Showing 12 articles
Developing Virtue
Author: Tushar SawantMay 12, 2021
A long time ago, in the lands marked by the Roman Republic, a group of senators marched with haste to meet a man tilling a small farm. Upon watching the senators approach his farm, the man enquired, “Is everything alright?” to which they replied, “We hope that it might turn out well for both you [...]
A Diary of a Struggling Ecologist
Author: Ubai HuseinOctober 14, 2020
This journey started with my love for food, which prompted me to pursue a degree in Culinary Arts. There, in addition to simply cooking, I was introduced to the various aspects about growing and producing food before it enters the kitchen, including the entire mechanism of factory farming and the resulting destruction caused to the [...]
Is Being the Highest Giving ?
Author: Sukesh MotwaniJuly 20, 2020
Deeply inspired by great philanthropists in our times, one often struggles with the dilemma of how and what we can do in terms of charity or social service. Generally, such noble intentions first veer towards sending supplies and relief material to victims of natural disasters, accidents or riots. One might also perhaps commit a part [...]
Standing for True Solidarity
Author: Trishya ScrewvalaApril 17, 2020
In many ways, the last decade can be considered a decade of protests – starting with the Arab Spring in 2010 and the Occupy Wallstreet Movement soon after, to the still ongoing clashes on the streets of Hong Kong, Venezuela’s uprising against its leadership and the widespread protests against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, to name [...]
Impact of an Idealist: Ela Bhatt
Author: Manjula NanavatiSeptember 30, 2018
One could attempt to describe Ela Bhatt with adjectives: soft-spoken, tenacious, compassionate, dedicated, principled, self-effacing. Or one could use nouns: lawyer, labor-leader, social activist, banker, author, philanthropist. But all these words together still do not comprehensively encompass her visionary foresight, her inexhaustible energy, her unbending strength of purpose, and her [...]
Idealism, Philosophy, Volunteering – Three Pathways for Change
Author: Gilad SommerApril 3, 2018
Many of us wish to change the world. But how can it be done? First of all, it is obvious we are not just seeking to change the world – the world is changing anyhow, regardless of what we do. The ancient philosophers wisely stated that the only permanent thing in the world is change. [...]
Empowering Real Change
Author: Purbasha GhoshMay 3, 2017
Few amongst us can deny a ubiquitous yearning for change – socially, politically, ecologically, spiritually and a myriad other dimensions. Unfortunately, this longing seldom manifests beyond vehemently voicing the already well-recognised need for change or deluging the social media space with our postulates of it. Real change, nevertheless, continues to elude us. Intimidated by the [...]
Volunteering for True Change
Author: Trishya ScrewvalaSeptember 23, 2016
Winston Churchill famously said, “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give”. When we speak of volunteering today, we often think of people who have “more”, an abundance of knowledge or resources, sharing with those who we consider to have “less”. However, if we look at [...]
In Search of Excalibur
Author: Harianto MehtaJanuary 26, 2016
Like all mythology, that of illustrious King Arthur has endured the test of time, transmitting essential eternal values that serve to inspire human civilizations of all ages. From its tale, it is not always easy to demarcate between elements of documented history and magical folklore, but perhaps in this very enigmatic characteristic lies the motivation [...]
Philosophical Activism: For Best Results Start at the Root
Author: Gilad SommerMarch 4, 2015
Many of us feel the need to take concrete action, with the hope that our children may have a better place to live in. However, without contemplating the deeper reasons for our problems, activism can become a Sisyphean task – acting repeatedly, without making any real change. Wangari Maathai, the late Kenyan Nobel prize winner, [...]
Against Separation, We Need Trust
Author: Delia Steinberg GuzmánOctober 4, 2014
The word “unify” comes from the Latin unus and facere, “to make one”, that is, to bring together various different parts that are coherent with another, and combine them in such a way that we can achieve a harmonious and homogeneous unity. It is an act of coming closer together, of connection, which, if it [...]
Practical Implications of the Theory of Reincarnation
Author: Alex WarrenAugust 27, 2014
Why reincarnation makes a difference in the way we live our lives. Every man’s soul has by the law of his birth been a spectator of eternal truth, or it would never have passed into this our mortal frame, yet still it is no easy matter for all to be reminded of their past by [...]