BERLIN SECTOR
Iceland Sælukot
By Didi Anandakaostubha
Recently we have done two new things in our preschool.
We have installed a NHE logo flag outside our kindergarten building which makes our kindergarten a bit special, as this is our way to show people that our kindergarten is based on the Neohumanist philosophy.
We found a very easy and simple way to teach our children numbers and letters. Before we use to draw, show them books, etc, but now we have written numbers and letters on the floor in our playground and the front entrance to our building, so when the children come with their parents in the morning the first thing they see are all the alphabet and numbers. They like to jump on them, walk on them and talk about them. In the afternoon they see them again while playing in the garden.
Sweden
Spiritual Lifestyle Training in Ydrefors, June 21-27
Under the guidance of Dada Shambhushivananda, a week-long spiritual intensive was held on the premises of College of Neohumanist Studies, Ydrefors, Sweden. Several persons got classes and instructions in meditation.
NAIROBI SECTOR
Ghana
Update on the Path of Joy Children’s Center
Didi Ananda Gunamaya
Until a few months ago, during the rainy season we had extreme difficulty in accessing our new children’s center “Path of Joy”. The rainy season in Ghana lasts 6 months and thus it was very inconvenient for the children. We have finally filled in the water-logged area thanks to Les Catalans du Desert (Association of International Solidarity for Childhood Assistance) through Aile Universelle (The Universal Wing for underserved women and children).
Volunteers have been giving classes and have decorated the school
We started our library program in May and it has been very successful. The children come to our library 5 days a week for reading sessions and other activities. The library now has 620 books! [/two_third_last] We have about 40 children daily during school vacations (varying from 3 to 16 years old) and 7-15 children during the school year, when they come after school to take English Grammar classes with our volunteer, participate in the reading club with the local librarian and do other various activities. The children are extremely happy and come to the classes by themselves. In the beginning it was difficult for the volunteers to control them, but once they learnt that they can play with our toys or get prizes for good behavior after classes are over, they have become much more disciplined. These kids are learning and freely enjoying many activities which unfortunately are lacking in the local schools, such as local music with dance, modeling, painting, coloring and practical learning of good health habits at Path of Joy!
This new center came to being thanks to the efforts of Mrs Mohamukta and Mr Rutger Tamminga who are very concerned with education in Africa, as they understand that only when people get proper education can they break the cycle of poverty and misery. It is interesting to note that as the land and building were done with the support of Taiwan, our first volunteer was also Chinese! We are really thankful for all who gave their support for this needed project.
We are open to volunteers who want to help this project in anyway. Also for those who have experience with teenagers we are interested in implementing STUVOL activities in the center. Please contact Didi Ananda Gunamaya:
HONG KONG SECTOR
Taiwan – Neohumanist Activity Courses
By Geeta Li and tema
Series 1: Adventures in Nature and Spiritual Exploration
by Hong Tailang
These ongoing programs are for exploring oneself and touching the power within through adventure experiences in nature. Activities include walking in the forest, meditating alone in the wilderness, crossing the rushing river, etc.
Series 2 : The Spiritual Life with Art Activities
These programs include dance, poetry, chanting, music, singing and learning to prepare sattvik (sentient) foods.
Taichung Gurukula Education Center will be ready for occupation in another few months. There will be an exhibition space on the ground floor, a conference hall, workshop rooms, a multi-media room, a library and residence space for Gurukula’s Kulapati and key office functionaries. The President of AMGK Inc., Sid Jordan, recently visited the site as did Kulapati, Dada Shambhushivananda.
DELHI SECTOR
Ánanda Sambhúti Master Unit
3.3 kilometers away from the Jamalpur Railway Station in Bihar India, a new global master unit called Ánanda Sambhúti is being planned and designed. It will also house a University besides scores of other spiritual, service and educational projects. Already 41 acres have been secured and another 90 acres are waiting to be acquired for this purpose. The site is peaceful, secluded, pristine and most conducive for deep contemplation and spiritual practices.
We encourage everyone to contribute liberally towards the speedy completion of this project. For further details, please contact , or Dada Shubhaniryasananda at . Those interested in serving as a research assistant for “Gurukula Angadesh Research Centre” and “Gurukula Rarh Research Centre” may also contact .
Yoga Mind and Memory lectures tour
Dada Krpamayananda toured four states in India (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra, Gujarath) lectures on Yoga Mind and Memory to a total of 26 high schools, colleges and universities. He was also invited by the Ayushya Mantralaya Yoga Association to teach meditation at the Yoga International Day which took place on June21st.
After this program he was interviewed by a local radio station. His tour ended in Nagapur with 3 days celebration on occasion of Shravanii Purniima. 350 people attended. Many learned meditation.
Bangalore
Dr Shambhushivananda spoke about Science & Technology in Uncertain Times to an audience graduate students at IFIM Business School.
Dr Shambhushivananda also addressed the doctors and staff of the Kidwai Cancer Institute in Bangalore. The topic was Psycho-Spiritual Foundations of Health.
Ludhiana, Punjab
Dada Shambhushivananda addressed the press at Ludhiana, Punjab on August 15, 2018, and gave a concluding talk at the 24 hour spiritual dancing (kiirtan) ceremony organized by Shri Jai Chand Saini.
Chopal High School, Himalayas
Dada Shambhushivananda visited AM Chopal High School. Here pictured with Shri Attar Singh Thakur, school benefactor. The school welcomes volunteers.
Dada Shambhushivananda visited Kithandur School in Kolar, Karnataka on August 22 and also spoke to the staff of Texport Industries for the fourth time. We are grateful to Texport Industries for supporting the Kithandur project in a big way.
Udaipur’s First Solar Cooker Recipe Contest Earth Day Special!!
Udaipur, India, 23rd April
By Dr Vartika Jain
Society for Microvita Research and Integrated Medicine (SMRIM), Udaipur, organized Udaipur’s First Solar Cooker Recipe Contest on the occasion of World Earth Day at Sunderwas, Udaipur. SMRIM Secretary, Dr. Vartika Jain said that this novel initiative was undertaken to motivate people to adopt more and more Solar energy in their daily lives. She said, “Usually many other recipe contests are organized in the city, but this is a novel contest where Solar Cooked recipes are put for competition.”
In this event, contestants who are daily using a Solar cooker at their homes, brought food prepared in the Solar Cooker along with the recipes. Out of them, a recipe of Bengal Gram prepared by Mrs. Sulekha Shrivastava was chosen as best by the Judges. She was felicitated by Society President Dr S.K. Verma by giving a prize.
Mrs. Shrivastava is cooking different items in her Solar cooker, such as Daal-Bati, Kadi-Chawal, Dalia, Idli-Khaman, Besan ki Chakki, etc. and is doing new experiments like preparing Amla oil.
Secretary, Dr Jain motivated everyone by saying that they have been using the Solar cooker for more than 36 years and are saving energy, time, money and labor. She insisted that every working woman must have this equipment for an easy and healthy life. SMRIM president Dr Verma explained that Solar energy is renewable and unlimited, while energy generated from water and nuclear sources is limited in nature. India, a country with full sunlight most of the year, should adopt solar power. We all must participate in increasing the life of Mother Earth by utilizing this energy to power solar equipment like geisers, cookers or electricity. This would be our practical contribution in celebration of Earth Day.
NEW YORK SECTOR
Queens, NYC
Dada Abhiramananda arranged a meeting for Dada Shambhushivananda with Rev. Lee A Thomas Jr., President of LEAD, an organization engaged in creating learning spaces for youth as after-school programs. The meeting was held at the NY office on June 8th.
Burlington, Vermont
Dada Gunamuktananda and
Dada Shambhushivananda led a three-hour workshop on Meditation at the Laughing River Yoga Center in Burlington on June 10th. The program was arranged by Trevor Sullivan, owner of a vegan restaurant, Pingala.
Neohumanist College
Asheville, North Carolina
This Fall two domes have gone up for the Neohumanist College of Ashevillle with the support and supervision of Shivapriya Ellen Landau. These domes will serve as housing for administration, distance learning lab, classrooms and bedrooms for director and staff. The domes are expected to be dried in before winter sets in so that interior work could be completed. Work is expected to be finished by June for occupancy. Recruitment for a director of the College is under way. Educational administrative and distance learning experience are the main requirements for this position. Two candidates are under consideration.
For the board of the college the first steps to be taken will be the development of a faculty forum. From among these faculty members departments of Education and Prout will be the first to develop. These faculty members will develop a Neohumanist Education and Prout curriculum that begins with online courses and later offers mentoring to students involved in practicum and field work. The second task of the board and faculty will be to develop standards and certification for Neohumanist higher education activities for adults and college students.
KAHIRA SECTOR
Syria – Yoga Fun
Giitainjali, originally from Suweida in Syria, has been teaching yoga to children for ten years, since she was still a student. The “I Love Yoga” book has pictures of her yoga students posing. Meanwhile she courageously went into a revolutionary marriage and moved to Lattakia. She has continued to teach yoga for children. Here are some pictures of yoga fun at the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
MANILA SECTOR
Vietnam
Happy New School Year!
By Tran Thuy Ngoc
September is a transitional month, as the natural world shifts in preparation for the seasonal change from summer to fall, making September a great time to set new goals. Maybe for that reason, the new school year starts in September in many countries worldwide including Viet Nam. The 28th Anniversary of Ananda Marga Gurukul (September 7, 2018) for Neohumanist aspirants in Ho Chi Minh City was earmarked with the visit of Dada Shambhushivananda and his valuable three-day lecture series on the spiritual path: Neohumanist Education, Guru and His Mission, and The Three Yogas: Jiṋána, Karma and Bhakti.
The knowledge of future wisdom teachers was further enriched with the conference, “Yoga in Daily Life”, from Sep. 22 to 23 in Tiền Giang Province, under the guidance of Didi Ananda Nanda, Dada Liilananda and Dada Dharmavedananda. Overall, together with the Yoga Teacher Training last May, these are pilot developments of the Ananda Marga International Academy (AMIA) project for 2018 in Viet Nam.
Additionally, the Neohumanist spirit was put into action through various charity services for poor children at the beginning of the new school year: donation of school bags, notebooks, stationery, rice, instant noodles… to pupils in Bình Phú Village of Châu Phú Commune in An giang Province (220km southward from Hochiminh City), organizing Mid-Autumn Festival with moon cakes, lanterns, cultural activities … for the Mạ ethnic children in Village 14 of Dambri Commune in Bảo Lộc Town (Lâm Đồng Province – 200km eastward from Hochiminh City). Just a humble start of the Neohumanist educational journey in Vietnam.
Bali Public School
Bali Public School, under the direction of Dada Divyadhyaneshananda presently has 600 students and 65 teaching and non-teaching staff members working together to impart Neohumanist Education.
GEORGETOWN SECTOR
Brazil
III International Yoga Festival By Didi Ananda Sushiila
We organized the III International Yoga Festival at the end of September 2018 in the public place called Ginasio Tesourinha, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. This is the second time we were in this place. This year we reached more people in the public. More than 800 people participated in different yoga class, workshops, lectures, circle dance, yoga dance, women’s circle, baby naming, yoga for children, presentation of Indian dance, spiritual music, kiirtan, meditation and also yoga fair with vegan food, natural products, books, and clothes. We requested 2 kg of dry food as the entrance fee to participate in the event. In the end we gathered 1123 kg of dry food to donate to our relief projects.