Footsteps Of Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi once said “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” On December 26, 2017 Chad, Yarnome and I were able to travel to India and become familiar with the culture that inspired Gandhi. Our mission was to capture the experience of the Peace Builders of the Peace Exchange and make sure that we get their full experience documented on film. I had the chance to join the Peace Exchange to their trip to South Africa last year as well. So for me, I was very excited to be able to compare the two trips and see how differently or similar their practices of peace are. While doing so, Yarnome and I experienced a journey that we will forever take with us.
As the days went on, I started to understand why the people there are so concerned with each other's well-being. It didn't matter if they knew one another, the people of India are so caring for each other that its breathtaking. I was able to evaluate myself and others to get a better understanding of why conflicts happen. In each city we traveled through (Jaipur, Agra, New Delhi), we met people from different organizations who are dedicated to building peace and maintaining a stress free atmosphere. I started to feel like I belonged instead of feeling like a tourist from America. As we ate the local cuisine, home cooked meals and stayed in the hostels, we got comfortable and were able to take in some ways to relieve stress and tension, like different breathing techniques and yoga. One strategy that stuck out: just simply tell others your need. If you simply communicate what you're going through or what you need to be at peace within, the conflict between us as a society will diminish and we will be at peace together. Paying it forward is a way to help others in need, and that is certainly what the Peace builders in the Peace Exchange are doing, by teaching the youth in communities how to decrease the violence.
