SAIIER 2016:Unity Pavilion

{{{previous}}}		{{{next}}}
{{{current}}}

Introduction

The Entity::Unity Pavilion hosts wide variety of activities and events, inviting and encouraging research, participation and interaction. Examples are cultural events, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and meetings as well as ongoing applied research and producing of materials related to the research. Our aim is to provide a space for activities, research and development in alignment with the ideals of Auroville. It includes all aspects life and society.

The Unity Pavilion hosts meetings and workshops for Auroville working groups in collaboration with the Auroville Council (AVC), Working Committee (WC) and Residents Assembly Service (RAS). Many smaller or ad hoc community working groups and individuals also are hosted here, as well as large community-related workshops such as Stewardship for New Emergence workshops and the Auroville Retreat.

Activities of the year

Hosting events

There has been a flow of activities and events, with the peak season being January to mid-April. This February we had 60 events in 29 days. Highlights have been the Selection process for WC and AVC, the Stewardship for New Emergence workshops, the ongoing research on values in relation to organizational change, the Co-creation workshops, cultural events in relation with the International Zone such as the full-day Korean event, the work with creating awareness amongst Auroville employees in collaboration with Thamarai and Wasteless, the interaction around the Peace Tables of Auroville, New York and Moscow on 25 February, and the explorations of the twelve qualities and the flowers and their messages in a series of 12 Yoga Nidra workshops. These are some among many of this year's harvest.

Research

The Unity Pavilion has a focus on research into human unity and unity in diversity. A central point of this research, which is still unfolding, is work with the Matrimandir Matrix, including the Matrimandir gardens and the twelve qualities as well as work with Flowers and their messages. This research is bringing forth tools and processes which harmonize and bring peace, and show a way of unity in diversity for our collective life.

Hall of Peace

The Hall of Peace with the Peace Table for Asia, is used for a weekly Peace meditation. It is also used for events related to peace and often to close a working session around the Peace Table. Aurovilians and visitors come by to simply sit for some time by the table. Unless there is a large workshop going on, we always welcome this.

Unity Pavilion office

The Unity Pavilion office building hosts Savi, the Africa House office, Unity Pavilion research work, Auroville International, and the International Zone office. The Unity Pavilion offers the International Zone a platform for different purposes: office space, meeting space, and outdoor spaces for exhibitions and cultural events, workshops, fund-raising dinners, etc. The Unity Pavilion also interacts with student groups and universities both through Inside India and directly.

List of events of the year

Hall of Peace

• Ongoing – Peace and healing meditation once a week, throughout the year
• 8 Apr – Koodam mediation
• 22 Apr – Peace videos
• 9 May – Colombian TV crew
• 31 May – “Sourcing Our Oneness” interaction between Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and Ashram-related organizations
• 26 Aug – Koodam, arbiters meeting with AVC
• 6 Sep – Book release: Poetry book by Noel
• 28 Dec – Koodam mediation
• 30 Jan – Conference about Peace
• 25 Feb – Peace meditation ("In the light of Supramental")

International Zone, Pavilion groups and AVI

• Ongoing – International Zone meeting every Monday
• Ongoing – Meetings of different International Zone Pavilion groups (African Pavilion, Russia and Balkan countries, Hungarian Pavilion group, Skype meetings and the like)
• 10 Sep – Korean Pavilion meeting and potluck
• 24 Nov – AVI Spain commemoration
• 26 Nov – Africa House presentation
• 18 Dec – “Glimpses from Myanmar” presentation
• 1 Feb – Hungarian event, meditation and dinner outside
• 9 Feb – Vanaver Caravan performance
• 10 Feb – Asian meeting, Korean Pavilion
• 15 Feb – Film screening for AVI: “Integral Yoga” by Sopanam
• 17-20 Feb – AVI meetings
• 23-24 Feb – AVI retreat
• 22 Feb – International Zone presentation
• 29-30 Mar – Drumming session, African Pavilion
• 10 Apr – Visit of Tibetan students

Organizational and personal development

• 7/9/10/20/30 Apr – “Living Co-creation” on-line workshops
• 14/16/21/23/24 Apr - “Living Co-creation” practice
• 1/5/7/8/12/14/15/19/21/22/28 May – “Living Co-creation” practice
• 23 May – “Stewardship for New Emergence” workshop
• 2/9/16/23/30 Jun - “Living Co-creation” practice
• 3 Sep - “Living Co-creation” practice
• 5 Sep - “Stewardship for New Emergence” refresher
• 6 Feb - “Thrive in Chaos” conference, Bruno Marion
• 12-14 Feb – “Stewardship for New Emergence” workshops, Stage 1
• 25-27 Feb – University of Human Unity seminars
• 12-14 Mar – “Stewardship for New Emergence” workshops, Stage 1

Auroville community

• 7 Apr – General Meeting
• 24 Apr – General Meeting, AVC
• 29 Apr – General Meeting, AVC
• 19 Jun – L'Avenir d'Auroville open house, RAS
• 7 July – General Meeting, AVC
• 5 Aug – AVC arbiters meeting
• 23 Aug – Governance Task Group, RAS
• 29 Aug – Cross-AG meeting, WC, Inge, Mandakini
• 31 Aug – Session with AVC and WC
• 1 Sep – Varuna update and Q&A session
• 9/22 Sep – General Meeting, AVC
• 2 Oct – RAS Action Groups, Vision Task Force and WC
• 5 Oct – Matrimandir garden presentation, Meera
• 7 Oct – Koodam arbiters
• 4 Nov – Koodam arbiters
• 5 Nov – Active Residents Assembly (ARA) introduction
• 28 Nov – ARA meeting
• 30 Nov – General Meeting (Entry policy)
• 3/10/15/22/29 Dec – The 50th Anniversary team presentation
• 4-6 Dec – 3-day Selection Process for WC, AVC, RAS, Study Group
• 17 Dec – Session for Newcomers, Boomi
• 18 Dec – General Meeting (Entry policy)
• 22 Dec – General Meeting (Auronet)
• 26 Dec – Entry policy workshop
• 30 Dec – ARA meeting
• 5/8 Jan – The 50th Anniversary Planning Team presentation
• 22 Jan – General Meeting (FAMC mandate, AVC)
• 23 Jan – ARA meeting
• 26 Jan – “Manifestation on the Way Forward” workshop, RAS
• 5/16 Feb – “Manifestation on the Way Forward” workshop, RAS
• 7 Feb – Land for Auroville presentation
• 26 Feb – General Meeting
• 15 Mar – Study group / RAS members meeting
• 22 Mar – “Manifestation on the Way Forward” workshop, RAS
• 24 Mar – General Meeting (new FAMC mandate, new Entry policy)

Environment and sustainability

• 27 Apr – Presentation on local food
• 29 Apr – Auroville Consulting workshop, Balu
• 1-2 May – Auroville Consulting workshops, Martin
• 8-9 May – Auroville Consulting workshop, Vikram
• 3 Jul – Auroville Consulting workshop
• 28 Aug – Earth and Bamboo Presentation, Auroville Consulting
• 30 Sep – Sanitary waste session for Guest House managers, EcoFemme
• 16 Oct – Earth and Bamboo Presentation, Auroville Consulting
• 27 Oct – Sacred Groves aqua-phonics presentation
• 1 Dec – Eco-Service vision workshop, Ribhu
• 21 Dec - WasteLess and EcoFemme presentation
• 2 Feb – Passive Solar Design workshop, Auroville Consulting
• 22 Mar – Student practicum workshop, Auroville Consulting

Planning and architecture

• 2/7/9 Apr – Student group visit, Lalit
• 12 Apr – Presentation to the volunteers of Sacred Groves, Joseba
• 17 May – Presentation to the volunteers of Sacred Groves, Joseba
• 5/12/19 Jul – Sacred Groves volunteers "Biology Construction" program, Joseba
• 13 Jul to 1st Aug – Summer school Program (African Pavilion), Martin
• 18 Aug – Student group visit, Lalit
• 26 Aug – Sacred Groves volunteers program, Joseba
• 2 Dec – Sustainable Habitats workshop, Auroville Consulting
• 8 Dec – Planning Community workshop, Lalit
• 25 Mar – Sacred Groves presentation, Joseba

Bioregional development

• 5/10 Jun – Learning in Action program for workers, Shivaya
• 25-26 Jun – Sustainable Livelihood Institute (SLI) workshop
• 2 Jul – Learning in Action practice session, Shivaya
• 9-10 Jul – SLI workshop
• 23 Jul – SLI orientation courses
• 31 Jul – Inviting local women to reduce sanitary waste in/around Auroville, EcoFemme
• 6 Aug – SLI orientation courses
• 13 Oct – Teachers retreat workshop, Mohanam Cultural Center
• 28 Oct – Sanitary waste session for workers, EcoFemme
• 29 Nov – Paalam workshop, Auroville Village Action Group
• 6 Feb – Bioregional forum, Bridget and RAS

Youth

• 9 May – YouthLink event
• 28 Sep – YouthLink presentation
• 14 Nov – Swedish students visit, Bunty
• 16 Dec – Savi volunteer program
• 23 Jan – YouthLink workshop
• 1 Mar – Student group, Bindu
• 19 Mar – YouthLink Project Planning and Communications workshop
• 21 Mar – Savi volunteers presentation
• 30 Mar – Apprenticeship programs meeting, Shivaya

Exhibitions

• 21 Sep – Peace exhibitions
• Feb-Jun – African Pavilion exhibitions

Cultural Events

• 4 Apr – Jivatman concert
• 16 May – “The Miracle Worker” film, Alice
• 10 Sep – Korean Pavilion meeting and potluck
• 26 Sep – "Food Babe", Jaya
• 29 Sep – Remembering Luc
• 18 Dec – “Glimpses of Myanmar” presentation
• 24 Dec – Unity Pavilion Christmas celebration
• 27 Dec – Auroville music and theater members workshop, Tapas
• 6/13/20/27 Jan – Svaram Sound Bath/Unity Journey
• 7 Jan – “From Fear to Freedom" talk by Dr. Sehdev Kumar
• 9 Jan – Presentation on robotics, Killol
• 10 Jan – Gordon and Joel concert of flute and slide guitar
• 11/15/18 Jan – Soul Motion Dance Odyssey, Martin
• 27 Jan – “Local Solutions to Global Warming” by Daniel Greenberg
• 29 Jan – Life and World Culture talk, Edwin
• 31 Jan – Jivatman concert
• 30-31 Jan – “Speak to Inspire”, Professor Jane Wheeler
• 1 Feb – Hungarian event, meditation and dinner outside
• 6 Feb – Kirtan chanting, Rolf
• 9 Feb – The Vanaver Caravan dance performance
• 20 Feb – Sehdev Kumar talk / Songs & Poems of Kabir
• 21 Feb – North East Asian event, Korean Pavilion
• 22 Feb – French Pavilion book reading
• 28-29 Feb – “The true story of Auroville's birth” workshop (dinner, reading, sharing next day), Rakhal
• 1 Mar – ART for Land
• 1 Mar – Anusuya Kumar presentation on Johannes Hohlenberg
• 2/9/16/23/30 Mar – Svaram Sound Bath/Unity Journey
• 6 Mar – News of life & Dancers of life (Soul Motion dance), Philippe
• 26 Mar – Zeitgeist Day, YouthLink & Jerry
• 27 Mar – “Light Body – Sound Body”, Svaram

Integral education

• 4 Apr – Integral education with children, Aneetha
• 30 May – Awareness Through the Body (ATB) session, Amir
• 3 Jun – ATB session, Amir
• 5/12/19 Jun – Lilaloka team meetings
• 4 Sep – ATB session, Amir
• 12 Sep – Self-awareness one day session, Manoj
• 13 Oct – Lilaloka meeting
• 15/22/29 Oct – Lilaloka meetings
• 18 Jan – ATB session
• 4 Mar – ATB session, Amir

Wellbeing

• 21 Jun – “What is Yoga for you!”
• 2-4 Oct – Pranayama workshop, JV
• 21-22 Dec – “Preventing and Reversing Lifestyle Disease with Food”, Nandita
• 25 Dec – Clowning retreat session, Fif
• 6 Jan – Recording a seminar, Integral Health, Sigrid
• 5/8/12/14/19/21/26/28 Jan – Yoga Nidra 12 Qualities workshops
• 25 Jan – “Preventing and Reversing Lifestyle Disease with Food”, Nandita
• 2/4/5/8/16 Feb – Yoga Nidra 12 Qualities workshops
• 3/11/17/24 Feb – Svaram Sound Bath/Unity Journey
• 26-28 Feb – Pranayama workshops, JV

Outcomes

A very large number of people from very diverse backgrounds have been actively interacting and sharing. The Unity Pavilion is an active agent in the ongoing shift of our functioning as an organization, towards unity, collaboration and participation and alignment of our ideals and our actions.

Reflections

It is very inspiring and encouraging to see our aspiration consolidating, to see that unity and unity in diversity is where we really are, making the invisible visible.

We learn as we go along. The situations are never really the same, so we need to stay inclusive and open.

Conclusion

We hope to have some more collaborators on the practical level of running the Unity Pavilion and facilitating its activities. That would free Shivaya and myself (Jaya) to focus more on research and fund raising. The staff we have now are hardworking and very committed, but sometimes the workload was ongoing for weeks and asked too much from all of us, without break, and there is also need for rest and social interaction; people have families, children, etc. that also need time and attention.