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Upcoming Programme
Special Training Workshop for NGO Workers
Ydrefors, Sweden, June 26-28th |
This 18 hour workshop will introduce students to basic knowledge of social work, NGO management and economic liberation. It will be led by Dada Shiilabhadrananda and Mahadeva from Croatia. The first day will be a theoretical introduction of community organizing and social work practices in comparison with some basic PROUT elements. The second day will include training in NGO management. The third day will include training in economic liberation and methods of cooperating with social programs for local community development. For more information please write to: info@ cns-se.org
CNS Asheville |
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Prama Institute
North Carolina, USA |
Moving into our second year of operation, the Prama Institute is growing rapidly through sponsoring rentals, artistic events and environmental conferences, as well as supporting our own retreats, seminars and newly developing internships. |
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In the fall we hosted two large yoga groups, Lighten Up Yoga from Asheville and Moving Mantra from Raleigh who gave three and four day workshops. A Reiki Workshop was held in October by Renate Sorensen a Reiki Master of the Dr. Mikao Usui lineage. In November we sponsored a well published Jungian analyst, Bud Harris, who gave a workshop entitled “Becoming Whole as a Spiritual Necessity”, drawing on his recent book “Sacred Selfishness”, and a Peruvian shamanist, Jason Blaesing, who held a workshop at the dome. In October the Ananda Marga Atlanta Region Fall Retreat was held with 35 people attending.
This winter we held Ananda Marga meditation classes taught by Didi Ananda Usa and Ac. Vishvamitra. In March we hosted two Qigong workshops, one offered by Michael Clark on the Nine Step Healing Qigong, followed by a week long Qigong teacher’s workshop by internationally known Master Wu. On March 28 and 29 Robert Bly returned to Asheville for another highly acclaimed love/spiritual poetry reading, Awakened Heart, backed up by the world music trio Free Planet Radio, and a workshop for 45 writers the following day.
In April we had an Advisory Board luncheon that included a broad spectrum of individuals from the business, art, sustainability and spiritual communities that are available to consult with the Prama Institute (PI) regarding its development. With the support of our advisory board and the recommendations of the PI board we committed to starting an internship which will combine yoga and meditation classes and service work at the Prama Institute and Ananda Girisuta Master Unit. Dada Ajay will be the director of this program beginning in June as a one, two or three month internship assisted by the staff of the PI in the teaching and supervisory duties. Interested parties 18 and older should contact our website for more details on the internship.
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Several workshops were held in April: Christine Kaoverii Weber gave a subtle yoga class for yoga teachers. Interplay, a group from Asheville engaged its participants in games, dance and drama to develop their creative and playful potentialities. Wholelife, a group from Louisville Kentucky, conducted shamanistic rituals, yoga classes, sweat lodge and ended with initiation of five participants at the Master’s level of Reiki. The Wholelife participants were from New York, Savannah, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida, as the PI begins to draw participants from the region and beyond. |
Future workshops and programs include a retreat with Dada Nabhaniilananda, Atlanta Region retreat, and two yoga groups in May; beginning our internship and hosting a Raja Yoga group in June; Ananda Marga Yoga Teacher Training in July, and Yoga Fest representing all the yoga groups in the region in August.
The PI is engaged with Warren Wilson College, the Wilderness Society and a number of local writers and environmental groups in planning a bioregional conference for Southern Appalachia entitled “Headwaters Environmental Conference: a Community at the Crossroads” for March of 2009. Bill McKibben and Winnoa LaDuke will be keynote speakers at this conference that integrates the arts, science and activism among citizens of the bioregion.
The PI is committed to engage annually in sponsoring conferences that educate the public on critical issues involving Neohumanism and Prout themes concerning all round sustainability and social justice. Please examine the article on Prout and Master Units in the section on sustainability in this newsletter.
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CNS Croatia |
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“My First Book” Project
By Didi Anandarama |
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| The national contest for children to write and illustrate their own book has completed its 4th year with the prize-giving ceremony in the local theatre hall in Karlovac City. This year we received 360 books from 80 primary schools with a large number of wonderful books making it hard for the jury to choose only three winners. Graciously Karlovac City library took up printing three books and with support from local companies, the Ministry of Education, the city of Karlovac and individual parents we managed to print totally 10 stories! One story was performed by the city theatre‘s children’s ballet group. We had a workshop discussing how to improve on the text and illustrations that was much welcomed by teachers and children. |
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In its fifth year the contest has a new poster design and a brochure for distribution. We have opened the contest without age restriction up to the age of 15 to give a chance for the best books to win regardless of age.
"My Zoo"
by Mihael Petranovic
First Prize 7 years olds
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"Can Earth Recover?"
by Maja Gjajic
First Prize 11 year olds
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"FourSseasons"
By Apolonja Lucic
First Prize 12 year olds
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Thoughts on the project:
When I first heard about “My First Book” project I was surprised about this interesting idea of story books created by children and wondered why no one thought of it before. And this is how these beautiful story books were created and many talents for writing and illustrating were discovered – for the delight of all of us. I congratulate everyone and I hope that “My First book” project continues for a long time. – Sanja Pilic, children’s litterateur and member of the jury.
Time will tell the effects in psychological, aesthetical and cultural forming of young individuals that “My First Book” may have on each young author. But even at this moment we can say that in the soul of the innocent young authors the love for books has been kindled. And that is not a small thing, on the contrary! -Tito Bilopavlovic, children’s litterateur and member of the jury
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I am glad that I participated in this contest. It is an opportunity to show outside of school what I have learned from my teachers. I thank them. I am looking forward meeting young people my age. I hope to make new friendships that I’ll keep in memory.
-Maja Gjajic 11y, student and winner in the contest.
Children are creative, full of imagination and ideas. It is important to recognize this and facilitate this creative process. In this way story books turn out as exemplary manifestations of children’s creativity. “My First Book” project is bringing this treasure of children closer to everyone. - Marica Zaberac, teacher |
We at ‘Holcim’ are guided by this vision: ‘We build foundations for future generations.’ By writing their first book the future generation has an opportunity to present us with their vision, they can tell us what foundations they want, show us true values, help us make correct decisions…What a beautiful gift to us adults. -Žarko Horvat, general manager of industrial ecology of Holcim company (sponsor of the project).
| “Watch out Mines!” Project |
Volunteers have started to give workshops in schools and are distributing the books of which 10,000 were printed. These story books made by five young students are warning other children who live in areas of possible mines from the last war.
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Sustainable Development Studies and Projects
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NHE Schools and
Projects in Focus
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