Enthusiastic Participation at Chicago Swaraj Abhiyan Dialogue on India's Development Press Note, Swaraj Abhiyan, 12-Oct-2015

Oct 4, 2015, Chicago, IL:   To celebrate the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Chicago chapter of Swaraj Abhiyan organized an interactive dialogue on "Citizen Engagement for Development of India" on Oct 4, at the Schaumburg Public Library.  The event witnessed large participation and amazing energy from a diversity of people from all walks of life across Chicagoland.

Participants talked about their vision for India and how they could contribute to realizing it.  Swaraj Abhiyan volunteers sang a song full of hope and inspiration for changing the world to which guests also clapped along enthusiastically.

Sociologist Margaret Mead's famous quote- "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has” opened the dialogue and became the theme for the event. People were asked to reflect on how they wanted to engage with the world- as a bystander on the street, a vocal critic, a hopeless apathetic, a perpetual cynic, as Nero fiddling while Rome burnt or as a concerned and engaged citizen.  

Swaraj Abhiyan was introduced as a pan India organization with NRI chapters in different countries whose mission was to inspire and engage citizens to tackle the most pressing problems facing India, and the world, so that we can collectively create a better India, and a better world.  The Vision of Swaraj Abhiyan- to create “Swaraj” or self-rule so that power can be restored to the people to enable ideal democratic functioning, was shared.  It was further added, that to achieve this goal, citizens need to be aware, engaged, and join with each other to get collective strength and a powerful voice, and find innovative solutions to National problems.  

Swaraj Abhiyan seeks to be the catalyst to enable citizen engagement in the political process to co-create the future we dream of - a world that has freedom from fear, hunger and oppression.  The dialogue ended with participants sharing information about organizations, missions or projects that they were involved in, for India’s development. Attendees expressed a desire to have many more future dialogue events like this and to be part of the “small group of thoughtful, committed citizens who can change the world”.