Nat Yogachandra

Sustaining Community Initiatives A Pig Farm and Computer Center in a village school in Manipur, India Last week (June 2011) we flew to Imphal, capital city of Manipur, India from Kolkata. Imphal is located in the extreme east of India, bordering Myanmar (Burma). It is a quiet, crowded but uneventful city. But, we had to register ourselves at the airport - all foreigners need to get special registration at the airport. There was a good reason for this. In October 2008, Imphal was struck by a large terror attack carried out by Manipuri insurgents fighting for to regain sovereignty from India. This city has a history of ethnic rivalries. It is also the home of the Meitei tribe and is a largely Hindu region, but with a very specific culture of its own. The day we arrived, we took a two-hour drive in a small mini, non-AC, van to see Loktak lake, which is a tourist spot in Manipur area. It is 48Kms away from Imphal City and a two-hour drive. It rained all the way. Loktak lake is like...

E radicating Poverty: Moving Forward As One We all know that all around the world rich are getting richer. Nearly thirty years ago, the richest 1 percent of Americans got 9 percent of total national income in the United States, By 2007, they had 23 percent. In 2009, new census data show, the rich-poor income gap was the widest on record. (David R. Francis - Christian Science Monitor ). According to Timothy Noah of Slate , the United States now has a more unequal distribution of wealth than some of the third world countries like, Nicaragua, Venezua and Guyana. Timothey writes, “ All my life I've heard Latin America described as a failed society (or collection of failed societies) because of its grotesque maldistribution of wealth. Peasants in rags beg for food outside the high walls of opulent villas, and so on. But according to the Central Intelligence Agency income distribution in the United States is more unequal than in Guyana, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, and roughly ...

Art Curiculum Training for Haiti Children. (November 13-20, 2010) I recently attended an Art Curriculum workshop for the teachers in Haiti which was developed and conducted by Ms. Judy Rector and sponsored by Mona Foundation and Hope is Life Foundation. Ms. Judy is a retired teacher from Washington, USA. To rebuild and create a vibrant community where children can enjoy academic and moral education, where the community can enjoy material and spiritual prosperity, it is important that the local community be empowered to participate and sustain the development process. This was exactly what happened during this training program. Whether to start a socioeconomic development project or to start a community school, Hope is Life Foundation’s goal is for the local community be endowed with an understanding of concepts, learning the skills, and acquiring the knowledge of the project. The entire staff of Anis Zunuzi School in Port Au Prince, Haiti attended this art curriculum work...