By Bincy George
Indore: The annual Knit India program of Indore’s Universal Solidarity Movement (USM) opened December 28 with keynote speaker Lavina D’Souza stressing the need to respect all faiths.
“As USM members, let us never forget the most important religion which is the religion of humanity. The beauty of USM is we welcome everyone and we respect everyone’s faith. Let us not forget to practice human religion,” D’Souza appealed to the participants from the United States on the zoom. She has been associated with USM for the past 21 years.
More than 370 students, teachers and principals from various parts of India and friends of USM are attending the program.
D’Souza shared how USM transformed her to become a person of integrity, compassion and respect for all. In her half an hour address, she shared the core values she learned from USM and how she has been practicing them during the last 21 years.
“I learned that every religion taught good things. Every religion teaches us to be better human beings and live a life of discipline, character and honesty”, she told the participants.
Based on her experience she told the young people to avoid shortcuts in life and adopt hard work and emphasized that hard work with honesty and integrity is the sure means to success. “Integrity is what you do when no one is watching you; the most important thing is what our actions are when no one is watching us,” she said.
Rotarian Pradeep Wagh, the chief guest of the inaugural session, told the participants that the leadership training in USM helps students develop their co-relation skill, intellectual capacity, communication and thinking skills. He urged the participants to maximize the God within them or maximize the soul strength.
Journalist Sylvester Lobo from Bombay shared his experience of amazing hospitality in USM. He said that he could see and experience in USM what USM founder director Father Varghese Alengaden has written in his latest book, “Spirituality of Hospitality.”
Knit India is an annual event organized by the Indore based USM from December 28 to 31. Students, teachers, principals from different schools of India participate in the four day live together and experience the beauty and richness of unity in diversity.
The four- day event consists of motivational talks by persons who have made a difference, sharing by students, teachers and alumni of different schools how USM and its values influenced their lives and cultural programmes by the students of different schools.
Because of Covid 19, Knit India 2020 is organized virtually on the zoom. Students, teachers and principals from 21 schools from different states of India are participating in Knit India 2020.
On December 30, the program will honor 9 students from 9 schools with the honesty award by Honesty Foundation Goa in collaboration with USM. Knit India 2020 end on December 31 with the presentation of a comprehensive report and distribution certificates to the participants.