Australasia and Oceania

Ananda Marga River School, Australia

Hundreds of adults and children attended the River School Spring Festival in October. In a week full of rain and thunderstorms, on this one day we enjoyed perfect warm sunshine all day long which created such a joyful festival atmosphere.

The school was decorated with rainbow 'virtue' flags and banners. Each class hosted a colorful stall: used books and toys, all-juice ice-blocks, a Bat Cave Cafe, fresh juices and much more.

Children enjoyed a magician and stilt walkers, fun and games, art activities, tie-dye t-shirts, face painting and crazy hair... plus the chance to help out in their own class stalls.

Adults chose from live music, a variety of lectures from parenting to permaculture, dance workshops, an original film festival, or could book for a massage or other treatment at the healing space where talented parents donated their time.

The school tuck shop was transformed into a beautiful Rainbow Cafe with kiirtan playing throughout the day where people lined up to enjoy delicious sentient lunches from lasagne to spinach & feta triangles, and sentient chai and cakes. Some of the food was grown in the school's own gardens. Dada Nityashivananda prepared an Indian Feast which was also very successful.



There was a special emphasis on stocking our new library, and some beautiful books were donated on the day. Some other special touches were the indigenous opening ceremony and the organic fair trade t-shirts for tie-dying.



Other news from the River School:

This year at the River School a new administrative block and classrooms, a beautiful library/music room, tuckshop, new play areas and vegetable gardens, and a large gym/performing arts space have all been completed. The school is now in the process of putting in extensive vegetable gardens (for each class) and fruit trees, as well as some vibrant art around the new buildings. The school has around 200 students from 2 to 13 years old.

Download an update of the school here.

The River School also opened a new Early Childhood Centre this year, which a recent visitor called a “wonderland!” The new centre doubles the school’s space for early childhood (Kindy and Pre-Kindy) and will be open 42 weeks a year, allowing parents to claim the government childcare rebate. The new ECC building, verandas and gardens are really beautiful and inviting, creating a wonderful background for Neohumanist education.

The school continues to be outstanding in service, the arts and sporting awards and exposing the children to the practice and philosophy of universal spirituality. Last week the school took out a host of awards at the Hinterland Young Artists competition, including best school sculpture and best primary painting.
 
In August children, parents and teachers ran a cake stall at the local community centre and busked on the main street in aid of the Ananda Marga kindergarten in Bucharest, Romania. Over $700 was raised. The kids showed such a great spirit of service towards their brothers and sisters in Romania. It was beautiful to see how everyone extended their love to help out those in need on the other side of the world.



In September the Parent Committee held a Cafe Night at the school, with a vegetarian dinner followed by talent sharing. During a break in the show, a four year old boy from kindergarten took the microphone and sang Baba Nam Kevalam in full voice with immense enthusiasm. Everyone was captivated!

Meditation continues to be a prime focus at the school. These beautiful photos were taken by a journalist who visited to do an article on the school:

This is what a parent had to say about the school recently:

"I love our school. I love our school so much I want to be a teacher so I never have to leave it. It has a heart that beats on its own, the most amazingly devoted and incredible teachers and a spiritual philosophy that is hard to dispute. It's blissful!"


Joy for Japan fundraiser

A Joy for Japan dinner and concert fundraiser for Japan earthquake victims was held in April. The Japanese meal was delicious, the painting was lots of fun and the concert (featuring five high-profile local bands) was amazing… continuing on until midnight. Around $1500 was raised for AMURT Japan.

This beautiful piece of art was sent from some of the children being cared for in our refugee camps at Shichigahama, Japan, to feature at the event:

PCAP (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Plants)

Jyoti in Canberra is president of the ACT Vegetarian Society. She has organised many vegetarian events, including a recent talk at Australian National University which attracted well over 150 people. In August they had a stall at the Live Animal Export Rally outside Parliament House, well positioned next to our Animal Liberation friends. Jyoti says, 'We actively seek to connect with all like-minded groups. Our reason for being there was not just to protest about the horrors of the live animal trade but also to highlight the suffering of animals and poultry right here in Australia.  Our stalls are always very busy with lots of people coming up asking about nutrition and related things.'



How's that for going green!

Jyoti also recently organised a talk/panel at Orana Steiner School in Canberra which was attended by all the students (Years 8-12) and many teachers, a couple of hundred in all. The students were asked to raise their hands if they were vegetarian and it was surprising what a large number there were in the school. 
 
Joe Brock, who spoke of his personal path towards his vegetarian lifestyle, wrote this about his experience on the day:

"On the morning of the 22nd of September, I had the pleasure of being part of a short presentation about vegetarianism and veganism to the students of Orana high school. Having spent so much time talking to people of my own generation about these issues, there was something inextricably joyous in being able to talk to people of such a young age. I have found that it is so easy to subconsciously assimilate into the role of an evangelist during animal rights advocacy. I think what I enjoyed the most about being involved in this event was that it was so impossible to do so. The minds of this audience were much too agile and inquisitive for this.  Besides, the lack of preconceptions and prejudices we inevitably all acquire as we grow meant that there was no need to. I wish expressing how I feel about these things was always as free and uninhibited as it was that morning, and hope that my experience there will help it to be more so. My warmest thanks to Jyoti for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this." 



Bhaerava has started the Lonely Plants Club (PCAP Endangered Plants Action Group), which encourages members to grow, propagate and popularise endangered plants, even in their own backyard. He has also been giving presentations at many primary schools in Adelaide, where he donates endangered plants for the children to plant at the school and gives talks about saving endangered species.

The Ananda Marga Vistara school in Lismore is also doing it's bit for PCAP:

New Zealand

Local AMURT volunteers responded to the recent Christchurch earthquake by distributing rescue
remedy to psychologically traumatised victims.

Download the response report here.



Fiji

Dada Advaetananda has organised a series of blood drives in Suva in response to a shortage of blood donations, each time attracting more donors.



White Skin Black Spirit

Acarya Narada Muni recently produced a documentary telling the story of a white-skinned Aboriginal woman discovering her roots. The documentary was aired on Australian TV ABC's Message Stick program.


PIA

The Prout Institute of Australia recently published the
online journal Understanding Prout: Volume 1

Volume 1 contains four excellent essays on various aspects of Prout, written by two associates at Prout College. All the essays are very readable and easy to understand.

The Biospychology of Cooperation by Michael Towsey starts by reviewing the history of the cooperative movement then contrasts cooperation with capitalism and communism. The final part explores various aspects of cooperation, including the theory and science of cooperation, the concept of progress, egalitarianism, and the future of cooperation. The essay is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand cooperation from an ethical, social and cultural perspective.

Education for Liberation by Marcus Bussey begins with the paradox of a modern education then introduces the philosophy of Neohumanism as the essential ingredient of an education for cooperation and liberation. Much of the essay focuses on the relationship between Prout and Neohumanism, exploring in particular the educational implications of the Five Fundamental Principles of Prout and the concept of sadvipra, the ideal for a Proutistic education.

The Three-Tier Enterprise System by Michael Towsey introduces cooperatives from the traditional economic perspective and compares them with the more usual private and public enterprises. The essay then moves on to expand our understanding of the cooperative sector and to explore the governance and regulatory issues that are likely to arise in a cooperative economy. The essay provides new insight into how best to structure the enterprise system in a modern economy.

Water and Land Management by Michael Towsey argues that a cooperative global society cannot be achieved without due attention to the local economy and the local economy depends first and foremost on water and land management. Whereas 20th century water policy focused on hydraulic engineering, so the 21st century approach will be about ecosystem management and biotechnology. The essay clearly sets out the fundamentals necessary for localised planning.