The Gangotri region of the Himalayas is home to one of the largest glacier systems in the world.  The Gangotri Glacier is the source of the Ganges River which supplies water to over 400 million people in South Asia.  This life-giving glacier is in danger.

NASA images show the Gangotri glacier has retreated at an alarming rate of 850 meters in the last 25 years.  Global warming and changes in local climate are thought to be major causes for the accelerated loss of the Himalayan glaciers.

Prior unrestricted access to the Gangotri area by pilgrims and tourists has deforested the alpine highlands.  Deforestation has caused changes in the local climate reducing snowfall in the region.   The Indian Government has restricted the number of tourists and pilgrims in the area, but the environmental damage remains.  Dr. Harshvanti Bisht of the Himalayan Association for Development and Research Initiatives (HADRI) is attempting to reverse the environmental damage and slow the retreat of the Gangotri glacier by reforesting the Alpine highlands.  There is much work to do and the time to act is now.
Come join us in our WALK TO SAVE GANGOTRI

Date:  Saturday, May 26, 2012
Time:  Check-in at 9:00 am Walk begins at 9:30 am

Location:  The C&O Canal National Park in Potomac, Maryland.

Parking is available in the Park for a fee of $5.00 per vehicle

The 4 mile walk will take place on the C&O Canal towpath and begins and ends at the Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center.
All participants must pre-register here

No registration is allowed in the national park.

All proceeds go to HADRI (Himalayan Association for Development and Research Initiatives) for SAVE GANGOTRI.

It was fun working together, with plenty of singing, jokes and pranks being played while the cooking was in full swing. We packed the food in packets and left for distribution. Wherever we saw the needy on the roads, we stopped by and gave away the food packets, along with blankets to protect people from the cold winter temperatures in Delhi. All the food was distributed in different areas under the flyovers, on roads, in streets. The activity went well.

At the end of it my fellow members expressed that it was a satisfying and a fulfilling experience and gave them peace. But the only thought I had was to return home and have food. I was hungry (as if others were not!).

I reached home and sat for dinner with the plate in my hands. Just as I was about to begin eating my eyes looked at the chappati in my plate. I paused and looked at it for a few moments. I had never looked at a chappati this way before.

The next thing I knew my mind was having flashbacks of all that I had seen during the distribution:

People looking for food in trash bins, children who did not have woolens to wear in this cold weather, and not enough clothes to cover themselves up. People who did not have a hand or leg or an eye, for whom each day is a struggle to make ends meet; little babies crying for food with their parents helplessly looking at them and yelling at them to stop crying. People would push each other to get that one food packet. That single packet of food meant so much for them…maybe that was their only meal for the day, or maybe for many days to come.

And here I was sitting with a plate full of food, under a roof, with clothes to protect me from the cold, having more than I needed.

Such is the poverty in this world. Countless people go to bed on empty stomachs. Thousands and thousands of people cry and die of hunger.

I have learnt to be grateful for, not just food, but for all that I have. Learning to shift the focus from ”what I do not have” to ”what I have”, to understand the meaning of ‘eat to live’ and not ‘live to eat’.

Interacting so closely with the homeless, I wondered why some are born in poor families and some in well-to-do families. The only explanation I could think of was our karma. As you sow, so shall you reap. This activity reinforced the importance of karma in my viewpoint. We have to learn to be good human beings in thought, word and deed.

God has been kind to give us all that we need. It’s our duty, then, to be responsible and do good in society in whatever capacity we can. Little drops of water make the mighty ocean. Our little efforts, too, will definitely make a difference and help to make this world a better place!

A quote of Amma came to my mind:“In today’s world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter; and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion. Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first—because, if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter.”

AYUDH Delhi is grateful to have had the opportunity and strength to serve the needy and reach out our helping hands!

Munich – September 12, 2011. In a church centre in the Munich neighbourhood Haidhausen, about 120 representatives of various religions came together at an inter-religious youth meeting and collective prayer for peace. In his introduction talk, Daniel Lerch, the diocesan youth minister, emphasised to the participants in Korbinianhaus the responsibility youth have in peace with: ‘Pope John Paul II, the founder of the international peace meeting, asked the youth from all religions to be courageous guardians of peace. In my eyes, this is a wonderful responsibility, not just for this evening.’ The inter-religious youth meeting took place during the International Peace Meeting, to which the archdiocese of Munich and Freising and the congregation Sant’Egidio where invited for September 11th through the 13th.

First, the youth came together in the youth church Vom Guten Hirten, praying together for peace among men. Before the communal peace prayer, the individual religions prayed in accordance to their respective traditions, lit a peace candle together and placed individual flowers in a vase to create a colorful bouquet. Afterwards, the participants met for a dialogue where representatives of the different religions shared their own views and perspectives on ways of being in the world in respect to peace.

The unique challenge for Maria Köstler, youth minister in Ottobrunn and co-organiser of the inter-religious youth meeting, was in the planning. ‘The ideas and wishes of how to organise the individual groups for inter-religious discussions was very exciting. From the beginning, there were several important conversations which brought about mutual understanding and also friendships.’

Dimitri Dobrovinsky from the Jewish Student Organisation in Bavaria described the multicultural gathering with: ‘When someone only moves in his own circles and microcosm, then it’s impossible for him to have a picture of fellow human being. This ignorance can easily be taken advantage of by fanatic groups, regardless of whether the person in Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. Therefore, it is very important to overcome this ignorance and for that, dialogue and communal get-togethers are a good start.’

Nath Hirsch, from the Ayudh group, an inter-religious youth movement inspired from the Indian spiritual leader and humanitarian Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), commented on the event: ‘In everyday religion, normally we don’t meet like this, rather everyone prays in their own way. This meeting offered the opportunity to get a taste of the different traditions, to discover what they have in common, and to remove prejudices. The building blocks of religion should be used to build bridges rather than walls.’

The exchange was also in the forefront for Nurgül Güner from the Islamic Intercultural Dialogue Centre IDIZEM, regardless of which religion one belonged to: ‘Through the media often times a distorted and incorrect view of various religions in communicated. Direct contact and conversations with each other are, on the other hand, real and good sources of mutual understanding.’

Through the International Peace Meeting, the hosts, the congregation Sant´Egidio and the archdiocese of Munich and Freising, wanted to support the dialogue and common effort between the Christian confessions and the major world religions. With almost 50 events, the guests discuss topics about living together with different religions and cultures. The inter-religious youth meeting was prepared by a team from five different religions – Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Bahá’í, and Christianity, as well as the inter-religious youth group Ayudh.

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.