Shruti Foundation's Shyam Benegal Program at Belfast Film Festival and Queens University U.K.

Shruti Foundation (Founder, Lady Shruti Rana) has faciltated and organised the great Indian film maker and Indian parliamentarian, Shyam Benegal’s visit to Belfast  for the Belfast Film Festival and the Shruti Foundation International lecture (free for public) at Queens University between 21st and 27th April, 2010, in collaboration with the Belfast Film Festival and Queens University. The event is co sponsored by Shruti Foundation, Belfast Film Festival, Queens University, The Ramada and Neotia foundation.

 

For more details and to buy Shyam Benegal's movie tickets online, please visit the belfast film festival url below:

http://belfastfilmfestival.org/2010/programme/categories/33 

 

Program:
22nd April:

18.00 Reception in the Canada Room/ Great Hall dependent on the numbers attending

18.30 The Shrui Foundation International Lecture (including Film clips) by Shayam Benegal (followed by Discussion between Lady Shruti Rana and Shyam Benegal at Queens Film Theatre, Belfast)

 

23rd April: Interactions with Queens University students in Anthropology and Film Studies( private session).

 

25th April:

Indian Film " The Making of the Mahatma" by Shyam Benegal in the Belfast Film Festival at Queens Film Theatre, University Square, Sunday, 25th April, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm, followed by discussion between Shyam Benegal and Lady Shruti Rana.

(tickets available online on http://belfastfilmfestival.org/2010/programme/categories/33)

 

26th April:

India Film " Zubeidaa" with music by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman - at Queens Film Theatre, University Square, Monday 26th April, 6.00 pm

(tickets available online on http://belfastfilmfestival.org/2010/programme/categories/33)

 

 

 

Activities of Shruti Foundation Since Inception

• Research, charitable application and documentation on Indian, traditional systems of medicine and Healing.
• Development and commencement of NIEV (New Enterprising Indian Vision), the rural charity and education program, with four areas of Action
  • Teacher training and workshops in Mantra-Yoga
  • Education and  creativity workshops with women
  • Awarded Research program
  • Organic Creativity

• Video Documentation for study material on Indian Traditional Knowledge Systems and rural Research.
• Building innovative Design, Development of Curriculums and Courses.
• Institutional convener for the World Congress on Psychology and Spirituality held in January 2008, involving30 countries, facilitating the research, academic involvement outreach, Sponsorship and organization.
• International Lecture Series hosted at Trinity College, University of Dublin in April 2009.

NIEV (New Enterprising Indigenous Vision), the rural research and education program, with four areas of Action:

Village based research by youth and women on native systems of thought, living, social and cultural structures, belief systems, organic resources and possibilities, health-care systems, non-literature native sciences, inter-personal dynamics and changing trends.
There are rewards and financial incentives for special research and innovation along with certificates. ( latest project is at Sanghol with village women)
Certificate Teacher training courses and workshops in integral education.
Mantra-yoga training for healing and teaching along with Spoken Sanskrit and spoken English. Facilitate Organic creativity in Youth and women.
Indian physical and non-physical healing methodologies like Mantra-Yoga, Oral non- literate Healing techniques.

Shruti Foundation commenced its NEIV program at Paigamberpur, Bijnore, UP from February 21-23, 2007. The Foundation recognizes the need to reverse the exodus by aiding socio-economic empowerment of the village youth by facilitating innovative methodologies with their native resources, secrets and methodologies for an economically lucrative cottage industry.

 

 

 

SUTRA - the thread

A Shruti foundation (SF) quarterly journal for research on Education, Psychology, Traditional Sciences and Systems, Health and Consciousness was launched in January 2008. It is committed towards facilitating the understanding and application of indigenous systems, sciences and epistemologies for greater personal and societal empowerment.

SHUDDHAM – SAFE ENVIRONMENT PROJECT

SF seeks to experiment, create and promote innovate technologies based in Indian Knowledge and Scientific Paradigms for personal and community health

·         Controlling Environmental Pollution and Communication

·         Offering non-invasive and eco-friendly environmental as well as medical solutions for individuals and world communities.

 

HISTORY OF INDIAN EDUCATION – A MULTI VOLUME SERIES PROJECT

 

This project includes experiential, academic, literate and non-literate systems and approaches to education in the history of India. It is for a deeper understanding of Indian education and its benefits for present and future societies.

The four- fold order containing multiple volumes will be:

·         Philosophies of Education in India

·         Content in Indian Education

·         Methodologies in Indian Education

·         Indian Institutions of Education

 

EDUCATIONAL COURSES AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

 

The foundation has developed and introduced new curriculums and courses into mainstream and parallel educational institutions for greater awareness and application of Indian knowledge.

 

Examples:

 

·         Indic Psychology and Consciousness Studies

·         Indic Healing Systems

·         Indic Environmental Sciences

·         Indian Management and strategy

·         Ethics and Human Resource Development

·         Indic Mathematics

·         Architecture and Interior Design

·         Strategy and Governance

·         Vibrational Sciences

 

TEACHER TRAINING AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING WORSHOPS

 

The foundation’s Teacher Training and Vocational Training Workshops will be enhanced with course material and/ or interactive tool kits for effective course application as well as individual and socio-economic empowerment.

 

·         Integral Education Workshops

·         Indian Health and Environment Sciences

·         Inner Sciences and Psychology Self Empowerment

·         Self Empowerment and Leadership Training Workshops

·         Ethics and Values

·         Traditional Science and Technology

FILM AND MEDIA

Training courses for Youth Shruti films – educational and inspirational films by SF Video Documentation of Native narratives, sciences and technologies through multi –dimensional research and field surveys.

SANSKRIT INITIATIVE

Residential Teacher Training Workshop  

Teacher Training Program: Shruti Foundation conducted a teacher training program for the B El Ed students of JMC College, Delhi University on “Music and Sound for Facilitating Education”, a curriculum designed by Shruti Foundation based on Traditional Sciences and well as Psychological and Analytical sciences.

It is also training teachers in the Sanghol educational complex, Punjab and providing educational assistance to village women in Sanghol.

 

The Importance of Sanskrit – Statements and Quotes by Great Minds

 

For thousands of years ancient traditions and knowledge were passed on from generation to generation through only one language – Sanskrit. Sanskrit therefore contained in itself the very essence of Indian culture. This was recognized by Macaulay whom we call the father of our Modern Indian Education System. In his infamous Minutes of 1835, he made this historical speech in the British Parliament which struck a blow at the centuries old system of Indian education.

“I have travelled the length and breadth of India and have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.”

Macaulay realized that he could achieve his goal by eliminating Sanskrit from being an essential part of the Indian Educational System. The most important step that he adopted was to shut down several Sanskrit schools and to introduce English as a modern and civilized language. Sadly enough, even today we Indians take pride in speaking English while neglecting our own rich and invaluable language – Sanskrit.

 

Listed below are a few quotations on Sanskrit highlighting its different aspects:

 

Sanskrit language, as has been universally recognized by those competent to form a judgement, as one of the most magnificient, the most perfect, the most prominent and wonderfully sufficient literary instruments developed by the human mind.

 

- Sri Aurobindo

The Mother gave a lot of importance to the use of simple Sanskrit. She believed that no one could claim to be a true Indian if he/she did not have any knowledge of Sanskrit. She was emphatic on this point, “every child born in India should know it, just as every child born in France has to know French.”

 

- The Mother, 11.11.1967

Sanskrit flows through our blood. It is only Sanskrit that can establish the unity of the country.

Nobel Laureate, Dr.C.V.Raman, on the need for Sanskrit to be the National language.

Without the study of Sanskrit one cannot become a true Indian and a true learned man.

 

- Mahatma Gandhi

If you have to adopt a language, why should you not have the world’s greatest language?(while discussing on the bill on the National Language of Bharat in the Constituent Assembly.

 

- Shri Najiruddin Ahmed

If I was asked, what is the greatest treasure which India possesses and what is her finest heritage, I would answer unhesitatingly that it is the Sanskrit language and literature and all that it contains. This is the magnificent inheritance and so long as this endures and influences the life of our people, so long will the basic genius of India continue. If our race forgot the Buddha, the Upanishads and the great Epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata), India would cease to be India.

 

- Jawaharlal Nehru

If Sanskrit would be divorced from the everyday life of the masses of this country, a light would be gone from the life of the people and the distinctive features of Hindu culture which have won for it an honoured place in world-thought would soon be affected to the great disadvantage and loss both of India and of the world.”

 

- Sir Mirza Ismail

The intellectual debt of Europe on Sanskrit literature has been undeniably great. It may perhaps become greater still in the years that are to come. We (Europeans) are still behind in making even our alphabet a perfect one.

- Prof. Macdonell

Sanskrit is the greatest language in the world.

 

- Max Muller

Indeed the role of Sanskrit in modern India is very great. In the words of Max Muller, “A people that can feel no pride in the past, in its history and literature, loses the mainstay of its national character. When Gemany was in the very depth of its political degradation, it turned to its ancient literature and drew hope for the future from the study of the past.

 

- Sri Satyaranjan Banerjee, The Vedanta Keshari, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras, May 1962

Sanskrit was at one time the only language of the world. It is more perfect and copious than Greek and Latin.