the netsquared group

The best part about the TechSoup Global Contributor’s Summit was seeing in real time the power of networks. A lot can be said for nonverbal communication and the effectiveness of meeting each other face to face!

Although at first I was intimidated, it was heartening to hear how many others found the task of networking at events daunting–many admitted to being shy but forcing themselves to get over it. I was soon won over by the welcoming atmosphere that was set from the first evening.

Microsoft’s Akhtar Badshah posed a critical question at the beginning: How do we become the innovators to drive change? He also spoke about harnessing disruption and moving from the transactional to the transformational.

Daniel Ben-Horin, Co-CEO and founder of TechSoup Global, reminded us that “geeks and activists” share core values and have a natural affinity–I’m not sure which side of that equation I’m on, but certainly I do agree that technologies are disrupting the status quo. The quote in the blog post title is also from him: “We’re smarter together than separate.”

However, I couldn’t help but feel “it isn’t enough”–in the sense that even though technologies are supposedly making our lives easier or better, they haven’t fundamentally made us any happier and often only make our lives more complicated. Hence, the premise behind Inner Engineering–technologies for well-being…

That said, I did gain a tremendous amount from hearing about the participants’ experiences with technology and sharing my own. I most enjoyed the last day when the Netsquared participants came together to discuss the issues particular to us, many of whom were based in or from the developing world. It was great hearing about all their inspiring projects and getting to know them in a more informal setting.

That’s my overall take! For more insights, see Beth Kanter’s post on “Inspiration Overload.” You can also find all session notes on the wiki.

Yesterday I met Kavita Srivastava, a well-known activist in Jaipur. She was meeting a street artist, who was presenting all of his clay sculptures to us and explaining very animatedly the stories behind each piece. She is planning to help him set up an exhibition, and I offered to help with any publicity, even starting a blog. She knows so many people with phenomenal stories of human courage that it would be a pleasure to help her document them and raise awareness of her work!

She had spoken at a session I attended on Women’s Empowerment at the Jaipur Lit Fest, where she had recounted a heartbreaking story about a woman called Bhawari Devi:

Bhanwari Devi, a local woman who was working with Srivastava, was gang-raped by upper-caste men after she tried to stop a Brahman child wedding. Though the rape was witnessed by Bhanwari’s husband, the police refused to investigate, and Bhanwari was ostracized. Bhanwari eventually managed to file a police report, but the high court acquitted the alleged rapists.

One judge said simply that he did not believe upper-caste men could commit a crime so heinous. Srivastava was so shaken that she helped Bhanwari file an appeal in the Supreme Court–it is still pending–and later quit her job. “I realized I couldn’t spend my life writing reports that would simply gather dust,” she says.

This place must be the first of its kind in Jaipur to have imported goods that we take for granted elsewhere: Ragu pasta sauce ($5!), German Rye bread ($8!), Boursin Cheese ($10!). Although I generally refuse to pay such ridiculous prices, I did once cave for the bread. Food is basically my last-standing luxury item…

But not so for the other shoppers, among whom I spotted a golden Fendi bag, Dior sunglasses and flashy Fit Flops. The first two could probably feed a whole family for a year. It’s strange to see that upper-class women are going after the same status symbols that Western women are–all the more so, given the extreme poverty and terrible infrastructure, both of which can be seen just outside the shop’s door. That is, if one has eye’s enough to see it.

If only these glasses could help you to see...

Which is exactly what’s lacking–the sensitivity to see what lies around, to be touched by it. If Westerners can be forgiven their callousness because they live in pristine bubbles, wealthy Indians must at least be able to feel a slight twinge of guilt for having so much?

Yet, there is such a lack of compassion and sense of civic duty. I met an NRI who was bragging that his son, an Eton student, has to volunteer as part of his class curriculum–whereas in India, this requirement is sorely lacking. Why is this so, when the numbers of students could do wonders for others in terms of tutoring, caring for the environment, etc. Instead, usually the teens can be found chilling in the coffee shops, driving around in their SUVs, or, like today, shopping.

How to ignite the dying flame of social consciousness amongst the comfortable classes?

I have been doing tons of research on how non-profits can use social media, thanks largely to Beth Kanter‘s wealth of resources on the subject, with the aim of seeing what Isha Foundation can do with these tools. The workshop was an opportunity to apply what I’ve already learned, and of course see it in a new light. Gaurav put things in quite a different perspective, for example by highlighting the theoretical underpinnings of the tools (whereas I’ve been focusing more on the practical uses and tactics).

He started with the question: “What are social technologies and why are they important?” and showed how they are changing people. For example, the focus is shifting from content to people, and people themselves are shifting from consumers to creators.

However, I would like to ask: if technologies are changing people, why are we not any more joyful or loving? Surely if we could engineer ourselves the way we would want to be, we would choose bliss over blogging. If the tools enable us to be more “connected”, why can we not experience this connectedness on a deeper level? If anything, social media has tended to exaggerate our individuality (to the point where we feel the need to broadcast our every thought and action). So, how is this change beneficial?

As an inner technology, Isha Yoga creates the transformation from the inside out. Without fancy gadgets, it enables an individual to experience life in a more enhanced way–feeling more in tune with others, with one’s surroundings, with life! Having experienced this myself, it was only natural that I looked to social media as a way to express and share my joy with those in my network.

The workshop report will be available on the Foundation’s site soon. Gaurav’s post on Everything You Need To Know About Social Media Marketing In Seven Short Steps is a good summary, as is this article/interview on Why and how nonprofits should use social media. Slides are below:

In June, we will be awarded India’s highest environmental award, the the prestigious Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar. Can you help us to win Youtube’s competition also?

One idea could be to edit the below video down to three minutes; or create your own with the videos already available on Youtube.

The planet will thank you for your help!

Click To Play

The Teacher’s Meeting commenced at 8:30 am on 19 August in Spanda Hall. As everybody was assembling, a busload of teachers, still in their whites, arrived at the gate. It was inspiring to see their joyful anticipation and commitment as they quickly unloaded their luggage and sped towards the hall to reach the session on time.

After Guru Pooja, some teachers shared their experiences of the major events of recent months, such as Ananda Ala in Andhra Pradesh and Anandha Alai in the Nilgiris. The number of classes that happened in a relatively short period of time was astonishing – certainly a challenge and a chance for teachers to stretch themselves beyond the limits of what they thought they could do.  Another teacher proudly reported that the Hyderabad meditator base had doubled in just three months. A teacher from the US conveyed how seeing the reach and impact of Isha Yoga in India had given her new inspiration and drive to help establish the Isha Institute of Inner Sciences and various centers across the US.

In a question and answer session, Sadhguru addressed a variety of topics including programs, Linga Bhairavi, devotion and death. In addition, the teachers learnt about the Dhyanalinga Temple Completion Project, an opportunity for everyone to enable Sadhguru’s vision. A moonlight dinner in Spanda Hall garden closed the day.

The next morning, Tamil teachers raced off to organize the Green Tirupur tree planting events. Those who stayed back trekked to a sacred space in the Velliangiri Hills, known as “Sadhguru’s caves,” where they spent time meditating and enjoying nature. After two days out in the virgin forest, they joined the other teachers in Tirupur to bring some green life into the city.

The teacher’s meeting was a refreshing break for the teachers in their otherwise frantic schedules; a chance to review, reexamine, relax, recharge, and finally re-embark on their mission to reach out to others through Isha Yoga programs and events in India and around the world.

Here is what a few teachers shared:

THE TEACHERS’ MEETING:

It was great being back in the ashram and meeting all the teachers after five months of non-stop traveling. I thought I had had all my adventures, and nothing could shake me anymore. I was in for a great surprise, though, when we went trekking to Sadhguru’s Caves and spent two nights in the wilderness. Suddenly I realized I had become a city girl – and jumping from one rock to the other to find a bathroom was quite a refreshing change. The first night I got a little anxious when rain started to pour down on us, but seeing all these cheerful faces quickly dispelled my urban grumpiness. Doing practices and meditating there was awesome, and just seeing the teamwork was so humbling. In the end, I had thoroughly enjoyed the stay in the jungle. –Veena

I’ve just started Teachers’ Training a few months back and this was my second Teacher’s Meeting. While initially I was excited to attend, I fell sick just before the event. Still I somehow made the journey down to the ashram and was duly rewarded by spending time with Sadhguru and the teachers. It is such a pleasure hearing them share about their experiences and basking in their joy. I must admit that I was reluctant to go camping, but in the moments I was able to accept being there, I felt such an intense oneness. The environment was very conducive to meditation, which seemed to happen effortlessly. I felt such a deep gratitude to Sadhguru for making my life seem like a dream. I never could have imagined such possibilities opening up for me as have been available through Isha. –Becky

THE GREEN TIRUPUR TREE PLANTING:

Taking part in the tree planting in Tirupur was a touching experience. When I held a sapling and put it in the ground, I was quite moved at the realization that the sapling was pulsating with life and I was taking part in nurturing it. The planting itself was no longer just an activity. –Hajra

The target of the Green Tirupur initiative was 25,000 trees in one day. I was thrilled but to some extent not so optimistic about accomplishing the job. I was very much humbled at the end at the way it all happened– it was 28,500 plus… I bow down to each and every volunteer who threw themselves into this magnificent yet in hindsight seemingly simple task.

As a teacher, I have always been speaking with pride and enthusiasm about Project GreenHands in the programs. But this was the first time I got an opportunity to actually get involved in the planting hands-on. The moment we got onto the field, the action just sucked us in. Everyone was running around, planting saplings, filling pits with manure, and getting water for the saplings from people around… It was quite inspiring to see the public spontaneously jumping into action along with us. Being a Sunday, many of the residents joined us on the streets to lend a green hand. One little girl even came up to one of us and offered the small packet of water that she was drinking to water a sapling.

At the end of the day, the event had transformed from an Isha initiative to a people’s movement – which is what Sadhguru always seeks to create. I am eager to see these trees fully grown and the impact it will create in the city as well as in the hearts of the people in Tirupur. –Swami Dhiraja

For more info on the Green Tiruppur Movement:

[youtube 2fZuBIsNPJg]

Stalin inaugurates Green Tirupur Movement

Deputy Chief Minister M. K. Stalin inaugurated the Green Tirupur Movement of Isha Foundation by planting a sapling on the Corporation Town Hall premises here on Sunday.

The Isha Foundation volunteers with the involvement of different stakeholders in the conservation of environment planted as many as 25,000 saplings of 34 plant species across the city.

I am volunteering full-time for Isha Vidhya because they are doing such vital work to improve rural children’s lives. For more information on Isha Vidhya, see here. You can see the program video by clicking the image below.

The Isha Vidhya schools distinguish themselves by…

• Offering affordable, high-quality education in rural areas
• Taking education beyond literacy and rudimentary skills
• Empowering rural children to participate globally
• Actively promoting education of female children
• Increasing educational awareness in rural societies
• Preserving village identities and culture

To make a contribution to the cause, please click here or the cause widget on the right of the page. Thanks for your support, the kids appreciate it! We can all make a difference in changing the face of rural India, one child at a time.

http://www.helpbihar.in

Here are the answers in case you don’t know:

The capital of Bihar is Patna

Which river has caused havoc in Bihar recently? Kosi

Via Blank Noise.

Via Feministing.