Finding Him

We have been at the Ashram in Sewagram for the past two days experiencing the translation of Gandhi's ideals into action. As he said, "thought is just thought until it's implemented". Because he saw the inter-connectedness of just about everything his ideal of creating self reliance for ALL has political, economic an social ramifications. The ashram is a living model of equality, empowerment and contentment, as are the thirty or so other practical enterprises in and around this area--all making a positive impact on the quality of rural life. I have limited time on the computer tonight so will post pictures and more details in two days time, when better connectivity is available. I have conducted two individual interviews and we have held meetings with countless other individuals so my head is bursting. Just as a teaser for future posts, I met the woman who is responsible for the inception of conservationists being known as tree huggers. Her work in the mountain villages empowered women to protect their forests in order to sustain their food source for their families. When a highway was about to go through it was her village women who came up with idea of hugging the trees and challenging the construction crews to cut through them first if they wanted the to remove the trees. The crews backed down and the road was detoured. The courage and commitment is overwhelming!