Forty youth came together for the second annual AYUDH East Coast Youth Exchange for the theme ‘Reaching New Heights’. The zealous youth from across the United States and Canada gathered at the picturesque ashram to share ideas and join hands in performing selfless service. 

The participants arose early the first morning to cook and serve lunch for the Bethesda Cares shelter in Maryland. Apart from the joy of partaking in teamwork to churn out a meal within an hour, some participants remarked that it was their first time serving at a shelter, and it was a transformative experience. “It was eye-opening to see firsthand how others appreciated so dearly what many of us take for granted every day,” commented Amit Sookdeo.

In a question-and-answer session with Br. Dayamrita, teacher for meditation and mindful living, participants learned how to handle stress, especially with demanding academic curricula.

One of the retreat’s highlights was the screening of Bag-It, a documentary highlighting the gross waste of plastic and the subsequent effects on our ecosystems. Inspired by AYUDH members’ service projects around the world, the Amrita University students’ efforts to clean roadside trash in India, and Amma’s message that “Nature is our Mother,” the participants each pledged to make one change in their lives. The pledges ranged from carrying reusable bags to the grocery store to growing plants in one’s backyard, stopping the personal purchase of plastic water bottles to serving at a homeless shelter twice a month, and even recommending a composting system for one’s college dining hall to wasting less water on a daily basis.

“Even though we pledged to do simple things like grow plants in our house or be more conscious about the environment, these little actions will add up in the end and we will see genuine change,” said Jaya Vallis.
The rain cleared up the evening, as AYUDH members swam in the Center’s pool, played tennis and basketball, enjoyed a slip-and-slide, and roasted marshmallows in a bonfire.

The following day, participants were treated to a lively singing class on the indian song “Akhilandeshwari Ambe,” involving a conglomeration of instruments, music styles, a rap, and singing variations between boys and girls. AYUDH had a talk with Swami Amritaswarupananda via webcast from Amritapuri, India, who gave the camp members a guide to reach new heights by embracing the three C’s: Calmness, Cheerfulness, and Confidence. 

The final event of the retreat was one that had many participants fighting back tears. AYUDH had the opportunity to do a one-hour performance before the elderly residents of the Potomac Valley Nursing and Wellness Center. Titled “East Meets West,” the performance had a medley of songs and dances, such as “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Hari Pancha, “Kal Ho Na Ho” by Amritesh Thoppil, “My Favorite Things” on saxophone by Karthik Krishnan, and a Wushu martial arts demonstration by Poorna Sreekumar.
Several AYUDH members from DC choreographed and performed a fusion dance with raas, bhangra, Bollywood, and hip-hop, followed by an interactive “Lean on Me” led by Tom Marino for which all of AYUDH and many of the Center’s residents sang along. Throughout the entire set, several residents in the front row displayed their enthusiasm by clapping and laughing aloud at the jokes. The most memorable part was a spontaneous, heartwarming rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Fran, a care home resident who sung in her church choir from the age of two.

Said Tom Marino, “This lesson was made tangible at our visit to the nursing home: At first I was nervous and doubtful but finally the three C’s gradually replaced my distress. The result was love, which had saturated the entire hall and is still present in my heart.” After spending some time with the residents who expressed their appreciation for the performance and after promising to come back soon, AYUDH members wheeled residents back to their rooms and returned to the DC Center, invigorated and touched by the bliss received in performing selfess service.

The four powers were dealt with through talks and discussions during the camp. The power of confidence was discussed by Br. Shubamrita Chaitanya, who highlighted the importance of developing self-confidence as a tool for personal empowerment and suggested ways in which to achieve an increased sense of self-worth and integrity and ways to surmount obstacles in life.
The power of commitment was discussed by Hollywood actress and former world champion kick-boxer and boxer Lucia Rijker who shared with the youth how commitment, dedication and determination had helped her achieve new heights in the fields of athletics and acting.
The power of creativity was discussed by the German artist Gabriele von Lutzau*, who emphasized the importance of creativity, originality and self-expression and suggested ways in which youth can uncap their own imaginative and innovative powers in order to bring change in their personal lives and the lives of others. In her talk she shared with the youth how she could turn scars into stars by using her art as a tool to come out of the traumatic experiences she had gone through.
The power of community was discussed by Bri. Dipamrita Chaitanya who highlighted the importance of belonging to, and contributing to, a value based community in order to develop the character and value system of youth.
Making the initiative relevant to the youth themselves, the local community, and the wider society three large-scale projects were organised in close collaboration with the city of Michelstadt.
The first of these projects was the landscaping and garden project, which involved renovating and reshaping the park area of Heilig-Kreuz in Michelstadt, a town close by the M.A. Center Germany. Youth who participated in this workshop helped to re-design the area by plating greenery, repairing the broken bridge, cleaning the riverbeds and pathways and refurbishing the signs.
The second project was the creation of an artistic monument, lead by students from the woodcrafts school of Michelstadt. Participants designed a monument which was placed in the renovated park area at Heilig-Kreuz at the end of the camp. It stands as a symbol of the eight Youth Development Goals. The central pole of the monument carries a dove – universal symbol for peace and hope, made by Gabriele von Lutzau.
The third and largest project was a Musical presented on the last evening of the week in the Theater-Hall “Odenwaldhalle” in Michelstadt. Speaking on the occassion, the Mayor of Michelstadt, Stephan Kelber said: “In the name of all the people of the Odenwald region, of 17,000 people, I can say that we are very happy to have you all here in this town. We are proud indeed that you are here, and we feel a bit like the center of the world this evening.”
For six months the Ayudh groups from all over Europe had been writing songs, creating theatre scenes, dance choreographies and video documentaries which would exemplify the challenges they dealt with and show possible solutions to the audience. During the youth camp at M.A. Center Germany these individual scenes were put together into one performance. In workshops the youth took care of all aspects of the show: costumes, props, choir, stage construction, painting the backdrop, light, sound and video projection. Within just one week the youth created an amazing performance – a true example of the collective power of youth to inspire, create and reach new heights together.
Even with the intense activities during the week, the youngsters did not miss the chanting, meditation and yoga/tai chi sessions. Through the dedicated work of many volunteers and through the sincerity, joy and enthusiasm each person brought to the initiative, the 7th annual retreat was a complete success.
The event was supported by the “Youth in Action” programme of the European Commission for Education and Culture, the state of Hessen, the city of Michelstadt, the European Year of Volunteering, and the UN’s International Year of Youth.

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*Gabriele von Lutzau, who was also the patron of the initiative, had earned the “Bundesverdienstkreuz”, the German order of honor, for her outstanding role in rescuing passengers during the hijacking of a passenger aircraft by terrorists in 1977. As a stewardess on the kidnapped flight she had played a crucial role in the rescue operation and had shown enormous courage and compassion despite the life-threatening circumstances she was in.

The project “Growin ‘- one seed at a time” is a green initiative by the youth movement AYUDH to encourage young people to grow their own vegetables, in whatever space available. The goal is to inspire more and more young people to cultivate their own healthy food.
For its efforts in ecological, social, cultural, and economic sustainability the project recently was awarded a prize by the competition, “ideas, initiative, future”, a joint initiative of the UNESCO and the drugstore dm.

On the first day of the “Green Weekend” a few of us started to prepare the bed for planting. After about an hour of hard work I looked around and saw four Scouts passing by the garden. “Perhaps they like to help us so?” I said to the others. At first we were not so sure wether we should ask them, but then we remembered that Scouts have the intention to do one good deed every day. So we tried our luck, ran over to them and asked: “Have you already done your good deed today?” We told them about our garden project, and that we would really appreciate their support. Fully motivated they agreed and helped us to get the bed in shape for planting.

In the afternoon, more participants of the Youth IAM meditation class, which took place as a paralell workshop, joined us in the gardening, we were now 13 people. Using a planting plan, I explained the procedure and we formed small teams, of wich each took care of a small part of the 25 square meter-bed. Everyone was highly motivated and the planting and watering was quickly done. At the end we all gathered around the field, placed our hands onto the soil and prayed the Sanskrit mantra “Lokah Samastah Sokinuh Bavantu” several time, praying for peace and happiness in the world.

It was a nice experience for us to meet the scouts, to exchange views and discover many similar values. Eventually they decided to stay overnight and provided us with a cozy campfire – done in professional scout style! Even though we all had never met each other and we completely surprised them with our request to join us in the work, they remarked that they never had such a beautiful day out! A good deed a day can really bring people together!

On Sunday, everyone had the opportunity to learn more about small-scale gardening. We sowed vegetables, herbs and flowers in small pots, which each participant could take back home. There the plants can sprout on our windowsills, balconies and in our gardens.

We hope that the fruits of our work may grow well, both on our AYUDH – bed and inside all of us as an inspiration for a more sustainable lifestyle. We are delighted to spread the idea of GrowIn’ and create new small balcony and garden projects.

In multicultural working groups, the youth will examine how the powers of confidence, community, creativity and contribution can be used to transform these challenges into opportunities for change and development for both the individual and society as a whole.

On a practical level, the youth will use these “powers” to work on a large-scale landscaping project in the close-by town Michelstadt.

July 30th will see an innovative youth musical performance in Michelstadt, written and choreographed by the youth themselves. Through the music, the youth will declare the self-conceived “Youth Development Goals” resulting from discussions and workshops of the initiative.

In oder to initiate a multicultural exchange of ideas and experiences regarding the challenges of youth in today’s world, please join the discussion at our online forum: ayudh.eu/forum (coming soon)

The event is supported by the city of Michelstadt and is part of the “International Year of Youth 2010/2011” (http://social.un.org/absolutewc/?e=486&c=0) and the European Year of Volunteering (http://europa.eu/volunteering/en). It is under the patronage of the German artist Gabriele von Lutzau, who will also supervise the youth to create a monument for the “Youth Development Goals” in Michelstadt. (http://www.gvlutzau.de/en/Homepage.html)

The youth initiative is supported by the “Youth in Action” programme of the European Commission for Education and Culture. 150 youth from Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovenia, UK, Ireland and Poland will receive 70% refund for their travel cost. Youth from other countries are most welcome to join as well. There will be a participation fee of 100 Euro per participant for the full week programme. Those with financial difficulties can apply for a reduced rate of 50 Euro. Youth, which come from countries that are not eligible for travel cost refund can come on a donation basis.

All youth between the ages of 15 and 30, who are interested to take part in the initiative, can apply now on the ayudh website www.ayudh.eu . Since there is a limited number of youth that can be admitted, we accept applications on a first-come-first-serve basis.

We will be in touch with you before the end of May to let you know if your application has been accepted. Once you receive confirmation from us, you can start booking your travel tickets. At that point we will also ask you to fill in the final registration form, providing us with all the necessary details for us to welcome you.

People over the age of 30, who like to be part of the initiative can come as volunteers. If you are interested, please contact reachingnewheights@ayudh.eu .

Youth under the age of 18 have to designate a mentor who is over 18 from their own country group.

Apply now by filling in our online application form.

An invitation with detailed information on the agenda of the event is available here for download.

The venue for this awareness campaign was Dilli Haat at INA on Aurobindo Marg, a place known as a confluence of various cultural traditions and handicrafts from different parts of the country. A large crowd of knowledgeable and passionate visitors coupled with the ambience of the place and the idea itself contributed to a truly memorable and rewarding evening.

The state of our earth was put across in the shape of a dry and barren tree atop a famished earth. People were asked to contribute their ideas, which could liven up this dying earth. The ideas were pinned up to the tree in the form of green leaves. People came in droves to contribute their ideas and suggestions. Within a few hours itself, the tree which had looked so barren in the beginning was fluttering with the green leaves of hope.

Another initiative was to get a signed commitment from the people to take up at least one of the three very simple acts to bring about a significant improvement in environmental condition. The commitments were “To save Water”, “To switch off electricity when not required” and “To turn off the engines of vehicles when at the red lights”. The response was seen to be believed. The Big Banner hosting these 3 commitments ran out of space for people to sign on in no time. People assured us that the commitment that they have done here is meant to be followed in true letter and spirit.

If the above two activities were well received, the crown jewel was the Tulsi distribution. As an extension of the Tulsi distribution done at the time of Amma’s visit to Delhi in mid-March this year, Ayudh distributed around 1000 tulsi saplings free of cost to the visitors at Dilli Haat. People were really happy to get the sapling. They assured us that they would take good care of it and nourish it with all their love and warmth. Hence it was another step in Amma’s vision of the plantation drive, in which Amma wants people to take up the responsibility to plant saplings and nurture them.

The significant lesson these activities brought home to us was that people clearly understood the deteriorating environmental condition that we are in right now, and voluntary initiatives to spread the message to save the Earth would be wholeheartedly welcomed. Obviously, there is need is to organize such initiatives so that like- minded people can come together and get to know that there are many who share their concern and that they are not alone in the fight to save the nature. This in turn would give them hope to continue their efforts at making the world a better place to live in.

Every one felt that It is very important that the impetus this drive has generated needed to be sustained and taken forward. By Amma’s grace Ayudh Delhi will be ever ready to do so.

AYUDH Kenya, inspired by the Belgium youth, had the idea to start a waffle bake-sale on 24th December at the Westgate Mall, Nairobi. The main aim was to raise money for the Amma’s charitable projects.

We were very lucky to have pulled the whole event off in two weeks. Arranging for a space at the mall during Christmas time was incredibly tough because most of the busy spots with power plugs had been taken. With much effort and convincing, the management at the mall offered us a stall a few meters away from the main entrance!! How lucky we felt! . Although, this was a cost-effective project, renting out a space at the mall, buying all the ingredients and cutlery, fortunately, we managed to raise some money to get things started before-hand, luckily.

We began the sale at 8:00am which ran a little slow at first. However, before the event, to make things a whole lot easier, we made all the waffle mixture at home and then set all of our equipment to bake at our stall. We all worked really hard with much desire and enthusiasm, to try and get passer bys to come taste our freshly made hot waffles. We also sold cookies and Indian delights. By mid-day we got really busy and people around were thrilled at what we were doing and why we were doing it. People gave extra donations willingly. Many were interested to learn about Ayudh and the projects we’ve carried out as they looked at our posters. If they wanted any further information, we gave out our Ayudh contact cards to make things much easier.

The event turned out to be un-believably fun!! Everyone worked really hard. It being the first fund-raiser we’ve had, with all of support, we managed to raise a lot of money. We feel a lot more inspired to keep carrying on.

Led by Swami Dayamrita, this US Youth Exchange is meant to bring together young people from all over the US.

This year’s Youth Exchange will feature:
Service Projects, GrowIn One Seed at a Time (international AYUDH Green Initiative), Yoga and Meditation, Live Webcast with one of Amma’s senior disciples, Q & A with Dayamrita Swami, Exploration of AYUDH 2011 Projects, & fun times with youth of your age!

Youth Exchange Registration:
Easy and quick online registration

Youth Exchange Fees:
$80 includes food, lodging, and all activities.

Directions to M. A. Center:
Click here and find driving directions to the M. A. Center

More Information:
Please feel free to contact us at +1 510 537 9417 / 9431
or email ayudh@amma.org for any questions.