Gandhi and Gram Swaraj: Reflections on Gandhian Ideology
Dates for Conference: 19th-20th December 2009
Venue: Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
The objective of the conference was to understand the concept of Gram Swaraj propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi, throughout his life experimented with Truth and he further emphasized on the necessity to make the villages self-reliant and promote the wellbeing of these villages. The conference was an initiative to understand and cope up with the modern challenges to the thriving villages. Villages are the harbingers of the indigenous culture and heritage, within themselves they comprise innumerous legacy of knowledge and wellbeing.
The conference will be an initiative to understand and cope up with the modern challenges to the thriving villages. Villages are the harbingers of the indigenous culture and heritage, within themselves they comprise innumerous legacy of knowledge and well being.
1) Themes on which papers to be presented
2) Gandhi and Gram-Swaraj (Village Emancipation), A Theoretical Framework
3) Gram Swaraj: As Visualised in Globalised World
4) Globalisation and Challenges to Village: Education and Economic Self Reliance?
5) Health in Villages: Challenges of the Globalised World
Conference Report:
The objective of the conference was to understand the concept of 'Gram Swaraj' propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi, throughout his life experimented with Truth and he further emphasized on the necessity to make the villages self-reliant and promote the well-being of these villages. The village as a social entity and unit of society which has traversed several passages of human development. Wherein, various dimensions pertaining to economy and cultural has changed. However, in the changed world scenario villages and their existence is further questioned and often in pessimistic attitude it is believed that they will lose their entity with changing times. How far such speculations are correct or could lead to vanishing of the concept such as 'model village' or 'Gram Swaraj' was the major thrust of the two day conference held on 19th-20th December' 2009, at 'Safai Vidyalaya', Sabarmati ashram of Ahmedabad and Environmental Sanitation Institute', Village Sughad-Gandhinagar . The conference was an initiative to understand and cope up with the modern challenges to the thriving villages. Villages are the harbingers of the indigenous culture and heritage, within themselves they comprise innumerous legacy of knowledge and wellbeing. Thus, the brainstorming sessions of two day conference were a modest step to involve Sudarshan Foundation in the village programmes of education, health, economic development and heritage conservation works.
*Those persons who are interested and would like to share their thoughts must contact at the following address:Sudarshan Foundation Trust
Director: Adhya Bharti Saxena
Conference Coordinator: Bina Sengar
e-mail: sudarshanfoundation@gmail.com
SUDARSAN FOUNDATION TRUST
Which began its activities from Vadodara city in 2004 got registered in 2008. Since then we have entered into fields of Slum education, health services, applied research and scholarly workshops. Our contribution has brought favorable results wherever we have entered. Sudarshan Foundation has also made it significant that we must always work in hand in hand with the other social welfare organizations and voluntary institutions working for the cause of society. As a result; we take necessary guidance and work in coordination with organizations’ like; Haryana Women Welfare Association (HWWA), SERVAS-India, Servas-International, Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal, Vadodara Jilla Sarvodaya Mandal, Bharat Seva Sangh, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Manav Sadhna Trust, Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarat Lok Samiti, TRU-Trust for Reaching the Unreached, Dang Swaraj Ashram, Vedchhi Ashram, ARCH etc.
The expanse of work and our close knit association with such renowned NGO’s has given us suitable vision to carry our work, which in spite of various hurdles we are continuing to expand.