Conflicts

At the very fundamental level there are three types of conflicts

Right vs. Wrong: The classical conflict depicted in epics, mythology and folklore

Wrong vs. Wrong: Immortalized by Mario Puzo in ‘The Godfather’ and the kind which is seen on the political canvas on an everyday basis.

Right vs. Right: The type of conflict which brings in- what should I say- shades of white instead of gray. In this conflict ‘the truth’ keeps shifting with changes in the dimensions of time, events, and actors.
Cause- Differences in culture, upbringing, values, and what one wants out of life.
Effect- The most painful of all conflicts and the emotional scars sometimes remain etched in for an entire lifetime.

Ideas for a non-existent Ideal

Google Inc. will award $10 million to solicit ideas it believes could benefit the world.

I mentioned this award casually over dinner and to my surprise I found that my 10 year old daughter was very curious. I gave her a rough estimate of the amount at stake in our currency and she was all the more excited. I explained to her that we need to come up with an idea which is good for the majority of the human race.

She gave a pregnant pause and then asked – “But papa, can you tell me what is good for the humanity?”

Now, when you are asked to ideate, it’s normally towards something. In this case we have been asked to ideate towards the welfare of humanity. But, do we really know what’s good for us. All indicators from the social, economic, faith indexes point towards a negative downslide. Growth is synonym to plunder, religion to fanaticism, and social relations have been stymied to – What’s in it for me?

I didn’t have an answer to my daughter’s queries; perhaps a project which helps the administrators of the world in understanding the actual needs of the deprived millions for whom words like growth, prosperity, and freedom have a different connotation altogether is not a bad idea.

Teach India

The induction program is scheduled on the 14th of October, and I’ve been tagged with an NGO called Project 511. After the induction program we will get the details of our training program. For years together, I've always thought of giving back something, but somehow was never able to get out of the ‘me, my family, and my job’ routine.

Thanks, Teach India Movement.

Children benefiting from this movement are only one part of the story. A critical mass had developed in the society which was waiting for the right launch. It had the right intentions and the desire to make some difference but somehow was just not able to give shape to its ideas. A platform is all that was required to break the inertia. Close to a hundred thousand will get exposure to social responsibility in this movement, and I can see immense possibilities. What if just a hundred out of these volunteers get the impetus to execute the next big movement? I sincerely hope that this movement is a resounding success, because in its success lies the hope of building a nation in which the youth don’t just ideate and ask questions, they also act and provide solutions.