May 2018

#DialogueForPeace: Religiously Working For Change in Sri Lanka

May 30, 2018

[This blogpost is a compilation of extracts from Impact and Success of District Inter Religious Committees: Religiously Working for Change published by National Peace Council, Sri Lanka, January 2016.] “Whether in Sri Lanka, Europe or the United States, coping with the challenge of religious and ethnic diversity is the challenge of our times… An important … More #DialogueForPeace: Religiously Working For Change in Sri Lanka

#DialogueForPeace: What It Means to be a Global Citizen

May 28, 2018

By Juhi Waeerkar If I could define cultural diversity, I would define it as, “the coexistence of culture and ethnicity within an individual as well as a society.” In an increasingly globalized world, we have individuals born in one culture, and raised in another. There is a lot of interaction and exchange. Through this, we … More #DialogueForPeace: What It Means to be a Global Citizen

#DialogueForPeace: Cultural Diversity, A Vital Condition for Human Freedom

May 27, 2018

By Devika Mittal After graduating in history, I had devised three options for my further studies – to continue with my discipline, switch to archaeology which had been my childhood dream, or to pursue sociology which was my new-found interest. I chose sociology. I did not have the option to study sociology in my school, … More #DialogueForPeace: Cultural Diversity, A Vital Condition for Human Freedom

#DialogueForPeace: The Value of Listening to Every Voice

May 26, 2018

By Archana Rao A few years ago I had the immense privilege of meeting the folks at the National Equity Project. I was personally challenged to question my unconscious biases. Having lived a very diverse life, around the world, with a life long association with Initiatives of Change, an international organisation committed to bridging divides … More #DialogueForPeace: The Value of Listening to Every Voice

#DialogueForPeace: Cross pollination with others

May 25, 2018

By Preeta Kuhad Balia Our earliest impressions of the world are perhaps a composite vignette of childhood experiences. Like layers of paint which effortlessly spread and imperceptibly take on the next coat, only deepening the hue, the years growing up with our parents were perhaps an exercise in discovering our cultural affiliations. My parents hailed … More #DialogueForPeace: Cross pollination with others

#DialogueForPeace: Annihilating caste through the school curriculum

May 24, 2018

By Tulika Bathija “True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.” — Kurt Vonnegut From a University Scholar to a School Teacher A public funded university in India is a diverse, vibrant and a politically active space. It is within this space … More #DialogueForPeace: Annihilating caste through the school curriculum

#DialogueForPeace: Culture is Not Immutable or Inflexible

May 23, 2018

By Asiem Sanyal My earliest grasp on what the word ‘culture’ denoted began, as I believe it does for most people, at home. Born to a Gujarati Muslim mother and a Bengali Hindu father, my sister and I grew up on not just a literal diet of Gujarati and Bengali cuisines, but also the more … More #DialogueForPeace: Culture is Not Immutable or Inflexible

#DialogueForPeace: Photographing Diversity in Delhi

May 22, 2018

By Jayshree Shukla Cultural diversity is the most important asset of society. To me, it is the most precious legacy any people can have. When cultures collide, when people of different backgrounds engage with one another, there is a tremendous opportunity for learning and growth. No single culture or people could have achieved what humanity … More #DialogueForPeace: Photographing Diversity in Delhi

#DialogueForPeace: Waking Up to my Caste Privilege

May 21, 2018

By Adithya Prakash As an upper caste Hindu boy, I was brought up to be ignorant about caste. I went to an English medium school, and later found myself ranting about reservations being caste-based rather than merit based when I could not secure admission to certain colleges. I naively assumed that India was a meritocracy. … More #DialogueForPeace: Waking Up to my Caste Privilege

#DialogueForPeace: A Blog Symposium on Cultural Diversity

May 21, 2018

When ideological battles are being waged in the streets, and on social media each day, one gets the impression that everyone wants their voice heard but few are willing to listen. There are debates galore, with a myriad voices fighting for space, but the absence of a genuine dialogue is conspicuously felt. It is, therefore, … More #DialogueForPeace: A Blog Symposium on Cultural Diversity