South Africa
Making a Difference
Brahma Kumaris in Cape Town teach meditation weekly as a therapeutic intervention, part of a three month skills and youth development programme run by the Chrysalis Academy, a youth development centre. The young people on the programme are from previously marginalised communities, unemployed and who have often been substance abusers. The programme is mainly supported by the Provincial Department of Social Development and other corporate sponsors and NGOs. The BK meditation has provided a tool to help the participants centre themselves, learn to relax and better manage their stress and anger.
Trinidad
During the UN Year of Youth 2012, BK Youth ran Spotlight Values workshops for young offenders at the Youth Training Centre. The workshops covered topics of Respect, Acceptance and Freedom, going through a process of ‘Explore, Express and Exchange'. The 200 young men who attended the first workshop on Respect freely offered their views after initial hesitation. Positive feedback was received not only from the participants but also from the prison guards and officials present! A second workshop then followed on Acceptance. The third session on Freedom became a celebration of the young men's participation and was aired on radio and television in the presence of the Honourable Minister of the People and Social Development, and a minister from the Prime Minister's office.
UN Commission on the Status of Women
Brahma Kumaris Youth at the Commission on the Status of Women
In 2007, Brahma Kumaris office for the United Nations decided to bring a small group of young BK women from different continents to New York to attend the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at UN Headquarters. Following the conference, these young women from India, Mexico, South Africa, UK and USA were inspired to do something to help other women. They developed a workshop to offer to other women with the theme: Exploring Our Inner Resources - promoting gender equality and empowering women and young girls.
Exploring our Inner Resources – promoting gender equality and empowering women and young girls
True empowerment is not simply a question of redressing age-old wrongs or strengthening survival skills. It involves inner growth and development - changing our state of mind, more than our state of affairs - since the greatest limitations are the ones we put on ourselves. Every human being possesses a set of ‘inner resources', which are inherent, unlimited and highly enabling. It is this part of us which must serve as the foundation of identity, thus facilitating self-respect, respect for others and, ultimately, equality.
Commonwealth Youth Forum
Invest in Youth, Sustain the World - Commonwealth Youth Forum 2009
CYF 7 was organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Government, in association with the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council and the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
A delegation of five young adults from Brahma Kumaris was invited to facilitate, participate and contribute to plenaries and thematic workshops on Climate Change, Economic Growth, Building Sustainable Livelihoods, Youth Involvement in Decision Making and Peace Building.
The final communiqué from the CYF was circulated at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and presented to the Commonwealth Secretariat, thereby giving the young people of the Commonwealth a chance to have their opinions heard by the Heads of State.
Download a copy of the final communiqué
Here's a short video of our participation: Watch Video
Parliament of the World's Religions
Pictured with HH The Dalai Lama, Brahma Kumaris were part of the youth committee team that organised the youth section of the Parliament of the World's Religions 2009, in Melbourne, Australia.
You First was the project the Brahma Kumaris contributed to the Parliament activities. Designed by young people for young people to encourage individuals to get in touch with their
- positive potential,
- positive values,
- practical expression.
You First is about relationships - firstly my relationship with myself, and then my relationships with others.
