Art of Living engages youth in Mumbai

Mumbai: As part of its efforts to inspire the youth to become agents of societal change, the World Alliance for Youth Empowerment (WAYE), youth wing of the Art of Living Foundation of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has started a project to harness the power of youth for transforming Mumbai into a safe, clean, environmentally friendly and egalitarian city.

 

The project, to last for a period of three years, would be based on empowerment and skills workshops followed by service projects. A mega program called “YES” (youth empowerment and skills) will be kick-started from February 21 in Mumbai and spread to other cities of Maharashtra. The project details are given here: 

The project would start with a self-help programme that includes seminars to provide the youth with a toolbox to manage their emotions and stress and navigate through adolescence.  The course helps reduce anger, violence and depression and provides an impetus to improve focus, clarity of mind and concentration. 

 

Its main aspects include yoga, innovative breathing techniques, techniques to improve memory, concentration and focus etc. It would also teach processes to develop problem solving strategies and social skills, besides interactive games to develop leadership and life skills and teamwork exercises to teach co-operation and conflict resolution skills.

 

The second stage would be Service Projects or Clean from the Outside. Youths will be encouraged to work on the inspiration and skills from the a self-help programme to spread cleanliness to the society under Service projects. The projects are aimed at cleanliness of Maharashtra. Youth groups will adopt 100 roads in each city and each group will undertake certain activities in a phased manner.

 

It would involve external cleanliness through cleaning up garbage, roads etc followed by beautification efforts like tree planting and ensuring that residents adopt eco-friendly policies and say no to plastics, invest in rainwater harvesting, alternative energy use and low fuel emission vehicles.

 

(Source: India Syndicate)