ONE PLANET An experience for those who love our beautiful planet 11th - 13th April 2014
Packaged exclusively for those who love our beautiful planet, this workshop will offer participants an opportunity to learn about deep ecology, holistic food systems and sustainable food growing. A walk in the canyons at sunset followed by a picnic and camping will ensure that this retreat is an unforgettable experience. Enjoy the morning sunrise by the beach along with body-awareness activities in natural surroundings. Set in a greenforested area close to the sea, Auroville, a creative international commuunity, provides a perfect ambience with its rustic setting. Participants can stay in simple guest-houses or in luxurious cottages, and cycle to different locations accompanied by our program coordinators
ALL ABOUT FOOD GROWING WHOLESOME FOOD Holistic Food Systems is a workshop that tries to reshape our relationship with food. Our dominant food system is globalized and industrialized, while a more community-oriented approach seeks to create a personalized and sustainable food system. In this workshop participants will learn about the basic principles of a holistic food system and prepare a delicious organic meal under the guidance of the workshop facilit ator. This workshop will explore the principles of sustainable food growing with hands-on experience, talks and discussion. Various elements of food-growing such as soil, plants, water, animals, pests and weeds will be explored. This workshop is for anyone who would like a practical introduction to the practice of sustainable food growing or who would like to know about the particular challenges of growing organic food in Auroville and India. Marc is a coffee roaster, creative cook and food consultant. He organizes tours to promote awareness to his consumers of the coffee production cycle and its environmental impact, emphasizing a holistic food approach. Priya came to Auroville nearly twelve years ago with her two daughters Emma and Rachael who are now studying in the UK. Prior to coming to Auroville Priya lived in Malaysia, Yemen and Malawi in Africa. For eighteen months she lived on a farm near Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu where her interest in organic farming was first awakened. It took her five years to find the land for Buddha Garden in Auroville which she set up in 2000.
DISCOVER THE CANYONS RISING SUN There are numerous canyons in and around Auroville. Most of them have been dammed to avoid rainwater off-flow and to harvest the precious rain during the monsoon. Over the time these canyons transformed into a remarkable habitat for birds and other animals. The group will be exploring one of the bigger Auroville Canyons. Experience sunrise over a calm and tranquil beach. Enjoy the waves as they swell from the East with an average height of 3-5 feet; perfect for those who know swimming as well as those who don t! The more light-hearted can walk down the long stretch of sandy beach. There are plenty of photo opportunities, so make sure you pack your camera. A former school teacher, Kireet got into repairing check dams a few years after arriving in Auroville from Holland in the mid 90s. After observing the sweeping tons of topsoil into the sea, he was determined to prevent soil erosion and sea-water intrusion into the acquifer. Kireet is one of a small group of Auroville stewards who are tending to Auroville canyons and turning them into vast rain-water catchment area.
CONNECTING BODY AND NATURE ECOLOGICAL THINKING Awareness Through the Body (ATB) provides ways for individuals to discover and explore the body, and through the body awaken the consciousness of the entire being and all the parts that form it. By gradually learning to master attention and the ability to relax, the individual comes into a state of receptivity in which he can better listen to the many and varied inputs he is continuously receiving from both his inner and outer world. Ecological thinking is a term to describe thinking that looks at nature and the impact of our relationship with her. Through ecology, science has embarked on a quest for the great systems of order that underlie the complex flow of life on our planet. This quest has taken us far beyond the realm of traditional scientific thought. Like religion, ecology seeks to answer the infinite mysteries of life itself. Amir, came to India in 2000 from Israel, leaving behind a background in business, and looking towards experimenting with different disciplines to stimulate the experience of awakening the individual spirit. Today, he facilitates ATB activities, with the intention of enriching the individuals state of observation, as a tool to unfold & deepen awareness of their beings. Dave is an experienced manager and negotiator and has led teams through all stages of the participatory project cycle. He has developed and implemented participatory learning and community development programs. In Auroville, Dave works with Convergence, an educational platform for sustainability.
SCHEDULE REGISTRATION Friday - 11th April 19:00 20:30 Welcome dinner The cost for the workshop is Rs. 12,000 per person inclusive of lunch, dinner, materials and facilitation for all activities, and all taxes. Accommodation costs are not included. All meals are vegetarian. Alcohol is not permitted in Auroville guest houses. Saturday - 12th April 08:15-09:00 Introduction at Visitors Center 09:15 11:00 Ecological Thinking 11:15 13:30 All about Food 13:30 14:15 Lunch 14:30 17:00 Growing Wholesome Food 17:30 19:00 Discover the Canyons 19:30 20:30 Dinner 20:30-22:00 Exploring the Night Sky Sunday - 13th April 06:00-07:00 Rising Sun 07:00-08:00 Breakfast at Bakery 09:00 11:00 Ecological Thinking 11:15 12:45 Connecting Body & Nature 13:00 14:00 Lunch 14:30 16:30 Growing Wholesome Food 16:45 17:30 Reflections over tea STAY Atithi Griha Guest House Price range: Rs. 800 - Rs. 1,000 per night. Tel: + 91 413 262 2445 Purple Hotel Price range: Rs. 1,400 - Rs. 2,800 per night Tel: +91 95855 54501 Email: info@thepurple.in Center Guest House Price range: Rs. 1,500 - Rs. 2,500 per night Tel: + 91 413 262 2155 /2269 /2708 Email: centerguesthouse@auroville.org.in Afsanah Guest House Price range: Rs. 2,800 - Rs. 3,900 per night Tel : 91 413 262 2048 Email: afsanah_gh@auroville.org.in Registration will be confirmed after receipt of the payment. We cannot refund your payment if you cannot attend for any reason, but you can transfer your registration to another person in writing before 7th April 2014. Registration will be closed once the limited capacity of 25 participants is filled. If a facilitator is unavailable, then we will substitute the relevant activity with a similar one. In case of cancellation of the programme from our side, fees will be refunded within 10 days. Payment can be made by online account transfer, Demand Draft or Cheque drawn in favour of Auroville Consulting, payable at State Bank of India, Auroville branch. To pay by cheque/demand draft, please courier your payment along with contact details to our postal address given below. LAST DATE FOR REGISTRATION: 4th April 2014 CONTACT Harishini Mugundan SaraCon Campus, Kottakarai Plaza, Irumbai Post, Auroville 605111, Tamil Nadu Tel: + 91 94421 92536 Email: info@agpworkshops.com www.agpworkshops.com
Workshops ABOUT AUROVILLE Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity. Auroville is an international community with over 2000 people from around 40 different countries. Founded in 1968, Auroville is based on the vision of The Mother and is endorsed by UNESCO and the Government of India as an ongoing experiment in human unity. Aurovillians are constantly experimenting with new ideas and solutions in areas of education, arts & crafts, community building, new economy and sustainability. One of the unique aspects of research in Auroville is the fact that many ideas are put into practice. Over the years, Auroville has won international acclaim for its efforts in social and environmental sustainability. Auroville is located 8km from Pondicherry, 3 hours drive from Chennai city/airport (150km) along the scenic East Coast Road (ECR) and 8 hours by an AC sleeper bus from Bangalore (350km). For more details visit: www.auroville.org www.agpworkshops.com