Civil Society Ushers a New Hope in Kandhamal, Orissa

Civil Society Ushers a New Hope in Defeating the Fundamentalist Forces in the Society An Initiative for Peace in Kandhamal, Orissa ............... On the 17th December 2008, nearly 3000 teachers from all parts of Kandhamal and even from other parts of Orissa went in a procession and gathered at Coronation Grounds in Phulbani town. The public gathering started with the performance of a street theatre group on the reasons for the conflicts and the ways in which common citizens and people’s movements can drive away those evil forces, which create conflict and hatred among people. The public gathering was addressed by a galaxy of dignitaries, social activists and teacher’s federation leaders. Mr. Sandeep Pandey, the International Magsaysay Award winner was one among those who addressed the gathering and called on the teachers present to implant peace education among their students and also requested the teachers’ community to explain & analyse the contextual realities to their students and nurture them with values of justice, secularism and democracy. He also explained the evils of the nuclear power, to which our Indian government is so enthusiastically inclined to implement in India. read it all