As we were sitting around the table listening to presenters talk about the work of Shanti Ashram I couldn't help but wonder why there were not more organizations like this one. Why it has not been spread to more villages, cities, states, and countries. Is it that difficult to start something like this? If I say this, however, and then do not try myself to create such organizations, because I am "too young, or too inexperienced" then maybe I will be answering my own question. Maybe it is that mindset that makes this not happen. Then I think, maybe I could start something, maybe with the right mindset and the right resources, and lots of work maybe I could do it. Gandhi said "be the change you wish to see in the world" If I'm going to sit here talking about how not enough is being done, isn't it true that I should be out there doing something about it. It can't be impossible. Create an organization that will train people to train people. I'm sure it would be a challenge. Then I think, well it must be difficult if more people aren't doing it, but maybe that is just it; everyone thinks that no one is doing anything because it is practically impossibly to do, and then no one tries. Right now, I want to be the one person that tries...
Shanti Ashram defines itself as a Gandhian organization, it "strives to be a catalyst for change" and it does a fairly good job at that. They believe that "everybody is not equal, some people need more help". When they start a project they first go to a village and find out what the need is, and then work to get it funded, many other organizations work the other way. They offer help to villages in Coimbatore, rather then force help. Trying to force development is, in my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes we make. It is truly an amazing organization, what it does seems to work. Their "mission statement" seems to really say how development needs to be done, and they stick by that. They have projects and programs in many of what I would define as key areas needing improvement: health, education, environment, woman's empowerment, and many others. I'll give more on their projects as I learn about them.
On another note, I really can't stand it when everyone compares everything to the US dollar. I know that 40 rupees or <$1 a day is not a lot of money no matter where you are, but it doesn't help me to understand how much money people need to make a day here to be comfortable. The guy at pizza hut the other day said that he made 5000 rupees a month. Immediately everyone was like "oh that's less than $300 dollars" everything is different, you can't really understand how much money something is if you start thinking in dollars. ugh.
We also talked today about what it means to be "developed" the presenter said, "I cannot say if the US is developed or not, you still have a 10% unemployment rate, are you happy with that? Are you always happy in general" He said that instead of basing development on GDP (gross domestic product) or HDI (Human Development Index) we should base it on Gross National Happiness. To a great extent, I agree with him.
My day today was, as you can see, just full of thoughts on development, we spend the next 5 days at Shanti, learning about the different projects and how the organization functions. I'm extremely excited about it!
Gandhi said, "there is enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed". Very, very true.
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Well, I understand the emotional resistance to the filthy lucre, the dollar. But it is a sincere and helpfull effort to bring understanding of relative value of an item or a project, and the dollar is the international standard. It used to be the franc, as did the language of diplomacy used to be French. We have taken over and soiled many nests, but our dollars have brought much help, too. Gramma
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