Gandhi Festival - Three days in Bapu’s lap

7th 

Gandhi Festival

Present situation of our society and increasing violence in the world force us to think that why Mahatma Gandhi (Father of our Nation) insisted on “Satya & Ahimsa“ (Truth & Non-violence) ?
 

Aims &Objectives

•    To know Mahatma Gandhi – How a simple boy Mohan   became Mahatma.
•    To know the importance of Truth & Non-violence.
•    To know – how “Sarvodaya“ is important for “sustainable development.“
•    To know – how to “Be the change“.
•   To know – our Bapu through discussions, creative games, exhibition, poems, stories and paintings.

 Duration

30 Sept. to 2nd Oct. 2012

Participants

•    Member Schools
•    Saras Bal Kendra, Amar Nagar Jaipur
•    Godawan Bal Kendra, Nehru Nagar, Jaipur
•    Individual members of Bal Bhavan Jaipur

 Activities of Gandhi Festival

30 September 2012

•       Discussion session with children on Gandhian Values by a Resource Person.
•       Reading session & discussion
•       Painting Session  
•       Writing Session

 1st October 2012

• Sub Editor of Times of India Mr. Navnit Garg told small stories from Bapu’s life and answered    children’s Queries.
• Poetry Session.
• Debate Session – “Nonviolence in today’s reference“
• Exhibition – “Bapu & Children“.

 2nd October,2012

            1st session of the day-  Sarv Dharam Prathna.

               

2nd session of the day  

  Mahatma Gandhi Kabbadi Pratiyogita : Six teams Participated.

Creative Games

• Children were first divided into six groups, named as – Satya, Ahimsa, Dandi, Sabarmati, Charkha & Soot.

• Creative sports based on Gandhian values. It was fun & easy learning about co-operation, renunciation & non-violence.

•  Prize distribution to winning teams.

 Outcome –

 In the three day Gandhi Festival, we were successful in creating a wholesome and engaging environment conducive to learning Gandhian values. Through creative writing, poster making painting, debate, creative sports, music and a host of other activities, the children got an opportunity to understand and appreciate how Mahatma Gandhi's teachings affect all our lives in ways both small and great.

 The debate was introduced for the first time this year and the children’s enthusiasm during this session deserves special mention. Rather than becoming a shouting contest it was heartening to see the children raise pertinent questions such as “How would have the Mahatma dealt with Osama Bin Laden in a non-violent manner?” “How does one make our police non-violent?” and “What is the appropriate non-violent response to a crime such as chain snatching?” The children then engaged in constructive deliberations to try and answer these burning questions. An example of their faith in Bapu’s philosophy was the assertion that “if the British Empire, upon whom the sun never set, could be humbled by non-violent means, surely it could be used successfully against extremists like Osama.”

We hope that even if the participants took back a few lessons from this gala event, it would go very far in entrenching the basic tenet of unity in diversity. The participating children are now in a position to understand how small efforts on each of our parts can ensure not only harmonious co-existence between diverse people, but also how each of us has a stake in the collective phenomenon of sustainable development.