CNS Around the World
Centres for Neohumanist Studies

The purpose of CNS is to engage in educational activities and social actions in order to liberate the intellect and further individual and collective welfare. These activities include public seminars and retreats, community research and development projects, personal growth services, and the dissemination of related publications and materials. All CNS programs and activities support its core values of spiritual progress, social and economic justice, respect for all living and non-living beings, and community empowerment.

CNS Sweden
Children in Crisis and How to Respond
A workshop led by Linda Baker on January 3, 2006.
"Meditation and Psychology"
A three-day workshop led by Dada Prankrsnananda, January 3-5th, 2006
“Homeopathy”
A seminar given by Tony Carlyle, Jan 21-22nd, 2006
“Tantra - Its History and Evolution”
A lecture by Jinanendra
“Aromatherapy”
A lecture by Sarvajina
"Rajadhiira Yoga"
A lecture given to social welfare office staff in Stockholm, by Dada Shambhushivananda.
 
 
 
CNS Croatia
"My First Book" Contest in Croatia
By Didi Anandarama
In this second round of the national contest we have received over 200 books from 35 places from all over Croatia. Some of last years contestants wrote again and made lots of improvement. Hemavati did a great job in fundraising for this project. We have received some funds from the Ministry of Education. The city of Karlovac also received a special recognition on a national level for this contest. The following are the winners and their stories:
1st Prize: 'Potocici' - Petar Pirizovic, an 8 year old writes about little people who live near a creek in mushrooms. When their king goes out of the country two giants invade their land and start to destroy their forest. The people feel helpless without their king. But the queen courageously steps forward and leads them to defeat the giants. When the king returns he is proud of the queen and all the Potocici and they have a great reason to celebrate. Petar used wonderful bold illustrations with lively colours and black outline which is very attractive.
2nd Prize: This prize is shared by two 10 year old twin sisters who each wrote a different story but with equally good story line and wonderful illustrations. We managed to combine the two stories into one book. Their parents were especially delighted about this.

'Pothvat Slonice Ruzice' - Aplolonija Lucic wrote a funny story how the elephants had small ears and the monkeys big ears and how the Pink Elephant with a bit of good luck achieved that now the elephants have big ears and the monkeys small ones. Aplolonija's illustrations are beautifully fresh with nice colours. A very delightful book.

'Kaoko slatkisi postali slanisi i kiselisi' - This story by Agata Lucic is also very funny but at the same time educative. She tells the story of a dentist lady who gives a big lesson to children so that they learn to brush their teeth and not have caries any more. Her illustrations are vivid and detailed in beautiful colours.

3rd Prize: 'O coviku i tovaru' Is a humorous story by Franka Marcina a 12 year old girl. The setting is the Dalmatian coast and an island in the Adria. A city boy is on holidays with his grandfather who is a retired captain. The boy brings with him attitudes of the city and learns the hard way to respect the simple life and the love of his grandfather for his donkey. The illustrations are graphically daring and go well with the story.

As an extra edition we are publishing 'Vilinski cvjetovi' (Fairy's Flowers) in Croatian which has the beautiful illustrations of Masa Lenuzzi who was one of the winners in last year's contest.
 

CNS Asheville, NC USA

by Ac. Vishvamitra
Ananda Marga Gurukula (AMGK) held a CNS Conference (Centres of Neohumanist Studies) November 11- 13 at the Asheville Master Unit, Ananda Girisuta. The conference focused on the development of CNS globally and locally, long range plans for a Gurukula University in the USA and the expansion of sustainable communities studies. Ananda Girisuta’s expanded land
purchase of an additional 100 acres gave scope for attendees to conduct a planning conference on how the Gurukula education agenda can be integrated with sustainable community planning. The talents of those attending helped develop a vision of how a growing AMGK faculty can focus on education concerning sustainable communities, especially as this agenda relates to our potential world wide campus on Master Units in Ananda Marga. In answering Shrii P.R. Sarkar’s call to work with many “like minded” individuals, attendees considered how we might join with the global movement to establish eco-villages which support local economies and bio-regionalism. Attendees at this CNS conference included Ac. Shambhushivananda Avt., Arati, Ac. Vishvamitra, Dhyanesh, Satyaki, Hiranmaya, Anasuya and couples, Ramesh and Mayadevi, Bhavesh and Koaverii, Pavitra and Hari Priya and Viirendra and Hari Priya.

While CNS developments, locally and globally, including establishing a Gurukula University, was our beginning focus, we devoted time to designing our local CNS and sustainable community on the Asheville MU. The meeting began on Friday PM with dinner, introductions and collectively detailing our agenda. On Saturday morning we began with Dada Shambhushivananda acquainting everyone with the administrative structure and functions of Gurukula and plans for a Gurukula University. Vishvamitra focused on the definition of Gurukula’s CNS as representing our “higher education” (universities, distance learning, seminars, workshops and conferences) efforts in contrast to NHE’s focus on children. Vishvamitra then shared the plans for the development of the CNS seminar centre on the Asheville MU. A business plan in being developed for the CNS seminar centre with plans to be operational in the fall of 2006. This expanded centre, currently under construction, entails two domes covering 6,000 square feet of sleeping quarters, commercial kitchen, dinning and classrooms which can accommodate approximately 50 guests for conferences and workshops. Utilizing neighbouring facilities and houses larger retreats can be held.
The afternoon session was devoted to a walking tour of Ananda Girisuta, the Atlanta Region MU, as Dhyanesh, community designer and Satyaki, agricultural consultant, helped us envision the potential uses of various parts of the 150 acre MU. The tour was followed by a community design conference led by Dhyanesh that contributed greatly to defining the role of our master units in developing a sustainable community. We considered a comprehensive plan that integrates the goals for a Master Unit and cooperative life styles for families and single margiis utilizing cluster homes and co housing on land adjacent to the MU. In the evening after Dharma Chakra, Mayadevi, a documentary film maker, showed us an inspiring slide show she made on a visit to Didi Anandamitra's master unit in Brazil a couple of years ago.

The session on Sunday morning focused on Gurukula’s educational mission regarding MU’s and sustainable
communities on a global level (see our section in the Gurukula Network on Sustainable Communities). We also acknowledged that we must explore many of the successful models of eco-villages around the world to benefit from what “green life style” groups have done that could be an integral part of our Neohumanist and Proutistic ideas applied in our sustainable community projects. The morning session ended with an enthusiastically received interactive workshop on Green Architecture, presented by sister, Anasuya, that integrated Fung Shue and Sacred Geometry with green design and building approaches.

This landmark conference marks the beginning of our educational conferences and workshops on AMGK/CNS higher education and sustainable communities. We invite all interested margiis and citizens to contact us concerning your interest in writing, planning and working on these efforts to educate and develop sustainable master units and communities in the general society. In developing sustainable communities that support our spiritual growth let each of us come to realize and participate in what P.R. Sarkar referred to as “that vigorous capability which fuses the hard reality of existence with the ultimate reach of the visionary world” (Human Society Part I).
 
CNS Taiwan

Taiwan Gurukula’s Work for year 2006 is divided into four parts:
I. Teacher training
1. Study group : Introduction to Human Dharma (every other week)
2. Study group: Yoga Psychology (third Sunday of the month)
3. Lectures by Dada Rasabuddhananda :
a. Master Unit
b. Natural Herb
c. Study on Birds. (third Sunday of the month)
4. Seminar: Neohumanist Education (every 6 months, in cooperation with Ananda Marga Preschool and Sarkar School)
5. Long meditation (every other month, in cooperation with Taipei Jagriti)
6. Nature exploration (once per month, in cooperation with Taipei Jagriti.) See report below.
7. Prabha’t Sam’giita choir (practice before every study group begins)
 

II. Service- volunteers are supporting:
1. Ananda Marga Kindergarten
2. Kids yoga class

III. Publications
1. Website
2. Newsletter online (seasonal)

IV. Administration
1. General work: contact lists - Jagrtis, margiis, participants in our activities; and personal caring of participants
2. Building Resource Library: books by Ananda Marga, other related books, free publications, resources used by study groups, lectures and seminars

Trip to Shan-Tain Lake, March 2006, by Sulekha

The trip to Shan-Tain Lake was our first outdoor activity this year. With no exceptions, every one had the “slipping” experience. When “slipping” is viewed as an integral part of the hike, the fear disappears, and you can face the experience with a balance mind. Later on, it actually became a helping force. At first, we thought we would get hurt from it, but on the contrary, it became one of best ways to go down the hill. It felt as if we going down on a sled, or skating, or water surfing. It became a fun activity. Sometimes, we were afraid of slipping because there seemed to be no way to stop. But in reality, we will always stop at some point. This is part of nature's way. There is no non-stop slipping. At some point and some place, it will let you know when you need to stop; then you can stop. It is just like other experiences in life; when we walk downward, our mind will tell us when to stop and go forward. Nature provides us a great mechanism which brings peace and harmony into our mind. And it provides us with formless energy. It is great nature’s service to us. What we can payback is to protect and care for it in good ways, and keep it in an organic and harmonious state. Hiking is always a tiring thing for the physical body, but on the other hand, it is also training. It can also nourish our mind. Therefore, it’s perfectly suitable as part of Gurukula's teacher training course, which includes all three parts: training of the body, mind and spirit.
 
AMGK Represented at Taiwan Conferences
 
In November 2005 Dada Shambhushivananda, Sohail Inayatullah and Marcus Bussey participated in two conferences held in Taipei, Taiwan. The theme of the first conference hosted by the Academia Sinica and sponsored by the local members of Ananda Marga, under the leadership of Dada Krsnasevananda, was Introducing Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar. This was a day long conference which aimed specifically at historians at this academy. Dada offered an overview of microvita, Sohail dealt with macrohistory and Marcus looked at Sarkar’s theory of consciousness and its historical dimensions.

There were up to 60 people in attendance and a number of other colleagues of Sohail spoke on Sarkar’s political theory (PROUT), neohumanist education, yoga and health, and social change.

The second and larger conference was held at Tamkang University where Sohail is a professor. The theme of the conference was “From Survival to Thrival: Global Soul, Global Mind & Global Action.” He was a central organiser and chaired numerous sessions as well as discussing neohumanist futures. Dada Shambhushivananda spoke on the layers of mind and how the future is not part of a linear unfolding but exists in us now as a dimension of the superconscious mind. He also challenged the pervasive belief that well-being was a personal goal and reframed this concept within the social as a challenge to improve social conditions. Marcus spoke on critical spirituality as a central feature of any neohumanist future, stating that the conference themes of global soul, global mind and global action can best be activated when we adopt a critically spiritual stance that connects personal and social growth.

Kulapati greets President of Taiwan and Founder of Tamkang University in Presidents Hall in Taipei on November 8,2005

 

There was a lot of opportunity to meet students and staff and many warm connections were made. A highlight was the student organised dinner at which traditional and modern Taiwanese music was performed. After this, members of the conference were invited to share music from their own cultures. At this point Dada and Marcus performed Shrii P. R. Sarkar’s song, Tiny Green Island, as Sarkar’s gift to the people of Taiwan.
 
CNS Haiti
 
Yon Sel Dwet Pa Ka Manje Kalalou
“One Cannot Eat Okra with One Finger”
Purport - Work Together (from a Creole proverb)
By Demeter Russafov/Dharma
For decades Haiti has been torn by internal conflicts, social instability, natural and man-made disasters, and a severe and self-perpetuating cycle of economic stagnation. The prolonged crisis has affected the national education system, rendering it incapable of meeting the increased scholastic demand in the country. The government’s ability to support education has been consistently shrinking – today’s public schools in Haiti can accept only 32% of the total student-age population (2002 Report, Ministry of Education). The rest, at least those who can afford it, are absorbed by usually small and unregulated private schools. While the national education policies in theory have set the framework of a fairly innovative and progressive model of education, the reality in most schools is staggering. Learning is mostly linear, repetitious, and devoid of creativity, play, and experiential learning. Instruction in art, science, environment, or sports is rudimentary at best. The quality of instruction suffers from a lack of teacher training, supplies and materials, and from substandard school conditions. Most rural schools consist of nothing more than a few wooden poles and sheets of rusty corrugated steel panels assembled on top of compacted dirt. Kids sit a few too many on old rickety desks, in spaces sizzling with heat and noise.

Haiti is not alone in the swelling club of countries where school clocks seem to have stopped ticking. From Latin America to Africa and Asia; millions of school-age children have no access to high-quality progressive education. At a time when many educational systems are heading to a dead end even in the more wealthy neighbouring countries, Neohumanist Education (referred to in this article as NHE) has arrived vibrant with inherent optimism and full of potential for educational innovation. The odd kid on the block, it stands out with its unique integration of introspection and expansiveness, even when compared to other non-conformist educational philosophies like Waldorf and Montessori. As one high-ranking official of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) commented upon visiting the two NHE projects in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, “Everything I have seen I’m impressed with and touched by. I just don’t understand why you have not been more successful in spreading your ideas out there”.

Now that is a very good question, not just for NHE, but also for its “umbrella” organization. Maybe the answer is not apparent to an outsider, for answering tough questions like this is left to those who have committed their lives to establishing a common vision despite all challenges. I heard such an insider once comparing the current state of NHE to a beautiful flower which has not come to full bloom yet. In the process of defining its identity it will inevitably have to shake loose of its fragility and insecurity. As the systems of administration and management gain structure and experience they will also have to increase the efficiency and efficacy of curriculum creation, central coordination, teacher training, and program support. It is very difficult for educational projects to spread wings in the less economically developed parts of the world because they often have to reinvent the wheels, replicating steps that could be standardized. It will be of extreme importance for all NHE educators to put
their heads together, join their energy, and create a coordinated, innovative, and integrated system of standardization of training, materials, and management structures. When (NOT if) we succeed in this endeavour NHE will spread around the world, playing its modest part in planting the seeds for a brighter tomorrow.

The sad state of Haitian schools brings to mind the topic of marginalization, or social isolation. In the context of Haiti it describes the state of helpless desperation and lack of any sort of cohesive vision upon which educators can bring their students up. Self-marginalization is one of the greatest threats to the success of most organizations. Lack of synergies with other partners, and disconnection from the real issues plaguing the surrounding communities usually can cause it. The resulting structures are in-bred, with a limited social exposure, scope, and ability to influence the society at large. Common solutions to the inevitable challenges are harder to spot and integrate within the existing programs. Innovative and dynamic at first, the vision loses speed and creativity. Marginalization usually is the direct result of lack of proper leadership, management structures, and cohesive flow. It is often not noticeable to insiders, who might need help from outsiders like the CIDA coordinator mentioned earlier. Is NHE in danger of marginalizing itself, joining a long line of under-achievers? Or is it at the threshold of a new phase, one characterized by coordination, dynamism and systematic consistency reinforcing its projects world-wide and helping it fulfil its tremendous potential.


The Haiti story is unravelling along with many other stories from all over the world in the spinning of a colourful and optimistic NHE vision. The story doesn’t end with the image of bullet-ridden Port-au-Prince school walls, the hungry and searching eyes of Gonaives street kids, and the sadness pervading the silence at dawn. Over the last decade the Ananda Marga projects here have struggled to overcome their marginalization, gradually picking up speed and
dynamism. Over the last year alone AMURT’s projects in Haiti have drawn more than a million and a half dollars of direct grants for various community activities – investing in schools and feeding programs, rehabilitating water systems and salt basins, strengthening local committees, growing and planting thousands of trees, and building new roads, reservoirs, latrines and water filtration systems. The diversity of partners sponsoring these initiatives speaks of the broad alliances the organization is developing. The list of sponsors includes the IDA’s (International Development Agencies) of Lichtenstein, Canada, US, Sweden and Spain, and the UN WFP and FAO. An integrated education project with a committed CIDA grant of half a million dollars has already drawn the strong interest and support of the Ministry of Education and Youth, and has brought about numerous learning and growth opportunities for those involved. AMURT, and consequently the NHE projects it helps run, seem to have won a victory over the threat of marginalization through a unique combination of integrated programs, community orientation and support, and very systematic development and nurturing of diverse and long-lasting partnerships.

If this is happening in Haiti why is it not in other more stable and structured places? Perhaps the answer lies exactly in the lack of stability – when everything is obviously falling apart humans and institutions seem more willing to embrace new and progressive ideas which challenge the status quo systems. The crisis of Haiti clearly demands innovative solutions, and AMURT’s integrated approach for community development stands out in the pool of conventional linear development paradigms. The organization rehabilitates salt mines yet also seeks to reverse the destruction of mangroves along the coastal villages. 
Its programs build water systems and also plant community forests to prevent the dropping of the water table. Its volunteer and professional staff resolve inter-village conflicts which have destroyed water supply to neighbouring communities by restarting the abandoned local school, building a swimming pool, beginning a solar ovens program managed by women, and offering teenagers a daily karate course. They start an innovative community radio station / solar power micro-credit program using scrap PV material from the Czech Republic to decrease the isolation of the region and its dependence on fossil fuel and charcoal. As one volunteer from Italy comments, “What inspires me to work with AMURT is the optimism with which it integrates all of its community projects, always starting from the bottom up, always focusing on those whom it serves.”

In countries like Haiti where AMURT and NHE go hand in hand, the influx of development aid inevitably affects the educational initiatives of Ananda Marga. However, the integration of programs and management structures of NHE is inherently present in its holistic philosophy even without the extra relief its “big brother” agency can offer. Here are a few simple tips to take your vision for a well-financed and integrated NHE project from an idea to reality:

  • Define Vision and Identity
    Create opportunities for debates. Involve diverse groups of participants. Interactive and team-building visioning exercises encourage people to develop a keen interest in and identity with the project. Use the small cards method, guiding the participants to put ideas and issues on little pieces of paper, one per piece, then splitting the ideas in groups and drawing together a comprehensive and concise vision. Use this visioning process together with the SWOT method to assess the organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

  • Get the system in place
    It was probably OK not to balance your family check book when you were on your own; however running an organization requires very careful administrative procedures. Probably the most important step is to create an organizational Manual for Administrative Procedures. The document outlines the detailed steps for every single financial and procedural transaction of the organization. It is crucial in obtaining the trust of the donors, and more importantly it will help create a project management structure which will address issues such as purchasing of materials, payroll, accounting, and administration.

  • Think Out of the Box
    Be creative; Experiment, Push the Limit, Take risks, Don’t miss on any opportunity out there.
    In Haiti a school rooftop accommodated a garden started with a few used tires, the experience helped create a wide school-to-home organic gardening concept now funded by CIDA and studied by the Ministry of Education.

  • Professional Conduct
    Define a modest but independent office space. Decorate it, bring colour and plants, and organize the files and documents. Create business cards, brochures, T-shirts, stickers and logos. Print the vision of the organization, design a website, post regular e-mail updates of program activities. One of AMURT’s education partners in Haiti is DEFI, a French NGO consisting of 4 young people working from an attic space with walls covered with children’s drawings and crafts, reminder whiteboards, and inspirational quotes next to shelves of neatly organized folders. Don’t judge the scope of their work by the casual simplicity of their office environment. They have started from scratch an applied science education program and spread it to more than 800 schools, with the ambitious but realistic goal of covering the entire country.

  • Create Synergies
    Network, form collaborative relationships, create contacts with potential partners such as community groups, GOs, NGOs, UN, and IDAs. Do not even for a second allow a sense of inferiority to prevent you from knocking on any door. Keep your new contacts updated with e-mail reports, photos, e-letters, and regular invitations to cultural events. Try to think of these partnerships as friendships, even if they represent a financial contract. Your objective is not merely to find finances for your projects, but also to learn from others’ experiences, and facilitate a process of coordination and cooperation among others with similar vision. Your sincerity and idealism are your greatest allies, and already put you in a leadership position. A dynamic and community oriented approach can often break an impasse, and open doors to rewarding and mutually beneficial partnerships. In Haiti the national karate association became one of AMURT’s most active allies, and this synergy ensured the popularity and participation of the youth in an otherwise controversial community initiative.

  • Think BIG
    Increase your operational scope. Set high goals and standards. Seek broad alliances. Maybe your project can add a community outreach extension such as a women’s program, a youth after-school activity, an Internet center, a special interests club, or an urban tree nursery and reforestation initiative. Feel the pulse of the local community, and tailor all your programs accordingly. Pay attention to particularly harsh problems such as AIDS, sexual exploitation, violence, and prostitution. The community focus of your projects will allow you to access a wider and more diverse pool of grants and
    contacts. The universal aspect of your ideology will inherently serve as a uniting forum for diverse groups and ideas.

  • Start Broad, Pinpoint Gradually
    The diversification and broad scope of the project goals and activities are extremely important especially during the first stages of the project. Keep in mind that the project goals should not necessary stay fixed, but could be flexible and able to adjust to local conditions. With the increase of your knowledge and experience gradually pinpoint the project objectives, always consulting both donors and beneficiaries.
    Initially AMURT’s proposal to CIDA included the rehabilitation and curriculum support of 2 NHE schools and 5 regular schools in the NW. The local communities petitioned the organization to instead open and manage a secondary school. After prolonged needs assessment which included visioning forums and input from both government and sponsor consultants AMURT amended the project goals. The project concentrated on setting up 3 model NHE schools one of which would serve as a teacher-training and professional education centre. All things considered, at the end the proposal financed a NHE project of large scope without originally having such an objective. The initial broad focus and community orientation of the project proposal was crucial in gaining the trust of both the funding agency and the local population.

    And always remember that the success of any project will be determined by the degree of your ingenuity, persistence, and constant ideation on the broad purpose of your mission.
 

AMURT is currently in the process of translating from French and publishing on line all documents and manuals associated with its Haiti projects. Please contact the author at haiti@amurt.net for more information.
www.vssnet.org/Haiti.htm