Jain Spirit 2003 10 No 16

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 55

Children Adore Nature
prevention of cruelty to animals and on the vegetarian way of life, • Annual exhibition of charts, photos and cartoons on the evil effects of slaughter-houses and on the merits of a healthy and nutritious diet, • Organising picnics with a variety of vegetarian food brought by the students, • A monthly wall magazine where children can display articles, stories, drawings and the distribution of literature on the subject of compassion and vegetarianism to the public for awareness (in local languages); introducing relevant books and periodicals at the school library, • Organising rallies in the school area or in town with banners and flags to promote the above objectives, to take part in the activities of other organisations with similar aims, like Blue
park or bird sanctuaries, • Visiting old people's homes, orphanages, homes for the handicapped, the destitute and mentally retarded, spending time with them, or helping the blind crossing the road, • Visiting Gosalas and Pinjarapoles (animal sanctuaries). Blue Cross, SPCA and PFA, and collect information about animal welfare activities, • Paper folding, making animal shapes, animal homes (natural habitats) like nests, burrows or caves.
Cross.
Teacher training programmes were conducted to hand over the theme and spirit to the torch bearers, the teachers who are responsible for moulding the young minds. A special mention has to be made about the tremendously positive attitude of teachers who are eagerly waiting to pass on the benefits of the Training Programmes to the students. Humane education is possible only through a comprehensive syllabus which is made an essential part of the curriculum and followed in all earnestness and sincerity, without attaching any stigma of marking and ranking.
We hope that people in different parts of the world can
Karuna Clubs are requested to take up a minimum of ten activities a year and send us reports regularly. The reports will be maintained in the respective school life and will be considered for evaluation at the end of the year when presenting awards.
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SONY KARUNA CLUB COMPASSION AND NON VIOLENCE
KARUHA INTERRACIAL
KARUNA CLUB
FOR COMPASSION AND NON VOLENCE
Peace March to commemorate World Animals Day
Releasing the white dove of peace replicate this approach in their own local schools or communities or, at the very least, remember to expose their own children to karuna in simple and practical ways, whether at home, during trips or through books and videos. In this way, children will grow up experiencing the beauty of compassion and become its practitioners. Practical example is by far the best way of education. We should endeavour to be good examples for our future generation.
EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES • Celebrating Vanamahotsava day by planting saplings, growing plants in coconut shells, watching germination in the pots, watering plants in the garden, . Celebrating Animal Welfare Week by conducting awareness rallies on animal and human welfare, printing pamphlets, enacting dramas or conducting competitions. Any other activity to the convenience of the school can also be undertaken, • Feeding birds/animals with grains, keeping the environment clean and green, adopting and observing a tree in the school campus, • Enacting animal stories like Panchathantra stories, compassion stories, jataka tales using animal masks, role play and mono acting, • Preparing an album about domestic, wild and endangered animals, including their feeding habits, visiting a zoological
Dr. Duli Chand Jain is the untiring founder of Karuna Clubs and author of a number of books including *Pearls of Jaina Wisdom'. He can be contacted on karunainternational@vsnl.net
Photos: Courtesy of the Author
September - November 2003 . Jain Spirit
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