Time is moving so fast, I can barely keep up. Over a week ago now, Nivedita and I had the chance to attend a seminar on peace studies hosted by another Chennai-based NGO: Prajnya (prajnyaforpeace.wordpress.com). The Director, Priyadarshini Rajagopalan was a lovely-lively woman who is obviously very passionate about her work. I was happy to be in her presence, trying to absorb both her poise and knowledge. The event was held at The Madras Terrace House, which I recommend to anyone interested in art, music, or NGOs Royapettah, Chennai, +91-44-45038391.

Group discussion covered everything from Tamil Nadu’s education system, the current curriculum in government schools, and region-wide outreach efforts to increase awareness of peace studies. We met some great people and enjoyed some delicious tea. Other women that attended, all the participants were women, which set a great empowering tone, included: Mrs. Kala Doraisamy, the Principal of the Grove School (www.cprfoundation.org). They seem to be doing great work integrating innovative learning techniques on topics like peace and the environment. Also there was V.R. Devika from The Aseema Trust (www.aseematrust.org) who is working in Chennai slums. With energy and enthusiasm, her goals are in synch with Sangam’s. She is using performance art teach confidence, self-esteem, and English to children living in slum conditions. Overall the event was a lovely way to start the day.

I am thankful to Nivedita and Sriram for letting me tag along. Around every corner, here in Chennai, I have found new opportunities to learn and grow both personally and professionally. I encourage Sangam members to continuously reach out to others who share a vision for the future where peace and harmony can be seen in the streets of every slum, every suburb, every village. Everyone has something to offer. I hope that we can all continue to grow and learn from each other.

Read the summary of the meeting on the Prajnya Blog

This entry was posted by Katie on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 5:20 pm and is filed under allied, perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.