Special issue on IYLDP - "Oasis LIFE Classes"

A Revolutionary Idea Called "Oasis LIFE Classes"

Background:

We celebrated our 61th Republic Day and we certainly feel proud of the fact that India is on way to becoming economical super-power. There are so many more things about our country that makes us feel proud of it, today.

But, on the other side our country is still suffering from larger issues like corruption, poverty, unemployment, pollution etc.

Take corruption, for example. Is it possible to have this problem unless educated people are not party to this? Isn’t people who are at the helm of the affairs, who have power and position are the only one who actively instigate and participate in this problem? So there has to be something seriously wrong in our education system that promotes such self-centered notion of success. Inculcating right values in the next generations is the only way out.

“Oasis” actively works for development of youths. After 20 years of rich experience, it has now launched a project - IYLDP to orient 1 Lakh youths in coming years for educating towards the powerful principles of Life. This program offers “Self-Development Circles” and regular “LIFE” classes to inculcate sense of responsibility and civility amongst the youths.

What are "Oasis LIFE Classes"?

"Oasis LIFE Classes" are weekly self developmental & learning classes for 2 to 3 hours duration.

They consist of a special curriculum, highly participatory modules and processes which allow the inquiries in life. Principles and values of Life are introduced in a way that can be understood easily. An environment is created where youths can fall in love with idealism; where they learn to put their country and communities above themselves; where they understand that what we get is necessary for our living but our life is created by what we give.

“Oasis LIFE Classes” will have regular, weekly sessions for 10 months every year. Following would be the module for these sessions every month.
i.  1st Week: Introduction of the Theme     of the Month by Facilitator
ii.  2nd Week: Group Discussions/
    Presentations
iii. 3rd Week: Inviting Role-models Or
    Movie-of-the-month
iv. 4th Week: Outdoor Visits / Social
    Welfare Events

Oasis aims to reach youths from following sections-
i.  Youths from Schools( 8-12 Std)
ii. Youths from Colleges/Hostels
iii. Young Teachers of schools/colleges with a special focus on girls/women teachers

Oasis heartily invites all educational institutes across Gujarat and also from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh & Karnataka to be part of this movement to spread character building education.

Is The Education Given in Our Schools and Colleges Adequate?

It’s time for asking some hard questions-

i. Why does India still rank poor in   corruption? Is it possible for corruption   to exist and sustain if India’s educated   class is not a perpetrator and party to   corruption?

ii. Isn’t something seriously wrong with   our educational system that teaches a   kind of success which worships personal   wealth gained by hook or by crook?

iii. Is our educational system worth a   great deal if it teaches young people   how to make a living but doesn't teach   them how to make a life?

iv. Is our Education successful if it’s not   for improving the lives of others and for   leaving our community and world better   than we found it?

Questions are many. Any person who has thought in-depth about the issues plaguing our society knows that the answers lie in Education. But our education has gone haphazard somewhere. As George Bernard Shaw says, "What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child."

Education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change because life is not what happens to us. It is what we do with what happens to us. Has our education fulfilled the purposes that it is required to?

Oasis feels that we have a long way to go in this direction. But nevertheless, we have to begin from somewhere. Thus Oasis has launched the concept of “Oasis LIFE Classes” to supplement and complement our present Educational System.

However, in the long term we aim to influence radical changes in the present Educational System. This is how we wish to take the first steps.

~ Sanjiv Shah

Again quoting Swami Vivekanand-

“Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”

“We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

“The goal of mankind is knowledge ... Now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.”

This is the very purpose of Oasis LIFE Classes- to facilitate the unveiling of the hidden potentials of human-being. Oasis LIFE classes offer 2 hours’ weekly sessions to begin with. They incorporate life-oriented subjects. They do not consist of mere lectures or preaching. They enjoy, affirm the youths and provide them excellent environment to share, learn and find out their own selves.

~ Sanjiv Shah

Oasis has planned to reach and educate over 1 Lakh youths during 2010-12. These youths can be regular, repeat participants OR they can also be one-time beneficiaries.

Oasis has divided this goal as follows-

i.   1 Lakh youth-participants by end of 2012
ii.  30000 youth-participants by end of 2010
iii. 10000 youth-participants till Apr 2010

The proposed 1 Lakh youths, if repeat participants, will be 10,000 in number, who all will go through 40 sessions each year (4 sessions every month, for 10 months a year) as part of the “Oasis LIFE Classes”- Oasis Self Development Circles (OSDC). Oasis proposes 50 such OSDCs as its Pilot Project all over Gujarat as also in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Themes for Each Month

Note: The theme of the month will be introduced by Oasis Facilitator; whereas on rest of the 3 weeks every month, the Facilitator will appoint coordinators from amongst the youths; give them tasks, modules and necessary resource material and ensure smooth conduction of these sessions.

"Most Indians feel corruption is eating into the roots of our country. If weeded out, India can become a country to be proud of." - This was what came out in an online survey on internet on our 61th Republic Day.

In a country of 110 crore population, @ 35 crore are youths and young children. They are our greatest Hope and Resource to fight against corruption and other national evils.

Oasis has begun the crusade. The first step is to make the youth sensitive human-beings and good citizens. "Oasis LIFE Classes" will lay the foundation for it.

Help us, join us. If you know such educational institutes where we can start "Oasis LIFE Classes", contact us immediately.

~ Mehul Panchal  

To View Alive Archives, Please Click here>>>

  Alkesh Raval

  Jolly Madhra

  Jwalant Bhatt

  Kshama Kataria

  Mehul Panchal

  Sanjiv Shah

  Sheeba Nair

  Umesh Patel

You receive this newsletter because you may be one of the participants of oasis activities, or may have been referred by our core friends or you may have given your email address to us. Please feel free to share this newsletter with your friends, family and co-workers. You have permission to use this content in your newsletter or email system as long as you do not edit the content and you leave the links and this resource box intact. We will be happy to receive the copy of the same.
If you wish that this newsletter is dispatched directly to your contacts, you may recommend the same to us along with their key details.

To unsubscribe from this group, reply with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line to info@oasismovement.in
© Copy Right by Oasis Self Leadership Education for Community Development, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.