At the moment I’m working in the kitchen in the mornings. In the afternoon I’m doing small renovation jobs around the building. I’ve planned to stay till the end of December. I hope that I can quickly learn some Romanian, so that I can do some more activities with the elderly. I discovered that despite my experience at the elderly home in the Netherlands, it is difficult to do activities with the elderly if you can’t speak their language.

There are still a lot of future plans. One of them is to start up a care centre where the elderly can stay day and night. Another building, which Sunrise can rent for free from the government, has to be renovated for it. But first they need to find some donations to repair the roof.

For the volunteers and visitors they made a beautiful apartment, so that it really feels like holidays to be here. But I’m very curious to experience how the winter is going to be in Straseni. So I’m looking forward to that.- Vincent Holtrust

Everyone is welcome. Registration required.
Cost of the weekend will be 50 euro per person.
Holland Zonnelicht
Rijnstraat 559
5215 EJ Den Bosch, Holland
Contact person is: Yaduranii 0031736125282
E-mail: anandaraganuga@hotmail.com or mariannedudinkis@home.nl

Presently Ac Vishvamitra conducts a private organizational consulting/psychotherapy practice and teaches yoga and meditation in Asheville, North Carlina, USA, where he resides on the Ananda Girisuta Master Unit that he helped to purchase and develop in 1990. In addition he is working to develop a Center for Neohumanistic Studies (CNS) at Ananda Girisuta, focusing on Neohumanism and Bio-psychology curricula and teaching workshops to the public in Yoga Psychology.

Ac Vishvamitra maintains to date his membership in the American Psychological Association, North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA), NCPA Division of Independent Professional Practice, Madison County Health Coalition: Child Health Committee; Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee, and is a Member of Board of Directors of Western North Carolina Coalition for Social Concerns (WCCSC). In addition he continues to serve on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Mental Imagery and Atlantis- The Imagery Newsletter.

A short statement from Acarya Vishvamitra follows:

“It is the Lords Grace that gives me the opportunity to apply myself as a devotee and educator to the expression of the mission of Ananda Marga Gurukula. May the collective efforts of those working with AMGK spread the joy and universal spirit of a Neohumanist Education in ever increasing circles.”

New Dawn at Uma Nivas
Women’s Music College
Ananda Nagar
By Iishiika’

Since we have been such a long time in India, we’ve experienced almost all the seasons here in Ananda Nagar. From the mild winter (the best construction time) to the hot summer (with more than 50°C in the shade) and the rainy season (with the lots of water and thunderstorms). Not all the seasons are fit for the construction, but due to our time schedule we had to adjust with all the climate changes. The heat was probably the worst, and looking back we are amazed how we survived the 45-50°heat as that time we did not have all the roof construction finished. We surely had to pour lots and lots of water on the wall construction, and hide in the shade in the heat of the day (no fans or air-conditioning here). Actually we adjusted our working schedule a bit, starting early morning, have a long lunch break, 3 to 4 hours and after 4 starting again when the temperature was coming down. In June when the rainy season started, we planned our roof construction in that time so we would not have to pour too much water. Unfortunately the rain started a bit later this year, but this also we managed. The rainy season is ok for most of the work, but not for the transportation, so we had to arrange the deliveries before the rain which of course did not always work out. So we had some experiences with bad roads, tractors and trucks stuck on the road and our land, or just no deliveries for days until the roads dried up a bit. And than of course the price increased on all the materials due to the season. Actually some of the prices increased up to 25% since last year.

We recently already had some children’s activities, a kaoshiikii competition and a Prabhat Samghiita concert in Anandanagar. Some of the Didis have been going out to the villages distributing books and other things to the local schools, as well as food packages for young children and pregnant women. After we make more of a name of our project here we will start holding medical camps and skills courses for women besides the music and dance classes to utilize the building to the fullest. It is becoming a

We would also like to invite foreign students, especially women and girls, to join courses in our school, to learn Prabhat Samghiita, Indian classical music and dance. The courses will start around May 2005. There will be short courses (1-2 weeks) for those who have little time in India and long term courses (up to 3 months and more) for serious music students. If you are interested to donate, help with the courses and service projects or join the courses let us know. Email: unmc@gurukul.edu For more pictures of the Music College have a look at our website: www.gurukul.edu/~unmc

AMGK Singapore
Prof. Acharya Dhanjoo Ghista, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs has recently published a book titled "Socio-economic Democracy and World Government" (World Scientific Publisher). He is the author/editor of 25 textbooks and a leading authority in the field of Bio-medical Engineering in the world today. He lives in Singapore and is currently engaged in propagating the Gurukula Vision for a Neohumanist Society.
He gave a keynote address at the IIT Madras early this year.

Sunrise Farm has been in existence for 12 years, and is located in Ireland on 39 acres of rolling hillside, with 10 acres of pine trees. The pastures are grazed by the neighboring 60 horses. Programs at the Sunrise Farm are designed to educate youth for health, happiness, sustainability and service, with Neohumanism as the base for all activities, whether growing food, building or interacting with others.
For more details on the International Trainings please write to:
Didi Ananda Prama <sunrisefarm@eircom.net>

The program started with an introduction, ice breaker and participants’ expectations. Half of the participants were members of Ananda Marga . Those attendees who were members of Ananda Marga started the day with paincajanya, which was not compulsory for the others, followed by individual practices and a collective kiirtan, meditation and asanas class given by Didi Hema. All the members of Ananda Marga enjoyed the food and the others did not complain about the food although it was the first time for them to eat vegetarian food for 5 straight days. This was due to the good kitchen staff we imported from Manila.

Each day the program began with a new ice breaker which was given by each assigned group each day. Following this, all the participants joined hands as the children do in the morning circle and we proceeded with meditation, yoga postures, story telling, and action songs as the children will do them.

Topics of discussions and workshops during the day included Brahma Cakra, Story telling , NHE introduction, Yama and Niyama, NHE specialty , Layers of the Mind and how to develop it , First Aid, Health and Diet , Multiple Intelligences, Creative Dramatics, Environmental Education, and Origami.
The first two nights were spent on discussions on our personal experiences as teachers on Discipline – how to deal with it, and what works best. The third night we had a cultural night with songs and dramas presented by different groups which imparted moral lessons. And the final night we had a film show followed by discussions on the role of the teachers and how teachers influence the characters of their children.

We particularly enjoyed the 4 hour workshop on Creative Dramatics which was given by a resource person who is a Theater Arts graduate and works in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. This was never done in any training before. Participants were asked, both individually and in groups, to tap their creative minds and use their voice and all their body parts to create something like a bowl of boiling noodles, a plough, a jar, a ball pen, a pitcher, a thermos, a Xerox machine etc. Another resource person came from the Center for Environmental Awareness on Environment Education and gave a 3 hour workshop on Environmental education. It was interesting how she presented a game on how almost all of the products that we use come from trees and how we should take care of our environment.

• Two Ananda Marga Schools, Paraguay

• Ananda Marga Academy, Kenya

• International Neohumanist Primary School, Ghana

• The Sarkar School, Taiwan

Other Global NHE News

Publications

Afternoons were spent on sports and cooperative and non cooperative games which were hosted by different groups. The final session was a program review and sharing of experiences.
Most of the participants were already teachers for more than 5 years and others were teaching for over 10 years. They said they always attend seminars and workshops but this NHE training was different from the other workshops and seminars that they have attended in the sense that it included practical aspects on spirituality and emphasized the holistic development of the child. They also found the feel of the learning environment to be different. The big hall in the Master Unit also contributed to easy movement of all.

All of the woman who were new to meditation received individual instruction from Didi Ananda Madhurii. As a result of this recent ETC, a school which is based on Multiple Intelligence Theory, called us and invited us to share with their teachers the methods of incorporating yoga and meditation into their curriculum. Another NGO is also inviting us to train their teachers on Yoga and Meditation. These requests were initiated by recommendations from the teachers who attended the ETC.

I am attaching below some games that we used during the ETC and I would like to thank all the contributors of the NHE Resources. Didi Ananda Rama’s article on “Workshop Methods for conducting Teacher Education Seminars” which appeared in Gurukula Issue October 2002 was especially helpful.

Age: from 6 years
Approximate time: 2 minutes
Players: 3 or more
Materials : none

1. One player is the leader and the others stand in a line facing him or her.
2. The leader gives an order out loud, for example “JUMP” and the other players have to do the opposite, in other words crouch down as quickly as possible.
3. Any player who makes a mistake and does not do the opposite action to the one spoken is out.
4. The leader makes the instructions more and more complicated, by specifying which part of the body the players have to do the action with , saying , for example, “Put your right foot forwards”, or “lower your left hand” to try to confuse the players. If the leader wishes, he or she can act out the incorrect actions to add to the confusion.

THE BOTTLE

As well as fast reflexes you also need a bit of strength and confidence in the group for this game:

Age: from 10 years
Approximate time: 10 minutes
Players: 7 or more
Materials : none

1. One player is the bottle and stands stiffly, with arms held tightly across the chest.
2. The other players sit on the ground around this person, with their legs out straight and pushing

HERE’S TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM

In this game you have to pay attention to the story which is being told so that you know when to change places.

Age: From 7 years
Approximate time: 10 minutes
Players : 7 or more
Materials : one seat fewer than the players

1. The seats are spread in a wide circle and all the players sit down except for one who stands in the center and is the narrator.
2. The narrator gives each players, including himself or herself, a role as someone at a wedding (mother -in-law, friend , best man , etc.) , making sure that there are at least two for each category.
3. When everyone has a role, the narrator begins to tell the story of an imaginary wedding. Whenever a type of guest is mentioned, the two players playing that role have to quickly change places, while the narrator will try to sit in one of their seats.
4. If during the story, the narrator says, “Here’s to the bride and groom!” all the players have to stand up, run to the center of the circle, jump in the air and shout “Here’s to the bride and groom “ then they rush back to sit in a seat.
5. The player who finds himself or herself with a seat has to continue telling the story. If the players are very young, it would be better for an adult to tell the story instead of the player who does not have a seat.

The second workshop was given by Kamala from Australia and was entitled Play-based Learning for Early Education: Enhancing the Play in your Classrooms. At the Ananda Marga River School in Australia they have been using some new ideas to boost the value and level of creative play in the early education classrooms. An hour is set aside for this play, where the children are free to use any and all props in the classroom to set up whatever playing that will focus on that day. The teacher is very much present during this time, observing the children in their play and helping to extend their efforts when appropriate. The interests of the children as revealed in their play can be used to select learning themes in the classroom and visa versa. Expanded notes included in this issue.

Arun gave three workshops related to long term learning in which he discussed the use and benefits of Learning through Games, Drama, Service and Electives. Shrii PR Sarkar defined being educated as: "They are educated who have learned much, remembered much and made use of their knowledge in everyday life" and suggested that children love games and dramas. In order to put learning into long term memory, Arun’s school has found memorable experiences to be one of the best ways, and certainly exciting games, drama and electives fit into that category. Participants of the workshop enjoyed the hands on approach of the workshop as we acted out a play and played games, making it an ‘unforgettable’ workshop. Notes on this workshop are included in this issue of the newsletter.

...Continued Here

When memory is linked with an agent of fear, the memories vanish as soon as the agent disappears. Children remember joyous experiences for years. Lessons that capture a child’s interest, and have an element of joy or play can stick with them for the rest of their lives. At the NHE School, Progressive School of Long Island, Drama, Games, Electives and Service Projects are utilized to the fullest with excellent long term learning results.

Learning through Drama

In elementary school, drama is particularly suited to teaching social studies, geography, history, political science, current events and government. There are many ways to apply drama to these subjects. One is to act out a part of history – with costumes and dialogue. A pre existing story or play that is about a particular point in history can be used for this purpose, or the students can

Learning through Games

Shrii PR Sarkar emphasized that children love games and dramas. Memorable experiences are one of the best ways to put learning into long term memory, and certainly exciting games fit into that category and can not only help learned information to "stick," but can inspire a student to be an independent life-long learner. Games are especially suited to teaching math, vocabulary and geography. Fun goes into long term memory. There are many games that can be employed when teaching math. These can be used to firm up basic arithmetic skills, strengthen estimation abilities, apply the use of percentages and money, etc. Vocabulary learning is also well suited to games. One example being a guessing game where synonyms or phrases are used to help one guess the correct word in the game. At the Progressive School of Long Island, an intensive game called The Colony Game is used to teach about early American History and Geography. In this game, each child chooses a State to be their Colony, which they research -- and then through drawings and cut outs they create props of all the essentials of their colony -- goods, services, currency, important issues, etc., with which they can then interact with other Colonies – trading, co-operating, creating laws and credos, monopolizing, convincing of their stand on different issues, etc. In this way they can learn about the geography and dynamics of the early colonies and how they evolved over time into the States.

At the Progressive School of Long Island the program of electives is a central part of the school. Through this program, which evolves from the early grades, children discover what truly interests them and what they can offer in this world. This is summarized in a school saying:

I have a gift.
The world needs my gift.
I’m not afraid to offer it.

By tapping into their unique interests, their natural thirst for learning is awakened. Elective opportunities help a child to find their strengths, develop self-esteem, and build a sense that the world needs their unique contributions. Children from a young age are trained to develop individualized talents and interests, while strengthening their collective spirit at the same time. This also fits into the latest brain research which shows that children’s neurological wiring falls into 8 major categories of function, only one or two of which are developed in traditional schooling. Electives open up the possibility of strengthening all areas which leads to tremendous self-esteem and productivity.

Free Play
In the early years, ages 5 -6, the Electives program is introduced as Free Play. Every day one hour is set aside where children are free to use their time as they wish in a rich environment. The teacher watches closes what the children are doing and what the children are interested in and helps to enhance their play. For example a child who shows interest in measuring apparatus might be helped to bake cookies.

Enrichment
In the early grades, up to grade 3, the free play evolves into Enrichments. Here the teacher will pay attention to what subjects are of particular interest to their students and the students will be given the opportunity to extend their focus on

Electives
Electives are introduced at age 10. In electives children are free to work on long term projects of interest as diverse as a school radio program, school newspaper, fundraising for saving whales, finding homes for homeless animals, creating computer games, etc. There is no limit to what can be done. This time is about the children finding their sense of mission and getting recognition at an early age for their efforts. This is very exciting for the children and goes a long way in promoting confidence, self esteem and long term learning.

Learning through Service

Shrii PR Sarkar often asked us to serve every entity of this Universe. Service can not only expand the mind and heart, but can also be used to put academic skills to practical use, thereby fixing them into long term memory. There are some excellent books that can stir the desire to do service in children. Some of these titles are:

• Horton Hears a Hoot by Dr. Seuss
• Brother Wolf : A Seneca Tale by Harriet Peck Taylor
• Rainbow Crow: A Lenape Tale (Dragonfly Books) by Nancy Van Laan, Beatriz Vidal
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
• Charlotte’s Web by E. B White
• The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth
• Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (The Little Light of Mine Series) by Sarah Conover, Valerie Wahl
• The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone by Timothy Basil Ering

Many Academic Skills are used and developed in doing Service work. When going out into the

…Continued Here

We use "play-based learning" primarily with children 3 to 6 years old. Setting up the proper environment is important. Rather than a "home corner" and a "block corner" which often separates girls and boys, we set up areas with many open-ended materials available such as scarves, big old sheets, dress-ups, large boxes and daily objects. We have put wheels on bookshelves, dress up racks, art material trays, sand-play boxes and even under potted plants so children can push everything around and make endless houses, caves, banks, shops, rockets, etc. They are allowed to overturn tables, unload shelves, etc. in their building process.

The play-based learning routine we have set up involves one hour during mid-morning. In a few weeks, even young children easily settle in to this routine. It begins with a circle discussion in which each child shares what they will play. The

Then the children go to it, setting up their game (which many times is much of the process.) During the entire time, teachers are highly attentive and involved. It is not like some outdoor play times when teachers consider it a resting time. They watch carefully, help where needed, and join in the games as much as possible. They also observe and take notes on what children are doing and saying, how they resolve conflicts, what new things they discover, where they get stuck. The teachers help the children expand their play. For example, suppose several children are playing spaceship. They have two overturned tables as the hull, a bunch of chairs around and some old computer keyboards as "controllers." Perhaps the teacher will be the voice from the control tower saying there's a

Teachers also help the groups interact, which happens to a large degree when things are going well. The dragon might go to see the vet, the spaceship people might go to get some books from the "library", the dinosaur museum operator might need money from the bank, and everyone at the end might come to be part of the "Lord of the Rings" play (or watch it.)

At the end of the hour, there is a "gong" which is a five- minute warning, and then all the children gather outside. They have become amazingly good at cleaning everything up. A few things can be left out, if there are consecutive school days.

We have had great success with the play-based learning. Children have developed skills and confidence in so many areas. They get a chance to try things they see around them (such as running a shop and a bank) and in the end learn the skill of putting their dreams into reality and knowing they can realise any vision they feel passionate about.

ATTENTION SKILLS
Concentrating and focusing. Looking and listening.

SOCIAL SKILLS
Using eye contact, two-way interaction (turn taking). Starts because the child has a strong need to communicate, to be fed, changed, hugged etc. widens out to allow the child to share information.

Carefully observe
• Each child may be interested in doing different things with the same equipment.
• Sit opposite all children so you can see all their actions easily.
• Notice which children are not joining in and encourage them to do so.

• Children can learn many languages at once.
• Mothers should speak to pre-school children in the language they feel most comfortable in. The important thing is for the child to get a good model of one language.
• Bilingualism does not cause language delay. However, if a child has a language delay then a bilingual environment may compound this difficulty. Also, when a child learns to speak a new language, he/she may ‘lose’ some of the skills in their home language. So for a short period of time the child may be ‘behind’ in both languages.
• Speaking more than one language can be educationally advantageous and has been found to be cognitively enriching.
• It is common for children to experience a silent period while they learn a new language. This can last for up to 7 months. This is not a sign of difficulties in the early stages.
• Children may mix features of each language when speaking two languages. This is particularly true of vocabulary. Children may also translate sentence structure from language to another.
• It is difficult to work out if a bilingual child has a true language delay, as this requires assessment of the child’s skill in both languages and some knowledge of developmental norms in all the languages involved. Nevertheless, it can be done.
• Where more than one language is spoken at home, the parents should try to be consistent in their use of language. This is especially true if the child is experiencing difficulty in learning language.

Objectives: The learning objectives of this workshop are two fold:
1. to increase personal awareness of participants of their style of dealing with conflicts and
2. to strengthen their application of Neohumanist approaches to resolving conflicts by:

Introduction: Conflict in life is inevitable. People have different and sometime opposing goals, needs, desires, responsibilities, perceptions and ideas. Shrii P. R. Sarkar says that …”struggle is the essence of life… difficulties can never be greater than your capacity to solve them….sadhana means an effort. It is an endless effort to become one with the Supreme Nucleus.” Thus conflict and struggle are seen as our friends or helping forces in attaining our ultimate goal. Everyday we are presented with opportunities to transform conflicts in our schools, homes, workplaces and social gatherings into progress. Shrii P. R. Sarkar states “Thus those who are adverse to struggle can never progress.” Depending on how we manage conflicts the immediate results may be negative or positive. The Neohumanist approach to conflict resolution and decision making in our educational environment, which will be our focus in this workshop, is aimed at positive results for the general welfare.

Shrii P. R. Sarkar has stated, “The environment in which one is born and brought up continues to exert a tremendous influence till the last days, till the dying stage, of human life. According to the type of education imparted, one’s psychic environment is built up. The psychic environment is more powerful in human life than the physical environment.” Einstein had said that “the last thing that a fish will discover is water.” To extend this analogy, the last thing that humans often discover is how they have been influenced by their culture of origin; i.e. attitudes and behavior that are imposed by our culture of origin transmitted in our earliest years by our parents. The cultural customs and values we grow up with are imposed on us through an unconscious process of assimilation and taken for granted. Like a fish out of water we become more aware of these customs, language and values associated with our families of origin when we enter school, travel in foreign countries, move to a campus away from home or engage in some diversity/cultural awareness training. In this information age of distance learning the world is coming to our finger tips and we are becoming “fishes out of water” exposed to diverse information and values. This education can resemble chaos or order depending on whether we have or don’t have a set of universal values such as Neohumanism which can make sense of this diversity in a manner that allows us to grow personally and cooperate with each other and nature.

Thus, the parents, schools and culture of the child provide the earliest education. Today we will begin by exploring the influence of this early environment’s education, the imposed samskaras, in order to make us more aware of how this experience may have influenced and continue to influence our approach to handling disciplinary issues, conflicts and decision making.

Resources for Neohumanist approaches to handling Discipline issues in the classroom and discussing these matters with parents are found on our website: <www.nhe.gurukul.edu/resources.html>

Neohumanist Approaches to Conflict Resolution and Decision Making:

2. Rationalistic mentality- analyze positive and negative sides of each important point you collectively observe and study making a logical decision as to whether the positive or negative is predominant for each point considered; accepting what is positive and rejecting that which is negative.

3. In the final analysis make a collective decision to accept what is conducive to the welfare of all, representing “awakened conscience” - then support and propagate.

4. This decision making and conflict resolution should follow the principle of Social Equality {Sama-Sama’ja Tattva)- representing the “collective march of all in unison”.

5. This collective march represents a proto-spiritual mentality- moving towards the Supreme Entity; once established in proto-spiritual flow, devotion as a practice is transformed into devotion as a principle; Shrii PR Sarkar has stated that “Only at this stage when devotion becomes a principle , can one fight against socio-sentiment.”

Communication Guidelines for Applying Neohumanist Approaches to Managing Conflicts:

Conflict Resolution
1. Collectively create a safe environment and set of ground rules for dialogue.
2. Seek consensus rather than focusing on differences.
3. Deal with issues not attacking people.
4. Communicate openly and honestly in a benevolent manner.
5. Seek solutions that honor the dignity and needs of all.
6. Strengthen collective decisions and solutions with concrete plans for ongoing cooperation and collaboration.

Exercise #3 Truth Mandala
Each participant is given the opportunity to enter a four sided Truth Mandala and express where they are in relating to how they deal with conflict. As each participant steps into the mandala they spontaneously choose which symbol to pick up: a Stone which represents Conflict; a Circle symbolizing Cooperation; a Flower signifying Surrender; a Mirror representing Service. They then speak to where they are in the moment regarding how they relate to one or more of these symbols in “walking their talk” as Neohumanist educators attempting to resolve conflicts and make collective decisions.

Bibliography:

Capobianco, S.; Davis, M. H.; Kraus, L A.; Managing Conflict Dynamics- A Practical Approach, Eckerd College Management Development Institute, St. Petersburg, 1999.

Macy, J & Brown, M. Y., Coming Back To Life, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, 1998.

Sarkar, P. R., The Liberation of the Intellect- Neo-Humanism, Ananda Marga Publications, Calcutta, 1982.

Since Spring this contest has been announced on TV, in children’s magazines, and posters were sent to many schools. Workshops were offered to children during the summer holidays at the Karlovac City Library. Although the contest is nation wide, in the city of Karlovac our volunteers made a special effort to motivate children. They were welcomed at the schools to

This contest is under the patronage and support of the Ministry of Education and the local City library. Contests are very popular in Croatia, yet this is a new type of contest here that has received appreciation from all who hear about it.

This contest is definitely an exercise of the mind that goes beyond any school’s objectives in basic communication skills. It encourages students to become self motivated and explore their literary talent and rational thinking skills, which is important in the context of education.

“My first book” students will:

Participants feel no restrictions. The subject belongs to them as does the choice of art medium to illustrate their book. “I am so inspired,” whispered the children in crowded classrooms…. So the excitement lingers throughout the town of Karlovac…

The benefits to students are numerous. Encouraged by pride in their work and the fact that their books would be available for everyone to see creates miracles. Students discover their hidden potential. They find skills they little suspected themselves having. “My first book” offers exciting publishing opportunities to students and an enjoyable experience that may change lives of students in an unforgettable way.

Details of how to do the contest:

A (national) contest
“My First Book”

Over the past 17 years at Vistara Primary School, students have been actively involved in environmental and animal welfare issues locally and globally. This year we officially adopted PCAP and created PCAP Kids.

Children are more aware of global and environmental issues due to having access to so much more information. They can also feel overwhelmed by these issues. PCAP provides pathways to become actively involved, making their planet a better place to live in.

This year PCAP Kids have been helping a local Animal Rights and Rescue Group. The ARRG was looking at closing after 10 years due to lack

We use our minds
we use our hearts and we believe
small is powerful
help the animals

They volunteered after school hours to paint banners, work in the opportunity shops that support animal rights and volunteered at the AARG stall on World Adopt an Animal day. Students found homes for 7 dogs and cats, named three abandoned puppies and had a fantastic time together.

PCAP Kids understand you can take small steps as well as big steps to help animals and plants. We also adopt the policy that as PCAP Kids we can help other volunteer organizations that foster a Neohumanist approach.

The new sense of vitality and optimism that PCAP creates, gives children the opportunity to belong to something great and worthwhile. They know they can make a difference. It is truly inspiring to see these bright and passionate children at work.

Animal Miracles
Inspirational and Heroic True Stories
by Brad Steiger & Sherry Hansen Steiger
ISBN No: 1-58062-122-8

Devoted Dogs
True Animals Stories
By Sue Welford
ISBN 0-340-74421-9

“All have the equal right to live here.
This universe is for all.
It is not the patrimony of human beings only”.

On 28th of August we had a camp for the children. The location was a Hindu shrine near a waterfall at the foot of Maxwell hill. The Hill is in fact a mountain range covered by luscious rain forest. Thirty-six children from 13 to 16 years participated. We chose this particular group age because usually the small ones get more attention and teenagers get their needs overlooked.

The camp started early in the morning (paincajanya) at the premises of the children’s home with collective meditation and then a yoga exercises class. We performed tai-chi movements to warm up and then we practiced some asanas for intellectual development (jinana’sana and bhava’sana) and for physical development (tulanda’sana). After breakfast the children were taken to the location in the mountain by a school bus hired for that specific purpose.

The program had two sessions: one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. During the morning session the children where introduced to the concepts of morality, utilising the key words for Yama & Niyama discussed on NHE Forum: Non-harming, Benevolent Truth, Non-stealing, Universal Love, Moderation, Purity, Contentment,

During the whole program the children were very enthusiastic about the activities in which they were involved. They also showed self-discipline and cooperation. This made it very easy for the organizers to keep the flow of the program. This was very remarkable since there were only three adults conducting the camp.

We are all looking forward to the next camp, next time on the summit of the mountain.

My first job in the school was to make the school look cleaner. We made the cleaning schedule for each grade to maintain the cleanliness of the school. We let the children feel that it was their responsibility, not the duty of the cleaner, to keep the school clean. When I asked one Didi who had been working in the school, why the school was so dirty, she replied

Teachers stimulate the children’s creativity through subtle expression of arts. The children are all very happy in the activities. We have some creative programs with the parents as well, so the parents know what children learn in the project. All the work done by the students is well preserved and presented twice a year together with the performance of drama, Paraguay dance, poem reciting, and other language and body

This project started this year, as Neohumanist Education emphasizes morality and values and we find it so lacking in the school as well as in the community. So we have one value for two weeks. Each teacher is assigned a respective value. They have to explain the meaning of the value in the formation and different grades prepare something

Meditation Time and Yoga

As the school grew fast, the originally planned meditation room beside the office was taken up for the use of a classroom, so the students do their meditation in the classroom with their teachers before starting the day.

In the beginning they were so irritated and could hardly sit quietly for even one minute because they were so excited. But gradually the vibration changed. Now they all can sit for 5-10 minutes with loving vibration. We sing the song

Children’s minds are so pure without barriers. But with the teenagers I had a bit difficulty starting the meditation class. Some of them refused even to

This year we have a new Director Dyotana. She is from the community itself. With her sincere effort, the school is running well especially in terms of discipline and the relationship with the parents.

Though it’s quite a tiring journey from the city to the school, when I hear the loving call of the children all the way from the bus station to the

We invited the parents for a cultural program and prize day at the end of term two, at the end of July. In the photos you can see that the parents are from diverse backgrounds; I love the mixture of Muslim, Christian and Asian cultures in Mombassa. Unity in diversity.

For the advancement of our school, we need to work more with drama and art. Kenyans love theatre, but we need to channel the talents into socially positive themes. Our big project at the school is to build an outdoor theater, a multipurpose hall, a place in which to develop the dramatic potential. It would also be used as a canteen during lunch hours. The “PR SARKAR Memorial Hall” will be a focal point for internal and social development in the North Coast.

The school is located in the town of Ejura in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, West Africa. The land is lush, green, and fertile. Monday is market day for Ejura. Buyers and sellers from all over the country come to Ejura to buy its renowned produce. Many children work on their families’ farm and do not have the opportunity to go to school. It is a luxury to be able to wear the orange and brown uniforms of the school. To learn in a classroom is a privilege.

Enlargement of mind occurs in various methods. The International Neohumanist Primary School broadens and enlarges its perspective with its active program involving international volunteers. By accepting international volunteers, the students are exposed to many different cultures and outlooks on life. It expands their perspective and opens new doors in learning. The school has received volunteers from Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Germany, England, South Africa, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, and Austria; to name a few. New volunteers are requesting to come to the school all the time. Volunteers are always welcome to come and share.

Discipline, Etiquette, Smartness, Memory, English, and Pronunciation are all key elements taught within and without the classroom. These qualities can often be taught to the students through example and positive affirmations. For example, etiquette is especially a role-modeling objective. When the children see their adult role models exemplifying proper and good etiquette, they model this type of behavior. An example of when this type of behavior is modeled when the KG class is lining up for recess or sharing materials for group activities. Teachers express and portray good quality etiquette when they treat the students with respect and each as an autonomous being.

Universal Outlook is taught to the students especially through the curriculum of the world religion class. In this class the students are taught firstly about the religions and spiritual practices of their home country. Traditional spiritualism of West Africa is closely linked to the philosophy that forms the foundation of tantra. It propounds the idea that the Creator of the Universe is in all and is a part of everything. There is even a symbol rooted in the ancient culture called “Gye Nyame” (pronounced gin-n-yom-ay). This symbolizes the supremacy of God. Deeply founded within the Ghanaian culture is the ideation that God is omnipresent and omnipotent. “Gye Nyame” literal means “except God”. That there is nothing else besides God, that God is manifested in all things. Thus, this idea is easily transferable to other spiritual practices and religions when taught especially the ideations present in the philosophy of Ananda Marga.

One way of Character development of each child is through one on one interaction with the instructor. Early child hood is a time when character traits are forming rapidly and permanently. It is critical to establish strong character habits when the children are flexible and formable. It is important to affirm positive affirmations for good character. When character is not within the confines of discipline and etiquette it is best to suggest and display the correct character. This way, instead of highlighting what is at fault, the focus continues to be on the positive. One case in point is illustrated in the Kindergarten Neohumanist Teaching Guide. If a child steals, instead of telling the child “No” and “not to steal”, it is better to suggest that the child be “more honest”. This way honesty is accentuated and not the stealing aspect.

Trustworthiness is key to knowing yourself and then knowing others. The ability to place all trust into the care of the Supreme Being, then you can place full trust in your self, and then into the hands of others. As an instructor, it is important to build a strong founded relationship of trust with the children. The sense of security and safety planted into the hearts of the child at a young age create growing individuals who are more confident and self assured. A simple way to establish trust and to exhibit trustworthiness is to be true to the words that are spoken by the correlating actions.

Nice Temperament is created by core attitudes that can sustain in all conditions. For children this is easily addressed in creating behaviors of sharing and patience. Encouraging the sharing of toys and materials and the patience to wait for turns to use an item assist in these developmental traits. It teaches the children to remain calm and peaceful in a good temperament even in situations that are not ideal.

The best way to teach all these ideals to children are to have a constant, positive authority figure through out their lifetime.

The Sarkar School is now recognized all over Taiwan as an alternative experimental school with a focus on environmental education, yogic life style and emphasis on the arts in addition to regular subjects. Students recently built a bamboo tree house in I Ching Master Unit as a collaborative project.

One of the successful highlights of the School is the Summer and Winter Youth Camps Initiative which is held three times a year and attended by over 30 young persons from all over the Island. This educational and fun initiative has received such a joyful response from the youth that the waiting list is increasing year by year.

A few weeks after moving to the new building, a TV station came to interview the Director of the School, Yatindra, and did some filming of the classroom activities. The next day, staff and students from an independent school in Tokyo, Japan, came for a visit and were interested in the philosophy and goals of the school. On April 21, more publicity was received when 8 major local news papers printed an article about the school.

10 years after its founding, with new facilities and fresh feelings, the Sarkar School continues to follow the ideas of Neohumanist Education, to help build a better world.

New York Sector

Progressive School of Long Island
By Arun
PSOLI is currently in an expansion phase of adding a middle school (grades 7-8) with a science lab, art studio, classrooms, play yard and gardens. It is being accomplished in four steps:
1) purchase of the property next door
2) fundraising and architectural studies
3) zoning and building code variance hearing
4) renovations and enrollment

We are currently in the middle of step three. A hearing is expected very soon to deal with town approval of plans. Fundraising has been very successful and extremely fulfilling to all those involved with the school. A team of experts is being assembled to plan the school's focus and curriculum.

Monterrey, Mexico
By Radhika
This year we have about 75 children and five teachers. The teachers are excellent; all are educated and their work is very professional. Didi Ananda Sujiita has arrived to work with us and she is a wonderful addition to the school. We have hired a Director who is also very good and is working hard. I have started to teach the teachers how to teach meditation. The children are very happy and the parents are too. We just had a fundraiser that the parents helped out with to buy a swing set for the children. The quality of our school is improving everyday. We finally have a good staff of teachers and I am fundraising now to increase their salary. We now also have a big beautiful mural for our school. One important goal of this year is that we must meet the requirements of the local Department of Education in order to ensure the continuation of our school. We have begun to file the necessary papers and are raising funds for the necessary construction.

Manila Sector

Sangkhlaburi, Thailand
Construction of a new two story school building with a playground in the back is in process, and will be completed by the end of December. The building will have about dozen rooms. School begins in the new premises on January 2nd. Inaugration of the new school will be on Feb 19th 2005. The old children’s home will be used for the kindergarten and the home will move to a new location nearby where they have a 5 acre beautiful Master Unit with a view of the lake.

Melany, Australia
Ananda Marga River School
By Kamala

"Extraordinary School"- An article in last Sunday's newspaper for our region carried a great article on our school. Entitled "Extraordinary school has extraordinary origins" it begins: "Arguably on the great success stories within Queensland's independent school ranks is Maleny's Ananda Marga River School." Later they call it "one of the Sunshine Coast's most sought-after schools."

New Jagriti- We have just completed a new jagriti on the school grounds. Downstairs is a spacious meditation room with sliding glass doors on two sides, a small serving kitchen, and a wide veranda overlooking a patch of forest. This is being used for local Ananda Marga events, plus regular school morning circles. Upstairs, Dada Ratnadevananda (our school principle) has a three-bedroom living space (the "palace" we are jokingly calling it.) We are delighted to have the new building complete as the three bedroom house was donated around two years ago and put high up on blocks, hovering strangely in the air above the rest of the school, until we got the money to build the meditation hall in underneath.

Cafe Nights - We are now holding regular "cafe nights" as suggested and implemented by one of our parents. These include a yummy vegetarian dinner (cooked by parent volunteers) for an easily affordable price, followed by performances. The first time it was a bit like a talent show with parents or children able to sign up for performances. Our most recent night was all children’s performances including several student-written plays and lovely marimba concerts.

School Camps - Now in September we are all enjoying schools camps. First grade 1 and 2 students (and many of their parents) went to the "House of Happiness" on a nearby island and enjoyed two days of beach and fresh air. Next grades 3 to 5 will go. Finally grade 6 and 7 students will go on a Challenge Camp dedicated to developing leadership and outdoor skills.

Israel
The new school year started with 20 children - a great record for our Yoga-Gan kindergarten. The parents and neighbors are very impressed with our
schools and education. Radhika received her certificate in NHE Early Childhood Introductory course and is in the process of translating it into Hebrew. She will train her teachers.

Istanbul
Sisters Jyotirmayii and Radhika attended the NHE training in Malta. Jyotirmayii is preparing a programme for introducing NHE in Istanbul.

Malta
In Malta the Centre that will have activities for children and women is under restoration. Ten wonderful rooms with stone walls are emerging under lots of work. The centre is located in an area where various educational services are in need.

Athens
New school session started with a new teacher who has been trained in Waldorf education. At the centre various programmes are offered to parents
in the evenings and weekends.

Albania
This year at the school the enthusiastic teachers made innovations and will focus on quality.

Georgetown Sector

Guarapiranga, SaoPaulo Brazil
A wonderful Education Training seminar was held in our school with 50 participants. Classes included spiritual philosophy, the art of play, story telling and there were workshops on painting, drama, music and voice. The flow was really inspiring and a lot of practical learning was done. Two more trainings will be held in the beginning of next year in different parts of Brazil.

Ponta Grossa, Brazil
A new preschool was started on 3 October in Ponta Grossa. A group of 15 mature and dedicated people are participating in the project.

"What is compelling about this collection of essays and anecdotes is that they are written by practitioners in the field, who are both deeply committed teachers from a variety of cultures and practicing Yogis. The wisdom and practical ideas thus generated in these pages come from intellectual analysis, practical experience, diverse outlooks, and spiritually informed intuition. Many theorists in the field of education believe that it is this combination of analysis, experience, perspective, and intuition that is the most solid basis for developing good theory."

-Kathleen Kesson, Director of the Teacher Education Program at Goddard College

Books Available in India Only
Ananda Sutram Word Index - Ladli Prasad
Notes on Varna Vijanana - A. R. Sarangi

Books Out of Print
Gurukula through the Ages - Ac Shambhushivananda Avt
In Search of Ideal Education - Ac Shambhushivananda Avt

CDs and Multi-media Productions by AMGK
Circle of Love (Revised Edition) – manual and songs – Ed. Avtk Ananda Mitra Ac
Kids Yoga Poster - Arunima
NHE Power points and NHE video clips

In Process
YES Manual for Teachers – Ed. Avtk. Ananda Rama Ac.
NHE Philosophy and Principles Booklet
Elementary School Teacher’s Manual - Arun

Shrii PR Sarkar