Incredible Journey to India!

Sufice it to say, such a trip to India that Lexy and I are on is filled with challenges, changes in schedules, adventures, and wonderful, generous people. It has been non-stop since we got here, in 90-100 degree heat, with 100 % humidity, so incredibly styfling and incredibly powerful at the same time.

Mr. Parmod Sharma, chairman of Yuvsatta, the international youth peace organization putting on this conference, has had me and my co-hort, Mr. Bernie Meyer, the "American Gandhi’ moving at break-neck speed from one school to another, one event to another, all the while balancing out with Mr. Ajat Satru the needs of 250 young people, the workshops, personalities and desires of presenters, and of course, Indian food! A huge job, and one I admire both of these men and their team of volunteers for pulling off.

I have been received so warmly as the Second American Gandhi that it overwhelms me. Wondering what the Indian people would think of me showing up dressed as Mr. Gandhi, coming and talking with the children in schools, the youth in this Peace Festival, I’ve ended up feeling such gratitude for this experience so far. My apologies to those of you who were looking for more posts–just today we discovered computer access within the Commonwealth Youth Centre, where we are staying here in Chandigarh, but previously the only access was after the day’s festivities and events were completed, after 10pm, and such days as these I’ve had no energy to walk the 2.5 mile round trip to a internet cafe to write posts. Again, my apologies.

I will bring more news tomorrow, if all goes well. Lexy is bounding from groups of friends from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, and beyond. She is a big hit, with her effervescent energy and ready smile, her silly faces in pictures, and her beauty. She will probably end up with many international suitors, all of whom will have to wait till she’s 30, at least! Fifteen more years is a long time.

I send you greetings from India, these wonderful people, who are just the same as you and me, in so many ways.

More to tell tomorrow, if I can manage it again!

In True Peace,

Don and Lexy

First Dispatch from India–Peace Festival ‘Views’paper!

Greetings from Chandigarh, India!

After 30 + years of wanting to come to India, here I am, with my youngest delightful daughter Lexy, sending this post from a small internet cafe who charges 20 rupees per half hour of use–that’s about 50 cents, and our local guide felt he was possibly ripping us off at that price!

We went shopping for towels last night, shaving creme, deoderant, all the necessities, and our friend Ajat negotiated with the towel man, aghast he was charging 75 rupees per towel. A whole new experience in how prices get set and value gets determined.

The International Youth Peace Festival begins tomorrow, with 500 students attending and arriving here today. I have the distinct honor of giving the initial presentation, portraying the Mahatma, focusing on becoming worthy of peace, advocating Love as the central core of any work for justice and peace, and befriending people across cutlural, religious and national boundaries.

We have already had adventures galore, just in less than 24 hours here, with children riding on elephants, a wild and wooly 5 hour ride in a taxi out of Delhi and up 250 miles to this modern, architecturally designed city, ‘The Beautiful City’ they call it.

I already have lots of ideas, such as a youth-centered festival from the countries who have nuclear bombs, focusing on working in grassroots ways to disarm the planet from our own self-destructive tendencies. Can we do it, could we imagine, dream out, then actually make a nuclear-free world happen? President Obama says he feels it’s one of his key roles as President to do just that–care to join me in supporting that effort?

I’d love to raise my grandchildren in a world free of the terror of nuclear war.

I’ll post more tomorrow, after our first day of the festival.

With the most love I can imagine, and just a bit more,

Don

Gandhi Guy attends the International Youth Peace Festival in India

Wow, is all I can say.

Tomorrow my daughter Lexy and I leave for Chandigarh, India to attend the International Youth Peace Festival. Lexy turns 15 tomorrow too–very cool birthday present!

My intention is to provide a daily post to GandhiGuy.com, reporting out to you what we’re doing, how the Gandhi portrayals go, the workshops, the people and excitement of 500 young people from around the world gathering in India for peace! Awesome adventure, I’d say.

I’ll see if Lexy can post her views as well, and we’ll welcome your input and feedback, thoughts and insights as you post here too. Feel free to sign up and post, we’d love to hear from you!

Below is the schedule we were sent for the Festival, though many events not filled in as yet.

Peace to you and your loved ones, always,

Don and Lexy