| Members of the GLI International Advisory Board (IAB) have just returned from a week-long visit to India. The participants were: |
| From outside India: Mr Robin Rowland - GLI Co-founder and Executive Chairman Ms Fan Li - GLI Co-founder and Executive Director Rev Jim Baker - GLI Trustee Mrs Phillida Purvis - GLI Trustee Mr Martin Blakebrough - IAB Member Mr Adrian Carradice-Davids - IAB Member Mrs Elaine Griffiths - IAB Member Ms Quinghua Song - IAB Member Mrs Libby Brayshaw - GLI Executive Director and Webmaster |
| From India: Dr Christopher Daniel - by invitation to IAB Ms Sujata Ganega - IAB Member Mr Rengaraj Ramaswamy - by invitation to IAB |
| The decision to meet in India was taken because Tamil Nadu has the largest number of GLI Networkers and is the fastest growing in terms of new Networker registrations in our global network. Robin and Libby had also made a very successful visit 6 months ago and were convinced by the warm reception and efforts made to introduce us to projects and partners in this area that a second visit would be very worthwhile. The quality and diversity of innovative grass roots social action we had seen we knew would excite, stimulate and widen the experience of our International Advisory Board members. |
| Our aim was for our annual IAB meeting to take place somewhere where all participants would be able to experience a new culture and a new country to help us to focus on the needs of Networkers across the globe. Taking people away from their home environments and exposing them to new and different experiences can release creativity, stimulate thought and prompt action - it can, and does, change lives. |
| We also wanted to introduce our Chinese colleague Fan Li (GLI Executive Director) and IAB member Ms Song (founder of Shining Stone Community Action in Beijing) to India and wanted our Indian partners and friends to meet Chinese people committed to grass roots social action so that they could share their common experiences and understand a little better each other's culture and ways of life. |
| One of the great highlights of the whole trip was to see Tamil-speaking audiences being addressed by Ms Song in Chinese, perhaps hearing the language for the first time, and being given the opportunity to hear and interact about how China is dealing with its pressing social issues. |
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| We started our visit in Chennai. This part of the programme was generously organised by Panchu - Kuppusamy Panchaksharam, Secretary of SIPA - who has joined as our 600th Networker - and Sunil Scaria - another of our Networkers - and we are most honoured and grateful for their kind hospitality, excellent administration and thoughtful planning of our working and cultural experience visits. |
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| The highlights of our couple of days in Chennai were, first, the seminar attended by more than 50 NGOs on Monday morning which gave us a fascinating insight into the needs and issues of local grass roots organisations and some background to the wider issues facing India as its economy expands and turns to meet the challenges of globalisation. |
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| Second, our visits to two inspiring social projects - JEEVA jyothi looking after vulnerable children |
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| and running a fascinating paper recycling and making operation (the Director V Susauraj is one of our new Networkers) |
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| and the SIPA fair trade shop to see the craftwork produced by grass roots projects across Southern India. |
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| We were especially delighted to see the instantly recognisable and very beautiful lampshades made from aloe fibre by yet another our Networkers, Sucilia Pandian, and her rural crafts women - Robin and Libby had met Sucilia and been shown her work in Trichy on our last visit in November. |
| And finally, the unforgettable evening 'cultural awareness' trip to the rock carvings at Mamallapurum and the walk on the beach. |
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| We then flew down to Madurai - the Temple City - famous for being one of the oldest cities in the world and home of the magnificent and awe-inspiring Meenakshi Temple complex. Here our great friend and supporter Dr Christopher Daniel and his wonderful family and team met us. |
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| Dr Christopher and his wife Prof Kala Christopher took us to their Goodwill Social Work Centre where we were welcomed with glittering, sweet-smelling sandal wood garlands, golden cloaks and craftwork gifts. |
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| We were shown the work of the centre and some of its outreach activities in a slide show and were impressed by the scale of Goodwill's operations - helping more than 18,000 people over the last few years. |
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| We were then taken out to one of Goodwill's village projects to be welcomed and garlanded, shown the variety of educational and vocational training activities provided by Goodwill and entertained by dancers and singers, many of whom where the children of the village. |
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| We were delighted that Ms Song reciprocated by singing a traditional Chinese song most beautifully. We were honoured to be asked to distribute prizes for the entertainment and training certificates, and had a wonderfully happy evening sharing some English children's action songs with the crowds. |
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| We were joined that evening and for the rest of our programme by our friend Ram - Rengaraj Ramaswamy from Pudukottai - one of our first and very supportive Indian Networkers. Ram had organised a very successful seminar for grass roots organisations on our last visit in Trichy and it was good to see him again and to spend time together. |
| On Wednesday morning (18th April) we held the second GLI-NGOs Interactive Meeting in the Fortune Pandiyan Hotel arranged and organised by Goodwill. 317 participants from 257 organisations attended the event - far outstripping all expectations. |
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| Interaction with a group of this size was challenging but there were plenty of opportunities to exchange cards, make contact and gather information on projects and initiatives from each other. |
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| The formal meeting was extremely well put together with all the necessary equipment and conveniences that make for a smooth delivery and exchange of information and we were most ably assisted in translation, not least by Prof Kala Christopher, for which we are most grateful indeed. We also had the chance to demonstrate our website and signed up several new Networkers at the meeting. |
| Following the meeting, we were taken in two mini buses to visit a range of projects in and around Madurai - ANABAGUM (Association for the mentally retarded) |
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| and the SBT College of Special Education - ANABAGAM extension, |
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| and three GLI Networkers' projects - the Indian Association for the Blind Sundarrajan patty village, |
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| Project IMPACT India |
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| and the M.S. Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation. |
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| On Thursday morning we convened for our International Advisory Board meeting. We received a detailed report from Ram about his Indian social sector experience and discussed our operations in China, Japan and Asia. In the afternoon we were taken by Dr Christopher and his team to visit more social projects - this time to the Grace Peter Charitable Trust - another GLI Networker's project |
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| - and the Dr JC Kumarappa Institute of Rural Technology and Development Gandhiniketan Ashram. |
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| We were delighted to be able to visit the famous Meenakshi Temple on our way back to the hotel - a really exciting and unforgettable cultural experience for us all. |
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| Friday morning saw the second part of our IAB meeting focussing on India with a chance to hear from our Indian advisors Dr Christopher Daniel and Sujata Gunega from SUPPORT in Mumbai. All our Indian advisors' input is invaluable and will guide us in our deliberations about how best to serve the needs of our Indian, and especially our Tamil Nadu, Networkers. |
| In the afternoon Sujata took us out into Madurai town to experience the hustle and bustle of shopping on the day before the Lord Shiva and Meenakshi Wedding festival which will see Madurai's population increase by a million as devotees pour into the city for the 18 day long celebrations. |
| We were back in the hotel at 5pm for a press conference with the National and Local press (click here to see the report in the Hindu) |
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| and then for most of us it was time to pack our bags for our long flights home. Dr Christopher, Kala and their daughter Melita together with their team of three wonderful workers saw us off at the airport. Martin, Robin and Sujata stayed on one more day for further networker project visits. |
| We all felt hugely privileged to have met so many amazing people doing so much for those in need, to have been welcomed and looked after so warmly, kindly and thoughtfully, to have seen some of the cultural wonders of the world and to have been together to share these experiences with colleagues possessing such different skills, experiences and perspectives from around the world. For some, on their first visit to India, this has been a life changing experience. |
| Our sincere thanks and heartfelt gratitude to all who spent their valuable time with us. |