Third School of Learning

I remember while growing up, that directly and indirectly I was made aware of the society around me, people around me, the differences and the fact that not all are lucky enough to have the same privileges and amenities

If I look back it was via subtle acts such as being considerate and understanding with the domestic help or helping their children’s education. It was through direct acts such as actually going and participating in an activity which would help the underprivileged or a indirect act such as watching a film or documentary with my parents with a underlying message.

This I look as my first school of learning where I got the first opportunity to gain awareness and shape whatever thoughts (right or wrong!) I have on the area of social responsibility.

The second school of learning can be the school you go to via your teachers. A teacher can influence a student in amazing ways if done right. Many a times I think a teacher will have more of a impact on messaging and character development then parents. They can shape a lot of foundations and a school, with its philosophy and teachers with theirs can have a lot of effect in creating awareness a child’s mind about the society around them and their social responsibility

Here I was not so lucky. I cannot vividly remember any specific teacher who really influenced my thoughts in this area. They did not do anything detrimental or take me in the other direction but definitely help me here. I guess it was a good opportunity missed for me.

I use to think that these are the two schools of learning’s which pretty much lay the foundations in these areas. Post this it totally depends on the self learning of the individual or can happen in a unstructured form with one being lucky to come in touch with friends or individuals who influence your thoughts in this area.

Then as I entered professional life and having been it for some time now, I think there is another powerful school of learning if one chooses to look at it that way.

I think in a professional environment you come across many individuals and your seniors from whom you can learn a lot of good things. Many a times this happens on the go and without realizing it. But how about looking at it in two ways….

One is that you do see a new breed of companies where they are trying to make social responsibility part of their DNA. This could be via published policies, slogans, vision statements or via actions such as having structured programs to donate in money and kind or to have sponsored groups within the organization set up for doing social good.

This is a very good trend and if you luckily join such a company, you are already entering a school of learning where at least the base philosophy supports this need in society.

This gives you a readymade forum to learn and participate. But even if you are not in such a organization, I think the same kind of result can be achieved, which brings me to my second point

I think as we grow as professionals, we have the opportunity to not only be students in this third school of learning but be kind of ‘teachers’ to use the school context.

I think there are many individuals in a organization who would look for the opportunity to learn and participate in the area of social responsibility and awareness. So imagine the potential if we look at ourselves as someone who have the responsibility to create a conducive learning environment in any organization you work in for providing such a forum. This could be in the form of small groups who meet, discuss and find common areas of interest whereby they can start doing some social good.

It could be as simple as monetary donations or donating time or something even more involved then that. The main goal is to get as many individuals to listen to, discuss and see if the awareness creation kindles something within them. The big advantage with this third school of learning I see is that you have the students here for most part of the day which means you know them better, all of them are independent decision makers with a settled life and good financial resources, so if you can kindle something within even a small number, the potential of creating a cascading effect which keeps snowballing is huge!

All of these individuals will grow in their careers, join different organizations, meet different people and grow even more settled, with increasing resources. All of us at some point would be students or teachers or students and teachers at the same time as we impart and also learn from others…

When someone comes for interviewing for a position, you often ask them what experience they have, what have they learnt from the last organization which you will find useful…so outside of the usual professional needs, imagine if he or she says that what they bring with them is experience in creating a atmosphere of social responsibility (while doing ones day job of course  )and ideas for tapping or creating this potential within a organization….now that I think would be a snowball effect!

Recently I read a twitter post where Anand Mahindra ( Chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra Group) posted that it would be great if Dalal street and Wall street start rewarding companies in their value and thus their stock price for being socially responsible and doing social good…I do believe that the thought makes a lot of sense and has a lot of weight, but while we wait for that miracle to happen, every professional can start by being a active part of this third school of learning and get the ball rolling…Dalal street and Wall street can catch up at their own pace…

Keeping it Real...

I was walking into the office on a Monday morning , when I met Craig at the door. Craig worked in another department and was one of those guys you saw and thought, now that’s a cool guy…

He was well built, smart and was a quick wit. This combination made him popular with anyone he met and you always wondered if he really was having so much fun in life as we felt he was.

Fast forward a few months later and I started seeing the same Craig with not so fast a wit and having a worried and pensive look on his face all the time. I did not know him all that well to ask a direct question. But curiosity did get the better of me…

Near the coffee machine, I got into a casual conversation with him and commented that he is not looking all that well and if he was fine. Craig looked at me and with a resigned voice said ‘I have cancer and its in a late stage’ ….

You keep hearing about people having cancer or know relatives who have been through it or have read stories about people who have gone through it, successfully or mostly not but you can never prepare yourself for a reaction when someone who you see daily says it to your face. It jolted me and I immediately offered condolences and awkwardly left the conversation

Typically when you hear any such calamitous news, there are always moments of pensive thinking. You all of a sudden feel thankful for what you have, you all of a sudden have the revelation that you need to be always happy and enjoy the gifts of life and you start thinking……of course , then in a few hours you get back to your normal behavior with all of these gone from your conscious mind.

I went through the same thinking cycle and also started thinking how can such a seemingly gifted person be so unlucky, is there such a thing as fate? , how would he handle it? Would he sink with time and disappear out of our consciousness? I did not really know him all that well anyway…and on and on…

The next few days and weeks I use to steal a glance at Craig whenever I saw him and so much wanted to talk to him but could not muster the courage as in such instances , you are never sure what to say and if it will depress and remind the person further or would he welcome it. I could see that he as physically going down and it was even more apparent on Craig. But this was now something which did not shock me or anyone and we went on with our lives…

I get a email on my inbox from one of my co-workers informing me that Craig has started a blog to keep talking to people about his thoughts, his progress and status. I thought of it as a pretty interesting idea and subscribed to the blog which was going to keep me informed on Craig and what he was going through….

I started reading the blog daily and then it happened….

I really started to read and think and not forget. Craig, the handsome , strong dude was actually sharing his emotions and his need to talk and communicate. His Blog talked about things he took for granted in life and how valuable they were. It was not anything we did not know but since it was coming everyday from someone who had actually realized the value of it, it was almost that the rest of us were getting a lesson in life and how to live it, as someone else’s expense…if only we were really willing to listen this time

As the economic downturn hit, it was so contrasting to listen to my other co workers and then read Craig’s blog and get his take on this. While he was sharing his treatment he was also sharing how he looked at such events. While not belittling them, it was refreshing and inspiring to see how he was attempting to find the best way to tackle it, look at opportunities to use it to ones advantage and not let it get you down.

He was ‘keeping it real’ for me..He called his treatment ‘Club Chemo’ and while not being ashamed of saying that he spent the day crying and worrying also cherished each encouraging news and tried to get the most out of it.

I remember this post from him when he was talking about connecting back to what he really wanted to do in life. They were simple things such as playing golf or reading something or going somewhere or doing something which he had just not gotten to. There have been many books written on this topic..very recently the very popular ‘The last lecture’ but as Craig was explaining, there is reading and then there is READING…which means actually paying attention

As I write this, Craig is still fighting hard, has his ups and downs and never ashamed to acknowledge his downs and to celebrate his ups..and still everyday he provides a perspective on life which does not try to gain sympathy for him but actually spurs you look at each event from his eyes and learn a lot…

This kind of made me realize that not only we sometimes take things for granted , but we also have terribly short term memories. We need to have a way to have goals and ambitions but also have a way to know on a day to day basis , how to live in good spirits and not waste away…Ideally we should not be getting to a ‘Bucket list’ at the end of our lives but should be chipping away at our Bucket list all through our lives. I guess there are some facts of life and there are things we need to keep doing regardless we love them or not. But I can venture to say that these things really need not be most of what you do and the real trick is to transition from doing what you really don’t want to do to what you really want to or start enjoying what you do so a transition is really not required…

I don’t think a sermon on how to live life is warranted here as I wish I had figured that out! But I do think each person has to find out how and sometimes a regular dose of something like Craig’s blog does the trick. Its quite amazing how we don’t ask the most simple question most of the time. We ask if something is practical, good financially, low risk etc but not the simple question which sometimes can cut thro the confusion so easily. Very tricky decisions all of a sudden become easier as one of the most important filter becomes..

’Is this going to make me happier? ‘

Abhijit

29^th march 2009

Blue Bell, PA

PS: A recent Blog entry from Craig:

An Inspiration - It was such a sunny day that after chemo I took a ride to the driving range...I was tired, fingers hurt etc from chemo so I didn’t hit balls but I did watch some folks hit....well I was in my car when I saw this guy about 35 or 45 years old....he was moving in very strange ways, involuntary movements in his hands, shoulders, etc like he had cerebral palsy or MS...It literally took him 5 to 10 minutes to get a ball out of the bucket and onto the mat where he could hit it....he moved himself into position, shaking and twitching until he was ready to swing....then when he swung it was the smoothest purest golf swing I have ever seen and the ball flew high and straight...not the longest shot ever but very good.....I ask God for strength, courage, and inspiration and I believe he drove me to that range to witness this gentlemen’s courage, dedication, and zest for life despite such an obvious and tough handicap....tears were coming down from my eyes as I watched him and they are coming down from my eyes now...to see someone with the perseverance to take over 5 to 10 minutes of shaking and struggling just to hit a ball...If I have half the fight that this guy has I'll be fine. It also reminded me how lucky I am to be able to move my arms and legs any time I want to, the way I want to...so many folks have it so much worse...it was very humbling, God has taught me another important lesson for sure.

God Bless,

Love,

Feel Something....

Feel Something....

I was in Washington DC when 9/11 happened...they say that there are some incidences in your life where you will remember exactly where you were and what you were doing at that moment.....

For someone from India who has seen the country go through terrorism attacks all his life, 9/11 was still a watershed moment because it had hit the shores of a supposedly safe country for the very first time and at a shocking scale...

I remember going out on the streets that night and was very curious to see how the average American would feel and react. Talking to my American colleagues as well as some people on the streets and restaurants, I observed that they displayed all the natural emotions of outrage and shock...but I also saw something more...there was a visible feeling of hurt, pride and belief on their face and in their voice....'hurt' to see all the things their fellow citizens were going through, 'pride' in the way the country was coming together and was working together and 'belief' that they stand for something greater and will get out of this stronger.....

I am not here to comment on or agree / disagree with their beliefs about right and wrong. All I took away was that they felt something intense ... something beyond complaints, something beyond blaming the government, something beyond saying this had to happen because I don't agree with the politicians running the country........

I am writing this when India is going through one of the most saddening terrorism episode in recent history...India has been through many of such incidents in the past 20 years and this is one more... With each incident I have seen the common man get more and more disgusted about the government, more pessimistic and disenchanted and more to the point where the first reflex is that 'as long as it did not affect me...'

While there is no doubt that there is a severe lack of political will or the proof that any of these incidents are making our resolve stronger to fight and resolve this...I see something more than that. I think we have moved beyond 'Feeling anything', beyond disgust and pessimism...and even beyond the feeling of a shock.

Often we hear that the only way for change to happen is for the common man to do something...influence the process, influence the actions of the government, influence the direction….This in theory seems a good fit for a democratic country where we are the all powerful..we vote the people who make the decisions so we can always vote them out...

And there lies one more way the common man gets more pessimistic...What's the point of my vote? everyone is corrupt, votes are rigged and I am one in a billion.. So if that’s true, what should the common man do?

I say that at this point ‘doing’ is a little ways out, lets start with ‘feeling’. The process of doing anything small or big starts with feeling something about the country. Again I am separating country from the people who are running the country. I feel so saddened that most Indians I meet are at the point where the feeling itself is absent….

Now what is this 'Feeling' mean?

It means the sense of belonging and pride which is beyond the present and what's happening at this point. The sense that while living a normal life this feeling will be the compass for me to think in the right direction about my country and in whatever small way, my actions will be influenced by this feeling.

This feeling can do wonderful things without one realizing it. It may translate into helping a person on the road and increasing his confidence in the society, it may translate by you becoming an example for your neighbors by raising awareness of something as simple as keeping your neighborhood clean and instilling the pride that I am helping in a small way keep my country clean, It may mean following traffic rules and raising awareness about it and in-turn improving the day to day life of your fellow citizens or It may translate into you donating money for a good cause, donating small amount of time for some social cause or It can be even as simple as you thinking that voting is actually good and that you as one vote make up a billion and collectively they are indeed powerful...

I think this simple act of feeling something also then translates in the feeling of true sadness about what's happening in your country and the resolve that you can maybe do something too in your small way. It does not need to be radical at all nor does it need to change your day to day life. I have seen it in action with how common people respond to national tragedies such as a flood in a part of India you are far away from or a 'Kargil', where your fellow brothers and sisters lay down their lives for you. Some people respond by doing what they can to help, may it be in the form of money or their blood, while many are just relieved that 'as long as it does not affect me' ....

I do agree that such a change is not easy as this has happened over years and years. I am sure our natural instincts are usually to feel a sense of belonging and pride towards where you are born and where you belong. It takes years for that to translate into disgust and pessimism. This happens when we don't have any role models anymore or we don't see any of our public figures whom we have entrusted our future to do anything productive or even show a sense of pride for the country they are running...

I do agree that this, over years, can take a toll on the most optimistic of an individual. But I think unless you can separate the country and the people who are running the country at that point, you will not get this compass of direction. I do believe that we are all yearning to have that 'Feeling' within ourselves and know that it helps enrich our lives and gives us a sense of belonging and purpose. I think it’s not prudent to wait for someone else to create that Feeling for us and then we tag on to it....

I think the 'They' in this case are very elusive and hard to come by and if you wait for it , it will leave you rudderless. If you look deeper and reach out, you will realize that the feeling is indeed very natural to us, its just been suppressed over the years...we all know inherently that our country is much more..it has many many things to be proud of even in these times. It has proven its resilience and proven a very rare model of steadfast harmony considering the complexities and collective sustenance over thousands of years. That we have been lucky enough to be born in a country with deep roots and a rich heritage (though i think this word has become clichéd... )....and that without us consciously realizing, our country and our society has given us strong anchors to use all our life regardless of where you are…

I would encourage all of us to introspect if that 'Feeling' is still with us......if not; work on questioning why not and getting it back...I think 'that feeling' multiplied by a billion, will be the easier solution for the long term rather than expecting some politicians to create miracles. It will also surely give you a sense of satisfaction as 'That Feeling' will translate into 'Doing' and maybe the next generation will see many many role models everywhere and not have to look for them only in the people in power and then get disappointed.....

And of course, also remember, with those 'billion feelings' we are also increasing our odds of getting some of those miracle politicians elected and actually doing something for the good....

Abhijit

27th Nov 2008

Sunday Club

Sunday Club

That day I was discussing stuff about our kids with my friends. I noticed that for most of them the pattern of what these kids will end up doing was the same or at least the plan was same

All wanted to focus on raising good moral kids, provide them everything , focus on their growth opportunities and mostly a lot of them will go aboard for higher education or stay back in India and focus on their careers

I don’t see anything wrong with the above and nor would you. But as I thought more It hit me that when ever we talk about doing something for the greater good, we think about doing something for kids who are deprived and focus on them. Again you or I will not see anything wrong with this too…..but then again does it not make equal sense to also focus on kids who have been fortunate enough to have everything too?

As the next generation takes over, would it not be great if the kids who have had everything also have the right seeds of thought ( about social responsibility and awareness ) planted in them at the right age so that some percentage of those will tomorrow use their time and prosperity to do something for the greater good?

Think about it, the fortunate kids who will be growing up in prosperity will hardly get a natural chance to understand the ‘other’ world for them to even think about their relative position in the world. It will not be their fault if they don’t get these realization as we would have raised them in a ‘fortress (i.e. protected environment)’, saving them from many of the realities of the world…

But I think we as parents can do all the things we want to for our kids but also do something cool and interesting to spend time with them, create awareness and have fun on the way….hence ….’Sunday Club’…

The premise of the Sunday club is to spend quality time with our children in a group environment focusing on making social awareness fun and insightful

This will achieve 2 things in one shot…an answer to spending quality time with our children, making social awareness a insightful and fun activity and on the way making good like minded friends…

The structure would be as follows:

Meet every Sunday/other Sunday for 1 hour with parents and children (both or one parent)

Decide on a program which is a combination or discussion areas, movies, documentaries, field trips, lectures, meeting / inviting people who can share

Lets take each one separately:

1. Discussion areas: Decide areas where we would want to provide knowledge and insight to our children in a way they would understand. Categories can range from social awareness on issues such as poverty, child labor, education opportunities, class issues, to other ones such as deforestation, wildlife conservation, global warming, demographic richness, India and our roots etc

2. We can find movies , documentaries which are relevant to the above areas and see those together and then have group discussions on them

3. we can arrange field trips to places, organizations whereby we can see and experience the above areas e.g.: NGO’s , schools, social projects, farms, animal shelters, nature trips etc

4. We can invite people who can come in and talk to our kids and us on any of the above topics ( this can be people we know etc)

- For all the above, we will need to be cognizant of the age group of the kids and manage the events so that they don’t become a drag.

- One of the things going for us would be the fact that these kids will be in groups so we need to encourage interaction and discussion…have them speak out

- we will need to ensure that there is no sense of competition or bickering which develops as the only selfish intention we have here is spending quality time with them and learn on the way

- the parents will needs to be the folks who come together and decide the curriculum ( for a lack of a better word ) and then research and take turns managing the club for the day based on the topic/activity

(with the internet, this becomes so very easy! ) …

- we should encourage the older kids to participate a lot as well as sometimes prepare and manage the discussion

we will decide a good mix of the above for each Sunday so that the preparation gets spread out between parents and also variety makes it more fun and interesting and not a drag for the kids …

The way I see this happening is that it would be targeted for a building or a building complex where the goal and structure can be discussed with parents and the interested and likeminded families can come together and start this.

As time progresses the structure and the content gets logged for future use and then it can be passed on to friends who can potentially start it in their neighborhood and so on and so forth…

Who knows … one day we can have a meeting of various ‘Sunday clubs’ and discuss experiences and suggestions…the kids can talk and provide their insights and areas they find interesting and…

Ohh well … I dream…but then isn’t it what it’s all about? J

Abhijit

North Wales

26^th June 2008

A methodology to enabling 'Children as social citizens'

Following up on my last post, I have been thinking on how something like that can be made viral and how does one increase the probability of it succeeding?

The challenges parents will face to make their children socially aware is persistence, attention span of children, how to make it fun and interesting and follow thro'

Hence I was thinking this has a better chance if it can be done as a group activity ... and eventually grow it like a franchising model.

What does this mean?

Basically try to collect some like minded parents in your vicinity and explain to them the concept. Then decide a time each week ( call it a 'sunday club' for example) where the parents come with their kids and we run this like a organized program

we prepare a Goals and vision document , a rules document and then a list of what all can be done

i.e pick various areas we want to have lively discussion with our kids, on topics ranging on social issues awareness to environment to world affairs which affect the social fabric etc

Decide the means by which this can be delivered in the most interesting manner. The formats can be lectures , fun facts, movies, documentaries

Also decide how many and what kind of field trips can be undertaken so that the kids also get a feel of things and it does not remain a theory. This can be to NGO's, projects, nature trips etc

Its important that the core and target of anything we do needs to be creating interest and social awareness for our children. There are so many things we can do that unless we focus this can go all over the place

As this matures, the vision would be to create a structure and program which anyone can pick up and start a 'Sunday club'

The advantages of doing this for parents would be:

- Most like minded parents struggle with this issue on how to imbibe this awareness in their kids so that they can atleast have them as data points later to make conscious decisions
- This will be a nice way to spend productive time with your children
- The children will get a fun way to know this as they will be doing this with other kids
- This can be a very good way to get to know like minded people and the children can also make some good friends while learning a lot
- This can help us as parents learn and grow too as we will have to stretch our creativity to study, learn and impart ....

Abhijit
16th June 08

Children as social citizens

This is something I had penned down ...

‘My Children can become good social citizens’

A 13 year old girl is telling a reporter “I just hope my daughter does not become an opium bride and go through what I have” ……..

I have always been an avid reader. I guess I like to read anything and everything. It always begs the question that what percentage of the reading I do really makes a difference to me or my life in a positive way. If you try it you will see that it’s very hard to really measure this and you never know how all this reading is molding you if at all….

This was a Wednesday…a typical work day with nothing extraordinary happening or any possibility of happening. But then two things … very unassuming happened. While in the office I got an email with a signature at the bottom which read ‘The purpose of life is to have a life of purpose’ …

I read it and read it again. I have read many inspiring sentences but for some reason I liked this one for its simplicity of message. I did not give it any further thought but it was parked somewhere in my mind at least for that day.

My daughter is 5 and my son is 1. Like any conscious parents we have active topics in our home regarding raising our children, making the best learning avenues available to them and always trying to find options for enhancing their mental as well as physical growth. Such options are always centered on art classes, sports, music, reading etc. There are also discussions around teaching them good habits and making them well behaved kids. My better half takes a lead in such things and today was no exception…she has been looking for various options around classes & activities for the summer and she was not too happy that some of the ones she was looking for were full. So she felt that this was not good and my daughter will be loosing a valuable opportunity this summer.

In the evening I was working out and was reading a magazine when I happened upon an article on Opium Brides in Afghanistan which ended with a 13 year old girl telling a reporter “ I just hope my daughter does not become a opium bride and go through what I have”… This was a article about the plight in Afghanistan where daughters are pawned off to drug traffickers and money lenders against loans which poor farmers take for growing poppy ( the only sustainable cash crop in that region) and cant repay them…

This was like a bolt of lightning for me where I started thinking how far removed we are from many things in the world. While we as parents are concerned about making them wholesome kids with the appropriate classes and activities we have never had a serious discussion around any effort to make them better aware and good social citizens

I agree that, there are many problems in the world and this was just one of them but is it not important that as our kids grow they need to know how privileged we are and that we have a role and purpose in life beyond just going through the day and living for oneself. There are some for whom this goes all the way and they serve the world literally while there are others where this awareness and understanding of our relative place in this world gives them a pivot in life to put things in perspective as they grow up and they keep contributing in their small way and of course then there are others where none of this matters…..

I think we have a duty to our kids to at least equip them with this awareness by not just words but some actions so that they can at least make a decision for themselves as they go through life. What does this really mean? Does this mean we have to give up on something else which we like or enjoy? Is this really a choice or does it need to be a choice?

These are the questions which have vexed me for some time now…

Typically as parents we will naturally focus on the things which will make them ready for this world. Things such as formal education, sports, overall personality development, morals and while doing this we want to make them street smart and also understand the importance of making money.

All of the above takes day to day effort and in this world of mostly two working parents it ‘seems’ it also takes a fine act of time balancing.

This leaves no room to even think of any ways of making them better social citizens of this world….Infact in many cases our parental protective instincts may have us actually try to shield them from these realities of the world we live in...

My contention is that as the world has become more and more competitive and material values are at a high, we will not have to make much of an effort to make them street smart or money minded. The society we live in will take care of that.

Before I continue, I also want to say here that I am not a closet communist or an ultra socialist and absolutely believe in capitalism and importance of money making J

But then again I do think that there is a point in life where a strong social perspective as well as the relative importance and severity of things or problems in ones life, has a large impact on how the person perceives his place in the world.

What’s important and what’s not and what can be sources of happiness outside of money. In any small way what is one going to leave behind for the larger good to make an impact in the world he stays in?

I think such thoughts typically get associated with extremes where it seems that this cannot be done unless you leave everything related to what we perceive as being successful (money, positions, assets etc). I contend that its not.

That’s where I think that as parents if we make conscious investments to plant the right seeds of thoughts and awareness in our children, one day they will sprout and without realizing become key assets to them to lead happy and balanced lives…. lives of purpose….

I also think that the notion of ‘lets do the best for our children, provide them the best and not really have them see and understand the dark but very real side of the world’, needs to be questioned. We should reflect if shielding them is the right way or is it better to expose and present it to them in a way where it’s a step ladder in understanding it well rather than hiding from it or ignoring this reality…which infact is going to affect their day to day life in unknown ways in this very interconnected world……I can think of several examples of how this can happen…

What can be simple ways of doing this? I have a few thoughts and ideas here….

- As our kids get older it would be important to get them exposed to literature outside of usual fiction. We will have to take some effort in finding books which are easy reads but create this awareness

- We should focus on TV programs which are about world events or analysis and are introspective. Now here it’s not enough to just watch them but more to engage them in discussions which are interesting and which help them think or raise questions. Granted they will not understand the answers to some but one day they will figure it out if their minds become active on such things

- As parents we need to get involved in some social activities. An example can be that every month or other month we visit a NGO run program to just observe. There we along with our children should donate what we can and then have dialogues to understand their work

- This can also be tied to some event such as their birthdays etc where they donate some money for the family and do some volunteer work. This way it can become an organized family timeout…

- We have to make an effort to find programs, lectures, people who can provide a world perspective, global issues perspective as well as perspectives on issues in your country and take our children there. Easier said then done? I think not…there are many such around…all it needs is a desire from our end as parents to find them and not try to ignore them with a fake excuse of time. Sometimes it may become a choice between a fun movie (important too but far easier done) and attending such an event…

- Make this viral and find like minded friends with children, with whom you can make going for these events, having discussions a fun event. when there are other children it will be more interesting and engaging for your kids

- Create a concept of topic of the month and find ways of opening up discussions with your children and discuss them via even easier mediums such as documentaries, movies, easy books, internet research etc. Of course you will have to take the effort of bring it up to a easier and non-boring level and depending on the age of your children keep it at the right depth

- Of course one of the best is lead by example where you get involved with a NGO and start donating time for some social cause …this will definitely have a lasting impact on your children. Now this is one where each one will need to decide if they have the urge and true desire to do it as such things cannot be forced. But I do think its not too late for any of us to start doing our miniscule bit…this one is definitely easier said then done, I got to admit.

- We can mix it up by exposing them to equally important topics such as global warming or nature conservation which indirectly or in many cases directly have a huge social impact. These kind of topics will not only make the discussions or exposure interesting but also allow their minds to link all these things

- There can be many more easier ideas which can be used. If you notice, none of these should force you to give up on any of the usual fun activities such as movies, travel, sports etc… that’s the key….we don’t have to convince or fool ourselves in thinking that by doing any of this we are making a great sacrifice and have suddenly become greater human beings J

I also think that in all of us, in a small or big way there is always a want or desire to do good and feel good about it….do something impactful in any small way…

If we do this, they may at the right age start realizing that everyone in the world does not come with the same privileges (small of big) and actually may be able to make a relationship between that child in Afghanistan, why such situations happen, and what can one do in any small way to feel a part of the solution rather then the problem or be a passive observer….

I think that while doing this noble thing for our children we may discover that we may actually enjoy every bit of it and get more satisfaction just by the act of it….and who knows, it may infact change and enrich our lives in a very positive way…….

Abhijit

North Wales, PA, USA

4/4/08

A modest start

I wanted to setup a area where I can start interacting and sharing with like minded individuals. The discussions I wanted to focus on were around awareness around various good and bad stuff happening in the social specter in India.
Everyone keeps reading interesting books or articles or news clips about good or sometimes great work being done by selfless individuals or organizations in India and vice versa and ( way more!) bad and sometimes hilariously bad stuff happening.
Many of us don't realize the impact of such things on our lives or in future on our children's lives and making that correlation is a interesting and insightful exercise exercise.Once you realize the correlations its easier to become part of the solution i think, rather then being on the sidelines or worse still being part of the problem!

anyway, the purpose of thie blog is not for me to give sermons as i dont think i am good at it nor have the pedigree to do it in the first place

I want to use this Blog for a active dialog on things we see/read/hear and then discuss their significance, how they matter to us and what folks are doing about it

This blog is not going to focus on pushing someone to take action or start some socvial work etc. Thet has to be the decision and journey of the individual.

Hopefully i can learn as we go on and will help me on my journey ...

Abhijit