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
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
Weaving the Tapestry of Dissent A quilt. A comfort furnishing, something you can snuggle in, and feel secure in its enveloping warmth, like a father’s hug. Ironic then, that a type of quilt was the epicentre of a resistance movement in Chile in response to the disappearance of scores of fathers, brothers and sons (not … More Champions of Peace: Chilean Arperillas
Save Thy Neighbour: A Besa-ic Philosophy The year was 1943. The place was Puka, a small village in Northern Albania. When the day dawned, it promised to be just another in the life of Ali Pashkaj, an Albanian Muslim who owned a general store and tavern. Hours later, he was staring down the barrel … More Champions of Peace: Albanians During WW II
Defying death with a book and pen An October afternoon in 2012, life took a drastic turn for Malala Yousafzai. It was just a normal school day, until a Taliban gunman shot her three times and one bullet hit her head. She was in critical condition and was later moved to England for intensive rehabilitation. … More Champion of Peace: MALALA YOUSAFZAI
The noblewoman who made possible the Nobel Peace Prize! The Nobel Prize has become a benchmark of excellence the world over. The Peace Prize has been one of the most keenly watched and bitterly debated. Indians or India-related personalities have been the recipient of the Peace Prize three times: Kailash Satyarthi in 2015, the Dalai … More Champion of Peace: Bertha von Suttner
From Peace to Prosperity: Emperor Asoka Ask anyone what they know about Emperor Asoka, and this is likely what they will come up with: He became a peaceful king after the Kalinga War and he planted trees all along roads. Those two facts, seemingly unconnected, describe the life of Emperor Asoka (304-232 BC), one … More Champion of Peace: Asoka the Great
Preah Maha Ghosananda: The Buddha of the Battlefields More than 10 lakh kilometres walked. And more than 20,000 villagers touched by the message of peace. That is Preah Maha Ghosananda’s legacy. Add to that the fact that Ghosananda’s entire family, including his 16 siblings, was wiped out during the Khmer Rouge regime, and his message … More Champion of Peace: Preah Maha Ghosananda
Last week, a man was lynched to death because rumours had it he had eaten beef. The police did not investigate who had attached him but whether it was indeed beef he ate. Outraged commentary has followed as well as soul-searching on the direction India is taking. http://www.ndtv.com/blog/basehara-village-carries-no-shame-1225235?site=full http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-party-and-its-poison/ Having just blogged about teaching moments … More Dadri as a teaching moment: What would you do in class?
Via Twitter, by Subhashini (@NeelaVanam), posted here with permission and gratitude. Picture source: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COwuuEbUkAAGVsT.jpg:large
