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FAITHFULLY RESPECTFUL
source: www.sayen.org
www.ceeindia.org
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The story we refer to here is an example of ‘best practice’ as reported to YXC by Mr. Gopal Jain, Programme Officer of the Centre for Environment Education in Ahmedabad, India, in the context of the educational goals on sustainable activities this organisation is promoting among the South Asian youth community.
building simplicity: Mithun and Shripal Shah are two Indian brothers, 24 and 25 years old respectively, who have recently set up their own commercial activity in the food field. ASAL, which means ‘real’ in Hindi, is a one-story building located in Paldi, Ahmedabad. The building hosts the shop, situated on the ground floor, and the living quarters on the first floor. Mithun and Shripal are followers of Jainism and their lifestyle is inspired by a holistic approach that avoids the use of non-renewable sources. ASAL’s building is characterized by:
- a rain water harvesting structure (required water is taken from the tank and doesn’t rely on the municipal supply);
- no electricity connection (they use castor oil lamps and hand-held traditional fans);
- organic material for the construction of the building (flooring is of mud and cow dung and walls of lime).
The products sold in the shop include organically grown food grains, beans and spices, home made ghee, sesame oil and other consumable items such as chemical-free detergents, and natural-dye clothing.
faith & environment: as they declare, the way they organised their activity as well as their lifestyle is deeply influenced by the principles of Jainism. The Jaina tradition has existed in tandem with Hinduism in India since at least 800 BC. The worldview of the Jainas might be characterised as a bio-cosmology. The practice of non-violence in the Jaina context fosters an attitude of respect for all life-forms. Jainism offers unique resources for the creation of an earth ethic. The bio-cosmology of Jainism presents a worldview that stresses the interrelatedness of life-forms. Its attendant non-violent ethic might easily be extended to embrace an earth ethic.
ASAL is supported by the South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), a youth network set up in July 2001 and supported by the UNEP Regional Resource Centre for the Asia and the Pacific (RRCAP). The vision of the network is "Sustainable Development in South Asia". The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) hosts the Secretariat for SAYEN. SAYEN aims at capacity building and sustainable development for youth in the South Asia region. Through awareness raising, it seeks to empower youth to act and participate in sustainable development projects in their region and encourages them to become active in advocating and decision-making processes.
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contacts
Gopal Jain,
gopal.jain@sayen.org
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