Panel Discussions for Youth in Milwaukee, USA on 15.3.2009 ... I to We...Prof Anil Kumar

[Guest guest]

Panel Discussion for Youth In Milwaukee USA: "I to We" 15.03.2009

 

 

 

 

PART 1 : 4 Youth Speakers..

 

PART 2 : Question and Answer Session

 

 

 

 

 

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A Brief Summary Om Sri Sai Ram The seed for the event was planted on the 11th March 2009 when a group of devotees from the Sathya Sai Baba Center of Milwaukee met with Prof. Anil Kumar. The event was conceived as an opportunity for Sai devotees from the Sai Centers in Region 5 to participate in the Youth Awareness initiative, under the auspices of Prof. Anil Kumar in the form of a Satsang. The planning committee finalized the presenters for the discussion. The presenters included Young Adults from Milwaukee (Grace Wahhab and Ahilan Sivasamy) and Chicago (Siddhesh Barot and Yamini Bala). The event date was set for the 15th March 2009. The presenters used Powerpoint slides to illustrate their points.

 

 

 

 

 

Individual Aspects

Miss Grace Wahhab spoke on the Individual aspects facing the youth today: Physical, Psychological and Emotional. She said, “It is not easy to follow Swami’s teachings. One can only TRY to be the perfect devotee, knowing that Swami inside everyone KNOWS the truth. Obstacles in life are put there by Swami to help us grow spiritually and find direction in today’s troubled waters.†Grace concluded with the goal to serve and inspire other youth in the Sai organization.

 

Spiritual Aspects Mr. Ahilan Sivasamy spoke on the Spiritual aspects of youth today; The art of self-discovery, self-improvement programs, the concept of One World - One Family, Spirituality as the only refuge. Ahilan stressed that it is not by chance that we are here but ‘We are all chosen to be here.’ One has to watch the self.

 

 

 

Social Aspects Mr. Siddhesh spoke on the aspects of youth pertaining to Unity, Divinity and Purity in both political and economic settings. He illustrated the social aspects within the context of unity with an excellent story of the fingers and concluded we must take time to thank God and count our blessings.

 

Youth Aspects Miss. Yamini Bala spoke on the present-day youth, their expectations and aspirations, plus the reasons behind the prevailing ills among youth; the basic art of life. Citing examples from her own work, bringing case studies, she made the point that youth are the future. One has to be inclusive and accept change. Divinity is within.

Prof. Anil Kumar summarized the evening by discussing youth hood and how it represents dynamism, energy and leadership rather than age alone. He stressed that religion is living your normal life in the present. To be Natural is to be Religious. Swami is the center of our life which is the faith one should have. He stressed that today’s youth are lucky to be born into Sai families, with ample opportunities to develop leadership abilities. The role model is Prashanthi Nilayam itself where youth are being entrusted with great responsibilities to see what they can do.

The panel discussion was followed by a question and answer session. The panel members, youth representatives and Prof. Anil Kumar answered the questions posed by the audience. The whole evening was dynamic and filled with energy. The event was attended by over 250 participants from Wisconsin, Chicago and Minneapolis.Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan