Blog – RENEW

Desperately Seeking Shanti

Category : Peace

by Dhananjaya Kumar

Shanti, Aman, Peace are inscribed in our scriptures, upheld dearly in our minds, but elusive like fragrance in the winds. Countless peace lovers have been fighting throughout the ages to attain peace on the planet earth. Yet, all kinds of strategy, policy, technique and technology have failed to bring peace to mankind. Sages, kings, priests and politicians have all taught and fought to salvage humanity from CONFLICT. We wish for peace but end up fighting or preparing for wars. We console ourselves that this habitual violence is ingrained in human psychology. Yet we try to convince ourselves that humans have evolved from the primitive and primate tendencies to civilized and creative traits. Perhaps, to be human means to be in conflict by consensus- both inner and outer. Let me begin with two episodes.

It was Gandhi Jayanti. About 20 years ago, more than 500 people had gathered to celebrate non-violence. I happened to be one of the speakers along with the Mahatma’s grandson Arun Gandhi. Toward the end of my talk, I asked the audience to make the following CHOICE. Assume there are two (auto) biographies just published. One by a terrorist or serial killer, containing his life history, actions, methods and motivations. The other is my own story from a village boy who traveled to 60 countries, learned from many masters, studied many peoples and cultures, taught and wrote about many subjects, and witnessed many wonderful events. Then I asked which book would you buy, or is likely to be a bestseller. The answer I got was a pensive, pin-drop silence. If I were rich and famous, the answer would probably be more difficult. Let’s extend this choice to two sets of values or personal qualities: (a) ego, aggression, greed, revenge, corruption and (b) love, compassion, forgiveness, service, responsibility. Question: do we gravitate more toward category A or B? Now the other story…

Music is deeply rooted in the Indian psyche. Music, dance, and other fine arts are peaceful, meditative endeavors. An artist is the least likely to be violent. Reality TV programs in India have become very popular. In recent years, most of those programs have embraced the spirit and language of violence. For example, a music competition there is called WORLD WAR – where musicians are warriors and commercial breaks are temporary pauses in the battlefield. In contrast, a group of NRI volunteers has set up a music and dance center with the underlying goal of promoting peace and creativity. In my own experience with music practice and recordings, I find it difficult to relate music with violence. I recall writing twice to the TV channel requesting it to reconsider putting music on a war footing. As expected, there was no reply. Instead, the music maestros (gurus), acting as ferocious warriors, began advertising for the programs, probably to further boost TRPs.

Such are the glimpses of the outer world thrust upon, or created by us. But recurrent terror attacks require immediate steps to protect life and property. However, throughout human history, more so in recent years, our MODERN societies have learned to expect perpetual violence – becoming increasingly insensitive to it. The violence we experience and tolerate is in fact worse than animalistic instinct, because even animals refrain from gratuitous killing of their own kind. Opinions converge on violence as a necessary evil, without examining why. One reason could be the blind pursuit of economic growth over all other goals of the human society- such as preservation of environment, survival of our specie, removal of poverty and the suffering associated with it, and human evolution to higher existence. Psychologically, we are broken up by our beliefs, religions, and socio-political systems. Consequently, we madly adhere to the methods and technologies (without assessing their impact) which disintegrate our environment and perpetuate destruction. We buy products which depict violence. Violence is profitable; peace is boring! Perhaps, conflict and war is good for the economy!

We use LANGUAGE to express ourselves and communicate with others. Language is a link between our outer and the inner worlds – words are spoken out and their meanings absorbed within. We perceive ourselves to be in conflict with the world. We hear routine expressions such as: fighting traffic, fighting disease, fighting election, fighting for survival, fighting for peace, fighting to win, fighting to conquer nature, and so on. The emotional content of violent expressions settles down deep into the psyche and the lifespan (between birth and death) becomes a battlefield. Then we raise armies, invent and trade more destructive weapons, and reorient our intelligence to combat violence in order to attain peace. Imagine if the amount of resources devoted to fighting would far exceed what is required to feed, clothe, shelter, and educate all of humanity. Would that be inhuman?

The whole history of habitual violence in thought, action and speech is now a deep-rooted tendency (sanskara) of our COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS, which transmutes the human potential for evolution and enlightenment. A vertical shift to higher consciousness is needed, but how and by whom? The practice of Yoga and meditation can gradually transform the “autonomous” or involuntary physiological functions into “somatic” or voluntary functions – that is, the entire mind-body continuum becomes controllable by the individual. This would enable us to dissolve Karmic bondage and involuntary tendencies. The seeds of conflict would then dislodge from our collective unconscious. But this vision would take its own course. What do we do now to stamp our legacy for future generations?

As in medicine so in violence – prevention is cheaper and better than cure. The key is EDUCATION from early childhood – at home and in schools. So far, we have put children under stress everywhere, harping on the great untruth “empty mind is devil’s workshop”. Children today have difficulty in resting and sleeping; they do not learn the creative potential of calmness. They grow up as extreme thinkers and doers, always looking for newer and higher peaks of excitement. At home, since birth, we keep them virtually untouched by nature, feed them processed foods, implant in their minds a set of unquestionable beliefs and rituals, and pressurize them to perform and conform. In schools, they are taught to compete ruthlessly, not necessarily to excel; they are given all the answers, not how to explore and discover; they are handed a history of knowledge not the imagination to create new knowledge. Let us consider designing a new education system where, in addition to academics, the students would learn creative imagination, positive human and life values, social responsibility, resource conservation, harmony with nature, respect for diversity, and consequences of their actions and negative emotions. About 10 years ago, I had written a detailed paper on this subject “Drive to Overcome Violence Through Education (DOVE)”. It was widely circulated, and appreciated by recipients. But courage and resources were lacking to develop the program for phased implementation. Meanwhile, violence by and among the youth has increased; some have even been drawn to terror. Can we imagine a whole generation being peace-loving by nature? Perhaps we are afraid of peace, yet desperately seeking Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi.

“People who are good with hammers, see every problem as a nail” – Abraham Maslow

“We will not have peace on this planet unless we have a spiritual renaissance” – U Thant

“The choice today is not between violence and non-violence; it either non-violence or non-existence” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Striving for peace and preparing for war are incompatible with each other” – Albert Einstein

A Necessity for the Renewal of Humanity

Category : Education , Humanity , Peace

Written by: Usha Chaudhary
October 14, 2017

Decades of research, study and contemplation by psychologists and educators suggest
that the missing link in today’s traditional education systems over-stimulates the left
brain, while neglecting the right hemisphere of the brain, which relates to self-
awareness, interconnectedness, creativity, love, compassion, adaptation, and reverence
toward nature, where true knowledge resides. Therefore, RENEW (Reform Education for
a New World) advocates an augmentation to our existing education system that
incorporates human and ethical values, personal and social responsibility, inter-personal
relationships, public service, deep relaxation, music, dance, lifestyle, and forward-
looking creative thinking. It is this balanced and integrated learning that will result in a
more creative, peace-loving, and harmonious society for our future generations.
It is interesting to note that the core concepts that underlie RENEW are not completely
foreign to the education space. In fact, one of the pioneers and early proponents of
education reform, Jiddu Krishnamurti explains in his book “Education and the
Significance of Life” (1953) that education should not condition the child, but build
awareness of our inevitable conditioning by society and social values. He stresses “self-
knowledge”, in that education should awaken the capacity in a child to be self-aware,
and not merely impart mechanical, technology-based learning that over-emphasizes
technique and ignores the total process of life itself. Similar to what RENEW prescribes,
Krishnamurti stresses the need for an integrated approach to education that activates
and stimulates both hemispheres of the brain, and the characteristics associated with
them.
In his book “Magical Parent; Magical Child” (2004), Joseph C. Pearce focuses on the role
of parents, families, coaches, and teachers in education. He encourages adults to
rediscover their playful inner child as they learn from, teach, and mentor children. It is
changing the adult that changes the environment, which helps transform the child. This
redefinition of the adult-child relationship optimizes the interface and enables the child
to mirror a new creative energy that in turn cycles back and transforms the adult.
Similarly, RENEW focuses on redefining the role of parents, families, and teachers in the
education process as well as provides techniques that emphasize learning through
nature and the environment.

Sraddhalu Ranade’s “Introduction to Integral Education” expands further on the
concepts noted above. Ranade believes that the core objective of education should be
to teach children to be good human beings capable of exceeding his/her humanness and
achieving something beyond. His five dimensions of teaching include: 1) teaching the
body to be spontaneously beautiful; 2) teaching the emotions to flow spontaneously; 3)
teaching the mind to always seek perfection; 4) teaching “I”-ness, i.e., our essence and
souls within; and 5) teaching spirituality and consciousness. Ranade goes on to describe
the core elements of education as solely being derived from nature – earth (the child);
water (nourishment); fire (thirst for knowledge); air (means of communication; and
ether (the environment in which education takes place). He too believes that the adult-
child relationship is the key to education. For optimal teaching and learning, the adult
must assume the role of authority, friend, helper, and his/her inner child in order to
make a personal connection and bond with the child. It is this bond of relationship and
love that enables and optimizes the natural flow of education.
The application and adoption of these transformational education concepts and
methods have been slow around the world but perhaps the most progressive and stark
example of its adoption has been experienced in Finland. Finland’s education system
shows that “less is more” and this is exemplified in several ways for both teachers and
students: 1) Less formal schooling allows children to learn through playing and exploring
and then starting formal education when they are developmentally ready, at age 7; 2)
Less time in school enables students to reflect and absorb their learning; it enables
teachers to spend more time on planning; and enables both teachers and students to be
well rested and ready to teach/learn; 3) Less teachers results in more consistency, care,
and connection with the student; 4) Less/fewer classes allows for several breaks and
gives students time to digest their learning and exercise their bodies and muscles
resulting in greater focus and concentration; 5) Less testing results in more learning due
to reduced stress for both teachers and students; 6) Less topics enables delving into
greater depth on specific topics to ensure optimal learning; 7) Less homework places
greater emphasis on participation; 8) Less students per class promotes more individual
attention to the student; and 9) Less structure leads to greater trust – society trusts the
schools to hire good teachers; schools trust the teachers to be highly trained individuals;
parents trust the schools and teachers to provide quality and individualized education to
their children; and children trust their teachers, parents, and school to make learning
enjoyable and creative vs competitive and punitive.
As Albert Einstein so aptly put it, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten
what one has learned in school”. He also observed that “No problem can be solved by the
same mind that has created it." Einstein’s brilliance is an inspiration to the scientific and
educational communities alike. He professed the importance of imagination, curiosity,
and the strength of character as being essential ingredients to education and learning.

He recognized that a transition from the existing partial and academic-centric education
process to a more integrative education system requires vision, leadership,
commitment, and collaboration. RENEW is a platform and program to help us do just
that, not by substituting the existing education systems but by providing an integrated
learning to supplement our traditional academic curricula – by adding an additional dimension of experiential lessons focused on character-building, civic duty, ethics, morality, and connection with and reverence for nature. It may take generations to be fully functional and effective, but we must begin now and welcome all to join our movement to reform education for a new world!

Reform Education for a New World

Category : Education , Humanity

Authored by:

Mrs. Neha Patel
Dhananjaya Kumar

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As the co-author and presenter of this paper I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank my team who has worked diligently and tirelessly for putting forth not only this paper, but also totally enrolling themselves into the vision of RENEW.

Ritamabhara Juneja, Heena Agarwal and Abha Shah, thank you so much for all the hard work you put in for the research, and writing of this paper. Thank you Priyanka Bajaria and Binita Modi for your contribution towards the paper

What an amazing team of hard-working, focused and dedicated women I have! How can it get any better than this?

Kunjesh Patel, my husband, thank you, for your unwavering encouragement, support and belief in me. You are the wind beneath my wings.

I would also like to thank my parents for the unconditional support they have been for me.

Special thanks to Mr. Dhananjaya Kumar, the co-founder and co-author of this paper, who has a deep commitment towards RENEW and puts it above everything else. He says “RENEW is the most important and meaningful thing we are doing in this lifetime”. I also thank him for believing in the Little Buddha Program and seeing the possibilities it can create for children.

Huge thanks to the children of this world for being the inspiration that they are.

My deepest gratitude to the Universe for opening up possibilities on every step of my journey.

REFORM EDUCATION FOR A NEW WORLD (R.E.N.E.W)

Presented by: Mrs. Neha Patel

ABSTRACT

Children are pure, innocent beings who come into this world with a clean slate and the ability to live in the ‘now’. They absorb all that they observe and experience. Somewhere along, due to the ways of the contemporary world, they start losing their natural inborn balance and tend to get entangled with behavioral patterns which are based on manipulation, fear and guilt. They get conditioned to think negatively and perceive the world to be unfriendly, competitive and stressful. The education today focuses on academic excellence and does not give enough importance to the emotional and spiritual growth of the individual.

Our vision is to give children the platform to recognize and enhance their own unique abilities; use their inner intelligence effectively and live with compassion for others and respect for nature. We endeavor to be a widespread global movement, by reaching out to children, parents, teachers and communities; through workshops, summer camps, after school programs, teacher training programs, online learning, parenting support, and eventually full-fledged schools.

Experiential academic learning, enhancing the emotional and spiritual quotient of the child, applying the multiple intelligence paradigms and helping the child excel in whatever his strength lies in; are some of the highlights of these programs. For these children, education will be inspiring, creative and supportive. Some of the vehicles to achieve these objectives are innovative use of art forms, ancient Indian and world teachings and wisdom along with contemporary methods and techniques, which will empower children to be psychologically, socially, spiritually and academically well balanced individuals at the fore-front of human evolution.

We have already sown the seeds of our intentions in the form of the ‘Little Buddha’ program, designed to help the children retain their contact with their inner self and simultaneously live a balanced life, coping with the demands of the environment they live in with ease and integrity.

INTRODUCTION

Right at the commencement we would like to bring to your notice that this paper is written in a different way than most papers presented. Here we do not want to show you graphs, percentages and figures to illustrate how a particular issue or phenomena has increased or decreased over the years. Instead, through this paper, we would like to appeal to all those who read it to wake up to the present situation and take action to bring about a change.

This paper is for the children who come into the world with innocence, some genetic information and an inner intelligence. They have hope; they are ready to go with the flow. And these children grow up to become the future of the present world. But their future depends a whole lot on what they are exposed to as they grow up. The variety of information that they get from their parents, family, society, school, culture and their country, all have an impact on them.

So what are we exposing the innocent unassuming child to?

We are all aware of the state of the world as it is today. There is immense depletion of human values, of natural resources, of respect and basic integrity. Materialism is emphasized. There are rapes, violations, killings, scams and so many other atrocities that are carried out. They have gotten woven into the fabric of the society creating greed, hatred, indifference, power play, manipulation, guilt, fear, stress and apathy. There is a huge loss of freedom. Insecurity and suspiciousness are at large. There is loss of trust and peace of mind.

The children are trained to buy into this disruptive state of the world. They come to believe that it a dangerous tough place to live in where you have to fight to survive. Their natural instinct are curbed and their inner knowing is not allowed to surface. Their inherent knowledge takes a backseat and most children end up getting on to the factory belt of conventional education and conditioning, being packaged for the material world ahead of them.

By the means of this paper, we attempt to bring forward to all, the dire need to make reforms in the education system for the children so that we can create a new world; a new world where its inhabitants are free to live with integrity and consciousness; wherein they can connect back to nature, love and their own-selves. It might sound too idealistic but it is a necessity in today’s time.

There is a movement around the world where people are waking up to the present situation and shifting towards a holistic way of living, working and being. They are awakening to the necessity of getting in touch with their own core being and living life with authenticity. The need of the hour is for an extensive movement to create a wide shift in the present situation.

To begin with, let’s look at the current scenario, from a child’s perspective.

CURRENT SCENARIO

We are living in a world where at the macro level we face rapid depletion of natural resources with no alternatives and yet we continue being wasteful, creating a world of scarcity. Environmental issues such as global warming, harmful effects of pollution, radiation, weapons of mass destructions, poverty, terrorism, etc. continue to haunt us.

At the micro level, we live in a society where a “more is better” mindset prevails, leaving people dissatisfied with what they have. Today’s highly structured environment leaves many individuals lacking the very skills needed to live with ease and joy such as creativity, adaptability, communication and resilience. The way of living places emphasis on high level of competitiveness, which is cut throat at times, the pressure to perform is so great that many collapse under it, leading to depression, anxiety and physical ailments.

Such exposure has negative effects on the child’s mind wherein they implicitly learn to trust only a few, learn that the world is a bad and dangerous place. What we don’t realize is that these implied thoughts, beliefs and feelings create an imbalance in a perfectly balanced child, by triggering their sympathetic nervous system and thus they are constantly on a high alert and behave selfishly to “preserve” themselves. This behavior rather than being helpful in emergencies has become the child’s first nature in today’s times. Thus, the person is always on the fight-or-flight mode.

Although the present learning environment provides a good platform for children to develop skills required in the professional field and other practical walks of life, many essential values are ignored or left out in the process.

Children are being judged whereas they need to be motivated, accepted and understood. The present system of education produces children who are conformists as against nurtured individuals. Children are tested and taught with an intention to excel and not to learn. We are sowing seeds of hierarchy, which is resulting in unhealthy competition.

Education is getting more and more external, with aspirations to get more degrees, to get more diplomas, getting more certificates etc. What about internalizing what we already learnt, about introspecting on what our soul already knows and making an effort to actually understand what our learning means in the big picture.

In this fast paced world where on one end technology has increased comfort it has also decreased the frustration tolerance. The individual’s environment is changing rapidly occupying most of his attention and leaving no time for introspection. This has created progress externally but regression internally.

We often don’t understand our feelings. For example, when we’re feeling sad, we say we’re just bored. When we’re angry we say we’re just tired. We have lost access to our feelings and neither do we want to accept them, if they arise. We seem to have found a way to advance at lightening speed yet at the same time have dropped to new levels of low.

These loop holes are not unknown to society nor are they ignored, however whenever an individual or organization has tried to bridge the gap, it hasn’t been as successful as they would have liked to be. This is due to our own resistances. The society is not ready to move out of their comfort zone and face the fear of the unknown. The bandwagon effect is so deeply entrenched in the masses, thereby hampering to bring about the change.

It is therefore time to question ourselves:

What would it take for us to believe that the world can be a better place for children?

What would it take for us to make sure we create a conducive and free environment wherein the children are allowed to blossom?

What would it take for us to work towards a better future for our children?
How can we together work towards this?

REFORMED EDUCATION FOR A NEW WORLD(R.E.N.E.W)

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, REFORM means to “change into an improved form or condition; to put an end to by introducing a better method or course of action.”

The word EDUCATE is derived from the verb ‘educe’, which means, “to bring out”.

Some Indian and western philosophers have given explanations of education, which are worth noting: –

Heinrich Pestalozzi: “Education is natural harmonious and progressive development of man’s innate powers”.

Friedrich Willian Froebel: “Education is unfoldment of what is already enfolded in the germ. It is the process through which the child makes internal external”.

Aristotle: “Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body. It develops man’s faculty, especially his mind so that he may be able to enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, goodness and beauty of which perfect happiness essentially consists.”

Mahatma Gandhi: “By education, I mean an all-round drawing out of the best in the child and man body, mind and spirit.”

Swami Vivekanand: “Education is the manifestation of the divine perfection, already existing in man.”

We now work towards creating a NEW WORLD where integrity, freedom, balance and consciousness are abundant and the present ills of the world are left behind us and not carried in to the immediate present and the future. Therefore RENEW is all about bringing about a positive change in the education systems prevalent today by introducing a better course of action and moving towards the true meaning of education.

The first 8-10 years of the child’s life are the most influential ones. It is at this time that they develop their perception of the world and their surroundings. Every aspect about living and the way of being gets fitted into their psyche. The core beliefs that they acquire during this period play a significant role in the choices that they make during the course of their life, which in turn shapes their future. An individual’s entire life can be led with some negative core beliefs that could have been deeply ingrained due to a traumatic experience the child has encountered. For example, a teacher may put down a child for not being able answer in the classroom due to which this child might develop the feeling of incompetence, fear of being ridiculed and loss of self-confidence.

Our vision is to have a system of education where the child learns from within; where the child has intrinsic motivation; where the emotional health of the child is given more importance than the academic performance. A system where students are not just learning because of the grades or marks, but learning to understand and apply; they have the freedom to express themselves; they are able to relate to nature and are able to use their creativity at every point.

What if we could present to the child universal wisdom for their knowledge just like we present to them and make them aware of history, geography, chemistry physics and biology?

SOME OF THE SALIENT FEATURES OF A RENEW PROGRAM ARE:

Experiential Learning: It is a term used to describe the sort of learning where students are given a chance to acquire and apply knowledge, skills and feelings in an immediate and relevant setting. It thus involves a, ‘direct encounter with the phenomena being studied rather than merely thinking about the encounter, or only considering the possibility of doing something about it.’ (Borzak 1981: 9 quoted in Brookfield 1983).

Research has shown that this type of learning is better than spoon fed learning. We need to let the children live with the question, let them explore, apply their knowledge and find the answers rather than always giving the answers. In this way various faculties and abilities are put into use and the connections between different topics becomes apparent to them. Wherever possible we adapt the subjects of the curriculum to the experiential style of learning.

Maintaining Balance: It is our understanding that extremities of any sort create an imbalance in the functioning of an individual or society. Our belief is to allow the children to enjoy all aspects of life but with awareness, balance and their values in place. In the process they will learn to make choices that work towards their own highest benefit as well as that of those around them.

Some of the areas where extremes are experienced are competition and praise. Healthy competition is known to be conducive for the growth of a child and helps them to reach higher levels of their potential. Unfortunately the present systems undermine the positive learning climate in schools leading to unhealthy and extreme competition. Creating a balance would enable a child to get an opportunity and allow his/her specialness to flourish. We would encourage children to work towards bettering themselves rather than trying to get better than the other.

Praise on the other hand if given in extremes, leads to the child having to live up to the expectations of the others at all times. This leads to undue stress, pressure and feelings of inadequacy. Too little praise tends to be de-motivating for a child. In RENEW programs children are appreciated for who they are and not only for what they achieve academically.

Acknowledging Individual Uniqueness: We believe that children come with their own unique abilities and intelligence. Moving away from the general practice of fitting the children into pre-cast dyes of how they should be learning, we encourage them to explore their own possibilities, to learn in the way that suits them the best. We apply the multiple intelligence paradigm by Howard Gardner which acknowledges the fact that humans have varied intelligences and function using a combination of them.

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence (1991) “challenges an educational system that assumes that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a uniform, universal measure suffices to test student learning. Indeed, as currently constituted, our educational system is heavily biased toward linguistic modes of instruction and assessment and, to a somewhat lesser degree, toward logical-quantitative modes as well.”

A child who learns to multiply easily is not necessarily more intelligent than a child who has more difficulty on this task as he may excel in a field outside mathematics, or may be looking at and understanding the multiplication process at a fundamentally deeper level. Such a fundamental understanding can result in slowness and can hide a mathematical intelligence potentially higher than that of a child who quickly memorizes the multiplication table despite possessing a less deep understanding of the process of multiplication. A broad vision of education is necessary (Gardner,1991).

RENEW aims at recognizing each child’s unique intelligence and helping the child utilize it to its highest potential by providing the child with the means and opportunities to do so.

Enhancing Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence refers to an ability to recognize the meanings of emotion and their relationships, and to reason and problem-solve on the basis of them. Emotional intelligence is involved in the capacity to perceive emotions, assimilate emotion-related feelings, understand the information of those emotions, and manage them (Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D., &Salovey, P.,1999).

We believe that the emotional well being of an individual is very important and can take them far ahead in life.

Research shows that the high emotionally intelligent individual, can better perceive emotions, use them in thought, understand their meanings, and manage emotions, than others. Solving emotional problems likely requires less cognitive effort for this individual. The individual tends to be more open and agreeable than others. (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2004, p. 210)

The Little Buddha Program which is a major component of RENEW works towards helping the child enhance their emotional intelligence.

Mindfulness Training: Mindfulness is defined as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experiences moment by moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 145).

The children at RENEW would be trained in being mindful and incorporating this training in every aspect of their lives.

Research suggests that training in mindfulness has the potential to enhance children’s attention and focus, and improve memory, self-acceptance, self-management skills, and self-understanding.(Hooker.K.,Fodor.I)

Spiritual Intelligence: RENEW focuses on tapping into and developing the Spiritual Intelligence of the child. It aims at bringing up and enhancing the abilities of the child to be compassionate, self-aware, non judgmental and loving. Living with integrity, honesty and equanimity, connecting with the deeper intelligence within, respecting self, others, nature and humanity are encouraged. Conscious living is taught where caring for nature and its resources is emphasized.
Expressive Arts: are widely used in RENEW. Children experience art from the beginning of their life. Rhythmic beating of the heart, the rocking movement that the child experiences comfort from, the different facial expressions they see, are all forms of art. In RENEW programs, art forms are not only taught as formal dance, drawing or music training. Going beyond that, art forms are included in every aspect of the program to express, experience and put forth their creative abilities in all areas of their lives. Art is a powerful resource that is built within each individual.

The VAKT model is applied in RENEW programs in which every concept is explained or taught by using the auditory, visual, kinesthetic and tactile abilities of the child. Art forms too engage all these senses. Dancing, singing, playing that the children engage in naturally are all forms of expressing their creativity. There is an immense amount of research available indicating the benefits of art forms for the child and adults. Some of it is given below:

Creative activity is a source of joy and wonder, while it bids its students to touch, taste, hear, and see the world. Children are powerfully affected by storytelling, music, dance, and the visual arts. They often construct their understanding of the world around musical games, imaginative dramas and drawing.”(Hamblen, Karen A. Theories and Research That Support Art Instruction for Instrumental Outcomes, 1993)

The arts can play a crucial role in improving students’ abilities to learn, because they draw on a range of intelligences and learning styles, not just the linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences upon which most schools are based (Eloquent Evidence: Arts at the Core of Learning, President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, talking about Howard Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, 1995).

“Dramatic play, rhyming games, and songs are some of the language-rich activities that build pre-reading skills.”(Young Children and the Arts: Making Creative Connection, 1998, p. 1)

Dance helps build motor control, body relationships and a sense of direction. Drawing, sculpting and other visual arts develop spatial acuity. Group activities, such as learning dance steps or singing songs, build social skills. As children describe people and things in their world using pictures, body movements, and mime, they enhance their descriptive, nonverbal, cognitive capabilities. Repeating stories, poems, and songs strengthens memory. (Young Children and the Arts: Making Creative Connections, 1998, pp. 11–12)

Art stimulates and develops the imagination and critical thinking, and refines cognitive and creative skills. Art has a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child. Art forms strengthen problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, adding to overall academic achievement and school success. They nurture important values, including team-building skills; respecting alternative viewpoints; and appreciating and being aware of different cultures and traditions. (Americans for the Arts, 2002)

Unique System of Assessment: Every child will be encouraged and there will be no stress on coming first and no feeling of inferiority for coming second, third or any rank. We believe in individual abilities of each child and one child may excel in a particular ability while the second in another. Instead of pitting students against one another, the child will get a qualitative feedback for their performance on a project, task or activity and given the guidance on improving in it if required.

Our program will not have a stringent grading system and yet be in line with mainstream education. As the emphasis is on getting good marks, the children end up only rote learning and mugging up the content, often without understanding it. A child who might not be good at rote learning but has understood the concept in an alternative way ends up getting lesser marks than the one who has reproduced verbatim whatever the text books say. We believe in equal opportunities to excel in whatever they are learning irrespective of the style of delivering it. Evaluations will be done not to pass or fail a child but to make sure that the child has understood a concept. Instead of tests, they will be assessed on all the different aspects that go into the project they are doing such as language, science, the research, the methods used, their understanding of the outcomes. So in RENEW every topic that is covered in the curriculum will be converted in to the project format and clubbed together with various techniques that interest students.

Gardner (1991)states that “we would be better served if disciplines could be presented in a numbers of ways and learning could be assessed through a variety of means.”

RENEW aims at educating the child using multiple models, techniques, applications drawn from the world wisdom and weaving them into the academic and non-academic training that the child receives.

There will be no compromise on the content of the curriculum and the subjects and topics that are a part of the mainstream requirement will be completely covered. The students will be totally prepared to make a smooth transition in to any other format of training employed for higher education

Hopefully in the new educational world that we have envisioned, the child will learn using these concepts and there will be not much requirement of a transition that the person will have to make.

To spread the vision of RENEW, we will be training teachers/facilitators in this program. Facilitator is defined as: one that facilitates especially: one that helps to bring about an outcome (as learning, productivity, or communication) by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision.

The teachers role will be more of a facilitator who will be their friend, philosopher and guide and just like the dictionary meaning of the word will help the children to ingrain their experiences and learning by indirect and unobtrusive assistance, and supervision.

The participants will undergo experiential training themselves on every aspect of RENEW and become facilitators. They will be trained in mindfulness, compassion, counseling skills and all other aspects of the program in depth. They will practice whatever they are facilitating for the child themselves, for e.g. if the teacher is working on the topic of building self-confidence, she will have undergone the same process herself.

Our vision has been put into action by the successful initiation of two programs. One of them being the Little Buddha Program and the other one being DOVE.

THE LITTLE BUDDHA PROGRAM

The Little Buddha program is a non-religious program, which works towards the psychological, emotional and spiritual growth and wellbeing of a child. The word Buddha comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Buddh’ which means being awakened and enlightened. Our vision is to have little awakened beings who live their life to the fullest with balance and integrity. This program aims at bringing out a ‘Little Buddha’ in every child.

The program is designed for children between the ages of 3-15 years. It is divided in to 3 groups of ages, 3 to 5, 6 to 11 and 12 to 15.
The Little Buddha Program, Some Highlights:
Works towards enhancing the already built-in intuitive capacities of the child and helping the child to use them effectively.
Teaches the children to keep the highest good of self and others around them in perspective while taking any action.
Teaches children not to compete with others, instead recognize their own uniqueness, appreciate it and set comfortable and achievable targets to better themselves.
Teaches them to be non-judgmental of others. It helps them see others perspectives and points of view, thus accepting self and others for their own specialness.
Helps children understand emotions, and express them constructively creating a balance in their thoughts and actions. They learn to let go of fear, guilt and anger, which blocks their wellbeing.
Teaching the children mindfulness techniques, which will help them be more aware and conscious of themselves and their surroundings
Builds the frustration tolerance of the child and helps them become resilient.
Helps the children break out of self-imposed limitations and let go of limiting ideas, beliefs, thoughts and feelings.
Weaves gratitude, trust, humility, compassion, honesty and respect into the fabric of their life.
Teaches children to value and appreciate all that they have and be conscious about money.
Teaches them to make conscious choices, enhance their self -confidence and self-worth.
Encourages assertiveness, team-work, understanding boundaries, empathizing with others, prioritizing effectively, dealing with bullies and peer pressure, respecting gender differences, and forgiving self and others.
Teaches them to be self-reliant, responsible and taking initiative for self growth.
Aims to improve their concentration and focusing skills.
The children are allowed to be themselves, without any harsh judgments made about them, they are allowed to express themselves and they feel totally accepted just the way they are. Through different techniques, activities and sessions coupled with their inner understanding and intelligence the child incorporates all they experience in the program in their way of being.
The environment influences the child and evidently plays a big part in the their perception of everything within and without. Parents play a very significant role in their life. Therefore, it is important that these significant people also enroll into the Little Buddha concept for the child to benefit completely from it. To achieve this there are group sessions and individual sessions conducted with parents of each child. These sessions intend to promote unrestrictive parenting which benefits the child by improving parent child relationship. The parents would be able to see their child in a different light and understand his/her uniqueness and needs. This will further help the child carry forward whatever they learn in the program and also imbibe it into their own lives.
Some of the techniques and modalities we use while conducting the Little Buddha Program are:
Arts based therapy techniques such as drama, singing, dance and movement, visual arts, music, story telling and free play.
Guided Imagery
Visual Meditations
Role play
Emotional Freedom Technique
Mindfulness Training
Metaphors
Affirmations and many more

The Little Buddha program is presently being conducted in Mumbai, India. Several batches of children have participated in the program and benefitted immensely from it. Summer programs, weekend workshops, regular classes are conducted. The program is shortly being introduced in a school in Mumbai as a part of its curriculum. From 2013, the program will be held in USA in the summer.

We look forward to conducting the program in different towns and cities across the country and are planning a facilitator training program in the near future.

DOVE (Drive to Overcome Violence through Education)

DOVE (Drive to Overcome Violence through Education) was an initiative launched by the co -founder of RENEW, Mr.Dhananjaya Kumar and his colleague in the USA. Dove intends to help the youth to integrate peace, prosperity and personal fulfillment through the curriculum of SHANTIR.

The “SHANTIR” (Sanskrit word for peace)” curriculum represents:

S = Social Responsibility. Emphasis on co-existence and respect for the rights of others.

H = Human Values. Value of life (one’s own and others’), love, forgiveness, kindness, service, sharing, understanding, compassion, and environmental preservation.

A = Appreciation of beauty, nature, good qualities in others and own well-being. Giving credit, helping others. Appreciating what you have and who you are, rather than dwelling on what you don’t have compared to others.

N = Non-violence. Reorientation of mental attitudes. Controlling violent tendencies against others or oneself; applying non-violence as the primary criterion for screening thoughts, speech, and action. Non-violent approaches to managing crises, anger, stress, greed, compulsion, and competition.

T = Tolerance. Patience, mutual respect. Peaceful means of dealing with differences of opinion, faith, race, color, religion, or any other physical or intellectual differences.

I = Individual fulfillment. Self-knowledge, self-assessment, self-respect, self-cleanliness (body, thought, speech, action). Setting higher standards for personal conduct. Pursuit of purity in thought and excellence in action. Seeking deeper meaning and purpose of life. Developing a longer view, not limited to instant gratification and purely selfish interest. Sharpening mental faculties to be able to discriminate between right and wrong.
R = Role Models. Seeking higher standards and values. Many so-called role models of today do not necessarily embody the values and standards that teach or lead children toward realizing their potentials and becoming role models themselves. Study of wholesome and exemplary characters (both historical and contemporary), though not necessarily rich and famous.
The students who have experienced the SHANTIR program are by nature, peace loving, self respecting and respectful of others lives and traits. They know how to cope with anger, stress and difference of opinion and understand that rights and responsibilities go together. They are relatively free from hatred, self-pity and frustration. They choose non-violent solutions to problems, resist negative peer pressure, and understand the devastating consequences of violence for themselves and others.
A part of ‘DOVE’ is the “FACE” program which aims to increase the awareness and sensitivity of families to the environment and values that are fostered at home; the long term consequences of conflict, neglect or abuses within the family; the subtle ways in which both positive and negative messages are picked up by children; and the content of the “SHANTIR” curriculum.
Having taken these initiatives, we would like to further the benefits of these programs by expanding on them. Both these programs have been an inspiration for us to envision RENEW.

CONCLUSION

Our plan now is to have RENEW reach every child in the world. To achieve this the RENEW team is:
Preparing for publication and for widespread distribution, a vision document for RENEW so that the message goes across to all, and like minded people join us.
Organizing workshops and seminars, presently in USA and India to further explain the concept and to clarify any queries and concerns.
Developing a curriculum for after school programs, weekend programs and special classes within existing systems in schools.

We envision full-fledged RENEW schools in the near future and also adaption of the RENEW curriculum in education systems worldwide.

It is our responsibility to create and provide the best we can to our coming generations – a world we all dream of and hope to see someday.

We would like to end this paper with the following passage written by Neale Donald Walsch (author of “Conversations with God”) as an “afterword” for an excellent eye-opening book “Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight” by Thom Hartmann. The book depicts in detail what is happening to our planet, the reasons for our culture’s blind behavior, and how we can fix the problem.
This passage is very inspiring for us and we hope it will be for all those who read it.

“If you decide to ignore this information, you will co-create one kind of future. If you decide to act on it, you will co-create another…. When I read this book I knew that I could never view my life in the same way again. I could see myself as part of the problem, or as part of the solution, but I could never again see myself as having nothing to do with either… We know enough to take part in changing the collective consciousness, and write a new ‘story’ of human experience.
You may feel like a voice in the wilderness, but it is your voice we are waiting to hear. Let us act, at last, in the best interest of us all. Then the sun will shine another day, and another still, and life will not merely go on, but achieve its highest expression, its grandest glory, its greatest joy. Can we give this gift to our children? Please say yes.”

REFERENCES

Allport, G.W. (1937). Personality: A psychological interpretation. New York: Holt,

Rhinehart& Winston. In Pervin, L.A.& John, O.P. (2001).(Eds) Personality Theory and

Research.John Wiley and sons.

Aronson, E. (1992). The return of the represses: Dissonance theory makes a comeback.

Psychological Inquiry, 3, 303-311. In Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. &Akert, R.M.(2004).

(Eds). Social Psychology.Prentice Hall.Art USA (2001, January). National Public opinion survey,. Americans for the Arts.

Aronson, E. &Mettee, D. R. (1968). Dishonest behviour as a function of differential

levels of induced self-esteem. Journal of Personality, 9, 121-127. In Pervin, L.A.& John,

O.P. (2001).(Eds) Personality Theory and Research. John Wiley and sons.

Art USA (2009, April 4). Fact Sheet About the Benefits of Arts Education for Children.Americans for the Arts. Retrieved December 28, 2012, from http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/funding_resources/default_005.asp

Arts Education Partnership (n.d.).Children’s Learning& the Arts: Birth to Age Eight. American for the Arts. Retrieved December 28, 2012,

Benefits of Arts Education.(2002). Americans for the Arts. Retrieved December 27, 2012, from http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/funding_resources/default_005.asp

Cognitive Development and Language Skills Development :: language and communication. (n.d.). 123HelpMe.com. Retrieved January 4, 2013, from http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=141582

Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach (New York: Basic Books, 1991)

Every Seven Years You Change | Body & Mind | dreamhawk.com. (2012, August 10). Dreamhawk – Tony Crisp | Dreams, health, yoga, body mind & spirit. Retrieved December 24, 2012, from http://dreamhawk.com/body-and-mind/every-seven-years-you-change

Hamblen, & Karen, A. (1993). Theories and Research That Support Art Instruction for Instrumental Outcomes.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990), Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York: Delacorte

Lizmanvell (2012, October 24). Create a no competition zone. School Climate. Retrieved December 24, 2012, from http://schoolclimate.com/2012/10/24/create-a-no-competition-zone/

Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27, 267-298.

McFarlin, D. B., &Blascovich, J. (1981). Effects of self-esteem and performance feedback on future affective preferences and cognitive expectations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 3.

Plotnikoff, D. (2011, February 28). Raising Well-Balanced Children in a Fast Paced World | Stanford University School of Education. Home | Stanford University School of Education. Retrieved December 22, 2012 from http://ed.stanford.edu/news/raising-well-balanced-children-fast-paced-world

Smith, M. K. (2001). ‘David A. Kolb on experiential learning’, the encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved on 22nd December, 2012 from http://www.infed.org/b-explrn.htm.

Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008) ‘Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences’, the encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved on 22nd December ,2012 from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm.

Teaching Mindfulness To Children, Gestalt Review, 12(1): 75-91, 2008

Young Children and the Arts: Making Creative Connection. (1998). 1, 11-12.

Young Children and the Arts: Making Creative Connections, Introduction. (1998). American for the Arts. Retrieved December 27, 201

Reform Education for a New World (RENEW)

Category : Education , Humanity , Peace , Spiritual

I. The Case for Education Renewal:

Over the past 20+ years, we have studied, observed and contemplated upon the vast subject of education for current and future generations. We have read in-depth reviews and research done in this area, and have keenly observed education systems in many countries. With a few exceptions, we found that people are generally dissatisfied with school systems in most countries. Only a few countries have taken steps to reform education, albeit with limited success. At the local level, there are many visionary individuals and institutions that have launched and are doing progressive work in this area, however, their tremendous efforts and results are not adequately acknowledged or appreciated. We want to join forces with like-minded individuals who are passionate about education reform in order to affect change in our communities, countries, and society at large.
There is strong evidence that humanity is on the path to self-destruction. While this may sound somewhat inflammatory, it is not far from the truth. We are bombarded with news clips and stories on a daily basis that demonstrate that negativity has become a dominant force in our lives, society, and world. Many people are driven by egos, resulting in power, greed and selfishness. The symptoms can be seen in the violence, poverty and suffering that exists throughout the human race. There is wealth imbalance that is further fueling the greed to acquire more and exploit others. This current environment and our society that is based on hostility and distrust is not sustainable.
As a result of this bifurcation in the human race, our planet is suffering a slow demise. Humans show little awareness, acknowledgement and respect for the earth’s natural resources. There is natural inclination towards being in conflict with nature and its fundamental laws. The fact of the matter is that there is no shortage of natural resources and humans are not violent by nature. However, the current social and power structure encourages a small minority of humans to exploit the large majority. The future looks rather bleak for mankind. The primary issues are systemic, societal, and habitual. Life, for the most part, has become a battlefield where everyone if fighting to either survive or to exploit. The amount of avoidable wastage and destruction is more than the resources required to remove poverty and provide for basic human needs. We must act now to begin a foundational change in our education system.

It is quite disturbing to observe this present state of humanity suffering from shortsightedness, deprivation, human trafficking, and moral and ethical degradation. Education has become limited to literacy and job skills in a fiercely competitive environment with the end goal of wealth creation; without due regard to human and ethical values focused on: individual talent, personal and social responsibility, cooperation and compassion, collaborative conflict resolution, connection with nature and environment, etc.
Simply put, today’s education is focused on enhancing textbook-based IQ with little to no focus on building EQ in our students that are based on innate and acquired learning from our nature and environment. We must place greater emphasis on character-building, self-respect, and co-existing with others with love, cooperation, compassion and preservation. More money and more technology are not substitutes for wholistic education which can produce more intelligent and visionary individuals and hence societies. We realize it is not possible to replace or reform the entire education system, but we can begin by augmenting, broadening and deepening the scope of learning in our school systems. Raising the level of awareness among students, families and teachers should be the first step.
We are in a trap of sorts, and our planet is in a death spiral but we believe we can break away from it. We have a vision of a society with the same resources that we currently possess but where needs are met and waste is minimized; a world where there is peace, compassion and respect for mankind. It is possible to foster an environment where all humans can not only survive, but also thrive.
Today, since birth, children are forced to be disconnected from nature. It is a fact that life cannot survive with animosity towards life sources of nature. Isolation from nature is a fundamental flaw and must be rectified through education. This education must begin with children. Children have a natural interest in growth, exploration and learning. They have no vested interest in the status-quo since they don’t know it. Therefore, their minds can be nurtured in the very early years to learn from and live peacefully on our beautiful planet rather than build an attitude of conquering and exploiting it.
We need to create learning that is more freethinking, visionary, and based on discovery and exploration. Again, our proposal does not call for replacement of the existing education system but merely augmenting it by increasing the level of awareness of this renewed method at existing schools. This will ultimately lead to a different and more sustainable society and world for our future generations.
This is the premise for this education renewal program – to build a new world, a new society, and a renewed planet.

II. Principles of RENEW (Reform Education for a New World):
The principles of RENEW can be categorized in 4 areas of study, as follows:

Accentuate and Celebrate Individual Talent
Indirect learning
Creative play
Focus on excellence vs competition
Instill Human and Ethical Values
Personal and social responsibility
Civic responsibility
Health, fitness and nutrition
Respect for self and others
3. Develop Emotional Balance
Cooperation and compassion
Character building
Communication
Teamwork
Collaborative problem solving
Enable Connection with Nature and Environment
Exploration and discovery
Awareness of cosmos and natural environment
Understanding interconnections and dependencies

III. Implementation Method:
The principles or areas of study will become modules for learning and each module will be incorporated into simple “how to” processes geared to three important stakeholders – Parents/Families, Students, and Teachers.

PARENTS/FAMILIES: This module will focus on the home environment, indirect learning, character-building, emotional balance, connection with nature, being role models, healthy diet/nutrition, personal hygiene, life-style, working through blocked and limiting beliefs and more.
STUDENTS: This module will focus on respect for self and others, cooperation, compassion, civic responsibilities, exploration, discovery, communication, dealing with emotions, being self-reliant, responsible and taking initiative for self-growth
TEACHERS: This module will focus on exploration and discovery, awareness of natural environment, supportive approach, individual talent and pace of learning, excellence vs competition, exercises and assignments, organizing knowledge, grading vs assessment of strengths and weaknesses, correction vs punishment, sports and games, individual and group projects, beyond literacy, etc.The environmental factors would be integrated into all three and would include understanding cosmos, nature, earth, life forms, vegetation, reverence, interconnections and dependencies, exposure to natural laws, fundamental sciences, documentary films, activities by parents and teachers, etc.

We have a team of enthusiastic people who share our vision and are well trained to assist us in creating this project.
We have created a detailed plan for each of the modules to elaborate upon the brief outline provided above. We will prepare booklets that will focus on the key concepts of RENEW, including its values and a practical “how to” guide for parents/families, students, and teachers. These booklets can also be translated into other languages to facilitate access and acceptability.
We have a team of enthusiastic people who share our vision and are well trained to assist us in creating this project.
We believe that “reform education for a new world” (RENEW) is the most important thing to do in this life. We look up to you for guidance in moving this concept into action.

DHANANJAYA KUMAR: Retired World Bank senior economist, Yogacharya, writer, poet, cultural activist

NEHA PATEL: Consultant Psychologist, Emotional Well being Coach, Arts Based Therapist, Trainer and Facilitator

USHA CHAUDHARY: Chartered accountant, executive experience in finance, media, charitable organization

Twenty children 5-10 yrs old massacred in USA

Category : Humanity , Peace

Twenty children 5-10 yrs old massacred in USA, 22 kids stabbed in China, many crimes against children in India and around the world. That was 2013, but the situation is no different today. We cannot think of a single country where crime against children are not committed. Our societies seem to be on a high-pitch, fast track roller-coaster ride to more consumption, more accumulation, more wastage, violence and destruction. And we call this culture and civilization. Imagine what children are thinking about all this. Clearly, this is an unfriendly world for them. and how future generations will judge today’s collective mind-set.

Do we wait helplessly, like insensitive self-centered creatures, for society to change or can we join a movement to co-create a more intelligent and compassionate society. We invite you to join RENEW; and hope that a critical mass people with vision would share some time and talent to carry the vision forward.

Here is a quote to help soul-searching. From an excellent eye-opening book “Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight” by Thom Hartmann, the following passage written by Neale Donald Walsch (author of “Conversations with God”) as “afterword” for the book by Hartmann

You may feel like a voice in the wilderness, but it is your voice we are waiting to hear. Let us act, at last, in the best interest of us all. Then the sun will shine another day, and another still, and life will not merely go on, but achieve its highest expression, its grandest glory, its greatest joy. Can we give this gift to our children? Please say yes.”