Sixfold RAINBOW MEETS
Separate Events for Groups
- Students.
- Women.
- Young parents.
- Senior citizens.
- Entrepreneurs.
One Sunday a month
- Public places.
- Everyone brings lunch and water then shares with all. Low spice. Vegetarian. Home made.
- Garbage collection at end.
- Mobiles on silent mode for 4 hours.
- Typically 10 AM to 2 PM.
- Free heart to heart sharing on deep issues of life, without any selling or marketing.
- Sharing of heirloom seeds, saplings and own garden or farm produce.
Zero budget : Free Open Social Forum
… being together is destination …
- Version 2.0: Updated 2023-05-15
Enlighten, enjoy, entertain, energise, explore, envision, express…..
Report(s) of previous educative, eclectic, electrifying and exciting meets
Motivation
What is life without sparks of love, an impossible dream, rainbow of colors, contrasts, contradictions, creativity, community, camaraderie, chaos, carnival…?
Are we pigeons trapped in net, cut off from each other?
As most of us are very busy (till neck) in life (struggling to make money or even just to survive!), it was felt by some friends that we need some breathing space at last, to hold each other's arms, to feel each other's presence as living being (rather than usable being).
Even the sky is captured, where to fly?
Fairs, carnivals, melas and festivals have degenerated into markets. Loud noise, advertisements, propaganda, political domination, bureaucratic red tape and selling pressure etc. leave no place for sentiments, sensibility and sensitivity. Market is devoid of sentiments anyway. Then again they cater for those who can spend money. What about free, open, secure and accessible social spaces that have basic amenities? They do not exist practically any where except elite big cities but then safety concerns remain.
Life means hope and creativity
Therefore it is planned, once a month (every 4th Sunday) to meet at different locations in Dehradun, India (you can organize locally in your area too!). Depending upon response we can make it once a fortnight (every second Sunday).
There is need for bonding with each other for common healing
Our life is in clutches of market forces, as a result sentiments, sensitivity, and feelings are fast losing significance. We need to reclaim our human side, and we need to do it urgently, fast, here and now!
Sentiments need purity, purity needs freedom
- To keep meetings "pure" we need them to be "really" free and open.
- Spirit of these meets will not be dominated, controlled, affected, hijacked, manipulated by external influences.
- Hence there will be no banner, no sponsor, no money game, no selling, no advertisement/pamphlets, no propaganda, no career talk, no party, no politics, no religion talk, no borders, no country, no government, no nations, no NGO, no leader, no VIP, no Guru, no competition, no winners/losers, no barriers, no hierarchy, no divisions, no capturing, no traps, no preacher, no pollution, no event managers/brokers because no money is involved, no budget, no overshooting of the alloted time.
- We will discuss about them but will not be controlled by them.
Aim and efficiency of meets:
- Meets will be an attempt to see through each other's eyes and strive for a common shared vision. Let us see what evolves thereafter in self-organising manner. If we are able to emerge with feeling of solidarity through common vision then we shall have achieved our aim. This common social aim will take its own time.
- We are aware, in the short term these meets will be little more than Sunday picnics, but even that is worthwhile! At least it will save our time on individual round trips just to meet one friend.
Creative colorful lasting expression
- Emphasis will be on expression through creativity with colours, drawing, craft, poem, story, theater, puppets, films, song, music, dance etc.
- We will avoid direct one to one verbal discussions as they are almost always non-conclusive and lead to dead ends with hurt sentiments and win/lose situation. We need to experience harmony and peace in disagreement.
Tokens will decide sequence of events and activities
Lot of events are planned in these meets. Decision to hold an event is made spontaneously by choice tokens by participants.
Films
Inspirational, educative, alternative, Non-commercial, legal. Examples: Story of Stuff (English/Hindi/Marathi) and many more such films, kindly shared by Mr. Arvind Gupta 'Toys' ([email protected], http://www.arvindguptatoys.com).
Music
Individual performance: Vocal, Instrumental
Puppet
Show and making workshop. Material: Paper Mache, old news papers, string, bamboo sticks etc.
Sharing :: Food
This is a free event, so there are no organisers to lean on! Bring novelties as well as healthy food that can serve as example for others. Please bring 1.5 times your single diet meal with water. Example: If you eat 4 rotis then get 6. Try getting dry items. Fast foods are poison. Avoid biscuits/cakes/chocolates/soft drinks etc. Bring dates, ground-nuts, (dry) fruits if you must. Please be sure to carry back your waste with you!
Sharing :: Plants, seeds, saplings
Try getting useful ones like herbs. If possible display a paper with details of its use/benefits.
Sharing :: Old magazines, books
Avoid those with sensational, glamorous, film, sports material. Get inspirational, useful and educative ones.
Quick Reading and Presentation: QRP
Participants will read a book/article/chapter/paper chosen randomly from their choice set. Then they will present it to all others. This will inculcate the quick reading, comprehension, summarizing and presentation skills.
Sharing :: Open source CD/DVD magazines, (e)books
Avoid material that supports businesses and commerce. Avoid time wasting addictive games. In particular we will share 1200+ books and 2 DVDs provided by Mr. Arvind Gupta. No pirated material shall be shared, we have better alternatives than pirated (commercial) materials.
Sharing :: Cloths/Shoe/other items
Some friends need them!
Open Source, Free software, Gnu/Linux:
Talk, presentation, demo. Installations (Pen drives/Laptops) Puppy (puppylinux.org) and Mepis (mepis.org) etc.
Story telling
Presentation of self composed stories.
Poetry
Recital, presentation of self composed poems.
Health :: Acupressure, Yoga, Massage, Homoeopathy etc.
Sharing of own experience/skills to dispel myths and distribution of free medicines by experts. Origami workshop: For fun and education. Using old news paper and waste paper.
Group discussions and Quiz :: "Fish bowl" style
Inner circle for speakers, outer circle for audience. Topics: Society, environment, future etc.
Collective Decision Making: CDM
People give their inputs in any creative/constructive manner by any medium. Then others give their response. This body of inputs is expected to evolve and self-organize itself, so as to make clear what is the collective decision. This is like mini version of http://www.wikipedia.org, that is being adapted for true democracy (of ideas based on their merit) on a community scale. But unlike wikipedia the outcomes of CDM are executables. CDM provides a laboratory to experiment with a horizontal (pro people) manner to run our affairs in place of vertical (anti people) governments that have enslaved us. Please see our live online CDM sample here. Community talks to itself. There is no burden on particular subset of individuals.
Games with messages
Tangrams (http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/tangram.pdf), Cards, Ludo, Snakes & ladders etc. All handmade using "waste" material!
Use of "waste" material
In the spirit of "Ten Little Fingers" (http://gyanpedia.in/tft/Resources/books/tlf120.pdf) book by Mr. Arvind Gupta and more such inputs.
Worthy websites/emails/books/slides presentations
We all get great forwarded emails once in a while. This will be an opportunity to share such material with those who may have missed or non users of Internet. Most important useful websites like the following can be shared: http://www.arvindguptatoys.com and http://www.journeytoforever.org etc.
My socially worthy story of life
Contemplation, writing and presentation by chosen participants on their "birth, childhood, past, present, future, old age and death" (BCPPFOD). Only socially/environmentally worthy points to be spoken. One may speak about creative hobbies. Include your favorite inspiration and quotation. How one makes money, how much one damages environment, how many "degrees" one has from "higher education", what "powerful" position one occupies in hierarchy etc. are not socially worthy points. Similarly my favorite sports person(s), film star(s), favorite TV soap-opera, favorite politician/party, favorite car/bike/gadget/mobile/computer etc. are not socially worthy points. Duration is 15 minutes maximum. See an inspiring sample story here!
Socially worthy collage
From News papers and magazines etc. This will give others a chance to read the material they may have missed. People may note by hand what they need.
Wall magazine
On various topics. People may copy by hand what they need.
Urban farming and Kitchen garden
Surplus produce can be shared among friends.
Musical instruments making
Example: Flute from scrap PVC pipes from hardware shops.
Co-creation or combined creation :: Art, Puppets, Story, Cartoons, Comics, Poems, Ideas collage
This can then be refined upon passing through stages of mixture (graffiti), hand voting, selection, final.
Transformation of forms
Can be undertaken as group activity in the presence of composer. Example: Drawing to poem, poem to drawing.
Tree list of critical/burning/vital issues that affect all of us
Food, GM food, environment, health, gender, violence, consumerism, water, energy, market, money, government, weapons, religion, nationalism, classification of society, terror etc.
More events and activities
Will be group discussed during meets. Many more activities are possible. Volunteers always welcome! Some food for thought: Cleaning of public parks, planting of trees (with tree guard and care) etc.
Some points taken from various sources to convey essence of these meets
Refreshing breaks from daily grind. Being together is destination.
What is society?
As a "multi sentence": Society = (synergy, symphony, sparks) of (clarity, consciousness, conscience, colors, contrasts, chaos, creativity, creation) in (expansion, expression) through you.
Other side of life
That the so called "establishment" does not want you to experience or even see! "Zee lo 1 din" (Hindi) means "Live for 1 day": Then may be whole life later…
Colorful silence
In silence we speak through colors.
Ideas speak
To discourage verbal talk, let ideas speak for themselves.
Commitment shall prevail
Commit to maintain peaceful meets, even in face of violent provocations, resistance and barriers.
Diversity
Strength lies in connected diversity. Gene pool is the example.
Power overpowered!
With no one in power, no one is out of power.
Peace spreads from unit to whole
When we achieve peace within ourselves individually and with our surroundings together we will reach world peace.
Family under pressure
Politics and spirituality pull family in opposite directions.
Wealth of spirit
Wealthiest is the one who gives most away.
Material wealth or property
Property is theft. Property is pollution.
Money
Money represents share in environment plunder.
Work is a spark of love
Work is love made visible. If you can not work with love, then sit at gates of those who do and beg alms.
Open
Open (heart, mind, source, space…).
Free
Free (dom, mixing, energy, life…).
0B for purity
Zero budget meet. It is worthwhile to compare with zero bacteria water purifying system. In zero budget meet there is no "money infection".
Picnic + much more!
These meets must provide memorable experience for all!
Joint Horizontal Family (JHF)
Is a radical, romantic, refreshing and revolutionary view about the gender issues.
But what is horizontal in this context?
Think of it as refreshing, inspiration, educative, natural alternative to our life that is based on equal importance of every one. Horizontal means every one is equally important in theory and action.
Why are we here?
Single ready to mingle!
What should we aspire to see?
Glimpse of future ideal world.
Impossible worthy dream
Utopia here and now!
R6
Real, romantic, radical, refreshing, revolution, rainbow…. Clinging to objects is weakness Sharing is Strength. Dare to share!
Once the joy is experienced
Every one can share.
Utopia
Utopia is the imaginary society in which humankind's deepest yearnings, noblest dreams and highest aspirations come to fulfilment, where all physical, social and spiritual forces work together, in harmony, to permit the attainment of everything people find necessary and desirable. In the imagined utopia, people work and live together closely and cooperatively, in a social order that is self-created and self-chosen rather than externally imposed, yet one that also operates according to a higher law of natural and spiritual laws.
40YV :: 40 Year Vision
Is a possible plan to achieve utopia in our life time or foreseeable future.
Move on with life
To move on with life, let us work on agreements and give colorful expressions to issues pending agreements.
Omnipotent
Omnipotent love flows horizontally.
Am I remote controlled?
My life should be in my control. Is it so?
Who owns me?
Do I own my self?
Is silence always a virtue?
Silence can be sin.
What is sin?
Weakness is the only sin.
Its always possible!
It is still possible for the trapped pigeons to collectively rescue each other.
Yes! There is chance
Another world is possible.
Social Media is virtual
Rainbow meets are "real" social networking.
What really matters
Spirit alone matters. Spirit is above every thing, even beyond mind!
Focus on ideas
Principles instead of person. See what is being said, not who is saying.
WSF :: World Social Forum http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Charter_of_Principles_(World_Social_Forum)
The World Social Forum is opposed to all totalitarian and reductionist views of economy, development and history and to the use of violence as a means of social control by the State. It upholds respect for Human Rights, the practices of real democracy, participatory democracy, peaceful relations, in equality and solidarity, among people, ethnicities, genders and peoples, and condemns all forms of domination and all subjection of one person by another.
Power
Power, unless justified, is inherently illegitimate. The burden of proof is on those in authority to demonstrate why their elevated position is justified. If this burden can't be met, the authority in question should be dismantled. Authority for its own sake is inherently unjustified. An example of a legitimate authority is that exerted by an adult to prevent a young child from wandering into traffic.
Slavery
That there isn't much difference between slavery, and renting one's self to an owner, or "wage slavery." He feels that it is an attack on personal integrity that destroys and undermines our freedoms.
Pity!
Oh! isn't it a pity, such a pretty girl as I
Should be sent to the factory to pine away and die?
Oh! I cannot be a slave, I will not be a slave,
For I'm so fond of liberty,
That I cannot be a slave.
Focus on expanding
What we can share, instead of what I can get from meets.
Selling your self or product?
"When you sell your product, you retain your person. But when you sell your labour, you sell yourself, losing the rights of free men and becoming vassals of mammoth establishments of a monied aristocracy that threatens annihilation to anyone who questions their right to enslave and oppress.
Humans or machines?
"Those who work in the mills ought to own them, not have the status of machines ruled by private despots who are entrenching monarchic principles on democratic soil as they drive downwards freedom and rights, civilization, health, morals and intellectuality in the new commercial feudalism."
Gender roles
It is proposed to let the meets be managed preferably by females and children.
M-Camp
There will be a separate space called M-Camp for people to talk to each other about 'how they make money', 'career talk', 'exchanging visiting cards' etc. But this will be done via random pooling a pair of roll numbers from a box containing roll number chits of each participants who wish to do so. Let us strive to remain away from this money/career compulsive addiction for just 6 hours! It is like A-Camp (for addicts) at Rainbow gatherings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Gathering).
Whats in a name?
Some people will like to think of these meets as mini Rainbow gatherings (hence the name! SRM = "Sparks of love Rainbow Meets") and even as mini "World Social Forum" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Social_Forum) meets. See (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Family, http://welcomehome.org, http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/info/Niman-Quotes.html).
Individual resolve to encourage
People can decide to prefer meeting people only on these social occasions rather than at home in person, so as to encourage social mixing and opening up. It will also save their time from being eaten by "drainbows" those who waste time of others for their selfish gains. This mutual exploitation is not leading us anywhere, it is a zero sum game.
Failure is success in disguise
Even a "failure" of these meets will be a success as it will tell us a lot about our own social worthiness as people.
Example of invitation sms sent to local friends
This was the first ever such meet for us. SMS: "We invite you for free monthly open picnic/films of Sparks of love Rainbow family 11am-5pm Sun 31 Jan 2010, Venue. Bring art, craft, poem, story, colors, papers, cameras, musical instruments and packed lunch for mutual sharing."
Toilets
Will be arranged at houses of nearby volunteer friends. Tokens will be kept in a box. Each token will contain the location of toilet. Token will be taken by person desiring to visit toilet, then upon return the token will be placed back in box.