India's Gift for Peace
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The Bharat Scouts and GuidesIndia |
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Scouts in India are working on a very special Gifts for Peace project based on the positive Gandhian concept of “Sarva Dharma Sambhav” (equal respect for all religions) in order to address two key issues in society: conflict in communities and religious intolerance.
Description
India's social structure and cultural patterns are characterisied by great diversity. There are regional imbalances due to varied pace of development and topographical problems. The population is derived from six main ethnic groups speaking over 1400 languages and dialects. The religious make-up of the population is as follows: Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, and Sikh 1.9%. Communal harmony is therefore a challenge.
The Scouts are working on a range of activities, building on the work they have already achieved. They aim to:
• Promote the basic unity of religions
• Provide greater opportunities for interaction among the followers of different faiths
• Establish a forum of leaders of various communities
• Create a programme to help make neighbourhoods more involve on a social level
• Organise year-round activities
• Promote peace through initiatives such as a peace postcard activity, street plays, corner or 'Mohallas' meetings, joint celebrations of festivals and discourses on different faiths
Scouts in India have already demonstrated their commitment to building harmony in their communities through their regular Scout programme and through specific services, for example, helping out at the scene of riots , running service camps and providing support for disaster relief, giving help to all in need irrespective of caste, colour, or creed.
Competitions on the theme of 'communal harmony' are now being organised at National and State levels. The competitions include debates, poster designing, drawing, painting, and quizzes. There is a special badge for Scouts working on the project. In addition, materials in different languages are being prepared focusing on the basic unity of religions.
An annual award will be developed and presented to the best State excelling in communal harmony activities.
It is hoped that the project, as well as promoting communal harmony, will encourage greater opportunities for interaction among the followers of different faiths, equal respect for all citizens and hope for the young generations growing up in India.