CC NAME: KARICKAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, SOUTH INDIA REGION
FAITHS AND TRADITIONS REPRESENTED
IN CC: HINDUS, MUSLIMS, DLITS AND CHRISTIANS.
LOCATION OF CC: KARICKAM, KOTTARAKKARA, KOLLAM DISTRICT, KERALA STATE.
KEY AREAS OF
FOCUS: Counseling, IFHW Celebrations, YLP Programs, Youth Leadership Training,
IDP Rally
Value Added Education, Civil service Training,
Community Development programs, Cancer Care and Medical Assistance,
Environmental
Protection, Education, Career Guidance,
Peace Building etc.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CONTACT
INFORMATION:
Anila.S.V Jiji.P.Mathew
Karickam International Public School Friends Complex
Karickam P. O Karickam.
P.O
Kottarakara Kottarakara
Ph: 9539093863 Ph:
9446710367
Email: anilamol05@gmail.com Email:
jpm29466@gmail.com
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the current
religious/cultural/social context in the area where your CC is working?
There
are around 600 members in our CC. They belong to four communities described
above. There are three schools, Agricultural University, ESI hospital, famous
Ganapathi Temple, Muslim Mosque etc. in our place. There is a big cashew
factory also. The Sadananda Ashram houses an Ayurvedic Centre also. World famous
classical dance form Kathakali
originated in Kottarakkara. An
institution named Kalakshetra for teaching various arts like Kathakali
is situated near the Mahaganapathi
temple. Famous St. Gregorious College is also within three Kilometeres.
Karickam
has become an educational Hub in the region. Almost one hundred years ago the
Seventh Day Adventist Missionaries from United States of America came here and
started a school. That was a turning point in our history. It opened out doors
for a revival and it was a window to the West. All the villagers got a chance
for better education.
2. Why is interfaith/intercultural bridge
building needed in the area where your CC works?
The four communities of our
region, viz. Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Dalits usually live in peace, but
due to political manipulations, the relationship fail on several occasions. The
‘other’ becomes an enemy. We have to be very vigilant in order to keep the
social fabric in tact. And today youth have lost their moral values and they might
become criminals and some of them turn to drugs. So the interfaith meetings and
youth leadership training are very essential for educating the youth. We
promote peace through our Interfaith Students, Movement with affiliates in
several educational institutions in Kerala.
(i).
Career Guidance Program.
(ii).
Counseling for students.
(iii).
Distributing saplings in connection with Environment Day on June 5th
.
Principal Jiji P Mathew distributing seedlings as part of
forestation program.
Environmental Activities.
(Distribution of saplings & seeds, medicinal garden, vegetable garden etc)
(Distribution of saplings & seeds, medicinal garden, vegetable garden etc)
(iv). Palliative Care.
Students presenting 10,000 rupees to Mr. Shaji, who
is in bed for 10 years after a bus accident, 35 KM away from our school.
Every year our students and staff collect
around 100,000 rupees (2000 dollars approx.) for cancer care. Sometimes there
will be a special drive for some patients, especially parents or immediate
family members of our community.
(v).
Conducting leadership training and youth camp.
Participants of annual youth camp—second line
leaders of URI.
(vi).
Celebrating days of National and International relevance.
(vii).Conducting Water Literacy Seminar.
Water Literacy
Seminar being inaugurated by V. Prakash, Asst. Director of Water and Irrigation
Department of the Govt. of Kerala. (News in Mathrubhoomi Daily).
(viii).
International Day of Peace celebration.
Peace rally in connection with UN International day
of Peace. We conduct this program every year, which attaracts the attention of
large number of peaople.
(Ix) 5th
International Holy Books Conference.
Participants of the 5th International
Holy Books Conference, which was held in our school in 2013.
(x). Sri
Lankan Gandhi Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne was honored by our CC.
Magseyse award
winner Dr. A. T. Ariaratna (Founder President of Sarvodaya Movement in Sri
Lanka) with our students at KIPS. It was a rare privilegefor us to receive this veteran URI leader in our
institution.
(xi). We celebrate UN Interfaith Harmony Week.
UN Interfaith Harmony
Week is celebrated every year in our school with a series of programs. Rev. Dr.
Victor kazanjian inaugurating 2015 Harmony Week clelebration by flying a pigeon
into the sky.
(xii).
Support ‘Run Kerala Run’.
We supported the Run Kerala Run program of Kerala Govt. for a better
Health Culture. All our senior students and staff participated in the 2 KM run.
(xiii). YLP Water Harvester Inauguration
YLP Water Harvester Inauguration at
KIPS by Dr. Victor Kazanjian- a special URI project under Youth
Leadership Program supported by the Hub Office, San Francisco.
(xiv).
Interfaith Exhibition.
A scene from the
Interfaith Exhibition that we conduct every other year. Large number of people
visit our booths with multifarious
rarities.
(xv).
Medical Camp.
Medical
Camp is one of our regular programs. There have been camps related to Heart
care, Cancer care etc.
(xvi).
Conducted South India Zonal Assembly.
We could organize the URI South India Zonal Assembly last year in
connection with the visit of Matthew Youde and Krithika Hareesh.
(xvii). Community Service
Malayala Manorama news about our Community out
reach program—Collection Check for Cancer care being handed over by Dr. J.
Parameela Devi (Women’s Commission Member of Kerala) to Thomas P. Malchi,
President of Santhvanam cancer care Society.
1. Between which specific religions
or cultures are bridges being built?
Mainly among the three communities like Hindus, Muslims and
Christians. In our CC Students are specially trained for community development and
peace building.
2. Please explain the method or strategy that your CC uses to bring
together people of different cultures and faiths that would otherwise not
interact or cooperate with each other.
Our main method is to bring all
faiths in one circle through IDP Rally, Career guidance program, Counseling,
Youth camp, Interfaith exhibition, palliative care, IFHW celebrations and so
on.
3. Given the current context you described,
what does your CC hope to achieve (goals)?
We hope to cultivate a culture of dialogue and
lasting peace in our locality. Environmental protection is also one of our
primary objectives, and we have created a medicinal garden in our compound. We
feel it is a gift that we can communicate directly with 500 students and staff
members who are being motivated through our activities.
We hope
to create a potential generation of youngsters who can build a new society free
of violence. We invest in the youth for a better world. We mould citizens of
the world.
4. How do you see your CC’s work improving
cooperation among people of different traditions?
We have people of different traditions in our school and it
becomes a nucleus of excellent interfaith relations. It is surprising that the
knowledge about other religions is very limited among the students. We are
trying to cultivate a intercultural and interreligious foundation that provides
a new philosophical view for our young member
5. How is the work of your CC helping to
prevent religiously inspired violence or transforming conflict? (NOTE: This question
is relevant only in areas with violence/open conflict.)
6. What are some observations or signs you see
that relations are improving between people of different faiths/cultures in the
area where your CC works?
It is a great achievement that we have been
able to bring together all the residents of Karickam during the Onam festival.
This event was the first of its kind to happen in this locality. Large numbers
of people assemble irrespective of caste and creed when we have programs like
medical camps, IDP Peace procession and so on. Our CC has hundreds of families
generously contributing towards our pain and Palliative care program.
7. Please share specific short story about your
CC’s work that might teach a lesson about interfaith or inspire other CCs.
Once,
one of our students’ mother was in critical stage due to cancer. The moment we
knew about this, all CC members came forward to help that poor patient. Within two days we collected more
than 60,000 rupees (1000 dollars) and gave it to her. After recovering she came
to us and expressed her gratitude with tears. It was an unforgettable
experience.
Our members recently travelled 40 kms to visit another person who had been in bed for the past 10
years. He was injured in a bus accident that left him paralyzed. He called our
contact person after reading about our programs in local newspapers. The moment
was recognition of our work that a person in need could reach out to us seeking
help. We contributed 1000 Rupees towards his medical treatment. It was an unforgettable
experience to spend some time with a family and provide them with moral and
financial support.
8. How is your CC’s work helping to achieve the
mission of URI?
All our social work helps realize the objectives of URI. URI is in itself
a peace building entity, and we are also striving to bridge the gap between
religions and cultures
9. Within your CC, you have members from
several different faiths and cultural traditions. How would you describe
cooperation among your CC’s members? What are the challenges?
We have four communities on our campus and interfaith
worship is sometimes a challenge. Some fundamental Christian groups find it
difficult to understand our vocation. But on the whole we are developing a new
philosophy of ‘one humanity.’
10.
How is
being part of URI helping your CC to achieve its goals?
Our institution and our CC have gained a
lot by becoming part of URI. Our members have been able to grow as world
citizens. Every student now feels that he/she is like a youth ambassador of
United Nations, because of our UN related activities. Many of them want to
study peace-building and conflict transformation courses in the future.
11.
Aside
from funding, what are some specific ways URI can better support your CC in
reaching its goals?
URI can support us in the following programs:
1) Send international
volunteers to work in our school for a few weeks.
2) Help us find a
partner school in another continent with which we can have exchange programs.
Compiled by T. G.
Stephen and Sini.D
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