Background
A source of inspiration for this commitment of sister Mudita RSCJ, is Mahatma Gandhi (who used to turn old envelopes to write notes on them.) She has continued her passion of advocating for Mother Earth for many years.
Back in the mid-80s, in the Himalayas Rishikesh (Jeevandhara Ashram) community, milk was cheaper than drinking water. Acute water shortage, coupled with extreme political corruption, forced RSCJ to cement the entire ashram to collect every drop of rainwater. They built 16 big underground water tanks, which helped to tide over the water shortage problem.
Objectives
1. Awareness Raising and Critical Analysis of India.
2. Developing Eco-Justice as a way of life.
3. Transformative Education for a better World.
4. Advocacy and Networking.
5. Retreats, Meditation etc. as an Active Response to the Planet.
Main Activities
- Presenting and publishing research papers, articles/letters to the editor in magazines, newspapers etc., talk shows on television, composing songs, slogans and jingles, making bags etc with eco messages.
- Eco-workshops, seminars, eco-spirituality retreats, special season-wise/festive-wise eco-spirituality liturgies, meditations, prayer services etc. The latest,in July 2019, an eco-spirituality session for a week to 80 Novices from 16 different congregations (Inter-congregational Novitiate Program) took place.
- Debates/quiz, street-plays, skits, visits to bio-diversity centres, eco-farms etc., eco-creative activities and eco-games, accompanying students to UNEP programs etc.
Outcomes
- Improved daily habits: Beneficiaries from the activities have become more sensitive to environmental waste, in particular water waste. For instance, they notice when a tap is leaking and get it fixed as soon as possible. They use every drop of extra water creatively (e.g. watering plants).
- Many of the eco-activities have resulted in much enthusiasm and goodwill especially among school students and youth:
- Pooja Jyada Bijli Kam Campaign to save electricity during Diwali the festival of lights, resulted in statistically measuring and reducing the units of electricity during the festive season.
- Eco-clubs, eco-gardens etc. flourished as a direct outcome.
- Heightened love and care for Mother Earth resulted in students asking for more field trips to nature parks, mudflats, eco-trails, nature walks, road shows, exhibitions, camps etc.
- Sustained interest in environmental issues of teachers/professors and like-minded people, and collaboration with other NGOs like BNHS, CMCA, Clean Harbour Project, Asha Parisar etc. is the lasting continued outcome of all the above activities.
- Signature campaigns have also proved very beneficial e.g. a stay order was brought on the Mumbai Coastal Project and the destruction of the mangroves was stopped.
Extra comments :
The activities were first run in Patna and then moved to Mumbai.
People being served
People being served : Agents of transformation (Educators)
Age group : Adults 26-60, Children 0-17, Seniors 61-99, Young people 18-25
Number of participants : 251-500
Schedule
Project status : Ongoing
Images
Overview
Society presence : India
Focus of the project : Planet
JPIC Imperative : Care for Our Common Home
UN Sustainable Development Goals : 13 Climate Action, 17 Partnerships for the Goals
