Ishara International Puppet Festival

Salaam Baalak Trust invite

Dear Friends,

You are invited to the inaugiration of Girls home of Salaam Baalak Trust on 9th November 2008, at 4:30 pm.

Address and route map can be found on the card attached.

Thanks..

Nukkad Natak

Dear Friends,

The Summer Programme that the Foundation ran this year has developed with great promise and we would like to share my excitement with you.

A batch of 60 young people signed up for the Youth Empowerment workshops that brought together students from different schools as well as diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Meeting 3 times a week at Bluebells School from 20th May, the children played, acted, laughed, fought and shared experiences with each other.

Teenagers from privileged backgrounds walked the streets of Paharganj with their new friends from the NGOs Salaam Baalak Trust, Aarushi and Aakanksha, in an attempt to understand the lives of street and working children.

Together, they arrived at issues of relevance to all of them, and have attempted to articulate their thoughts about what social changes they would like to see around them, through these street plays that have been scripted, directed and acted by them.

The students have also opened a page on Facebook called Active Citizen, in which they have posted some of their pictures and comments. The link is http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13331299796.

Today, they have become the core team of Yuva Ekta:YOUTH UNITE - a melting pot of volatile young people, fired by the desire to do their bit to bring about social change.

It is with great pride that we invite you to the performance of the Yuva Ekta NUKKAD NATAK on the 19th & 20th of June. The details are enclosed.

Hope to see you there!

Warm Regards

The route to Empowerment

Friends, here's this question which has been on my mind since always HOW DO WE EMPOWER THE HAVE NOTS AND WEAK ............. but have not been able to reach an acceptable decision .......... my solution is not accepted by many, so I ask you guys to help me with your innovative ideas as to how to reach to a solution because you know what ? Am not going to wait to help the have-nots till I get power and money but am going to start now, no matter what it takes. In fact I have a strategy which involves you guys also but that we'll talk about later, firstly I want your ideas, well as far as my thought goes … until we are dragons ourselves we cant make others even jugnus (fireflies) and that we have to do with money. We have to shell out our bank balances to make channels through which the actual needy can make his/her way out to the right world. What do u guys think? Be truthful yaar ..........
Luqmaan Hasan Kazim on Jun 6, 2008 at 9:37 AM

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Thank you so much for posting this topic Luqmaan, & bringing up the question of Empowerment. This is a word bandied about so much these days, but can we first define what we think empowerment truly is? And by that definition, am I empowered? Are you empowered? Are all of us in the group empowered? Only when I am empowered can I begin to even think of empowering an another....so everyone out there, what do You think empowerment is?
Puneeta Roy on Jun 6, 2008 at 9:27 PM

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First of all thank you for asking the grass root level question ma'am puneeta.I completely agree with the fact that we as human beings need to go through the process of our empowerment before thinking of others' state.If giving money and providing the underprivileged with basic necessities is our idea of their empowerment, then it holds a lot of meaning but the duty doesn’t end there.Being really frank, I think their empowerment is basically they becoming strong individuals, which is extremely similar to our empowerment. Because by the end of the day whatever society we come from, we’re all of the same category: living beings.I think empowerment is the ability to be happy in any circumstance; it is taking full responsibility of our decisions, of being a channel of tremendous light and energy.So once, we ourselves become a channel then without “trying” we empower people around us. When the question of shelling out money comes, I personally believe that without our help in the financial respect the have-nots, cannot grow, cannot study, cannot exercise their creativity. Hence, completely agreeing with Luqman, I’d say that WE need to empower ourselves to make a difference, to make dragons out of ourselves, to change.Thank you.
Gauri Saxena on Jun 7, 2008 at 8:05 AM

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I totally agree with what Luqmaan and Gauri to what they have said above. Empowerment actually begins from your own inner self like we have been pointing this same point again n again that talking about empowerment does not always mean that its from the societies point of view but also yourself.Do you also think that you yourself have so much strength in yourself that one day you can rise up to a certain level where u can get a change in the society.... By just helping out a needy doesn’t mean empowerment but its more 2 it. I myself am in a fix to know the meaning of it.We all do need to become the jugnus so that one day we can say "yes I have the strength and I can bring about a change" we all have to spark that light in ourselves then in orders to declare that we all r empowered.....Thats what I think.......
Bindiya on Jun 7, 2008 at 10:54 AM

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Luqmaan...you've asked a great question and given an answer that I believe is a the SECOND 50% of the problem, that of giving have-nots money. In my belief a soul comprises a little bit of fire and little bit of light and ignition of the two inner forces is knowledge. Be it knowledge of history, science politics language or any sort of knowledge that exists. And empowerment is a process that will never stop till we as beings end our cycle.Empowering to me means a transfer of knowledge, an interaction between all living beings at a level where the knowledge flow is constant and unprecedented. When the knowledge flows so will the modern world opportunities along with it the necessary evil that we all love called money. There are rich and powerful who choose to withhold their knowledge from the world and there are middle classes that share their knowledge to help the have-nots and vice versa. I think at a personal level we need to realize that any knowledge we hold and share is a gift we give...and any knowledge we receive is a gift as well... and should be given and taken unconditionally...for in the end even a business transaction is conducted with a certain amount of knowledge.Therefore I think that empowerment will never stop as long as human knowledge exists and till we earn our money and make our own independent lives the least we can do is be a part of this sublime transaction of knowledge, learn what the economically weak have to offer and give in return unconditionally what you have received. Another request, somehow I find the term Have-nots derogatory, economically weak Yes,.but have nots indicates they do not have anything to offer, and believe me they have much knowledge to offer. Things nobody else may ever be able to teach us. My view may not be shared by all, but I agree that once we take part in a transfer of knowledge we ourselves will realize how we can individually help.
Shaman on Jun 7, 2008 at 11:33 PM

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Wow! I simply love the thoughts that are flowing through this discussion!Thank you Shaman, lets not call them the "Have-Nots" on the basis of monetary health. I know that this is a term used to define a certain class of people based on economic parameters, but now that you have interacted so closely with children from such backgrounds, re-think these terms and form your own opinions. From whom are you learning the max during the workshops? Who seems to have strength and grit, and can survive in any circumstances? We don't need to name anyone, but let connect with the Truths that are within us.Empowerment as the transfer of knowledge, as a constant process of being in the flow, of being strong and responsible.....I agree with all of this.

But for me, a a very fundamental level, empowerment is about Choice - of being aware that I am always making a choice at very moment - a choice of thought, word, action, and this choice determines my emotions, and that I am totally responsible for the repercussions of my choice.And as Gauri says, I am a channel of love and light, and when I radiate this awareness of myself as an empowered being, I enable the empowerment of those around me. I do this by connecting with the spark, the fire they have within them that Shaman has referred to. As they become aware of their own inherent strength, they begin to grow too.So its not with monetary help that I empower people, but with the dignity and respect I give them, that enables them to grow into strong trees themselves, without feeling the need to cling to my shadow!Looking forward to your thoughts on this....
Puneeta on Jun 8, 2008 at 12:17 AM

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I am empowered. I make my own decisions. I have a range of options to choose from. I have access to information n resources, which help me in taking a proper decision for myself. I am assertive. I feel free to express my thoughts, feelings n desires. I am aware of my rights, and have the courage to stand up for them. I believe in the virtues of positive thinking, and its ability to bring about a change. I like to see the glass as half full rather than as half empty. I am a keen learner, always trying to hone on my skills so as to improve my own power, and that of the group of which I’m a part. I believe in equal opportunity for all. And I also believe that others’ perceptions can be changed through democratic means. I have a belief n a value system, which allows me to communicate my ideas with conviction. In spite of the hardships that surround my life, I have a positive self-image. For me, ‘empowerment’ means all of this, and much more. I would like to ask Luqmaan what he means when he says that he cannot wait till he gets ‘power’? For me, the whole concept of being in power is more fundamental than how it is conceived usually. I feel empowerment and power are very closely related. To begin with, if we think that power is inherent in certain people or positions, then I dont think empowerment is quite possible. So the first change needs to be brought about in our perception of power. I consider myself to be powerful now, as I stand today, both as an individual who doesn’t let people/circumstances dictate her life, and as a member of a group (Yuva Ekta) where individuals belonging to various social backgrounds have come together voluntarily to deal with issues that they find important. Empowerment is multi-dimensional. It’s a process that instigates power in people, which they can use not only in their own lives, but also in their communities and in their society by acting on issues they tag as important. So together, we can strive to bring awareness, and teach people skills and knowledge that lights up the motivation in them to improve their lives.. to be empowered.And I agree with Shaman. Money is just not the solution. Monetary assistance is important too, because many a times it’s a question of their very existence, but that is not the answer to the question we’re looking at. Empowerment requires enabling them to ‘be aware’, to have the knowledge that they CAN and that they HAVE all the rights of the world to deserve a better, healthier and happier life. My solution: well we are on the right track. As I once said in a group discussion, the goal is to cover the distance between a thought and the execution of that thought. For me, this journey is a destination in itself.. Empowerment is a life long process.. and all that we need to understand, is that its something worth achieving.
Saman on Jun 8, 2008 at 12:33 AM

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Empowerment ... guys, the very meaning of the word is a debatable issue. When I say that I am empowered I mean that I hold the power to do things that I want to do whether with this power is used in the destruction of mankind, for our own benefits or for the benefit of the common man.Million-dollar Question no. 2. What is power is, power is an aid with which the empowerment comes. Now the fact that power is only money is a very wrong misconception according to me. When you have the skill and ability to mobilize people and people follow you, that is also power as the mere collection of our people can bring about a change …Examples ??? Mahatma Gandhi and the terrorist leaders.... Both people had the power of mobilizing people but used it for different purposes ...
Im not saying that these people did not use any other sort of power, but this kind is a major one.
No need for me to explain the power of money, but a small tit bit, in the world today Money is every thing, well almost. In the world of today ANYTHING can be bought and sold and I mean ANYTHING. People Sell off their values, their bodies and they let themselves lose their self worth just to gain this money and the worst part is that god has made this world in such a way that most of the people who hold this kind of power are complete IDIOTS and …. The third kind of power is the power that we have. The power that puneeta mam is trying to nurture, the power that can create money, the power that can help in mobilizing people .... The Power of ABILITY/TALENT AND POTENTIALEach person has a Talent and if the talent is used properly it can create an army of people ... an army of talented people, but some people are exceptionally talented. They have the ability to do wondrous things. That person is a leader in its true sense IF nurtured carefully other wise they will be lost in some Railway station or the other ...
Shashank on Jun 8, 2008 at 7:51 AM

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Listen guys… till now the world has been talking a lot about giving knowledge and empowering people through it, but the fact that remains is that TO CHANNELIZE KNOWLEDGE TO THE HAVE NOTS U NEED RESOURCES and my friends resources are not available for FREE ............ IT COSTS BIG BUCKS FOR IT, and let me inform everybody that I am using the word have-nots and not 'economically weak' coz it is that way economically weak implies only if u don’t have money but as shaman himself said that one is empowered only if he has knowledge and light and since a person who maybe rich but doesn’t have knowledge and light is a have not…hence the term have-nots is apt.
Everyone here has taken me in a negative sense for empowerment when I mentioned money, well if shaman is agreed to then empowerment is spreading of knowledge but here I have a question Here's the question, throughout the annals of mankind thousands of prophets and philosophers and thinkers and social reform movements have come for the sake of spreading knowledge, but yet we have this problem of people who are not empowered. Why so? …I think and not only think but believe that for everything u do u need to study a financial side for it as well when we talk about empowering we have to think on a large scale. I am not talking of empowering two or three people, am looking for empowering five or six million… Okay so here I go, I will see what I need to achieve that objective of mine..

1. EMPOWERING according to me means giving knowledge in its purest form to which we can also refer as 'formal education' .

2. NOW HOW CAN I MAKE A CHANNEL TO GIVE IT you guys have to think here and think real deep, if you even come for the workshop you pay for the fuel of your car or of the auto fare so when u look to empower five to six million how can u go around spreading knowledge without a channel which we also call management.

WE NEED MONEY AND POWER AS WELLp.s. here by power i mean authorityNow there's an important question as to what is POWER,. WHEN I CAN STAND FOR THE RIGHT WITH EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE CAN SUCCESSFULLY CARRY OUT THE CAUSE WITHOUT GETTING MYSELF HARMED IS WHEN I AM POWERFUL well if people you guys disagree by my definition do tell me because then I can make you prove that this is right because you know what, no one in today's date wants to do something for someone else and in the process end up being hurt or being at an uncomfortable stand. So keeping the needs of the individual and also respecting his desire to change I have coined this definition ...Finally people if you have to make a change you have to go to the grass root level and start educating people because that’s the only solution as my master Hazrat Imam Ali said, 'Education is the only solution to poverty'.
Luqmaan on Jun 9, 2008 at 5:51 PM

Views on leadership:

What exactly one would define a leader as.... is he the one, one would like to follow or is he the one who would encourage an initiative among others while staying out of the spotlight himself or is he just a role model who is only admired and looked upon at.... just to be like him...???Well coming down on one's individual viewpoint, I personally feel a leader is one who has a blend of leading people but keeping in mind that each and everyone of the group gets an equal and fair platform to ventilate his feelings, suggestions, ideas and viewpoint. A leader should be able to use the ventilated ideas and feelings of all the members as strength to get his group on the top…However, I would not take any sides i.e. A leader is one who is always on the front or the one who encourages the team from behind... as it may be mistaken as sheer dominance or reluctance by some people, so being brief and concluding it here I would say a leader is a combination of taking charge and giving charge.
Posted by: Amrita Dwivedi

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Actually I kind of agree with Amrita. I don’t think we can classify a leader... but we can discuss about the qualities that a leader should possess. I mean we need a person, who can bring out the best in everyone, this one is a must. The person should never try to bag all the biggies for himself and always try to stay in the limelight. But on the other hand we don’t want a guy who makes the group work and not do anything himself. A leader should be a part of the group, a member who is responsible for making the group do its best and also keep the discipline and all. I think aggressive people are a strict no no for being leaders, passionate, yes but aggressive no. Well I could just go on and on about this but am running out of time... kudos then...

Response by Aarushi Jha

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hey amrita I have a perfect idea of who a leader is .......... but cant explain it to you on facebook ....... I will tell you when you ask me wen we meet ......... and am damn one hundred percent sure that you will agree .............

Response by Luqmaan Hasan Kazim

Editors note: Amrita, Aarushi and Luqmaan are resident of Delhi and member of the Yuva-Ekta Club.

City walk: My experiences

I was asked to write about my experiences of the city walk, but as I sit here to write, I realize that I haven’t come to terms with what I saw as yet. Its very difficult to put in words but I would try none the less.. I had been looking forward to the city walk since the time Damini first mentioned it to me when she told me about this workshop. It sounded really interesting even though initially I had no idea of what it could contain. It started raining cat’s n dogs in the morning when we were supposed to go for the walk, but not once did the thought of not going occur to me. (As Shivani once said, the chance is being given, its up to you to avail it, if u don’t, its just one opportunity lost).I would say it was a very tiring day, not so physically but yes mentally it was very disturbing..

Shekhar led the walk telling us his story, a story of being the son of a Govt. official in a far away district of Bihar. People would come to her talking about her addicted and spoiled son mocked at her for no fault of hers. A guilt of a child to b the reason of his mother's tears, his frustrations eventually led him to run away from his home and he landed in Delhi. Big dreams in small eyes struggling to survive on the streets of the metro, feeding on garbage for months together, got trained to be a thief, but look at the irony of the situation. In reality, it was he who was being robbed of his right to a healthy and happy life. He smoked away his years of perhaps the most beautiful phase of our lives which makes our fondest of memories, a phase called 'childhood' where every child has every right to live a life like a free bird, where there exists no prejudices, no biases against anyone, where innocence rules and unconditional love survives, But its so different for these kids.

Physical abuse... sexual exploitation… poverty... hunger... big words aren’t they?
But do we know wat it means?

Do we realize what it is to sleep with n empty stomach for days together; can we ever understand the plight of these children?

I don’t know... Something scares me... and I don’t want to think about it. Its a reality we choose to overlook as its so displeasing to the eyes and the mind that we all tend to almost believe that it doesn’t even exist in the dream world ewe live in. I don’t feel the same way anymore... I saw it happen… I saw the kids sniff the drugs, eat the leftovers from food packets... I saw it all happen in front of me... aur ankh band karne se sach sirf chup sakta hai... khatam nahi hota.. par ise humein khatam karna hai.. main nahi janti kaise.. par iski hum sab logon ko sath milke kuch larna hoga. aur shuruaat ho chuki hai..

We went to the Salaam Baalak Trust shelter home and I saw the walls painted with the jungle story… yes, the hope is still alive, the work is being done. Small steps are being taken which will eventually make a difference… and I shall take it forward, all of us will… the stormy clouds will give way to a bright sunny morning and one more thing, Shekhar would become a bollywood star. Inshallah. :-)

Written by: Saman Quraishi

Minor Edits: Akif Ahmad

WE

WE

Krishan Singh Rajender Ritesh Kumar Shahadatt Sanjay Vijay laxmi Kanchan Jyoti Narayan Rahul Joyti Anish Nasreen Pooja Heena Ritu Ram Anju Rajan Sanjay Raju Singh Rakesh Shekhar Saini Kunal Gosain Saman Quraishi Shashank Nitin Gupta Vikrama ditya sunder Avik Roy Priyanka Nath Sakshi Gera Navita Gulati Gauri Saxena Ketan Puri Shailendra Rawal Lalit Bhushan Vipin Gupta Mahima Copra Anukriti Gulati Swati Mehta Bindiya Bhathija Sukhmani Lamba Luqmaan S.Hasan Arushi Jha Amrita Dwivedi Bushra S.Kazim Snigdha Jha Greeshum Panesar Jyoti nair Tripti Singhi Ayush Gupta Varun Karishma lamba Damini Ralleigh

have joined hands together.

Want to know why ??? just wait and we will invite you for the same..