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Global PeaceWorks | |
peace among religions is the key to world peace |
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A Global PeaceWorks Journal8th December:Today we are going to the work site. Some of us left earlier than the others. Khorrum, Chad, myself, Fazida and Umberto were in the car. Everyone was discussing the President’s speech. I told Khorrum that I had a problem with the President of India. He is naïve and I did not feel like listening to him. Khorrum presented his point of view. Umberto mentioned that our President was totally himself, no pretensions. I realized that I needed to rethink my position. It is important to question one’s position from time to time. I may want to continue to stick to my position, but the least I can do is to be open in my mind. We had a choice, either to go to DPS or to be at the work site. Subba, Ricky, Titus and Roshan went to DPS. We felt that this choice was important so that those of us who went to DPS would share their experience with the rest of us who went to the work site. Amy and Issa joined us at the work site. Both of them had come for DPS but they felt interested in what we were doing. We began with a prayer. A small circle held hands and prayed inside the work site while the larger circle held hands and prayed on the outside of the work site. Holding hands is a powerful symbol. It is a great feeling of oneness and of unity. Oneness makes me feel as if I am not one person, the universe is inside me and I am universe; there is no duality. Unity makes me feel that inspite of our overt differences, we can be together, work together. Chad took on the leadership and distributed some tasks. I remember Dinesha was most sporting. She just took to the tools and began working, oblivious of what everyone else around her was doing. She was the workman of the day. My award for the workman of the day goes to Dinesha from Sri Lanka and to her indomitable spirit! While some of us were involved in the physical labour, Fazida was doing house visits with the rest of us. Erica and Issa went ‘click-click’ with their cameras. Juliette was followed by the kids. Juliette has this sweet look on her face. One can feel naturally attracted to her serene face and her calm movements. Children followed her wherever she went. My award for Pied Piper of the Day goes to Andrea Juliette Mair from Germany! [Three Cheers!] Yasiru was being called on to help with lifting pans of sand which are extremely heavy. He is a big guy, and he was most needed today. So Gulliver of the Day is Yasiru Fernando from Sri Lanka. Work was progressing. Everybody from the community was watching us. They wouldn’t really join in to do the work, but their curious eyes were constantly staring at us, wondering what a bunch of colored people were doing here. The Janta Colony slums are dirty. Sewage systems are in complete disorder. Basic civic amenities are unavailable to people there. Water and sewage problems compound health problems. I saw Anthony David for the first time. He can easily disappear in the crowd. I wouldn’t call him charismatic, but I can definitely say that I have met a man who is determined. He is consistent and persistent. His determination is evident in his work, in his body language and his example, all of which combine into this personality called Anthony David. By afternoon, Amy, Issa, Piya, Kesumi and myself left for DPS while the others continued to work. The group at the work site then left for the center at 1:00 PM. At DPS, I met with the others from our group who had had a fruitful day meeting different people and attending sessions about different religions. In the evening, all of us were invited to a performance and dinner hosted by the Chinmaya Mission. While we were waiting to enter the performance, Fazida came running and introduced us to Agyat Mitra from Play for Peace. Agyat was to teach us some games which we could play with the children in Janta Colony. Each game Agyat taught us was magical. Somewhere, when I was playing the games myself, I felt a sense of loosening up. I have often felt that when we grow into adults, we give up playing; we become ‘tight’. Play is so important to be agile, active and alive. Play is healthy. Maybe we adults have forgotten to play. All of us enjoyed the games Agyat was teaching to us. We were playing!!! The best game was one in which we had one person inside the circle who would call out to another one person’s name from the group and that person had to respond by calling out to someone’s else’s name from the group. This would continue until someone goofed up. And then we would all sing in a tune, “Dippi dippi dappa – dappa dappa – dippi dippi dappa” (and repeat). The idea of the game is to be relaxed. I felt so nervous myself, but the key was to relax and enjoy! If I goof, I go into the circle and wait till someone else goofs! We invited Agyat to join us for lunch next day and to teach us some more games. After the ‘gaming’ session, we met with Jay from Habitat for Humanity. We introduced ourselves to Jay who encouraged us in our endeavor. We then proceeded to join the performance and dinner. By 10 PM, we were readying ourselves to rest enough for another day tomorrow. Reflections from my diary for 8th December: Today, after a long, long time, I entered into actual physical labour. It was enjoyable. I realized how little I use my hands. Rather, I use my hands hardly. Today, as I broke bricks, separated the good bricks from the bad ones, dirtied my hands in the mud and felt yucky about mud, wondering whether I was actually touching human shit, I felt something indescribable. The joy of constructing together, building something together, it’s so marvelous. I remember how Simmin and me would build blocks when we were kids. It would feel so great to put up something together. As we worked like workmen, organizing ourselves into a work force today, it felt absolutely great, delightful! Tonight I shall sleep well. Perhaps this is one of the well-deserved sleeps of my life. |
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