Magician Nath performing at KIPS Karickam

Magician Nath performing at KIPS Karickam

Sarah Roy Puliyazhikathu (10th Grade) receiving Student of the Year Award from Principal Jiji P Mathew

Robin Mathew (12th Grade) receiving Student of the Year Award from Principal Jiji P. Mathew

Reflections from Africa-10

Reflections from Africa-10

Holocaust is a word which will make us shudder.  Brutality at its worst! How can some one command to kill millions of innocent people just like that? This is true even with a nuclear bomb.

When we visited the Holocaust Museum in Cape Town, we were going back to an age when human beings had no value at all. Millions of brothers and sisters just wiped out of this earth, in the guise of making somebody else's life more comfortable. That is the philosophy of all war mongers.

When future generations write a history of the world, it should not be about killings and wars. It should not be about apartheid and holocausts. It should be about a world where beauty and peace prevail. Peace lovers of the world unite. Yes we unite.

  

Abraham Karickam 

Students of KIPS at Republic day parade at Kottarakara

Reflections from Africa-9

Apartheid must be a universal phenomenon. But the worse form of it might have been in India and South Africa. Caste system was very strong in India at certain period. In Kerala, my State, there was a time when women of some castes were not allowed even to wear a blouse to cover their breasts. Women in the last century led a strike called "rouka strike" ( protest by wearing top), before they got freedom to do that.

When we visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, we could not but weep at the magnitude of segregation that existed in this land in the previous century. There is nothing like being treated as 'animals' in one's own native soil. Innumerable videos and pictures take us to a time of sheer atrocities and humiliation, beyond words.  We in India greet people  with the word ' namaste ', which means " I bow down before the God in you". If God is in us, how can we treat our brothers and sisters like beasts? This should never ever happen again in history at all.  Abraham Karickam

Reflections From Africa-8

 Karen asks me what is the highlight of my visit to South Africa? There cannot be one answer to this. There are so many highlights and on the whole it was just amazing- two CCs were born in this process, of course .
Karen, Tony and Berry were at it and I was so happy to see the birthing. I could meet some extraordinary people and the members of the new CCs will definitely bring revolutionary changes in the life of URI, I am sure, especially the two firebrand women who lead these astounding groups- Vivien Laverge and Nazely Mayet. 

We had a wonderful meeting with some great academicians from the University of Durban yesterday, before going to the Indian Consulate gathering at the Town Hall for the 67th Republic Day celebrations. Prof. Jeff and Prof. Sophy lead  the Department of Peace Building at Durban University. It was amazing to learn that Prof. Jeff is guiding 42 students for research related to non- violence and conflict resolution. This seventy year old gem of a man stunned me with his passion for peace building. We discussed a lot about TPA, Holy Books Conference, Peace Research Institute ( IPRI ) and so on. Africa is full of promises.

Reflections from Africa 7 --Meeting with Ela Gandhi in Durban

"Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood ever walked upon this earth." This is what Albert Einstein wrote about Gandhiji. And we could learn a great deal about this man today, through some unique meetings and visits.
 It was a most memorable day for us in Durban, as we were able to visit the Phoenix Settlement, where Mahatama Gandhi lived a greater portion of his 21 years in South Africa. It is a museum today and that gives us a clear picture of how Mohandas Gandhi became Mahatama Gandhi. It also sheds light into the formative years of the South African Freedom Srtuggle. So much to learn and so much to share.
But the culmination of my visit in South Africa was the meeting with Mrs. Ela Gandhi, grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi. She was a member of the South African Parliament for nine years, the first term during the tenure of Nelson Mandela. Today she is in the fore front of so many interfaith movements. Karen and me could learn so much about the history of interfaith relations in South Africa during our parley with Ela, which lasted for about three hours in her residence.
This is where Mahatama Gandhi lived in Durban where he established the Phoenix Settlement in a hundred acre campus. It was later looted and burnt during the struggle and now rebuilt, but only a small campus today.
 We are very excited to be guests at the Indian Consulate in the evening for the Republic Day celebrations, as special invitees of Ela Gandhi. Both her daughter Ashish and herself are running several Gandhi Trusts today here in this country, which promote the vision and ideals of a Mahatma, who has no comparison.

Abraham Karickam