Today, August 17 is the Malayalam New Year (Chingam 1st). This is a month of promises for all Keralites. In ten days we will have our Onam celebrations (harvest festival for all). Ten days of holidays for schools and colleges.
URI International Peace Research Institute (IPRI) was inaugurated here in 2011, jointly by Rev. Canon. Dr. Charles Gibbs and Swami Chaturvedi, in the presence of luminaries like Dr. Meher Master Moos, Justice. P. K. Shamsuddin, Fr. Albert Nambiar Parambil, and so many others. We have been marching cautiously towards building up a firm foundation for our continued presence and functioning. We have brought out a few resource materials, including the URI Peace Manual prepared by Barbara Hartford. (It is one of our main resources for TPA Training Programs.) A new book on "Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons" will be published soon.
The glad news is that we have decided to hold an International Peace Building Institute every year during August and September for seven days (during the Onam holidays). In addition to our local Moral Imagination Resource Persons like Dr. Prameeladevi, Dr. K. Jacob and Dr. George Mathew, and myself, we will try our level best to bring one of our international experts also every year from the panel of Dr. Herm Weaver, Rev. Dr. Charles Gibbs, Rev. Dr. Victor Kazanjian, Sally Mahe, Barbara Hartford, Libby Hoffman, Lumumba Patrick, Marites Africa, etc. We will seek the support or SRI Ramanuja Mission Trust for sponsoring our international expert.
The first IPRI Peace Building Institute will be held during August 2016 on the theme of “Religion, Conflict and Conflict Transformation". 40 participants from different parts of the world can attend. We will provide free hospitality. They have to find means for travel from other sources. (Accommodations will be arranged with hospitable families, as usual.) This is the most festive season in Kerala and there will be a lot to share.
Those interested can start sending registration forms (ask URI if interested). There is no fixed registration fee. Delegates can contribute any amount as they please. IPRI will make all resource materials available for participants.
In tomorrow's meeting of our Nuclear Zero CC, we are going to discuss the possibility of total disarmament; not just the eradication of 17600 nuclear warheads. So let us all strive together for a free world, where all our children can live with out any fear of an imminent war and total destruction. Let us invest in peace builders so that they will build a peaceful world.
Warm regards,
Dr. Abraham Karickam
