#collaborativeactivities

[swamibhoomanandatirtha]

Cultural Heritage Class (CHC) camp in Narayanashrama Tapovanam (26-May-2024)

In a vibrant gathering of 43 children, the resonating theme of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" set the stage for a day filled with enlightenment and camaraderie.

The morning commenced at 9:30 am in the serene ambiance of Vijnana Bhavan. The children were shown a PowerPoint presentation titled 'The Story of Ashram'. Poojya Swamiji graced the occasion with profound insights, responding to the eager inquiries of the young minds. One child sought to unravel the journey of Swamiji from being a disciple to where he is now, while another expressed her lingering doubt - What is God? nobody has seen him, so is it only a supernatural power?

Following this enlightening session, Ma, with her gentle eloquence in Malayalam, shared heartfelt reflections on how blessed the children are, being part of such an enriching session. Her words resonated deeply as she expressed her own aspirations as a child to embody goodness.

After a hearty lunch, crowned by the delectable payasam dessert, the children were grouped into six teams, engaging in collaborative activities, meant to make them understand valuable lessons in synergy, cooperation and teamwork.

The culmination of the day was marked by a drawing assignment, prompting the children to illustrate their daily essentials on paper. Amidst animated discussions, the canvases came alive with symbols of interconnectedness — stars, sun, moon, trees, rivers, roads, hospitals and so on. Through their creations, the profound message echoed loud and clear: our existence is interwoven with the fabric of the universe, each component indispensable to our very being.

Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji, and Ma listened to their explanations, as they examined each artwork with care and appreciation. With the distribution of prasada and a jovial tea session, the day drew to a close, leaving hearts brimming with gratitude and souls enriched with the wisdom of unity.

Click here latest News from Bhoomananda Foundation: https://www.bhoomananda.org/latest-news/

[worldwatcher3072]

Empowering the Future: Inspiring Young Voters to Make Their Voices Heard

In a world brimming with challenges and opportunities, the voices and perspectives of young people are vital for shaping our collective future. One of the most powerful ways to make a difference is through the democratic process, and that begins with voting. In this blog post, we explore strategies to engage and empower young voters, igniting a passion for civic participation and encouraging them to exercise their right to vote.

Amplify the Issues That Matter: Young people are passionate about a range of critical issues, from climate change and social justice to student debt and affordable housing. By highlighting the impact of political decisions on these issues, we can inspire young voters to recognize the importance of their participation. Provide clear and accessible information about how voting can influence policies and effect change on the causes they care about most.

Harness the Power of Digital Platforms: Today's youth are digital natives, deeply immersed in online communities. Leverage the power of social media, digital platforms, and engaging content to capture their attention. Create informative and visually appealing content that breaks down complex political issues into digestible formats. Encourage sharing, discussions, and virtual activism to foster a sense of community and collective action.

Educate and Empower: Many young people may feel disillusioned or disconnected from the political process. Bridge this gap by providing comprehensive and engaging civics education. Develop partnerships with educational institutions, community organizations, and online platforms to deliver interactive workshops, webinars, and resources that educate young voters about their rights, the electoral process, and the impact of their vote.

Cultivate Youth Leadership: Empower young leaders to spearhead voter engagement initiatives in their communities. Establish youth-led organizations, clubs, or task forces focused on voter registration, education, and mobilization. Encourage young activists to organize local events, town halls, or candidate forums where they can directly engage with elected officials and candidates. Foster an environment that celebrates and nurtures youth leadership, providing mentorship and guidance along the way.

Collaborate and Build Alliances: Forge partnerships with youth-oriented organizations, political campaigns, and grassroots movements to create a united front in engaging young voters. Collaborative efforts can increase resources, outreach, and impact. By working together, we can create a broader network of support that reaches young people in various communities and backgrounds.

Break Down Barriers: Identify and address barriers that hinder young voters' participation. Advocate for policies that facilitate easier access to voter registration and polling locations, such as automatic registration or extended early voting periods. Organize transportation to polling stations, educate young voters about absentee and mail-in voting options, and ensure they are aware of voter ID requirements. Empower young voters to overcome logistical obstacles so that they can fully exercise their right to vote.

The power to shape our collective destiny lies within the hands of young voters. By engaging and empowering them to participate in the democratic process, we unlock the potential for transformative change. Let us create a future where young voices are valued, where their concerns are addressed, and where their dreams can flourish. Together, let's inspire a generation of engaged citizens who understand the power of their vote and work towards a better tomorrow.

Remember, every vote matters, and when young people stand up and make their voices heard, they become agents of change, shaping a brighter and more inclusive future for all.

[muhammadabdurrehman-blog]

@pakpureline Meeting with Dr Surrya Ikhtiar, #Head_of_Diet_and_Nutrition_Department_Allied_Hospital_Faisalabad and students of #NutritionAndDietetics, #PunjabYouthInternshipProgram. Planning of #CollaborativeActivities of both organizations. #PioneersAcademyOfNutritionAndDietetics (at Allied Hospital Faisalabad - Unofficial)

[ecologyalike]

PART I Ideas of John Dewey on democracy and what’s that got to do with the COP 24?

In his email to all followers of Earth Innovation Institute today Dan Nepstad, Executive Director of Earth Innovation Institute writes “As I look back on this turbulent, exciting, and frightening year, the main lesson I take away is this: our efforts to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change must bring people together and build trust in democratic institutions.“ 

This captured my attention perhaps first because we now have a rule book to implement the Paris Climate Agreement, but especially because I was jut going to write more about American Philosopher John Dewey….

On my way back from Indonesia this weekend,  in between of napping and watching couple of movies, I had a change to finally read the paper of professor Festenstein on Dewey. The paper interprets Dewey’s thoughts on democracy. As Festenstein puts it “running like a thread on this account, is a critical analysis of the distortion of hierarchy and class division on social knowledge, which Dewey believes democracy can counteract.”

How then thoughts on future direction of climate change governance, trust to public institutions and ways how democratic institutions can counteract hierarchy and class division on social knowledge link together?

For me the Dewey’s practical conceptions of experience, intelligence and inquiry, which form a pragmatic frame for analysing the potential of the democratic process, is indeed a very interesting one.

Experience embedded in the environment and socio-political context of the problem in question;

intelligence as being able to, search, analyse and use the available knowledge attempting to solve the issue; and

inquiry as means to “muddle through”, to test and reflect on what works and what does not through an iterative process of learning by doing.

In Dewey’s practical conceptions I see a parallel to the wider interpretation of “knowledge”. I agree that one should not only refer to a scientific knowledge when talking about knowledge, but also a practise oriented knowledge derived from experience and inquiry, as well as inherent knowledge of social networks built on traditions, beliefs, values and culture that shape human interactions.

Social knowledge in a democratic institution is shared, it is not something that only those on top of the hierarchy can produce or justify, but its validity or usefulness can be challenged by the masses.

The idea of not allowing a wide citizens participation in decision making on the highly complex issues of governance, derives from the technocratic conception that masses do not have the access to information, and perhaps more importantly the required ability to analyse this information in order to make “wise” or “best” decisions (information which undoubtedly is going to just increase exponentially in the era of information technology). However, Dewey thinks that the technocratic elite, while perhaps having the access and ability to analyse information or “knowledge”, is far from the public, and even alien and ignorant to the real-life problems and real-life solutions which stem from experience and inquiry.

Specialists represent a social division of labor; and their specialization can be trusted only when such persons are in unobstructed cooperation with other social occupations, sensitive to others problems and transmitting results to them for wider application in action (John Dewey)

They,  a “technocratic elite”, may possess more capacity to use the scientific knowledge, but lack the understanding on the context where decisions must be executed or implemented. As a conclusion “the knowledge of public needs, cannot be achieved without engagement and participation of those whose needs are at issue.”

Stay tuned, this blog continues tomorrow….