Khadi Goes Global...and Jai Jagat 2020, Ekta Parishad

The Voice of Women banner is made on khadi cloth. Khadi was the hand woven cloth spun by the Mahatma who brought ahimsa, non-killing and marching to the surface of justice action.  I met Jyotsna Kapur, secretary of AIWEFA (All India Women's Education Fund Association) at the bazaar - and I bought a wooden neem comb from this table.:)

Women's economic empowerment in Rural India through AIWEFA is an example of women for women.  Their website is inspiring.  Their NGO began in the 20's under the leadership of the Mahatma. Two ideas that are crucial are Mahatma Gandhi's principle of "development for all" (Sarvodaya) through the "empowerment of the weakest of society" (Antyodaya).

 Sarvodaya combines two terms. Sarva means one and all and Uday means welfare or uplift. If we can keep these principles in our hearts while we strive for equity and justice, we have a touchstone that can guide us through confusion.  This group seems to have a wide scope, and those two principles can remind us that climate solutions must be gender just!

Allow me a digression to a sarvodaya connection that I have experienced in my life--Ekta Parishad is a Gandhian social movement active in India for more than 20 years. I cannot say enough about the dedication and inspiration that the Ekta Activists bring to change and justice. My friend Jill Carr Harris, the international co-ordinator at Ekta Parishad spoke in an interview ( thank you Irakli!) about land rights and satyagraha- holding onto truth

As Jill says ...it is about people suffering to gain justice. This is based on notions that run counter to                          a society that believes that social change can happen without any discomfort. Social
                      change can happen without any discomfort. Social change requires transformative
                      processes and these are never easy.
Do you want to know more? Ekta has organized marches of 10's of thousands of people. They have empowered activists through non-violent training and teaching. In 2020 activists are marching from New Delhi to Geneva - marching for justice for all! You are invited!