the most marginalized communities in the area". He went on to state that when early Aurovillians settled, they started to work on the land and planting trees. At that time, the only people who would work with them would be the most marginalized communities in the local area as they were the manual labourers and could relate and help with the work of the new settlers. These relationships that were built in the early days became even more stronger with the growth of Auroville and many of them also could overcome their own social status and gain economic advancement through the association. Many gained through subsidized school education, exposure to international knowledge streams and processes and also opportunity to work with people who didn't recognize their social status based on their birth. Such contribution that unintentionally overcomes a century old social segregation in the name of caste among the communities is an important reason to celebrate. </span><br />
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A city that came about through a dream and gets defined by its values, to survive with government and community patronage in an era of excessive planning and space as an economic value alone, a spiritual institution that is truly free from clutters of rituals or norms and provides for a freedom for each person aligned to pursue their own path, (sounds like) an utopian and impractical sounding financial model that has survived in its core and developed several practices that can teach the world another imagination of organizing economy, an ecological region that has created conservation linked positive impact on the community around apart from social balancing as well, all of these are worth a salute and a celebration.<br />
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There is going to be no other Auroville created in an India of SEZ and land grabbing due to greed and if it is not created in India, it may not be created anywhere else in the world. So, among several kinds of designed world imaginations that dominate, this space on earth gives hope for many and continues to sustain another imagination of a world possible, a world that celebrates human oneness and peace. That is a cause for celebration! There is no another Auroville and nor will be, so, let's cheer and celebrate.<br />
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<i>subsequent to this note being published in this blog, it has been translated and reproduced in the French magazine La Revue D' Auroville in May 2018. Images of the French translation below.</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-24632121698654719182018-02-23T06:44:00.000+05:302018-02-23T06:56:33.176+05:30Coming Up...late Feb 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b>Chief, Samanvaya will be 2 different events this coming days...</b></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-48142743648647088752018-01-11T22:56:00.000+05:302018-01-11T22:57:50.156+05:30Samanvaya 2017-18<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=1B54853CF97F2500&resid=1B54853CF97F2500%21881&authkey=ADAYC7oKyLtYkO0" width="320" height="180" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-48206585709124600002017-12-30T08:20:00.003+05:302017-12-30T08:21:39.873+05:30The Dharma of the Expert!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Giovanni-Book; font-size: 27.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Giovanni-Book; mso-bidi-language: HI;">The Dharma of the Expert!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">RAMASUBRAMANIAN<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">The article appeared in the January 2018 issue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta_Kesari" target="_blank">Vedanta Kesari</a>, an 105 year old magazine on Vedanta established by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda" target="_blank">Swami Vivekananda</a> and published by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Ramakrishna_Math,_Chennai" target="_blank">Ramakrishna Math, Chennai</a></span></i></div>
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The advent and domination of
modern technology today extends from our daily domestic use to national defence
and international communications.</div>
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However, whenever questions are
being posed by modern technology such as the Nuclear Power Plant in Koodankulam
or the introduction of Genetically Modified Crops, we find that even the best
among us don’t have a framework or approach that is clear and easy to
understand. Questions such as ‘What is the limit to the usage of modern
technology?’, ‘How do we measure its benefits as against its harms?’ and more importantly,
‘When to reject modern technology?’ are not always eliciting a clear response
from intellectuals, leaders and even scientists and technocrats. We find that they
are unable to balance their professional interest with the common interest of
humanity.</div>
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If there was a question as to
‘Whether the healthy and peaceful life of our people is important or having an
advanced technology based Nuclear power plant is important?’, most of us will
find it easy to choose the former. Similarly, if the question was ‘Do we, for
short term gains, need a technology such as Genetically Modified crops which cannot
guarantee its long term health or environmental impact?’, we would obviously choose
to reject the technology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Such simple posing of questions
on issues of public welfare seems to elude the ‘experts’ whom the government
often listens to in taking important technology issue based decision. ‘Public
Ignorance’, ‘Un-Scientific Approach’, ‘Fear Mind-set’, and ‘Unnecessary Fear’
are the kind of terms often adopted by the ‘experts’—those who know the technology—
to refer to people like us who are unaware of these technologies. Then, do we
submit the genuine concerns of the 99% of people like us to the ‘expert’
knowledge of the 1% of them? Most people within our societies and communities
are often happy to do just this, even against their own common sense, with
statements like — ‘After all they are so well-educated’, ‘They should know
better than us’, ‘Isn’t it scientifically valid?’ How do we as a society decide
on issues that may have long-term disastrous impact?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is our responsibility
towards the future generations? Should we be even concerned about the future
welfare of our society or should we limit our concern to our current challenges?
Can we limit our responsibility to just our own personal life without a thought
for the good of the greater world? Is that all of life?<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we are not the first
generation to face the challenges of technology, some of us may be inclined to
peep into the past, and see how our ancestors made their decisions on the common
welfare of humanity beyond their times. We can then understand their approach towards
such human conflicts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In our culture, every vocation
has been guided by the ‘dharma’ of that particular vocation in its social
engagement. To feed everyone and ensure no one goes without food was the dharma
of the farmer; to ensure no one falls sick in society was the dharma of the
traditional doctor; to elevate human mind through aesthetics was the dharma of
the artist; to not merely produce clothing, but in the process also determine
some social customs was the dharma of the weaver; to create wealth for the
entire community was the dharma of the trader; to sustain the beauty of the
language was the dharma of the poet; to maintain peace, order and sense of
security was the dharma of the king; and to maintain an higher aspiration and
bearing in society was the dharma of the religious leaders. Thus practitioners
of every vocation had a dharma or a social contract that guided their
engagement with the larger society. It was an amazing society that could draw a
code of conduct and behaviour to so many vocations and sustain the society for
a long period of time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What would be the dharma for the ‘experts’
of modern technology today? What are the guidelines by which they determine whether
to recommend a nuclear power plant or a genetically modified crop? ‘That which
is felt, by an uncluttered mind, as being truth and for the befit of all is
called dharma’ defines an old scripture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, ‘Can we see the truth of the
claims behind the nuclear technology? Is it really the only solution that can
provide the required electricity that is for the benefit of humanity? Can the
technology and its consequent electricity provide human beings true happiness
and contentment?’ – these can be some of the questions on nuclear energy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Similarly, ‘Is the pest
management best solved through such an expensive technology?’ ‘Don’t we have
cheaper and simpler ways of controlling the same pests?’ ‘Whom does the real
benefits of the GM technology serve?’—may be some of the questions on the genetically
modified crops.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When an expert says that the radioactivity
from a nuclear power plant is within the permissible limits for human beings, the
question arises as to what are the other radio waves that are impacting our
lives in the daily basis. What if some of us are less healthy than others and
fall ill even for lesser doses of the waves? Similarly, when experts state that
the GM crops are ‘substantially equivalent’ to that of naturally grown crops
and they are more or less similar, we see that the experts are resorting to a
newer language to explain away the inadequacies of the technology which cannot
state the truth in simple language because the truth maybe contrary to the
sense of security they want to communicate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We know from history that experts
denied that smoking causes cancer for several decades before conceding that it
does. What was immediate public knowledge and concern took several decades of
studies for the experts to arrive at and state a simple truth. The Bhopal
emission victims even today have not found justice, but, importantly, the
experts who pronounced the factory safe have had it easy while the victims and
their families have suffered beyond a generation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In an era where our lives are
often dictated and dominated by so many products of technology that we use, and
we are driven by these expert opinions, it is important that the Dharma of the
Expert is defined, articulated and practiced. One does not find any such
practice among experts; there doesn’t seem to be any compelling reason for the
‘experts’ to adhere to any code or dharma today. Unfortunately, our society has
elevated such ‘experts’ and ‘scientists / technocrats’ into a demi-god status.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Many of us take pride in our
children being educated in higher levels of technical or scientific education;
but we do not provide them the required ethical code of conduct that will
eventually make the difference between their becoming dharmic or harmful practitioners
of a vocation. We have to stop the culture that celebrates, ‘My son/daughter will
be a good engineer or doctor’ and start to celebrate ‘My son / daughter will be
good ethical practitioner of his / her vocation’; unless we do this, in the
coming times we will be left to bemoan the decay of ethics and at worse even
become its victims.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It is time that instead of being
passive consumers of the ‘expert’ knowledge pervading our lives in a million
ways each day, we understand the dharma of the expert and demand its practice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The author is a social entrepreneur
based in Chennai, & is the Managing Director for Samanvaya Social Ventures.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-42293554336412769512017-11-30T13:26:00.001+05:302017-12-30T15:57:49.396+05:30FPO Management Challenges: Consultative Workshop, 18th November Tiruchirapalli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqFT-tDxEJ9R8iCRmmi8HAVBPCQWdEUEKLV0wB191huZhgcZJWnYEJBG3XVZRfFH-q1hux9CHodbJfYmluR7CSEAy9mVAe-U5HeEU0DrlNIzkDehYzZu8g_px9VD5ok0kT4DyFfJoJLd3/s1600/FPO-invite-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqFT-tDxEJ9R8iCRmmi8HAVBPCQWdEUEKLV0wB191huZhgcZJWnYEJBG3XVZRfFH-q1hux9CHodbJfYmluR7CSEAy9mVAe-U5HeEU0DrlNIzkDehYzZu8g_px9VD5ok0kT4DyFfJoJLd3/s200/FPO-invite-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation to the Workshop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wXq9-Pw4UIX_reLyeDMMZc2nV9LqAa1AM2FEKu1tNJoNrSyWm0SWj_7bYLVEHTKGf3GKfqbazrWA9pRgyD55bVXhSJLa0nWXq03Sz603MwHUc6G1gr1AkVudvcj4SJHYqOQliVe4URMY/s1600/fpo-invite-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wXq9-Pw4UIX_reLyeDMMZc2nV9LqAa1AM2FEKu1tNJoNrSyWm0SWj_7bYLVEHTKGf3GKfqbazrWA9pRgyD55bVXhSJLa0nWXq03Sz603MwHUc6G1gr1AkVudvcj4SJHYqOQliVe4URMY/s200/fpo-invite-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the resource persons at the workshop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRjkrrt2-ljpRulugaPsR2w5umQayOrRRFy_4itfI_OERFvHgIkL794-EHxVv5g78W09hdMWdt6hHAL-HHgyB09S9JA5JaKZuRDpLdQNu6EfgSnEZAuHJqm9Is99b9iwih9t7U3U6FwAt/s1600/23622163_10156852036134554_7601598123755507905_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRjkrrt2-ljpRulugaPsR2w5umQayOrRRFy_4itfI_OERFvHgIkL794-EHxVv5g78W09hdMWdt6hHAL-HHgyB09S9JA5JaKZuRDpLdQNu6EfgSnEZAuHJqm9Is99b9iwih9t7U3U6FwAt/s200/23622163_10156852036134554_7601598123755507905_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partha, the lead resource person taking the participants through the formation and the management challenges of FPOs in detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olaganathan introducing the management practices and principles</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Na5roiQZUF_O7NZtOS2v-vSHJT3hbAECmkk5QuJzJHmmADyqXlNMSlW_9UkryOkj5X_uLk2dkcr6rdoxQuobIE-VFX_VUZoELnxnrXFa73f1KYiaZWI1Zr2GIwtgNjFQ3_VklnUnrdkG/s1600/IMG_20171118_123942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Na5roiQZUF_O7NZtOS2v-vSHJT3hbAECmkk5QuJzJHmmADyqXlNMSlW_9UkryOkj5X_uLk2dkcr6rdoxQuobIE-VFX_VUZoELnxnrXFa73f1KYiaZWI1Zr2GIwtgNjFQ3_VklnUnrdkG/s200/IMG_20171118_123942.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Subbbu sharing the compliance challenges and accounting processes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM2UN5GclFst2k4K2VEx2x5FRIkKCK3X9V9kb945Aj0siNxLHNPcnvgfu27cAtTSnhIhXtGCqJWa8rWByFJ3CITigMqyZg6dtakXJIWxA15fu-GdGTjZposjNKN2Mc47H4pvvkf2hXAxL/s1600/IMG_20171118_102055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM2UN5GclFst2k4K2VEx2x5FRIkKCK3X9V9kb945Aj0siNxLHNPcnvgfu27cAtTSnhIhXtGCqJWa8rWByFJ3CITigMqyZg6dtakXJIWxA15fu-GdGTjZposjNKN2Mc47H4pvvkf2hXAxL/s200/IMG_20171118_102055.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prasanna sharing the opportunities for the FPOs in the Social Entrepreneurs space</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ram introducing the programme to the participants </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14fK-lwLl-v5_X9u0UjMjwK1Gowmnf17aYMCzG_SAulxOo3hrRE6aH0Os0u-QKKCVzf8wL-HynHlryYCR2uwpyQo3aM01wGLIpNQVoH8l-La6PqDcyTul8gBaDBpwQ37GZwa89vOLhhxv/s1600/IMG_20171118_102146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14fK-lwLl-v5_X9u0UjMjwK1Gowmnf17aYMCzG_SAulxOo3hrRE6aH0Os0u-QKKCVzf8wL-HynHlryYCR2uwpyQo3aM01wGLIpNQVoH8l-La6PqDcyTul8gBaDBpwQ37GZwa89vOLhhxv/s200/IMG_20171118_102146.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CEO of one of the FPOs sharing their concerns</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Consultative Meeting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZkyoWBCln7FpEu1kWATkN8WokfDoyCtAarycatXdjLiAuYEN8Ro3V2EpCFhlgmpCbnMKsEBrBlmGgY0EEF4hWrTO9MUh1qxNgEUjMx6L6wv1FWRMrwIeuTg6-h5ICqdfuy_qHrKdDIJb/s1600/IMG_20171118_140440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZkyoWBCln7FpEu1kWATkN8WokfDoyCtAarycatXdjLiAuYEN8Ro3V2EpCFhlgmpCbnMKsEBrBlmGgY0EEF4hWrTO9MUh1qxNgEUjMx6L6wv1FWRMrwIeuTg6-h5ICqdfuy_qHrKdDIJb/s200/IMG_20171118_140440.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ram, Samanvaya giving a memento to Prof. Stephen of Holy Cross College</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-78123533138302512532017-11-06T08:06:00.000+05:302017-12-30T15:59:15.700+05:30Coming Up: Online Course on Indian System of Management...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
It was in 2004, perhaps in the month of September that we released our small <a href="http://www.samanvaya.com/main/publications.html" target="_blank">publication, "<b>Indian System of Management - An Introduction</b>". </a>The publication was released in the Goethe Institute, Chennai (the old building at that time, not the current new location) during a workshop on the same subject. At that time, Samanvaya intended to bring out several follow-up publications on the subject as a series. However, subsequent developments took us further and further away from this much needed work. An attempt was made in 2014 to revive the same through a series of workshops in Chennai, unfortunately, this too had to be given up as there were far too many practical difficulties.<br />
<br />
For those who don't know, Indian System of Management (ISM) was a new body of knowledge that emerged in the 80s and 90s as part of the movement to try and articulate "Indian" view of everything - we had "Indian" science & technology, "Indian" psychology, etc., coming up around the same time - primarily drawing from practices of management that were unique to Indian companies and with some level of alignment with alignment with scriptures of Indian origin. The range of scriptures was from the Tamil Thirukkural to the obvious Bhagavat Gita to Artha Sastra and other scriptures of different times and periods.<br />
<br />
I was first attracted to this body of knowledge in the early 90s and subsequently during my corporate consulting days was involved in organizing and conducting workshops on ISM in Chennai primarily for the corporate managers and leaders.<br />
<br />
My introduction to the pre-colonial and early-colonial history through the works of late Gandhian historian Dharampal gave me another insight into the ways in which we in India managed ourselves in somewhat better times before the British destroyed our communities through brute force. In the meanwhile, my own personal journey had taken me away from the corporate sector to the social sector. Some of what we read in the archival documents about the way the communities worked in India were fascinating as management practices and rather modern and innovative even by current standards of innovation. My encounters with village communities across India gave me ample proof that several of these management practices were deeply embedded in local cultures and practices even today and were not lost. However, they were not researched adequately and codified with confidence as "management theories" as most of our management academics were either corporate or westward oriented. My own small attempt based on a study in 2005 was to codify the practices of the southern Tamilnadu community practices under the title of 'Traditional Community Institutions and their Social Security practices'. This I have tried to crystallize and written a few articles on between 2004 and 2010.<br />
<br />
In the early parts of the 2000, there was a shift due to the new found wealth thanks to the IT sector. During this phase, several books, case studies and news articles were written on the Indian corporate culture that was different from the international ones. While the IT sector itself was more modelled on the global clientele on whose management models it was dependent and emulated on, case studies came from the family managed corporate entities in India. Many of these had sustained in the brick and mortar sector that was being challenged in several ways by the new IT sector. But, the narrative shifted from that of a broad "Indian" one to several community and specific location based ones.<br />
<br />
The rise of the hindutva politics gave a new form of interest in the later part of 2010s to ISM practices, there was more pride and it was no longer presented as "another" form of management best suited for Indian conditions, instead, it had to be a "global form" of management "prescribed to all" and attempts were (and still continue to be) made to move the narrative out of the 'Indian' label to that of the narrower 'Hindu' one. This excluded community practices of management that could emanate from non-Hindu communities in India of which there are several amazing examples. I see a new genres of books in the book shelves that are an outcome of this new grand narrative. Every community across the world has tried to portray itself as a great and rewrite its historical narrative during times of plentitude and this trend I see as people fitting into such a global narrative. But, as many of these are written by people who are either trained in modern management or have emerged from the middle class urban settings, they have obviously not been informed by the rich rural traditions and cultures that have many of the Indian management practices still in vogue.<br />
<br />
There has been also a series of books that has emerged from the 'social entrepreneurship' bandwagon since early 2000s. The concept of social entrepreneurship is rather weak and doesn't sit well with the Indian conditions, however, the several initiatives from this space have provided for literature to emerge profiling practitioners and practices. These are quite interesting as some of these have within nuggets of indian management systems. but, one needs to glean at many of these to elicit some form of management systems narrative as many of them have catered to the market demand of either creating 'heroes' or 'models'.<br />
<br />
So, as we race towards the end of 2017, my attention has been repeatedly drawn to doing another workshop on ISM. This time an online one. This ensures that distances and organizing doesn't become an issue. In the coming weeks, we will launch this programme as I gather my several experiences, learnings, insights and writings on this subject from across several online and offline locations. This will be meant for practicing managers, preferably with a few years of experience and who are often left with the question, "what works here?". This course could also be for the academics in management, though, I would prefer academics with practical experience as well.<br />
<br />
What I promise is a learning drawn from community practices across the country, management practices and principles codified from these, some form of codifying that is available in the literature, both old and contemporary, as well as examples and case studies.<br />
<br />
I don't see ISM today in the light as an "Indian" solution or a "Hindu" solution any longer. I have come to recognize something else in them. I see in some of the practices a deep understanding and potential for sustaining the planet today and it is in the context of sustainability that I would present my course. I definitely think India has something to offer to the world on that plane, not as a 'model' as much as a process. I don't think indigenous communities everywhere would have differed much in their principles, though, they may have adopted varying and local material dependent practices. Today with the indigenous communities everywhere facing the challenges of global economy and market and financial organization, there is a need to articulate that which can sustain in as many various diverse manner as possible and it is in that light I see this attempt of the workshop. I hope it revives memories of other practices and principles as well.<br />
<br />
Ramasubramanian<br />
Chief, Samanvaya<br />
6th November 2017</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-43261198086565642552017-10-15T14:41:00.000+05:302017-12-30T15:53:47.654+05:30What’s our perspective on farming?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">What’s our
perspective on farming?</span></span></h2>
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<i style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Published in the October issue of Raibar, a periodic magazine brought out by <a href="http://www.sidhsri.info/About_SIDH.html" target="_blank">SIDH, Mussoorie</a>.</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A search for ‘farmer crisis in India’ fetches,
1,82,00,000 results in 0.87 seconds. A search for ‘solutions for farmer crisis
in India’ fetches, 2,11,00,000 results in 0.70 seconds. So, what is there to
write on farming situation today which has not been already written? This is a
question that anyone today having to put a pen on a paper (or more like opening
a file in a computer) needs to ask of himself / herself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, at the cost of repeating someone else, I
need to write something that I feel like worthy of repeating. I seek to share some thoughts on the one area
of farming that bothers me as a society and as a nation, our perspective on
farming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a nation or society with one of the longest
continuing histories in the world, we have always had farming as an activity in
this land in some form or another all through a thousand years and more. What
did people do farming for? What was their perspective with farming? What do we
do differently? What has been the farming perspective in this land since
independence and the new State formation? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our ancient scriptures talk of farming with
much reverence as it does every other human vocation. The act of farming and
generating food in plentitude and sharing it with all species has been highly
praised in several scriptures of this land. “<i>annam bahu kurvita tat vritam</i>”
says the Taitreya Upanisad defining producing and making available food in
plentitude to all as a sacred act, and the Tamil scripture Thirukkural goes a
step further on this stating, “<i>paguththundu palluyir ombudal melor
vaguthavatrul ellaam thalai</i>”, meaning, that to produce and share in
plentitude and thereby conserve diversity is the supreme value practiced by our
ancestors. This is one perspective that has prevailed in India since centuries.
Food has always been produced in plentitude and diverse and has been shared
with benevolence with all. Sharing of food has been codified in every ritual in
this land, all celebration has been a sharing of food. Indeed as an agrarian
society every form of ritual and celebration has been centered on the act of
food production and consumption. So, many our celebrations even today are
centered on the act of farming, the beginning of the farming cycle, the arrival
of the first water in the canal, the seeds germination testing festival, the
festival for harvest of course culminating the entire season. There are also
festivals to thank the cattle, the sun god, the earth goddess, etc., coded into
every community and their rituals and celebrations. All resources related to
farming too were seen as sacred and revered. Water of course was seen as an
integral component of the food production (“<i>unavenappaduvadhu nilothudu neerae</i>”
says Tholkappiyam, a 5000 year old Tamil scripture which should rank among the
oldest scriptures around) and seeds were seen as divine incorporations (Lord
Naryana was celebrated as, “<i>muzhu mudhal vitheyo</i>” or the first grand
seed to the world). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The perspective through several millennia seems
to have been to produce, share, express gratitude and celebrate. A value not
uncommon to all the indigenous communities across the world, perhaps with
regional variations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What did it imply in terms of the daily practices
and life? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">The resources such as water, seeds, etc., were
never considered as commercial</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> and were seen as commons. We
would be stupid to assume that in a civilization of several millennia we must
be the first one to consider the taxing and pricing on seeds and water, the
thought must have occurred earlier and discarded as it did not fit the
perspective towards food and farming overall.
Special institutions were designed to conserve these and principles of
their usage were recorded as governing ones for such institutions. Poets and Seers were encouraged to codify
these into literature and scripture in their own ways respectively. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">The farmer was considered someone special in
society to be respected and supported</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> in all possible manner by the rulers and the
rest of the society. This particularly
made a difference in difficult times such as drought or famine, we learn from
early British archival records, for instance, that when the British enquired
regarding how was tax levied during the pre-British times, farmers confessed
that the earlier Raja’s would never tax the farmers during drought years and
instead would share the food from their granaries with the farmers instead.
This also defined the way roles of the farmer and the ruler were sustained
based on the changing situations in the Indian context, it was not something
that was structural and rigid, but, dynamic and changing, with each adopting
and supporting the other as and when the need arose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Farmers sustained many public service
institutions through their sharing</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> – farmers shared the produce first with all the service providers and
labourers before they took their share of the produce. The number of service
providers with whom the farmer shared his produce is still prevalent in some
parts of the country and it had people such as the traditional irrigation
manager, the crematorium worker, the priest, the ironsmith, the story teller, etc.,
these were services by certain communities, but, more importantly, these were
codified into community roles by a custom that saw the relevance of sustaining
these as a role and the farmers role in supporting them. These were the
institutions considered important for the village habitat system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Celebrations were centered on farming calendar
and whenever there was a need to gather and share / exchange goods and
commodities</span></b><span lang="EN-US">.
Farmers got together to plan and look at the prediction for the year when the
family calendar starts, they again met with each other to celebrate and
exchange seeds during the beginning of the farming cycle, the observed the
auspicious month in the last month before harvest as that was the time to
protect the crop from invading animals and stay in the farm mostly, they
celebrated the harvest festival and gathered, because that was the time to say
thanks to all those who contributed to their vocation. Rituals - according the
noted tribal historian and custodian of several tribal cultures today, Guruji
Ravindra Sharma – were a medium invented by the priest class to ensure that the
local economy functioned smoothly and every vocation was supported. So, farmers
supported the potters during the harvest season, they supported the weaver in other
times and vice versa. In fact, the eco-system for such farming to be practiced
includes a role of other vocations dependent on land to be strongly supported
and sustained in the vicinity. Perhaps, this is why Vinobha, when talking of
need for India to think about some farmers quitting farming in the post
Independence situation, opined that such re-organization has to create other
vocations dependent on land in the vicinity and not wean them away into cities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Science and Technology research and practice,
were activity pursued alongside the farming activity in the field and is
dependent on local resources</span></b><span lang="EN-US">. Pawan Gupta and myself have written on this at different times (and
other perhaps earlier), that there are perhaps 20 recorded ways in which the
amount of rainfall is predicted accurately by the farming community using
traditional scientific methods even today and perhaps there are several
thousand more that we are not aware of. Similarly technological innovations
were (and are) regularly refreshed through a process of trial and error that is
very local and the same are adopted and practiced by the farmers in the region.
There is no copy right claimed by any farmer for such an innovation, nor any
scientific practice known by the name of its first practitioner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Most farmers didn’t see farming as a vocation
or livelihood alone, but, as a sacred responsibility towards the society at
large</span></b><span lang="EN-US">. A farmer was
(and even today evokes an emotional response because of) considered the primary
bread winner to the society. This role
gave him much dignity and respect and also a sense of responsibility towards
the rest of society. He never had to look at his practice of farming only on
the economic prism because economy was an aspect of life and didn’t define life
and roles of people altogether in this perspective and world view.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have read this far, you might wonder
what happened to this perspective to farming and farm work in a society? This
looks so well and sophisticatedly organized, this was a system rooted in a ethical
behavior and Dharmic in its roots. So, why should this not be seen today? If it
was strong, why didn’t it survive the onslaught of the colonials? etc., these
questions are of academic nature at some level today if only we still don’t see
farmers and farming practice in many parts adhere to this perspective and
ethos. Over the last 2 decades of travelling and working with rural communities
never have I visited a farmers house in any part of the country and not be sent
empty handed. The farmer, even the poorest one, has always something to offer,
because sharing is his creed. Never have I encountered a proud farmer who does
not think despite all the troubles of farming, he has to do farming because
that is his responsibility. There are
villages and communities in which the service providers are still supported the
way they were supported in an earlier era.
The residue of the perspective on farming remains in several practices,
principles and shared ethos even today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do we have a perspective on farming today? What
does the Indian State Policy on Farming convey? Does it provide a world view?
Often it is reduced to number game and accounting practices. We have had
generations of political leaders who talk of ‘green revolution’ and ‘ever green
revolution’, etc., Why would a country that has had ‘plentitude of producing
and sharing food’ as a vision reduce it merely a colour coding and an act of
revolution? Perhaps it helped to sell urea that brought in more green colour to
the farming activity and the word ‘revolution’ also could be introduced as some
kind of a persistent mirage for Indian farmers. Revolutions are such counter
idea to sharing of plentitude. Revolutions have occurred in societies that had
enormous inequalities and revolutions were a way of breaking free of these. So,
the genealogy of such terms brought in values of inequality into the food
production and distribution and society theories that suited the same had to be
academically constructed and facts and figures that were selectively chosen to fit
this narrative. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No State relates to the farmer dynamically
today, the structures of the State are constructed through the department of
agriculture, revenue and development into meaningless silos of dead social
science narratives produced, promoted and guarded by institutions propped
during colonial rule. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All resources have been reduced to a global
dictated commercial value and a farmer has to wake up one day to see his
ancestral bequeath of a water body being given a new title, name and commercial
value. Seeds are usurped, commercially priced, resold at higher costs to
farmers with impunity. Scientists and technocrats have been given a higher
pedestal in society and the farmer often has to adhere to their whims and fancy
flights of ideas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of the compensations for the farmers are
actually to the scientific and technological products rather than the farmers
themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, the farmers festivals are been
unified into celebration of spending and greed like all other festivals across
the world to suit a global commercial market that can only survive with
uncontained greed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When a civilization, society or community
inherits such a grand perspective in food production and consumption as we have
done, then human intelligence is left with a challenge. What ‘improvement’ can
one do? While in other societies, people have embarked on long journeys to
conquer farther lands, relatively peace loving people of this land had set for
themselves generation of more and more sophisticated and complex structures,
works of art and literature, etc., as a way of expressing while not losing out
on the primary task of conserving and further enhancing the eternal values and
the perspectives handed down. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The globalized world destroys all local
perspectives and instead replaces it with homogenized values such as ‘food
safety’, ‘food security’, etc., All these formulations reduce the act of food
production to be a source of the final act of consumption and consumption and
consumer is the primary object of both control and choice. This is primarily
driven by the globalized market and commerce. The conflict in perspectives
today is between the eternal dharmic one of the Indian civilization and the
modernized and globalized one that suits the commercial interest of a few. In
recent times, even after achieving Independence, we had a choice to adopt the
grand old perspective in a newer conceptualization that fitted very much within
the older framework but also submitted to the economic challenge of those
times, these were formulated as Swaraj and Swadeshi by Bapu for the new country
about to be born. These would have achieved the economic needs of communities
while also reviving the older perspective of growing in plentitude and sharing
as fundamentally, Swedeshi insisted on utilizing local resources optimally and
Swaraj spoke of ways and means of taking care of oneself and ones one, these
were and are conceptual tools available for us for our times. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time and again, in the post-Independent India,
a meet political establishment has tried
to articulate the older perspective through several enactments as a feeble
attempt to articulate Swadeshi and Swarajya. Swarjya is enshrined through the
Panchayat Raj system in the constitution and policies such as ‘Make in India’
have come about. However, the political will bereft of conviction and courage
of the older perspective cannot survive in the modern commercial system of
global kind that has as its strong arms the bureaucracy and the markets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche once said that modernity
has had its origin and expanse to the current level of domination happen over a
500 year period and perhaps the rooting out of the same will take an equal
amount of time. Perhaps so, one only hopes that in the meanwhile, India does
not lose the memory and the capacity to bring back to play, its ancient wisdom
and practice of producing food in plentitude and sharing for the benefit of all
living species.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #984806;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ramasubramanian<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #984806;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">14<sup>th</sup>
Oct 2017</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-56684967694949788012017-09-21T23:43:00.001+05:302017-09-21T23:43:32.031+05:30A gentle assertive plea to ‘Save Our Soil’…Remembering Sri. M.V.Murugappan <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#76923C;
mso-themecolor:accent3;mso-themeshade:191'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#76923C;
mso-themecolor:accent3;mso-themeshade:191'>Samanvaya Freedom Lecture, 2004.
Ram, Samanvaya, Sri. Gomanthinayagam and Sri. M.V.Murugappan in the dais<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The head of a prominent business
family of Murugappa Group, its former Chairman and a dear friend of Samanvaya, Sri.
M.V.Murugappan, passed away yesterday. Here below a short note by Ram, Chief
Samanvaya and an article written by Sri. Murugappan 10 years ago. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
last time I met with Mr. M.V.Murugappan was during the obituary meeting of the
legendary organic farming leader, Sri. Nammzhvar in Chennai. We have sent out a
note on the meeting by email to several people and true enough there was a
phone call from him earlier that day
asking where was the venue. He turned up as he does ahead of time and was happy
to sit among the audience. “I am not keeping good memory these days, don’t ask
me to say anything, I just wanted to be here to honour him”, he said as he sat
among the audience. This was the character of the man and his commitment to the
various groups that were in pursuit of ‘alternatives’ in Chennai. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w6_kE7g6Xw17-3vjEOtiKRQs3MAoRfTpnRA9OVAiojdQOEEAbSARh7NKjMEywRi2LnVnqpqM04fDdpPUO-4WJDDe3YvEJeqZNUnM4-w-tpUiu6ILFnIV2W9GnSz-pNPDnADLdJpRCUGC/s1600/fl2-eminents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w6_kE7g6Xw17-3vjEOtiKRQs3MAoRfTpnRA9OVAiojdQOEEAbSARh7NKjMEywRi2LnVnqpqM04fDdpPUO-4WJDDe3YvEJeqZNUnM4-w-tpUiu6ILFnIV2W9GnSz-pNPDnADLdJpRCUGC/s200/fl2-eminents.jpg" title="MVM at Samanvaya Freedom Lecture" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Sri. M.V.Murugappan in the right extreme with Ram, Chief, Samanvaya <br />and Sri. Gomathinayagam, Organic Farmer & Teacher during the<br />Samanvaya Freedom Lecture, 2004</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a head of a major corporate house that had
its arms in several domains of expertise and businesses, he had a broad
spectrum of interests, including alternative science & technology (the AMM
Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre, popularly known as MCRC with its late maverick
scientist head, Dr. C.V.Seshadri, is still remembered for setting new pathways
of knowledge and priority for science and research in India), people’s movement on science & technology
(he stepped into the Chairmanship of the PPST when Dr. Seshadri passed away during
the run-up to the second Traditional Science Congress in Anna University,
Chennai) and organic farming. Along with his wife, he was very passionate about
Organic Farming and care for the soil and took care to exchange notes with
farmers on practices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For us at Samanvaya, he was a very different welcome friend. He was
far too elderly, far too wise and rather different as a corporate head and head
of a very well known and wealthy business family. I don’t remember when I first
met him, but, we hit it off and he was a pillar of support for our work with
the late Gandhian, Sri. Dharampal. Dharampalji, in his last years started to
talk about need for re-discovering the forgotten connections around the Indian
Ocean rim countries and India. Sri. Murugappan was happy to provide some
initial assistance as a seed funding. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Samanvaya Freedom Lectures struck an unique template whereby we
invited a grassroot worker to talk about their views of freedom and invited
some well known personality to introduce the speaker at the beginning. The second
Samanvaya Freedom Lecture (2005) had the Organic Farmer, Sri. Gomathinayagam as
the speaker; when we invited Sri. MVM to
introduce the speaker, he readily concurred and introduced himself as a ‘organic
farming student of Gomathinayagam’. He made it a point to attend any programme we
invited him for and always made time for the Samanvaya Freedom Lectures and any
other programme that we sent across invitations. He was also fascinated by the ‘Indian
System of Management’ ideas and complimented us on the first small booklet that
we published. Similarly, when Samanvaya
Swaraj lectures resulted in a 3 day workshop in Gandhigram, we were surprised
when Sri. MVM “registered” for the programme as one of the participants and
decided to come and hang out with us for a few days. Needless to say, it was great to interact and learn from him.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09uFQHLDqPAglb50yk26nwTn2EwXzS-txmCsH3SkJzsAbShWPS5SHHYZbrcvtX-noW5nuM2sd2XJMU-g47NPrINvexTgx1FC1x1oXAcJaiR4SP9SVNQ9KpG1RpVZ1neTz7M1UQRuZAihz/s1600/murugappan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="400" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09uFQHLDqPAglb50yk26nwTn2EwXzS-txmCsH3SkJzsAbShWPS5SHHYZbrcvtX-noW5nuM2sd2XJMU-g47NPrINvexTgx1FC1x1oXAcJaiR4SP9SVNQ9KpG1RpVZ1neTz7M1UQRuZAihz/s200/murugappan.jpg" title="MVM" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Sri. M.V.M. in one of the subsequent Samanvaya Freedom <br />Lectures - being part of the audience and interacting with<br />the speakers</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
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o:title=""/>
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<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I asked him to spare some time to talk about the community he
hails from and the practices of the community, he readily made time for me and
we had a few sittings in his office in the famous Parry’s corner office.
Unfortunately, like several city based initiatives that I had to step out of in
the last six years, this initiative to document community practices too could
not be completed though he did keep the offer open from his side. Perhaps if I can make time to look through
the old notes and transcribe the tapes, I can perhaps write something in the next
year when I can revisit some of my old research ideas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this time remembering him, I wanted to share a rare article
that he wrote in a newspaper almost 10 years ago on the need to re-think ‘development’
by policy makers. He was quite happy about the article and called to enquire if
I had read it and what I thought of it. I think this is the un-edited version
that he sent me. Like his points in the article, he was a gentle assertive force
in the space of alternatives and organic farming, pleading that people change,
holding his own position and place as lightly as possible. As we say in
Samanvaya, he was ‘another blessing’ to us and the world. The civil society
world in Chennai has lost a supportive and sensitive philanthropist, the
Murugappa group its head and Organic Farming movement in Tamilnadu, a gentle
and often invisible support base. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: right;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ram, 21<sup>st</sup> Sept 2017</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: right;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: right;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="right" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 22.5pt; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: black; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-background-themecolor: text1; tab-stops: 22.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Save Our Soil<br />
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Thursday
July 12 2007</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d6e3bc; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">M V Murugappan</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d6e3bc; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Many people who hold high offices, whether in Government or Business
constantly tell us through the media, how India can become a major producer and
supplier of fruits and vegetables to the world markets, and thereby earn
foreign exchange, provide employment in the rural areas, improve livelihood,
and cut out middlemen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
In reality, they understand little or nothing about how it works. In many parts
of the world, the producers are small to medium size farmers and their produce
is retailed by supermarket chains and exported by them. They tell the farmer
what and when to produce, provide him the seeds, agri-inputs and the technology
support to meet their market requirement. The farmer who is close to the ground
becomes merely a servant who does their bidding. The retail supermarket chains
and the MNCs will pay the farmer a remunerative price, leaving him a good
margin, for the first two to three years and then the squeeze begins.
Over-production means lower prices to the farmer and then, the farmer has no
other option but to sell at a distress price. Between the bargaining power of a
small farmer and the super market buyer, you can guess, who has the upper hand.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
In India, before the arrival of the supermarkets, we were accustomed to two to
three layers of middlemen, inclusive of the mundis. The spread between farm
gate price, that is price to the farmer and the price you pay as the final
customer is a factor of 4 or 5, for fruits or vegetables. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
We are told, this is because of poor handling, lack of cold storage facilities,
transportation and spoilage at every step. In reality, the middlemen make money
and manipulate the market and the farmer takes all the risks and puts in the
hardwork, but gets very little or none. We are told by the supermarket lobby,
with the support of Government and media, that things will change for the
better for the farmer and the customer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
With the coming of the supermarkets chains, to begin with the prices to the
ultimate customer would be somewhat, say 10 per cent - 20 per cent lower (to
begin with) than the earlier situation. But this is the “entry price” and will
creep-up gradually. This has been the story in the developed world and if one
is to learn from what has happened in the West, it will happen here, for sure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
No doubt, in the new era, fruits and vegetables of a kind will be uniform in
colour and shape, beautifully displayed and you can shop in air-conditioned
comfort. Fixed price, no bargaining, no hastle. But remember you and I pay for
all these frills. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
Oh! By the way, the enormous cost of cold storage over prolonged periods, which
leads to depletion of nutrients and loss of taste and 100s and may be even
1,000 kilometres of cold storage transportation again adds to the cost. To top
it all is the hidden cost of pollution, due to high energy input, in
horticulture. <br />
<br />
<b>Did you know<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The variety of
apples produced in USA dropped from 7,000 in 1903 to 1,000 in 1983.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Variety of
tomatoes lost from 1903 to 1983 — 80.6 per cent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Variety of
potatoes worldwide dropped from 5,000 in the 1900s to just four commercial
varieties now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Variety of corn
lost from 1903 to 1983 — field corn 90.8 per cent and sweet corn 96.1 per cent.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
<br />
In India, there are over thousand varieties of mangoes, out of which about
thirty are commercially grown for our markets and which we enjoy. Can you
imagine what will happen in the future? Our juicy varieties of apples from the
North and our delicious oranges have already been decimated by cheap imported
apples and oranges. As to the taste of imported apples and oranges, the less
said the better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
In scientific terms, when variety comes down, the chances of pests affecting
the fruits and vegetables and for that matter food grains, increases
tremendously, and to safeguard against this, you have to use chemical
pesticides. This at a cost not only in money terms, but also as “bonus”, jeopardising
your health, and more so the health of your children and grand-children, as
they are more vulnerable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
Take the Indian example, decades ago, we had over 300,000 varieties of rice
that our farmers had bred, to meet every conceivable, soil, water and climatic
condition and we are now down to about 300 varieties many of which are, “high
yielding varieties”, which can only be sustained by ever increasing use of
fertiliser and pesticides. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
So, with standardisation and organised trade, without doubt India will in the
near future, become the fruit and vegetable “basket” of not just India, but a
country to be reckoned with in world trade and we will also have another source
of foreign exchange earnings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
But who will benefit from all this? The farmer will be further marginalised
with reduced employment along with mechanisation on the farms. There will be
aggregation of land holdings with lands owned by fewer people, which is claimed
to bring about greater efficiency and productivity. If we are to learn a lesson
from the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> model and to a
lesser extent <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> and some
South American countries, would throw rural people not just out of jobs that
they are experts at, thanks to their accumulated “native wisdom” but it will
also push them to migrate to urban areas where we see “jobless growth”. Small
traders too would be out of jobs, at the expense of the supermarkets and MNCs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
A disproportionate chunck of benefits and employment will go to the retail
super markets and higher part of the profits will go to the shareholders of the
supermarket chains and MNCs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
<b>What then is the answer? <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Simply put, produce locally to consume locally and “export” the surplus
to nearby areas. At first, this might seem retrograde and antiquated. By
adopting this strategy, the local economy will improve and the producer can
either directly sell or form an alliance with others. As an example, set up
farmers market, where farmers bring their produce and sell to customers for
cash, thereby getting a legitimate price for their produce. Buying and selling
directly between consumer and producer at weekly shandies which already exist
in all parts of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>
will help. A local network of fair price shops would serve the needs in small
towns. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
For cities and larger urban areas, the ideal model could lie in distribution
and sale through a network of fair price shops which are subject to social
audit to ensure fairness, amongst all stakeholders — producers, retailers,
customers, workers and employees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
In India, land holdings are small, mostly a fraction of hectare to may be 10
hectare. This lends itself to “produce locally to consume locally” and “export”
the surplus to neighbouring areas. This will improve the livelihood and economy
of our rural people who account for 70 per cent of our total population. More
so ,it will lead to a more satisfying and rewarding life style, in keeping with
our roots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
<b>Here are a couple of “asides” to finish with: <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">David Nicholson–Lord, a well known journalist and writer, who visited
Thailand in 1998 said a fisheries expert of Mekong River Commission told him
that 85 per cent of 55 million people who live close to the rivers are
dependent on rural fisheries. The catch is a million ton, and in money terms,
US$800 million. In economic terms it is not counted at all. It goes straight
into the throat of rural people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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He has also said in the same article that once American academics attempted to
value such services, as clean air, water, standing forest, uneroded soil and so
on and came up with a figure of $33 trillion against $95 trillion for world
GNP. <br />
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It is high time, we in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>
learned to quantify such “services” and to value them at their true worth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Development is certainly desirable, but we need not hand over the controls of
our society to supermarket chains and MNCs, uproot and displace people on
massive scale, or create false needs to fuel wasteful lifestyles. For the sake
of future generations, we must rethink about the lines <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> should
evolve and follow, to suit our own development ethos based on an intelligent
grasp of Indian conditions.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">The credits in
the newspaper said: <b>The writer is a passionate organic farmer</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721270474796066775.post-88601750991919837552017-08-15T19:39:00.001+05:302017-08-15T19:39:07.128+05:30Samanvaya Women's Leadership Workshop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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