INDIA:
Millennium Gandhi Award for Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa

On 2nd October 2001 (Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi) Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa was honoured with the Millennium Gandhi Award by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. New Delhi. This award was given to Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa (along with Edward Goldsmith, Satish Kumar, Mohammad Idris, Sun-derlal Bahaguna and Krishnam-mal & Jaganathan; see below for more details) in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards building critical Consciousness and human awareness related to development and democracy in Siam as well as in other parts of Asia. The distribution of Millennium Gandhi Award(s) was held as an extension of a three-day conference on "Globalisation, Environment and People's Survival" between 29th September 2001 and 1s" October 2001 at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

On 1" October 2001 Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa participated in the morning session on "Water Privatisation" and later in the afternoon made a highly insightful presentation on "Earth Democracy". A more significant development during this period was the inauguration of Bija Vidyapeeth (International College for Sustainable Living) which is located at the foothills of the Himalayas and the Shi-valiks, about ten miles from Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal. After a special inauguration ceremony Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa addressed the community of international students, faculty and other guests on the problems and challenges facing humanity as well as the responses from the people. He emphasized the need for cultivation of mindfulness and ability to listen to the voices of people. This inaugural address was followed by the planting of a "forest of diversity" (Vividhta Van). Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa planted a camphor sapling with a wish that the International College of Sustainable Living would soon grow into an institution that spreads the message of peace and harmony throughout the world.

Ramu Manivannan

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Satish Kumar is the founding director of Schumacher College and editor of Resurgence. He is a leading figure in the spiritual and environmental fields in Britain. He is a former Jain monk and was involved in the land reform movement with Vinoba Bhave in India. He has also walked 8,000 miles from India to the USA. without money, for peace and nuclear disarmament.

Edward Goldsmith is the founding editor of The Ecotogist. Since the 1960s Goldsmith has been making an enormous contribution to raising awareness of the ecological crisis and proposing solutions to it- He has written many articles and books that are critical of modern industrial society and point out alternative, ecological approaches.

Mohammad Idris founded the Consumer Association of Penang in 1969, SAM (Friends of the Earth Malaysia) in 1978 and the Third World Network in 1984.

Krishnammal & Jaganathan, are a Gandhian couple who have led the land reform movement and the satyagraha campaign against shrimp farming. Krishnammal is the secretary of LAFTI (Land for the Tiller's Freedom).

Sunderlal Bahaguna is the Gandhian leader of the Chipko movement and the movement against the Tehri dam on the sacred Ganges.

Seeds of Peace Vol.18 No.l 5
Jan. - Apr. 2545 (2002)

This article is pasted on https://www.sulak-sivaraksa.org on : 2005-08-04

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