Festival of Giving

Since 2009, the ‘Joy of Giving Week’ is celebrated across India for seven days starting 2 October – the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The initiative is also called ‘Daan Utsav’. The celebration, inherent in a festival happens here as many organisations involve, across the country, in contributing time, skills and resources.

Two years ago, fourteen trainers took part in two free full-day learning events in Goa. Many organisations, institutions and corporates funded the cost of the events. However, we found that most of the ones who attended were ones who could afford to pay for the learning. So, last year, we chose to directly approach the ones who needed the programs but would not afford them. Somu Rao and yours truly conducted training for four sets of such truly needy students.

This year, we widened the circle to reach out to slum children, rural schools and others who are have little opportunity. As of now, we are six trainers who have confirmed plans over all seven days for at least ten events supported by over nine organisations like the Trainers’ Association, Goa Science Forum, Harshada Art Gallery, Rotary, Giants Club, Samraat Club and others.


It is pertinent that Somu, Harshada, yours truly and many others are doing many acts of giving, right through the year. There are many who ‘give’ their time, skills and resources without any expectation. But, often it is an individual initiative. When we collaborate, it is a greater impact… and that is the purpose of the ‘festival of giving’.

We must widen the circle to include more persons. There are many who ‘want to give’ but do not know ‘how and where’. There are many who do not know that the greatest gift is the gift of time. When many get together to give, we create a new festival that all can celebrate, cutting across barriers. And our world needs to celebrate such festivals of giving that spread joy and dignity to all human beings.

Don’t restrict to yourself, widen the team
The ‘Festival of Giving’ is a worthy dream

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Stereotype

‘The single story creates stereotypes. And the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.’ - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In the early 80’s, a single story was told about the Sikhs… that they were violent terrorists deserving to be mowed down. This single story sought to condemn an entire community that has many dimensions of humanism, humour, entrepreneurship and infectious enthusiasm. Today, though that vicious single story of the Sikhs is no longer a part of our consciousness… the actions and attitudes born of it left behind a bloody trail of brutality and killing.

Single stories give rise to stereotypes and prejudices that lead us to opinions ranging from contempt to hatred, from false pride to a negative sense of history, from insensitivity to irrationality. Stories cannot be just painted in black and white. They must reflect the entire assortment of facts, contradictions and possibilities. The hue has to reflect the human diversity in its multiple dimensions and its many stories.

Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, makes the pertinent point that the single, stereotyped story flattens the experience to a singular and dangerously-damaging dimension. She insists that multiple stories matter. And it is multiple stories that can save us from the danger of a single story!

Adichie says in her talk at Ted, ‘Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.’ We must escape the vice of the stereotype by exploring multiple stories that widen our perspective.

Escape the single story hype
Break the damn stereotype!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Stars

The beauty of every star with its simmering light
Can be seen from afar as they gather in the night,
Each has its own spark, yet they glitter as one
Like the colours of the rainbow born of the sun.

Seven colours bind together for the rainbow to emerge…
Would a rainbow ever form, if they chose to diverge?
When people get together, a nation is raised
Differences bring despair and defeat staring in our face

Every drop makes the sea; otherwise what is a sea?
Every act is crucial that carries the value of empathy
Let go of egocentricity, don’t stay aloof and away...
Let’s join hands together to create a beautiful day!

The farmer ploughs the land to reap a golden grain
The cowherd is not rewarded with milk, without any pain
The blacksmith shapes the iron with tools that shine!
The potter shapes the clay with a picture in his mind

All these are faces of effort… a desire to have a say...
With enmity to none… and a dream to seize the day
Deep down we are alike, no one is a stranger,
That is the real truth, stars are meant to be together!

(poem penned in 2005 inspired by ‘Ye tara’ song from movie ‘Swades’)
- Pravin K. Sabnis