An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide: Teachers For Ahimsa Program

Three years ago, one High School teacher Ms. Laura Hirshfield from Boston, Massachusetts called and said “Dr. Jain, our kids in US schools see and learn violence (himsa) everywhere and every day but who is going to teach them about ahimsa (nonviolence)? She was referring to the killing and gun shooting news every day in school and college campuses across America. She was perturbed that the kids in US grow in an environment of violence everywhere such as; broken homes, violent games, sports and toys, violence in media and entertainment, alcohol and drugs etc. etc. She was begging that something must be done to teach about ahimsa in US schools. Out of our discussion, the idea of a Teachers for Ahimsa Program was conceived. Laura developed the full details of this program and in 2012, took 15 High School Teachers (from several schools in USA) to India for a 3 weeks hands on experiential base learning and training program in ahimsa. This program was jointly developed and administered by International School for Jain Studies. See www.isjs.in for details. So far, 65 teachers have gone through this program and the number of participants is increasing every year. In their own way, not only most of the teachers who attended this program adopted ahimsak way of life but also started changing the minds and behaviors of the young kids from violence to nonviolence.We realize that this a drop in an ocean but the 1000 miles jounrney always starts with the first step. Thank you Laura for becoming a role model and initiating a new paradigm shift.