www.hindu.com

PUDUCHERRY, INDIA, March 3, 2008: Aiming for a true state of unity in diversity, speakers at the 40th anniversary celebrations of Auroville have stressed the need to come together and stay united, while overcoming differences and working towards building the township. As part of the landmark celebrations here on Thursday, a symposium on “Auroville… and the Ideal of Human Unity” was held. In his message, chairman of the Auroville Foundation Karan Singh called upon Aurovilians to re-dedicate themselves to the future and focus on the next task of building the township. “The shape of Auroville has to develop and we should see it fulfilled within the next decade or so. We should overcome our differences and should not allow the progress of Auroville to be slowed down,” he added.

With human unity being the focal point of the celebrations, member of the International Advisory Council of Auroville Sir Mark Tully referred to two forms of balance — between individual and society, and between change and tradition. “Indian society pays too much attention on the individual. Why we are getting it wrong at the moment is because we live in a world where individuality is over-valued,” he added.

www.sewausa.org

U.S.A., March 3, 2008: Yuva for Sewa (Youth for Service) is a fellowship program that provides young adults with opportunities to use their time and talent to volunteer for the less fortunate across the globe.

This year, Yuva for Sewa will be connecting youth with service projects in India, the Caribbean and the U.S. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 with a strong desire to serve the underprivileged is invited to apply for the fellowship. Projects are available in the following fields: education, self-employment, women empowerment, healthcare, publicity and awareness, and environmental care. The projects range from a few weeks to six months in duration and occur between the months of June and December.

www.rediff.com

U.S.A., February 28, 2008: (HPI Note: this is an opinion piece written by Dhruv Goel, 15, who moved from India to Texas.) Americans are frightened of India, or of what they think India is. For them, India is poor. India has no electricity. All Indians are Hindu. These are just some of the things I have heard in America. And these are just two of the many stereotypes about Indian people and about India.

Surprisingly, many people out there do not know much about our country–something that became evident to me when I moved to America and was bombarded with questions about my origins.

In five years of American schooling, I have had some interesting experiences with my classmates. Many kids ask questions that can sometimes seem ridiculous, but almost every time it seems that something or someone had influenced their incorrect view of India. Whether it was a class or a video, the point is that India is not a pauper among nations, has more than one language and does have electricity. Even though my classmates might have wrong views of India, I am glad they ask me these questions because I can quickly clear up their confusion.

www.hinduismtoday.com

When looking for tax deductions stops, then true giving begins.
   Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001)