| The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement is a family of non-government, non-profit organizations which began in the country of Sri Lanka in 1958. The movement was founded by a high school teacher, A.T. Ariyaratne, who has since won international recognition ranging from the Gandhi and Niwano Peace Prizes to the Magsaysay and Hubert Humphrey Awards.
Sarvodaya activities involve millions of people in close to 15,000 villages. Its reputation has grown out of a holistic, integrated approach to personal, family, village and national development over nearly five decades.
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| SARVODAYA |
A word coined by
Mahatma Gandhi. "The awakening of all" |
| SHRAMADANA
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This is the
voluntary sharing of time, resources, thoughts, energy and labor. |
| MOVEMENT |
The term stands for
dynamism, the momentum of people motivated from within, and the
popular support that is essential for successful and sustainable
development and change on a national level. |
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To learn about current programs in thousands
of rural villages and urban communities, visit
www.sarvodaya.org the official
web site managed at the national headquarters in Moratuwa.
But Sarvodaya is also a growing collection of stories, perspectives,
ideas and lessons learned. It has a rich history of organizing,
spiritual leadership and change. Rooted firmly in Buddhist and Gandhian
principles, its respect for Sri Lankan traditions is clear. And both the
process and achievements of this movement are meant to benefit everyone,
regardless of religion, wealth or ethnicity.
This web site is meant to serve as a window into what Sarvodaya has
been, how people on the inside and outside of the movement perceive it,
and what it can become… anywhere.
Sarvodaya has a vision of a society with no poverty and no affluence,
based on the Gandhian values of truth, non-violence, and self-sacrifice.
This society is governed by the ideals of participatory democracy with
decentralized power and resources. It upholds basic human rights and
aims to satisfy basic human needs. It protects and nurtures the natural
environment and resources.
Long before "sustainable development "environmentally-friendly"
practices, "people's participation", "networking" and other such modern
catch-phrases became mainstream, the Sarvodaya Movement was implementing
all these elements in an "alternative path to progress."
People's development movements and NGOs have a complementary role with
the state in the development process. Sarvodaya’s outreach capabilities
and ability to mobilize human and material resources at the grassroots
level has made its contribution
Not only does the movement participate in development with a
concentrated focus, it also facilitates the involvement of other NGOs in
the process.
Sarvodoya advocates unprejudiced, unbiased progress, without partisan
politics influencing decisions. For years it has described itself as
“the only non-religious people's organization still able to work the
length and breadth of a country which desperately needs integration and
cultural pluralism to survive.” With its extensive outreach, Sarvodaya’s
potential for working toward multicultural integration and
reconciliation is significant.
visit:
www.sarvodaya.org |
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