Dimapur, April 27 (MExN): Fr. Dr. CP Anto and PDG Rtn. Chandu Kumar Agarwal were recipients of this year’s Rotary National Peace Award. They were given the award by Rtn. Paul Netzel (Trustee Chair Elect, The Rotary Foundation) during the International Understanding and Peace Symposium held earlier this year in Pune. A press release from the Peace Channel desk informed this today.
According to the release, Rtn. Chandu Kumar Agarwal, has been working with Rotary as a Past District Governor and has promoted national peace. He was also awarded Outstanding Social Leader Award by the Government of Nagaland consecutively for two years in 2012 and 2013. During his governorship of Rotary International District 3240, he advocated peace fellowships by Rotary, sending five people for further studies.
“He has promoted education and well being of all, encouraged availability of the basic need like proper food, clothing and shelter to the needy in the community, so as to generate a sense of satisfaction and belongingness and thereby develop inner peace. He also envisioned a world where every mindset, every lifestyle, every tradition, every culture, and every heart will be equal, exalted and united in peace,” noted the Peace Channel desk.
Fr. Dr. C.P Anto was honoured in recognition of his long and dedicated service as Founder and Director of Peace Channel, a youth peace movement of third millennium and Founder-Principal of North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR) a post graduate social work Institute promoting peace and conflict transformation studies in Nagaland and North East India.
The Peace Channel is an initiative of the diocese of Kohima in mobilizing the youth for building peace and engaging them as indispensible contributors who would ensure a future devoid of violent conflicts.
“The movement utilizes a multi-pronged strategy forming youth Peace Clubs, promoting peace education in the educational institutions, encouraging cultural integration through peace festivals and inter-religious meet,” the press release informed.
The movement now has a network of over 250 peace clubs in educational institutions and districts of Nagaland and has also made foray into the neighbouring states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh reaching out to over 100,000 youth. Fr. Dr. CP Anto has trained over 1200 teachers and 1450 religious and community leaders on dialogue, peace education, techniques of conflict transformation skills, human rights etc.
The initiatives of the movement focus on collective learning, sharing and action for social change among youth belonging to different tribes, region, religions and communities to live in peace and harmony by transforming the culture of violence in to culture of peace.
Source: Morung Express