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Kahira Sector
Syria
By Dada Krsnasevananda
Ananda Marga took part as trainers of Yoga at a camp for 150 teachers under the Sports Union of Syria.
We took the approach of teaching asanas from the first day and beginning with very simple meditations. By the end of the camp everyone was up dancing kiirtan. Eventually the group divided into streams, some focusing on aerobics others on games and others on Yoga. We had a good contingent of about 50 - 60 interested teachers out of the total of about 150 participants. They came for meditation every morning at 6:00 despite having non-stop activities all day and parties till two in the morning. The campsite was beautiful but the routine made the students extremely tired which, of course, made meditation, even more difficult, probably impossible for many of them. The style was much like a VSS (Volunteers for Social Service) camp with parade, flag-raising, marching, salutes to officers, etc. But they all seemed to enjoy it. I was really impressed with the spirit of the teachers. They are quite like children themselves and have a much fresher nature than their peers in other countries. They were super friendly and welcoming and full of bubbling energy. Didi Ananda Rainjana did some great workshops about teaching yoga and meditation to children. I focused on teaching meditation for them and Mazen taught them asanas. I got the YES book from Didi Ananda Rama and it is really great. I used it to give a class on teaching values to kids. We also met the top government officials in charge of education of this age-group and lady in charge of sports, music and the arts was very appreciative of the work we did.
Suva Sector
Lismore , Australia , Vistara School
We recently finished our annual school concert. Little Family performed "The Ogres that stole the Red" in front of 350 people. Big Family One performed a Deaf Signing song "I can Sign a Rainbow" which was great and Big Famly Two performed "The Yellow brick Road" an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz".
Nairobi Sector
Ivory Coast
The Ananda Marga School in Abidjan has 275 students including KG and primary. Didi Ananda Liilamaya is the Directress.
Togo
In Lome , capital city of Togo we have a small master unit. Dada Tapan manages the kindergarten and growing of maize. A proposal has been prepared for construction of a new school building, a children's home and a clinic. Dada Tapan has also been assisting a group of street children in another area of the city and this activity can lead to opening a proper home.
Ghana
The Neo Humanist International School in Ejura, where the Acarya training centre is located, has more than 200 students. Classes include nursery, KG 1, KG 2, Primary 1 to 6 and Junior Secondary 1. Krsnakanta, from the local area is the new headmaster. His more than 20 years experience in the education field brings a new life to the future of this project. Dada Shiveshvarananda manages the school as well as a small home for four boys.
Delhi Sector
Jharkand , India
By Prajinananda
Ananda Marga Primary School Chattar Bhaghigha Lohardaga near Ananda Shilla in the state of Jharkand has started in 1992 and is expanding its classrooms. It has classes from Nursery to Standard 5 and is Hindi medium.
New York Sector
Long Island , New York , USA
Progressive School of Long Island
October 11 marked the opening day ribbon cutting ceremony for Progressive School of Long Island's new NHE middle school. The event was attended by 200 people including NY State Senator Charles Fuschillo, NY State Assemblyman David McDonough, Nassau County Legislator Dave Denenberg, Sectorial Secretary Dada Tiirthananda, and several newspapers. During the ceremony, Fuschillo announced a $10,000 grant, and Denenberg offered a written citation from the Nassau County Legislature for over 20 years of the school's service to the community. After an inside tour, Dada Tiirthananda stated that the NHE facility was the finest he has seen in the entire world, including India . Here is a transcript of the dedication portion of the ceremony delivered by Eric Jacobson, the school's Director:
“Countless times over the past 21 years I have been thanked for starting Progressive School of Long Island. Each time, I internally offered those thanks to Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar, the author of Neo-Humanist Education. The truth is that it was he who trained me, it was his philosophy which inspired me, and it was he who forced me into starting this school. He actual words were, “You must start 1000 schools.” I'm counting this as number two. In the end it was also he who encouraged me when things looked bleakest. Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar was a totally unique personality. I never knew anyone like him before we met, and have never met anyone like him since. So, I tried to imagine what he might say to us if he were here today. Though he was entirely unpredictable, it might have gone something like this:
“May all the young people who pass through these doors find the inspiration, the will, and the requisite knowledge to serve every entity of the entire universe.” As you can see, Sarkar was never one for understatement.
During the last 8 years of his life, he began composing songs. When he died in 1990, the number was 5018. Three of those songs were in English, and one of those three many of you know. You call it Tiny Green Island , but the real title is song # 68. Please sing it with me if you know it. (Collective singing of song 68 and Baba Nam Kevalam followed).
On your right, under the little art room window there is an empty triangular plot. There you students will create a sculpture garden. In the garden we will place a permanent plaque with this quote: “This Neohumanism will elevate humanism to universalism, love for all created beings of this universe." So, to that ideal, to the memory and in honor of the work of P. R. Sarkar, I hereby dedicate this building.
Hong Kong Sector
Taiwan
Sarkar School
The eight members of Compulsory Education Guidance and Assistance Committee of Kaohsiung County Education Department visited the Sarkar School on October 20, 2005. The staff of the school introduced the Neohumanist philosophy and how to implement it. Consequently the school received legal recognition from the Ministry of Education of R.O.C in July 2006 and now can enroll up to 50 students. The school will conduct teachers training from January 23rd to February 23rd, 2007.
Manila Sector
Indonesia
Dada Shiilabhadranadna who is working in Aceh , Indonesia , got funding for doing a hygiene awareness program for 5000 elementary school children. They will have a trainer to give 6 hours training to their volunteers. Then the volunteers will give a one hour class to the teachers. They will also have a one hour session with the children using theatre as teaching tool. The target group is poor children who have no hygiene awareness. They also signed contract with UNICEF to build 26 temporary schools at a total cost of $US 133,000.
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Berlin Sector
United Kingdom
London is the home of two Sunrise Schools: Tottenham Primary School & Nursery as well as the Newington Nursery. Visit their new website and learn more about their activities. <www.sunrise.org.uk>
Update on Romania Schools
Bucuresti Noi and Mihai Bravu
By Didi Ananda Devapriya
This summer we ended up doing extensive renovations – including installing new wooden laminate flooring in three classrooms, and new carpeting in our gymnastics rooms, as well as repainting, getting new curtains, painting cloud murals in our sleeping rooms and repainting all of our tables and chairs. The floor project was particularly challenging. When we ripped up the old flooring in preparation for the installation - we discovered that underneath was, to my great surprise, only earth!! So the project suddenly multiplied in intensity when we discovered we had to dig up 10 cm of earth in 50 sq meters and then pour concrete, and then install the flooring. Luckily – a wonderful team of 5 teenagers volunteered from our two children's home and worked hard to help us finish everything in time! Here pictured to the right is the end result in the new "Ladybugs" classroom. In our gymnastics room, next to the climbing structure used for physiotherapy and play - one of our new mothers painted murals of ladybugs climbing up a tree alongside the structure. She also made penguin murals in the Penguin room.
 Adi, our superwoman, worked very hard all summer and finally realized our dream to replace our old fence with a higher metal fence that would prevent neighbourhood kids from climbing into the yard and vandalizing the school. She also repainted the exterior a lovely sky blue, repaired windows, repainted the classrooms, added tiling in the bath and kitchen and did lots of cleaning and general maintenance. Razvan and Cornel - two of our boys from the Domnesti children's home - came and painted a lovely mural of a castle on the courtyard wall, and made a new sign for the school.
Before the schools opened - all of the teachers gathered in the Bucuresti Noi school for a 3 day seminar on Neohumanist education. Two of the teachers, Devakii and Larisa that had attended the "Neohumanist Education Global Summit" in Sweden this summer shared their experiences with the others, and we also had seminars on self-development, communication, persona dolls, theatre, and more.
ANOTHER MURAL PROJECT UNDERWAY
I am also working on a mural. My inspiration was to make a magical elven forest, as we changed the name of the classroom this year from "Dolphins" to "Elves". Madhavii, our teacher, chose elves for the idea of being in harmony and caring for the earth. At first I was imagining big trees the size of the wall and several elves surrounded by luminous magical star like entities... but then I realized that it would make the room seem smaller and perhaps would be too dark. So I decided instead to create a sense of space that would draw the children into another magical world - with mountains and waterfalls and forest...and then a mysterious unicorn leading two horses through a misty forest guiding the way with his glowing horn, an elven girl gathering wildflowers in the meadow - another elf having just released a white dove from hands that are glowing with the magical healing power of love...and a fairy castle on the mountaintop that glows through the clouds...Perhaps also an elf sitting deep in the forest and contemplating the landscape - and surrounded by small luminous entities...And a boat gliding through the still glassy surface of the mountain lake. At this point, the basic landscape has been completed, and now the magical creatures are slowly beginning to populate it each time I am able to dedicate a few more hours to painting... Some of the detail work is pictured here. By next edition I hope to be able to send a picture of the entire mural completed.
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