Young minds gathered in Surat, Gujarat to discuss the value of integrating the culture and values of ancient India into modern education. Their recommendations will contribute to policymaking for Civil 20.
A thought-provoking Youth Conclave was organised by AYUDH Gujarat at Auro University, Surat, as part of the Civil 20 Education and Digital Transformation Working Group. AYUDH is the Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s youth wing and has chapters in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and India. It is a dynamic organisation that works towards the holistic development of young people.
The conclave in Surat included 25 core members of AYUDH Gujarat and aimed to foster meaningful discussions on crucial topics related to Education for Life and Global Citizenship. It brought together young minds passionate about shaping the future of education and policy in India and across the world. The participants contributed valuable implementations to be added in the C20 policymaking process, including ways to integrate the culture and values that existed in ancient India into modern education systems.
The result was four key themes: Global Citizenship through Service Learning; The Indian Gurukula Tradition—An Inspiration for Self-Reliant Learning; Heritage and the Ancient Culture of India in the Education System; and Mindfulness and Counselling in the Education System.
“This was such a good opportunity for us. We were able to present our ideas for policymaking and include the necessary changes that can be adapted in the aspect of Education for Life and Global Citizenship,” said Ms Anushree Pandya, Coordinator, AYUDH Ahmedabad.
“Every point we presented was inspired by the values and morals that we learned from Amma and being part of AYUDH. We thank the AYUDH coordinators from the National Coordination team and C20 working group for making this possible for us.”
Bri Amritatmika Chaitanya and Bri Niseema, India’s National Coordinators of AYUDH, spoke about Amma’s vision of Education for Life and their direct experience of that teaching. Amma often shares there is education for a living, which is essential for success in the academic and material sense, but Education for Life equips young people with the knowledge, skills and values needed to lead an ethical, empowering and socially beneficial life.
“Youth is the best medium to deliver the inputs on real education for life and the implementations to be adapted in the education system under C20. The Youth Conclave impacted the youth in ensuring them to present the best practices for integrating compassion in education for a better future as envisioned by Amma,” said Bri Amritatmika.
The chief guest was Dr Bhavna Kamlesh Joshipura, Senior Advocate, former first woman mayor of Rajkot. The conclave was moderated by Br Ramanandamrita Chaitanya, Director MA Centers and AYUDH Americas, who also led the brainstorming sessions with the AYUDH members.
The discussions and presentations by the AYUDH members provided valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders involved in shaping the future of education. By discussing these critical topics, the Youth Conclave ignited conversations that will contribute to the development of progressive policies. They have become catalysts of positive change that address the evolving needs of the education sector in our rapidly changing world, both concretely and digitally.
