Namaste friends, and greetings from East India where we have inaugurated an ongoing computer educational workshop and various training programs for both adults and youths.
This Computer workshop, a very well designed program and joint effort of RDS, Ektaan, Suchetana, and Rainbow Cooperation Circles, will focus on youth leadership and involve large numbers of girls and women. I was very inspired and enthusiastic when I saw this huge gathering with the energy of young people and also many adults showing their keen interest to be involved with URI. Through this workshop we will be able to develop good communications with young people as well as a strong visibility of URI in the community. More than 300 people came to join the workshop, I am very inspired by the way RDS and Suchetana have worked to bring people together despite it being 110* F with 99% humidity.
At this time only 150 people were registered to begin the classes, as the seats are limited due to computer availability and space. People that attended the evening felt the need of doing it on a larger scale and accommodating all the people that are still interested in coming. Related to their bigger dream, Mr. Susanta Modak of RDS CC took me to see the area and a impoverished community that needs much attention. They also showed me the land they will have to build a URI international center for peace where many local initiatives for young people, especially those who have dropped out of school, and women, including vocational training, will be provided. It will be a center for all faiths and traditions to get support in educational needs, as all of us felt that education is the key to a better life. I have seen amazing potential to do great work.
The inauguration program started with the lighting of the lamp and I was honored to share the story of the birth of URI and give a glimpse of our recent Mayapur and Vallombrosa meetings. Elders from the community felt very happy and honored to get involved with URI as they felt the need to promote peace and communal harmonyin the society. We ended the program with a song together standing in a circle, we shall overcome in Bengali.
The classes will begin in a week after the registration is completed, believe it or not we have 4 computers at this moment to address 150 people in 5 days a week, giving each student 2 classes a week, we also have 5 teachers and many local volunteers to maintain the place and run the workshops smoothly.
We will increase the number of available computers since we are asking many of our partners and well wishers to donate computers.
We believe that we will be able to build this center and make URI very strongly visible in our region as soon as possible.
Thanks to Mr. Ramakrishna Chanda of Suchetana CC for his huge contribution to bring the dream in reality.
