Category Archives: City Life
Water is gone, problems rise
After the flood, damages and health problems in the villages come to light
The program is in English and Tamil.
Crossing a village like Bommapalayam near the beach, everything seems well. The main street, which has been flooded two weeks ago, is dry, woman are sitting in front of their houses sieving grain.
But when we ask them how they are, lots of them get angry: They have been all flood victims, but none of them got any help. Water stood into their houses and damaged walls, ground water got polluted by entering flood water. In Edayanchavadi, we met families whose members are completely infected by a skin illness, having perforated feet.
It is always the poorest, low caste, the woman and children who are suffering most, like the little son of Venkatesh, who works in Auroville Town Hall. And sometimes, they need only small amounts. In Kuilappalayam,In front of New Creation, the property of one family is still flooded completely. It attracts invasions of mosquitoes, and lately, they had a group of water snakes in front of their door.
Auroville has set up a help fund for affected villagers which coordinates material and financial support. Donations are very welcome.
See also the interview with help relief coordinator Anita
http://www.aurovilleradio.org/we-are-living-in-a-disaster-area/
How to donate:
IN AUROVILLE:
Financial Service Account No. 251220
For transfers from Indian bank.
Auroville Maintenance
Account number 163101000118
ICICI bank Auroville
Ifscode ICIC0001631
Description Flood relief
For transfers from abroad
State bank of India Auroville township.
Purpose: Flood relief
Branch Code - 03160
Swift Code - SBININBB474
Account - Aurovill unity fund
Account Number 10237876508
Volunteers - True Stories
Yesterday evening at Unity Pavilion, International Zone two of our long term volunteers on initiative of SAVI has shared their stories.
Riccardo de Amici and Martine Bastide both in deep concern of our environment, and healthy food which is already a rare commodity on the planet, dedicated their exploration in food production - one in urban gardening, and the other in permaculture way of producing healthy food. Riccardo while he was researching for his master thesis on food production in Auroville, he started to explore urban gardening in the administrative area of Town Hall and Citadine, Martine has fulfilled his long term wish to produce healthy organic food on permaculture desing at Windarra - Terra Soul community.
Both Riccardo and Martine are with us for quite some time, and they will still stay at least for another year, and their contribution to the community is priceless. Both also express their deep gratitude to Auroville, and the community for the moving experience.
A4A and Landing Auroville
Couple years ago amazing energy of Mandakini from AVI France gave birth to a vital campaign for obtaining plot of lands in Master Plan which are still in private hands - Acres For Auroville or A4A. And recently we have read the report on Phase 2
This morning Rakhal, and Divya and Sandeep from Land Board shared with us some of the details on the campaign itself, and the work of Land Board in practical ways of purchasing the land.
Rakhal has recently finished beautiful video to support the A4A, and here are links of English and French version.
https://vimeo.com/143531655 English
https://vimeo.com/145342173 French
Accessible transportation for all
Susmita, working at Accessible Auroville, and Sauro, working at l'Avenir d'Auroville, received a donation from Italy to purchase a bus for public transport in Auroville. They are telling us how they have changed it into an Accessible Public Bus first one in Tamil Nadu: everyone will be able to use it. This bus will be a model for the future ones. Accessibility creates an inclusive society where would pave the way for equal rights and participation of people with temporary or permanently reduced mobility in all community activities. Access and Accessible refer to the freedom of choice to enter approach, communicate or make use of a situation or environment without assistance and undue difficulties. Accessibility means to create an inclusive community: to embrace the ideals of all people living together harmoniously in a barrier free world without fear of exclusion and discrimination. Nowadays in all countries the accessibility has become compulsory. http://www.auroville.org/contents/131
Framework for Participation
Yesterday afternoon at MMC, Town Hall we heard the final presentation of ten students of Queens Universtiy for Urban and Regional Planning, Canada. Dedicated and thorough work of students - prior coming to Auroville, and on site, has resulted a practical guideline for framework which could be implemented in many areas of community affairs. Framework does involve community participation on different levels depending on issue. Surveys and workshop done before formulating decisions or planning would help to reduce apathy, and disappointment of community, while empowering it Students of Queens University with Professor Ajay Agarwal gave to the community a practical tool which could help us to step forward in our decision making processes and planning.
AV Wants to Participate
Out of ten students of Queens University for Urban and Regional Planning Social Studies from Canada Caroline, Joanna and Michael shares with us their observation on the topic of the community participation in planning, Depending on the project, level of engagement can vary from low (just being informed) to high (participate in decision taking). In yesterday's workshop where they were aiming to envision what sort of community features people want to see in Residential Zone 1 and 2 13 different themes came up. At final presentation on Saturday 12th between 4pm to 6pm at Multi Media Center students will present to the community outcome of their research, surveys and workshop. But in general they observe a high wish to participate, lots of creativity, and high level of experimenting.
We are living in a disaster area
Help is still very much needed into the affected villages
Anita, Aurovillan from North India, is a woman with a big heart and all the energy to move things. People like her are very much needed in our region right now. ''We are in a natural disaster'' she says, ''but we are not in the disaster areas set up by the government, like Chennai''. So the villages around Auroville which had been flooded have few hope to get any support if not from Aurovillans. But there are lots of houses damaged or even destroyed, waste water entered drinking water taps, insects are increasing rapidly and, as Anita warns, there is a high epidemic risk right now. During the rainy season, the most heavily affected people had to live in public halls like village schools. Now, the majority of them went back into their houses and had to face all the damage and the stink around. ''We are entering in a new phase of disaster help'', Anita says: to clean up, and to prevent the outbreak of more illnesses. For this purpose, every day, sometimes every hour counts.
Auroville has set up a help fund for affected villagers which coordinates material and financial support. Donations are very welcome.
How to donate:
In Auroville:
Financial service account no. 251220
FOR TRANSFERS FROM INDIAN BANKS
AUROVILLE MAINTENANCE
ACCOUNT NUMBER 163101000118
ICICI BANK AUROVILLE
Ifscode ICIC0001631
Description FLOOD RELIEF
FOR TRANSFERS FROM ABROAD
STATE BANK OF INDIA AUROVILLE TOWNSHIP
Purpose: FLOOD RELIEF
Branch Code - 03160
Swift Code - SBININBB474
Account - AUROVILLE UNITY FUND
Account Number 10237876508
Framework for Our Participation
With Professor Ajay from Queens University for Urban and Regional Planning from Canada, and Lalit from Auroville Sustainability Insitute we talk about the projects that they were done by the students here in past few years - 1. Urban design guidelines for Crown 2. Sustainable development indicators for Auroville 3. Framework for community participation in Auroville For this year topic on community participation which will be presented on Saturday 12th between 4 to 6pm at MMC ten students have done lot of work, many hours in different phases, even before coming to Auroville. The topic is very alive since the beginning but it will require more consistent manner and sustainable effort towards the same goal. This particular exercise gives us a very good glimpse, a possibility how a complex topic like this can be approach.
Entry Service on Potluck dinners
A short interview about the potluck dinners held in October which the new Entry Group Team initiated, helping to ease tensions, create ties and celebrates our diversity while enjoying international flavors.