C20 Working Group Summit on Gender Equality and Disability Inaugurated

Dignitaries who spoke at the Civil 20 gathering emphasised the urgent need to address systemic issues such as discrimination, gender-based violence, and economic disparities.

The Gender Equality and Disability (GED) Working Group for Civil 20, an official Engagement Group of India’s G20 Presidency, inaugurated its Summit in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Hosted by Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), more than 300 delegates with civil society organisations and other stakeholders from around the world are participating in discussions and workshops that will directly impact the policy recommendations for the C20 Summit in Jaipur in July.

Inaugurada la Cumbre del Grupo de Trabajo del C20 sobre Igualdad de Género y Discapacidad

Los dignatarios que hablaron en la reunión Civil 20 enfatizaron la necesidad urgente de abordar problemas sistémicos como la discriminación, la violencia de género y las disparidades económicas.

El Grupo de Trabajo de Igualdad de Género y Discapacidad (GED) para Civil 20, un Grupo de Compromiso oficial de la Presidencia del G20 de la India, inauguró su Cumbre en Bhubaneswar, Odisha. El acto ha sido organizado por el Instituto de Tecnología Industrial de Kalinga (KIIT), y ha contado con más de 300 delegados de organizaciones de la sociedad civil y otras partes interesadas de todo el mundo, quienes participan en debates y talleres que tendrán un impacto directo en las recomendaciones de políticas para la Cumbre C20 de Jaipur prevista para el próximo mes de julio.

The Global Seedball Campaign inspires people at the community level to participate in eco-restoration

The making and distribution of seedballs is an ancient technique that offers a simple solution for community groups to come together and contribute to restoring our planet’s ecological balance.

Civil 20’s Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SRC) working group has launched Global Seedball Campaign: Seeds of Hope—an initiative with the goal of dispersing one million seedballs in fragile ecosystems worldwide. Under the guidance and vision of Amma as Chair of C20 for India’s G20 Presidency, SRC is deeply honoured to work towards leading the production and distribution of the seedballs in the year 2023.

The project is in collaboration with AYUDH, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s global youth wing, and is a humble effort to create general awareness in people about the significance of seedballs in restoring ecological balance. Volunteers are set to gather in Embracing the World centres across India and in Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Australia, and Africa as part of efforts to encourage people to contribute in whatever way possible.

“Take at least 100 seeds. Take a bit of soil, cow dung, or compost in a paper to insert the seed into it and tie it up. This when thrown into the forests, will start to germinate and grow. Trees in the forest do not usually need any water or fertilisers, their own fallen leaves become fertilisers to such trees,” said Amma.

“Alignment with nature is the lasting and closest bond for the human body and life. Without the elemental forces of earth, fire, water, air and space, humankind and other creatures will cease to exist. Our essential consciousness is the totality of all these forces. As long as we do not acknowledge this eternal unity between humankind and these natural forces, peace, happiness, and harmony will remain a dream.”

A seedball is made up of soil and seeds, often mixed with clay and other organic materials to hold the ball together. They are designed to be thrown or scattered in areas where vegetation is required and are able to rely on natural rainfall to germinate and grow into mature plants.

Creating seedballs is an ancient technique used for reforestation and soil restoration that is today being carried out by community groups worldwide and includes people of all ages. It offers an environmentally friendly and low-cost solution with the potential to make a significant impact on the health and resilience of our planet's ecosystems.

In preparation for the launch of the campaign, SRC conducted intensive seedball making workshops at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus and the Amritapuri Ashram. The students, staff and ashram residents have joined hands to produce close to 100,000 seedballs. A workshop conducted at the university on April 5th had over 200 enthusiastic participants who made close to 10,200 seedballs in seven hours. Meanwhile in Amritapuri, the Ashram kids made close to 1700 seedballs in two hours.

Inaugurating further workshops at the Ashram on April 7th, Swami Jnanamritananda Puri said: “The seeds of a tree are its children, yet, of the many seeds from a tree, only a few see a new life. The remaining seeds in fruit are used as food by humans and animals. When we look at nature and all of creation, we see that it's only humans that keep on taking without giving anything back to the environment. This has greatly affected the delicate balance of the ecosystem, causing climate change and extreme weather conditions.”

Every year, humans destroy around 10 million hectares of forests, causing huge ecological imbalance that affects earth’s climate and biodiversity. Deforestation has a profound impact on humankind, wildlife, and other life forms in nature. As forests are cut down to make way for mining and urbanisation, countless species lose their habitats and struggle to survive.

The loss of habitat has led to the decline and even extinction of many plant and animal species. Destruction of trees also leads to carbon retainment in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change and extreme cases of natural disasters. As deforestation continues, urgent action is needed to protect the planet's biodiversity and ensure the survival and wellbeing of countless species on earth. It is now time to break this pattern.

Video: The goal is to disperse one million seedballs in fragile ecosystems worldwide by the end of 2023.

La Campaña Global Seedball anima a las personas a nivel comunitario a participar en la eco-restauración

La elaboración y distribución de bolas de semillas es una técnica antigua que ofrece una solución sencilla para que los grupos comunitarios se unan y contribuyan a restaurar el equilibrio ecológico de nuestro planeta.

 El grupo de trabajo de Comunidades Sostenibles y Resilientes (SRC) de Civil 20 ha lanzado la Campaña Global de Semillas: Semillas de Esperanza, una iniciativa con el objetivo de dispersar un millón de semillas en ecosistemas frágiles en todo el mundo. Bajo la guía y la visión de Amma como presidenta del C20 para la presidencia del G20 de la India, SRC se siente profundamente honrado de trabajar para liderar la producción y distribución de semillas en el año 2023.

Kerala’s Spring festival marks Amma’s launch of new environmental initiatives on a global scale

The projects include tree planting by the World Malayalee Council, a Civil 20 campaign to disperse one million seed balls in fragile ecosystems worldwide, and AYUDH Amritapuri’s ninth year of planting saplings, alongside its start of beekeeping.

With Vishu as Kerala’s Spring celebration of the prosperity, abundance, and joy that arises from Mother Earth, Amma has launched new practical initiatives to globally address the effects of environmental degradation and climate change. The projects will be carried out in collaboration with volunteers worldwide.

“Alignment with nature is the lasting and closest bond for the human body and life. Without the elemental forces of earth, fire, water, air and space, humankind and other creatures will cease to exist. Our essential consciousness is the totality of all these forces. As long as we do not acknowledge this eternal unity between humankind and these natural forces, peace, happiness, and harmony will remain a dream. Vishu and Vishu Kani represent this elemental bond,” said Amma during her address at the Vishu celebrations in Amritapuri.

“Vishu is a celebration of the bond between man and God, man and Nature, and man and man. It is clarion call to reclaim the glorious values of our timeless and imperishable farming culture. The word Vishu also means ‘equal’. Vishu is the day on which day and night are of equal length. The state of being equal is the central point of our existence. From that perspective, Vishu gives us the message of seeing everything and everyone as equal.”

Amma blessed saplings for Vishu Thaineetham, an initiative that was started in 2015 by our youth wing, AYUDH. In addition to Vishu Kaineetham, the tradition of receiving money from family elders, the young people celebrate Spring by planting trees, fruits and other vegetation in their local ecosystems. ‘Thai’ is the Malayalam word for sapling.

This year, the World Malayalee Council (WMC) was inspired to join such a noble cause and has expanded the reach of participation to diaspora at the global level. Vishu Thaineettham is now initiated by all 69 WMC provinces in India and abroad in six regions across the world, as well as by several other international Malayalee associations.

“The Vishu Thaineettam initiative represents a significant transformation inspired by Amma. As children, we used to receive Vishu Kaineettham and buy candies or toys during the temple festival seasons. This was a type of pocket money. Children generally lack discernment, and money in the hands of a dullard can be dangerous. The same is true for our minds—a mind in the hands of a dullard is also dangerous,” said Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri at the event.

“What did Amma do? She transformed this tradition into Vishuthaineettam. In this era of global warming and climate change threatening humanity, this initiative has become a revolution—a revolution of compassion, so to speak. It is an inner revolution. By joining this great venture, the World Malayalee Council demonstrates their duty, commitment, and sincerity toward society, the world, and future generations.”

Johny Kuruvila, Global Chairman of WMC, expressed his gratitude to team up with the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) to address Mother Nature’s call to humankind to urgently take action to correct the damage done by pollution, deforestation, and greenhouse gas emissions. With a positive mindset, he also expressed that this is a way to reunite all people of the world as a global family.

He said: “Only today did I come to realise the importance of Vishu – its significance and greatness in family unity, and how the love for nature is passed on through generations. To join this great venture and spread this message worldwide, no government or other administration could have carried it out and reached all the families of the World Malayalee Council as effectively as this organisation has. I see this as a God-given opportunity. I thank Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Swamiji, and all members of the World Malayalee Council at this time. Let this be the beginning. I have hope that for the good of the world and humanity, we have joined hands together.”

On the same day, WMC’s chapter in the Middle East and Amrita Kudumbam UAE initiated Vishu Thaineetham by gifting a sapling to the Consulate General of India in Dubai, Dr. Aman Puri. Their vision was to motivate everyone, especially the younger generation, to see the importance of Mother Nature and of preserving and protecting Her.

This year’s Vishu also celebrates further initiatives by MAM to encourage people around the world to contribute in whatever way possible to environmental restoration, as every small action contributes to a greater whole.

With Amma as Chair of the G20’s Engagement Group for civil society, the C20’s Sustainable and Resilient Communities working group has launched ‘Seeds of Hope’ – a campaign with the goal of dispersing one million seed balls in fragile ecosystems worldwide.

Volunteers are set to gather in MAM’s centres across the country and in Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Australia, and Africa to create the seed balls. They are made by rolling soil and seeds that are often mixed with clay and other organic materials to bind them.

The balls are then thrown or scattered in local areas where vegetation is declining. Since they rely on natural rainfall or watering to germinate and grow into mature plants, no further gardening is required. It is, in fact, an ancient technique used for reforestation and soil restoration.

So far, volunteers have taken part in intensive seed ball making workshops at the Amrita University campus and the Ashram in Amritapuri. They have made balls that contain seeds for neem trees and eventually, a total of one lakh balls will be distributed across the country. To make Amma’s dream of restoring balance with Mother Nature come true, people of all ages, even little children, are participating in whatever way they can.

AYUDH has also taken up the charge to further its environmental actions by starting a beekeeping project at Amrita University. The purpose is to set an example on how to support local bee populations, as their numbers are declining in many parts of the world. This affects global food supply, as at least one-third of crops depend upon pollinators.

Photo 1:  Amma’s vision for the new environmental initiatives is to inspire individual participation at the community level which then collectively amounts to global action.

Photo 2: Amma blesses the saplings for AYUDH to plant.

Photo 3: Johny Kuruvila is the Global Chairman of the World Malayalee Council.

Photo 4: WMC’s chapter in the Middle East and Amrita Kudumbam UAE initiated Vishu Thaineetham by gifting a sapling to the Consulate General of India in Dubai.

Photo 5: In advance of the launch of Seeds of Hope, volunteers in Amritapuri began making balls with neem seeds.

Photo 6: Tulsi is one of many children who took part in receiving a sapling, alongside attending classes about environmental conservation.

Photo 7: The traditional Vishu Kani includes items like raw rice, flowers, and coins set up around a statue of Krishna, who symbolises protection, compassion, tenderness, and love.



El festival de primavera de Kerala marca el lanzamiento de nuevas iniciativas medioambientales de Amma a escala mundial

Los proyectos incluyen la plantación de árboles por parte del World Malayalee Council, una campaña Civil 20 para dispersar un millón de bolas de semillas en ecosistemas frágiles de todo el mundo y el noveno año de plantación de árboles jóvenes de AYUDH Amritapuri, junto con el inicio de la apicultura.

Con motivo de Vishu, la celebración primaveral de Kerala de la prosperidad, la abundancia y la alegría que surge de la Madre Tierra, Amma ha lanzado nuevas iniciativas prácticas para abordar globalmente los efectos de la degradación ambiental y el cambio climático. Los proyectos se llevarán a cabo en colaboración con voluntarios de todo el mundo.

C20: The Integrated Holistic Health Summit addresses best solutions on a global scale

The discussions took place at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad and have proven vital to drafting a well-rounded policy pack for India’s G20 Summit in September.

The Integrated Holistic Health Summit of Civil 20 (C20), one of the official Engagement Groups of India’s G20 Presidency, took place at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad. Delegates from more than 700 civil society organisations (CSOs), health professionals, educators, and leaders from across the public health landscape participated in discussions and workshops that directly impact the policy recommendations for the C20 Summit set to take place in Jaipur in July.

C20: La Cumbre de Salud Holística Integrada aborda las mejores soluciones a escala global

Las discusiones tuvieron lugar en el Hospital Amrita de Faridabad, y han demostrado ser vitales para redactar un paquete completo de políticas para la Cumbre del G20 de la India en septiembre.

La Cumbre de Salud Holística Integrada de Civil 20 (C20), uno de los Grupos de Compromiso oficiales de la Presidencia del G20 de la India, se llevó a cabo en el Hospital Amrita de Faridabad. Delegados de más de 700 organizaciones de la sociedad civil (OSC), profesionales de la salud, educadores y líderes de todo el panorama de la salud pública participaron en debates y talleres que tendrán un impacto directo en las recomendaciones de políticas para la Cumbre del C20 que tendrá lugar en Jaipur el próximo mes de julio.

Podemos imaginar cualquier forma pero debemos tener fé en esa forma

Por Mata Amritanandamayi

Hijos, existen distintas concepciones de Dios en las distintas religiones. En verdad, Dios no tiene nombre ni forma. No es fácil, no obstante, venerar al Dios sin forma y sin atributos.  Si queremos cultivar la devoción y concentración debemos dirigirnos a alguna forma de Dios.  Cada devoto tiene el derecho a venerar una forma de la divinidad, la que prefiera.  Esto es ishta-devata upasana o adoración de la forma de Dios elegida.

Al igual que sube la marea del océano debido al empuje gravitacional de la luna, Dios asume muchas formas en respuesta al ardiente deseo del devoto.  Si se concibe a Dios como el Señor Shiva, Él aparecerá en esa forma. Si es adorado como Devi, Él se manifestará como la diosa.

Igual que los cromos y las cuentas de collares se utilizan para que los niños aprendan a contar, es necesario dar forma en la mente a las tradiciones y rituales.

Por Mata Amritanandamayi

Hijos, el número de personas que creen en Dios está aumentando en nuestro país. Cada vez más gente acude a lugares de veneración. Pero sin embargo no parece que se refleje un avance de conciencia espiritual en su vida cotidiana. De hecho, más bien parece que se produzca una degradación de valores, un aumento de corrupción y apego a los placeres sensuales.

Tienes que aceptar nuestras cookies para poder disfrutar de la mejor experiencia posible en este sitio Web. We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our privacy policy.

  I accept cookies from this site.
EU Cookie Directive Module Information