AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 116 of 153 Swadeshi: 94. The term was coined in 1908 in India when the spinning wheel was already proving to be a valuable asset. Gandhiji was clear that village industries could start up in order to make villages sustainable but unless it received the backing of the rich it would collapse. 95. He, therefore, came up with the idea of Swadeshi which encourages local products through a principled buying of that which is produced by hand and locally, even if it is not the best. The spirit of patriotism and dedication to upliftment of people would supersede the quest for quality, for cheaper products and for fashion. Although Gandhiji warned the producers not to become complacent and continue to produce inferior products but rather develop a pride in their production and produce the best and finest articles. So the basic idea of swadeshi is listed in: a) Local economy b) National and communal spirit c) Encouraging people to help each other d) Building on local resources and skills e) Replicating and perpetuating skills and production 96. Describing this concept Vandana Shiva says: “Economic freedom according to Swadeshi is based on endogenously driven development rather than externally controlled development. Swadeshi for Gandhi was a positive concept based on building what a community has in terms of resources, skills, institutions and transforming them, where they were inadequate. Imposed resources institutions and structures leave a people unfree and are non sustainable. Swadeshi for Gandhi was central to the creation of peace, freedom and sustainable development. Swadeshi is based on people’s economies and their ability to organise themselves. Swadeshi or self-organisation in economic affairs is the basis of economic freedom, and without economic freedom, there can be no political freedom, or self- governance and self-rule. (The writer is a member of the South African parliament. She represents Phoenix, a large township of 3,00,000 people near Durban. As a peace and gender activist she was banned and put under house arrest between 1975-1983. She is the granddaughter of Mohandas K Gandhi.) The life of man is like a game with dice; if you don’t get the throw you want, you must show your skill in making the best of the throw you get. ~ Terence The Art of Self Discovery - Sri Sri Ravishankar Onward march {Sri Sri Ravishankar was born in Bangalore. During his teens, he studied with many renowned spiritual masters and became a scholar of Vedic literature. He completed his traditional education and obtained an advanced degree in modern science by age seventeen . In 1982, “Sri Sri” (pronounced, “Shree Shree”) presented the world with a new gift for humanity – the Sudarshan Kriya technique. He served on the advisory board of Yale University’s School of Divinity and spoke at various international fora such as the