A five-day youth leadership meet featuring experiential learning and field visits began at Auroville on Monday.
Auroville is hosting the event under the “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” nation-wide initiative that encourages youth as future leaders to raise awareness of global issues and exchange of thoughts, as it sees a convergence of objectives in its founding goal of striving for human unity in diversity and the promotion of mutual understanding between people from different regions and nationalities.
The vision of Auroville, with its international community and commitment to human unity, aligns seamlessly with the goals of the nation-wide programme, a press note said. The universal township’s diverse community, comprising individuals from various nationalities and cultural backgrounds, presented an ideal platform for participants to engage in more meaningful cross-cultural interactions, it added.
The event, inaugurated by Jayanti Ravi, Secretary, Auroville Foundation, also seeks to initiate youth into perspectives on spirituality and Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and practical implementation of integral education that his collaborator The Mother had envisaged in establishing Auroville in 1968.
The period also coincides with the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo and the 55th birth anniversary of Auroville.
Build a better future
The meet aims to utilise the opportunity to build a better future; to work towards building a system that empowers to address global challenges and brings prosperity and well-being to humanity. Another purpose is to deliver quality education and pursue environmentally sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development in an integrated, holistic and balanced manner while creating an inclusive world, the press note said.
Auroville’s emphasis on spiritual values, environmental sustainability, and community living, offer a unique backdrop for participants to not only learn about the rich cultural tapestry of India but also to experience a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity.
More than 100 students and faculty from institutions across the country are enrolled in the participatory and immersive learning exercise that includes visits to various units such as Sadhana Forest, a volunteer based organisation focused on reforestation and food security in arid areas; Botanical Gardens, a concerted effort towards conservation and preservation; Matrimandir; and Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In addition to exposure to waste management concepts, approach to education and architecture, art and culture experiences are also part of the programme.
