All Aboard

The varied nature of events at the current JGW due to begin on Sunday, is astounding. It is also heartening to note that the nature of events is slowly moving away from an act of charity to one of philantropy. The difference between charity and philantropy can be found in this earlier post.   The Crafts Mela to showcase products made by NGOs, the Karmayog Seva Mela and the Awareness programme on Women's Rights, both events at Hyderabad are proof that the focus of the JGW is not just charity. We at JGW claim no credit for this change. But we are nevertheless pleased to have contributed to the climate of giving in the country and as we have been saying repeatedly, humbled that our small initiative has caught the collective imagination of many and has begun to be embraced as a personal event, an event to be marked in their calendar and celebrated in a fitting manner. Two major factors that contribute to the success of this festival are : the all inclusive nature of the festival and secondly, the positive atmosphere the JGW evokes in a climate of cynicism and hopelessness. In 2009, the JGW was celebrated in an atmosphere of despondency when Swine Flu had its grip across India. 2010 saw the JGW being welcomed soon after the uncertainty caused by the Ayodhya judgment and the series of scams that accompanied the Commonwealth Games. This year, the anger at the large scale corruption in the 2G scam is still widespread. Amidst all this, comes the JGW that invites us to do nothing except give : a smile, a hand, some time, a little money and our hearts. Let us embark on our journey of giving and learn to feel the joy, the Joy of giving