| Posted: April 30 2005,07:15 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
Yes,
Jain Vishva Bharati Institute (Deemed University) has documented
progress working under the spiritual leadership of HH Acharya
Mahaprajna. In the first half of the Decade India has witnessed some
gory communal problems and HH Acharya Mahaprajna has played a role in
assuaging some problems. The measure of success is recorded by the
conflicts it helped resolve and the tensions it helped remove. At this
time HH Acharya Mahaprajna, was on his ahimsa yatra or journey for
nonviolence begun in December 2005. He has impacted people’s lives in
three ways:
1. In assuaging raging emotions and hatred, which has won even governmental acclaim.(progress was tangible)
2.
By personally training millions of common folk in nonviolence and
transformation of the heart (progress measured by attendance at
training sessions)
3. By setting up a Foundation at the national
level of spiritual leaders from different faiths to replicate the
process of dialogue and reconciliation all over the country.(tangible
progress)The University offers post-graduate and doctoral programs in
nonviolence, which has found increasing number of students, has
organized several series of well-attended lectures on ahimsa
(nonviolence). The University has addressed the need for girls
education in rural Rajasthan
The University publishes a glossy monthly, to attract young readers, on peaceful co-existence.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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The
main obstacle has been finding the right people to spread the message,
to reach out to maximum number of people across the country. Since the
whole program is not a commercial one, to sustain it financially is
another point that calls for discussion fairly often.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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It has worked in:
1.Education and training in nonviolence
Academics
a)
Through the University’s Department of Peace and Nonviolence, one D.
Litt., ten doctoral degrees and forty number of students have done
their Masters. Number of certificate courses and short camps has also
been organized throughout the country.
Extension work
a) Special lectures and educational material has been prepared on controlling emotions
b)
Understanding that violence is playing a major role among peers in
schools, JVBI has launched a program to conduct workshops in schools
for middle school students to sensitize them to nonviolence.
c) JVBI is working in rural areas around its campus in Ladnun to spread women's education.
2. Working towards interfaith harmony
Academic:
a) The University launched and conducted successfully certificate course in Understanding Religions.
Extension work
a)
JVBI has organized a national level meeting with religious leaders from
different faiths to bring about greater unity and amity between them.
This meeting was attended by the President of India who was presented
The Surat Spiritual Declaration. It is a document where fourteen
spiritual leaders, from nine religions, have put their minds together.
A Foundation was born from the Declaration called Foundation of Unity
of religions and Enlightened Citizenship (FUREC). For further details
visit www.furec.org
3.Advocacy
Academic
Extension work
a)
Perhaps the most significant action has been the innovative “Ahimsa
Yatra” or Journey of nonviolence on foot undertaken by HH Acharya
Mahaprajna throughout India, particularly through conflict-ridden
states (like through Gujarat during 2003 riots). HH Acharya Mahaprajna
has been conferred the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration
(2003) and the National award for Communal Harmony (2004) in
recognition of his efforts.
b) The popular journal brought out
by the University (U Can Change the World) has been carrying a monthly
column on mental, verbal and physical nonviolence, which has found good
response.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
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Postal address of organization
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Jain Vishva Bharati Institute (Deemed University)
Ladnun, 341 306, Rajasthan INDIA
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E-mail address of organization
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jvbidelhi@jvbi.ac.in
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Website address of organization
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www.jvbi.ac.in
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Equality of women and Understanding, tolreance, solidarity.
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Education
for a culture of Peace, where education is understood boradly as
academic education, advocay and improving the nonviolent quotient in
human beings.
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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Most
of the action of the University has been in the northern and western
states of India: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Parts of Madhya
Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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