Sometimes, I wonder if there are enough occasions that bring us all together as one nation. From childhood, whenever we have heard the phrase ‘unity in diversity’, we have yawned. But as most clichés have a kernel of truth, I recently gave it a thought—the celebration of diversity and coming together in unity.
Almost all festivals celebrate diversity and are exclusive to one community, religion, caste, region or some distinct group. Even modern ones like literary festivals, music festivals or film festivals cater to a certain segment of society. So, only a festival that appeals to the humanity at large, one that leaves nobody out and brings a smile to everyone who participates in it, can truly be a celebration of unity.
I was fortunate to be introduced to one such initiative called the Joy of Giving Week (JGW). It is a festival where every person can ‘give’ as much, or as little, as he or she wishes to. What they are sure to get in the bargain is pure, simple joy! In fact, that is the operative word that guides the whole movement. Starting this year, from September 27 to October 3, JGW will be celebrated every year and it is only befitting that it always would include October 2—Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
The giver will define the nature of giving. It could be one’s time, skills, resources, money and at the very least passing on of the thought. We all probably do things that can be defined as an act of giving, but when a whole nation mindfully decides to ‘give’ during the same week, there is a good chance of it being larger than the sum total of its parts. My socio-political training was such that the word ‘giving’ denoted an act of philanthropy that is top down and didn’t change anything systemic. But I have often found myself saying, “Let’s not run away from small actions just because we find ourselves ill-equipped to do big things. Every drop counts.”
The JGW is a small pot, and if filled with every drop that we have, it can make a big difference. But then most people will ask, whose pot are we filling? What is the brand? Where do I begin? What is in it for me? The answers are: it’s our own pot that we are filling; the brand is simply The Joy Of Giving Week; the festival belongs to each one of us and yet belongs to no one in particular. And as to what’s in it for me? I get to live in a more caring world.
The brain and heart behind this simple yet profound idea is Venkat Krishnan. He did the usual US darshan after doing an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and found it quite disturbing that Americans across board gave much more than Indians. After much reflection he decided that all he wanted to do in his life was to promote the culture of giving. He set up GiveIndia, introduced the idea of running for a cause in the Mumbai and Delhi marathons, and then finally came up with the Joy of Giving Week. His excitement of passing the flame is so contagious that it has taken over a good part of my time and passion.
Now you can start thinking about how you want to add your drop. The easiest way would be to go to www.joyofgivingweek.org and join one of the existing initiatives, but better would be to think of your own creative way of giving. The range is as wide as you can imagine. From dabba wallahs in Mumbai spreading the word through every dabba, to auto-rickshaw unions in Chennai doing annadanam. From hospitals doing an organ donation drive to 300 colleges celebrating joyfests with the organisations of their choice. From Goonj, an NGO that is going to collect 1 crore pieces of clothes, to CEOs walking the ramp to raise funds. What is encouraging is that individuals and organisations are exploring unbelievable ways of giving back to the society. At the very least, it will create hope in our hearts, that there is still goodness in abundance, that I am also capable of doing my bit, and that we are not alone in being the change we want to see in the world.
http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?BV_ID=@@@&contentType=EDITORIAL§ionName=TheWeek%20Last%20Word&programId=1073754894&contentId=5931288
Almost all festivals celebrate diversity and are exclusive to one community, religion, caste, region or some distinct group. Even modern ones like literary festivals, music festivals or film festivals cater to a certain segment of society. So, only a festival that appeals to the humanity at large, one that leaves nobody out and brings a smile to everyone who participates in it, can truly be a celebration of unity.
I was fortunate to be introduced to one such initiative called the Joy of Giving Week (JGW). It is a festival where every person can ‘give’ as much, or as little, as he or she wishes to. What they are sure to get in the bargain is pure, simple joy! In fact, that is the operative word that guides the whole movement. Starting this year, from September 27 to October 3, JGW will be celebrated every year and it is only befitting that it always would include October 2—Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
The giver will define the nature of giving. It could be one’s time, skills, resources, money and at the very least passing on of the thought. We all probably do things that can be defined as an act of giving, but when a whole nation mindfully decides to ‘give’ during the same week, there is a good chance of it being larger than the sum total of its parts. My socio-political training was such that the word ‘giving’ denoted an act of philanthropy that is top down and didn’t change anything systemic. But I have often found myself saying, “Let’s not run away from small actions just because we find ourselves ill-equipped to do big things. Every drop counts.”
The JGW is a small pot, and if filled with every drop that we have, it can make a big difference. But then most people will ask, whose pot are we filling? What is the brand? Where do I begin? What is in it for me? The answers are: it’s our own pot that we are filling; the brand is simply The Joy Of Giving Week; the festival belongs to each one of us and yet belongs to no one in particular. And as to what’s in it for me? I get to live in a more caring world.
The brain and heart behind this simple yet profound idea is Venkat Krishnan. He did the usual US darshan after doing an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and found it quite disturbing that Americans across board gave much more than Indians. After much reflection he decided that all he wanted to do in his life was to promote the culture of giving. He set up GiveIndia, introduced the idea of running for a cause in the Mumbai and Delhi marathons, and then finally came up with the Joy of Giving Week. His excitement of passing the flame is so contagious that it has taken over a good part of my time and passion.
Now you can start thinking about how you want to add your drop. The easiest way would be to go to www.joyofgivingweek.org and join one of the existing initiatives, but better would be to think of your own creative way of giving. The range is as wide as you can imagine. From dabba wallahs in Mumbai spreading the word through every dabba, to auto-rickshaw unions in Chennai doing annadanam. From hospitals doing an organ donation drive to 300 colleges celebrating joyfests with the organisations of their choice. From Goonj, an NGO that is going to collect 1 crore pieces of clothes, to CEOs walking the ramp to raise funds. What is encouraging is that individuals and organisations are exploring unbelievable ways of giving back to the society. At the very least, it will create hope in our hearts, that there is still goodness in abundance, that I am also capable of doing my bit, and that we are not alone in being the change we want to see in the world.
http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?BV_ID=@@@&contentType=EDITORIAL§ionName=TheWeek%20Last%20Word&programId=1073754894&contentId=5931288
4 comments:
This is the best form of 'giving' I have ever seen. I'll check out the website. Can someone sitting in the US contribute?
Glad to see you back. I used to read your blog two years ago. I'm hoping you don't disappear again.
V, pls see my new post if you have the patience :P The ideas in there can be put into practice anywhere in the world - you don't have to be in India to participate. Enjoy :)
Wow. Didn't know you wrote about it. I was with Goonj for two days during the time and I am glad to have been a part of it :)
#R, how lucky that Goonj is right where you are, the main place and people and not just one of the branches. What did you do there, would love to hear, pls do share :-)
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