Monday, May 25, 2009
White Hindus
Rukmini Walker was 20 when she visited India to study the putul sculpture style as part of a multimedia project initiated by a group of Western artists.The project sought to use diorama to explain the concepts of the "Bhagvad Gita."
During her stay, Walker visited Hindu holy places such as Mayapur near Kolkata and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. She read the "Gita," felt moved and viewed the philosophy as thoughtful and rational. She says it engages the urban mystic and sees it as inspiration.
Raised in a secular Jewish family, Walker had always felt like a stranger in a strange land. She wasn't inspired by the culture around her and always wondered what motivated people.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
During her stay, Walker visited Hindu holy places such as Mayapur near Kolkata and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. She read the "Gita," felt moved and viewed the philosophy as thoughtful and rational. She says it engages the urban mystic and sees it as inspiration.
Raised in a secular Jewish family, Walker had always felt like a stranger in a strange land. She wasn't inspired by the culture around her and always wondered what motivated people.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: bhagvad gita, culture, hindu holy places, jewish family, kolkata, mayapur, multimedia project, philosophy, putul sculpture style, sculpture style
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Self-help groups and micro-credit, pathway to poverty eradication
It was a life-long passion verging on obsession for uplifting the disadvantaged and down trodden that drove two siblings to volunteer with an NGO associated with the United Nations. Rajyashree and Shomik Chaudhuri, born into privilege and brought up with the best of education in Kolkata, India, volunteered time and resources to run programs to benefit the underprivileged in the city.
Over the years they saw the results of conflicting interests of other representatives that clogged the flow of resources to the ultimate beneficiaries that retarded development. As a source of a major inspiration was Shomik's selection to represent the United Nations System in India to the World Summit for Social Development at Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995. Being the youngest person in history to represent the U.N. at a World Summit, Shomik's experience and interactions open another dimension to what true development can create.
The siblings formed their own NGO with other like-minded people under section 25 of the Indian Companies Act in 1996, making it a public limited company equivalent but nonprofit in nature. That way, they believed, the organization would be transparent and the service rendered professionally inspired.
The founding members of the Institute also believed that human or moral values were the foundation of any sustainable, holistic development. To create a benchmark in that regard, the Institute organized the 'First International Conference on Values for a Better World' soon after its formation. It had the presence of a galaxy of eminent personalities including Dr. Robert Mueller, former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and presently the Chancellor of University of Peace, Costa Rica.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Over the years they saw the results of conflicting interests of other representatives that clogged the flow of resources to the ultimate beneficiaries that retarded development. As a source of a major inspiration was Shomik's selection to represent the United Nations System in India to the World Summit for Social Development at Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995. Being the youngest person in history to represent the U.N. at a World Summit, Shomik's experience and interactions open another dimension to what true development can create.
The siblings formed their own NGO with other like-minded people under section 25 of the Indian Companies Act in 1996, making it a public limited company equivalent but nonprofit in nature. That way, they believed, the organization would be transparent and the service rendered professionally inspired.
The founding members of the Institute also believed that human or moral values were the foundation of any sustainable, holistic development. To create a benchmark in that regard, the Institute organized the 'First International Conference on Values for a Better World' soon after its formation. It had the presence of a galaxy of eminent personalities including Dr. Robert Mueller, former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and presently the Chancellor of University of Peace, Costa Rica.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: education, groups, india, kolkata, micro-credit; pathway, NGO, people, poverty eradication, United Nations, World Summit
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