(1) Surur Hoda Memorial Fund
In 2005 former Chairman of the Foundation, Cecil Evans, established a fund in memory of its founder, Surur Hoda.
After discussions between Cecil, the Executive and Surur's widow, Elisabeth, it was decided to spend the money raised from the
memorial fund in three ways:
a) Kingsley Hall Schools Project
Teaching children about non-violence and Gandhi was very close to Surur's heart. This project will develop a photographic exhibition
on Gandhi based at Kingsley Hall for local school children. The exhibition is being developed in partnership with GandhiServe Foundation,
Berlin, which has the most extensive photo archive on Mahatma Gandhi and India's independence movement. Gandhi education specialist
Susan Denton Brown is helping to structure the exhibition, select photos from the GandhiServe archive and develop teaching materials to
accompany the exhibition.
We are now looking for a further £600 so we can buy exhibition materials to realise this exciting project and launch it later in 2008.
We would, therefore, like to make a fresh appeal for funds. Donations should be sent to
The Gandhi Foundation Treasurer, Graham Davey, 29 Norton Road, Bristol BS4 2EZ.
b) Kingsley Hall Garden Bench
Surur built a close relationship between Kingsley Hall and the Gandhi Foundation. He was also a lover of gardens and the outdoors.
Surur's widow Elisabeth thought that it would therefore be appropriate to dedicate a bench in the Kingsley Hall garden to his memory.
Gathering at Kingsley Hall on 19 May 2007 to unveil a memorial bench to Surur Hoda,
first Secretary General of the Gandhi Foundation.
c) Photograph for the GF office
A framed photo of Surur with an inscription was placed in the Gandhi Foundation office at Kingsley Hall and the bench
placed in the garden at the gathering of GF Friends on 19 May 2007.
Mark Hoda
(2) "Gandhi's Legacy for our Future" (An educational resource for delivering aspects of global citizenship)
Work is still in progress on this educational resource applying the ethos of Gandhi to the personal and wider issues of global
citizenship. Aspects of identity, community, creating unity in diversity and sustaining environments will all be explored.
Particular focus will be given to non-violent protest and the ways in which conflict can be transformed.
Originally the resource was planned to meet the demands of the National Curriculum for Citizenship in the UK .
The content has now to be broadened as interest has been expressed in the USA and other countries, so the needs of
students of a wider age group and background must now be considered. It is hoped that publication will now be in 2009.
The GF Summer Gathering 2007, at which I shall be leading sessions: Applying the legacy of Gandhi to issues we face now,
and in the future, will focus the morning sessions. It is hoped that each session will be of individual value but a daily progression
will build into a more complete experience. Six major areas will be given focus:
Gandhi the man, his life and legacy; understanding our sense of self and our roles in life; our spirituality and how we develop and express it;
the wider community helping create unity in diversity; transforming conflict through non-violence; healing and sustaining creation and
the environment.
The programme can be adapted so that the needs of each group at the time can be appropriately met.
Susan Denton-Brown
(3) JEEVIKA TRUST
Jeevika Trust was co-founded, as India Development Group, by the late Surur Hoda to raise money for village livelihood projects in India,
inspired by the Gandhian economist E F Schumacher who coined the phrase "small is beautiful".
The last three years have been a very busy and fruitful period. The organisation adopted the name Jeevika (meaning 'livelihood' in Hindi)
in 2005, with distinctive new branding, website and publications the latest Annual Review is available on request by e-mail as below.
Executive Director Andrew Redpath has recruited a committed team of people to take forward Jeevika's fund raising, communications,
Indian project development, and a network of volunteers is being built.
Jeevika works closely with its sister organisation Schumacher Centre for Development, based in Delhi, and through them and other partners
has village livelihood programmes in the north, east, centre and south of India. Information about these is available at www.jeevika.org.uk
The organisation is entering a major phase in its fund raising efforts at the moment.
If you would like to make a donation, join its volunteer network, or if you would just like more information,
please e-mail info@jeevika.org.uk A sponsored 'Walk for Water' took place on the afternoon of Sunday, 24th June
along the Thames at Hampton Court.
Mark Hoda, GF link with Jeevika Trust
(4) The Patna Collective India
The Patna Collective was set up by a young Indian female, Ms. Sharukh Alam, who studied law in London and then went to South Africa,
finally returning back to India a few years ago because she was very moved by the violence that erupted in Gujarat and was one of the
volunteer helpers on the ground.
Her experience here and elsewhere led her to the idea of Liberation Theology and that religion must not be defined within narrow sectarian
confines but must include socio economic aspect, which to a greater degree defines human beings.
The Gandhi Foundation was approached to act as the umbrella organisation under which they wished to perform their task.
Following discussions by the Executive Committee there was unanimous agreement that the kind of work The Patna Collective wished to
engage with was exactly the kind of work that the GF would like to encourage. Some Friends of the GF donated a sum of money to get the
project off the ground. Initially, such financial help was rejected by the Patna Collective but has now been reluctantly accepted.
For further information contact: Omar Hayat on behalf of
The Patna Collective, Q-4, Block V, Sapna Apartments, Near Ramna Road, Patna-4, Bihar, India.
Tel: + 91 94316 02211, +91 93343 54723
E-Mail: shahrukhalam@gmail.com / khalidanisansari@yahoo.co.in
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