ABOUT US
The Fellowship of Reconciliation India (FOR India) is a movement working for Nonviolence and Peace education in India, a country where poverty and insecurity are an everyday reality. Indeed, 40% of Indians are living in abject poverty and the families are multi-ethnic, multicultural and pluralistic by nature. That is why, according to Gandhi's thought, Indian people must learn to live together nonviolently. FOR India dedicates to the power of nonviolence and believes that the insanity of violence can only be stopped by the sanity of nonviolence. It aims at renewing commitment personally, politically, economically and internationally to the wisdom of nonviolence. Thus, the organization tries to bring ordinary people into the struggle for the end of violence in order to create a culture of peace and to become true servants of peace in the world. WHAT WE DO
One of the main goals of FOR India is to reject militarism. Indeed, India's government is currently the third of fourth most powerful military machine in the world and continues to waste so many resources on militarism while so many people are in need of the basic necessities of life. The organization strives for a disarmed world by denouncing systemic violence and military solutions. FOR India also urged the government of United Kingdom to take a firm stand against the sale and supply for arms to South Asia in particular, and also the rest of the third world. It appealed against the frequent arms exhibitions of UK Companies in Delhi and other places in the continent. Basically, unarmed peacemaking teams work on resolving conflicts through nonviolent means as well as desisting India from being a pusher of weapons. Instead, Fellowship of Reconciliation India supports the promotion of cooperation among nations as mean and strategy to fight against war and terrorism. India is a country victim of religious struggles for several years now. In this context, FOR India aims at renewing the wisdom of nonviolence that should concern each of the world's religion within the different communities. Indeed, every religions contain the ancient truth of nonviolence. If people come together in dialogue and respect and if they refuse to kill one another, then it would be possible to reweave the strands of Indian culture and to restore the relationship between Muslims and Hindus. United action could lead to the promotion of a cultural change. According to Gandhi, Nonviolence is the most daring, creative and courageous way of living. It pursues dialogue, seeks reconciliation and transforms us socially and politically. So, FOR India is working on eliminating poverty which is also a form of violence in order to reach a fair society. The purpose is to build solidarity with the poor as well as to develop economic independence through meaningful local work in order to feel united in the struggle against poverty. Besides, the movement helps the reintegration into the community of those who are marginalized and rejected to intend new social order and to reduce the feeling of powerlessness. FOR India highlights peaceful and nonviolent interactions and urge the media to challenge violence by underlining solutions like job creations, health services, sanitation, education, role of women and discrimination. In order to create a culture of nonviolence, other means were implemented within Fellowship of Reconciliation India. For instance, the priority of educating and teaching nonviolence to children in India, in schools and at homes. We can also add resistance campaign, preparatory education trainings, and community buildings to fight against violence. Finally, the organization plans to create and finance international nonviolence conflict resolution programs to solidify and implement changes in India.
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PARTNERSHIPS
FOR India and IFOR believe women can contribute to society in proportion to their abilities and experiences. Together with the Women Peacemakers Program (IFOR) and FOR India Women's Wing, they organized training sessions in different places of India for both women and men in Asia. A series of programs of participative learning and sharing of life experiences started a process of gathering women and men to face the unfairness whose women are often victims. In this context, they initiated actions and exploration of areas which would change women's lives and men's behaviours. That is why, a network of skilled and educated volunteers was designated to protect women from domestic violence, to provide them short stay homes and accompaniment and counseling for victims of abuse. FOR India also supports opportunities for education, employment, leadership and participation for Indian women. Indeed, most women have always functioned within the framework of dependence and are easily manipulated physically and emotionally in the country. In order to find ways of empowering women, several issues ranging from gender were mentioned such as nonviolent conflict transformation, women's role in villages, reconstruction, leadership and communication. This leads to several programs in urban and metropolitan areas for women on the social construct of gender calling for change. Nowadays, the position of women becomes more balanced within the family and within the community. In 1997, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed that the year 2000 would be the International Year for a Culture of Peace in order to give greater worldwide support for a Culture of Peace - Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World-. FOR India was part of this aspiration and undertook programs so that the Decade would not be only a general hope but a concrete project. Thus, FOR India youth wing gathered many signatures in order to promote the Appeal for the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, the official campaign for this Decade. SUPPORT USGandhi challenged us to pursue a new millennium of nonviolence and said "there is no hope for the aching world except through the narrow and straight path of nonviolence." This is not an impossible dream. You can pledge your life to the nonviolent transformation of the world, and in order to create a new culture of nonviolence, each of us can take several basic steps to help fulfill that dream. FOR India relies on people to share this great hope for a future filled with peace. First, we can exorcise the violence and untruth for our lives to lead ourselves into a world of nonviolence. Then, we can articulate a vision that incorporates our shared values and help to feel that we are all working for the same end. This will create a sense of solidarity which will make us more powerful. FOR India is looking for funds and volunteers as well to involve themselves in new discoveries in the field of nonviolence, building a culture of peace for the new millennium and becoming like Gandhi, teachers and prophets of nonviolence. FOR India |
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