Mar 23, 2009
- Shootings
- Sexual abuse
- Drug abuse
- Depression: Suicide is the 3rd leading case of death in youths
- Gang violence: Statistics shows that one in 3 youth is involved in bullying
and many more . . .
In 2005 to 06, 78% of schools experienced one or more violent incidents of crime. Fellow Toastmasters, youths are the pillars of our future. But, how many of us have done something to address these?
[If hands up?] Fantastic …
How about the rest of us, including myself? It’s sad that we didn’t take action and I really feel guilty about it. If you are like me, looking for an opportunity change the life of a youth, here is a great opportunity to make that difference we are longing for. Yes, International Association for Human Values, known as IAHV, is organizing Yogathon this May at Baylands park in Sunnyvale.
Yogathon is a fund raising event to support the youths in bay area schools. Runners run together for marathons; musicians band together for benefit concerts; In Yogathon, yoga enthusiasts stretch out to support stress-free and violence-free schools for our youth. Funds raised through this event will be utilized to organize Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES) in schools.
YES is a fun and challenging seminar that provides youth with a comprehensive toolbox to manage their emotions and stress. This program broadens youth’s vision of the world and provides practical knowledge and skills needed to realize their highest potential. Independent research has also shown that the processes learned on YES reduce anger, violence and depression as well as improve focus, clarity of mind and concentration.
Let me share a true story of a person, whom I met couple of years back. His name is David. David was born in California, but for some reason migrated to a different place within U.S. during his early school days. After few years, he, along with his family, returned back to California to continue his high school. However, his old friends ignored him. In order to gain acceptance, he started taking drugs and got addicted to it. Despite being one of the bright kids, he failed miserably in the school. This drove his life in a wrong direction, until one of his family members introduced him to a YES-like program. After the program he completely stopped taking drugs and his vision about life changed.
Fortunately, David had a loving family and with their help he was able to get a meaningful life. Now, he is teaching YES programs in high schools. But, there are countless numbers of kids who are not lucky like David and don’t even have a caring friend or family. Folks, it is our duty to take some action to lit their soul. Yogathon is one such avenue where we can make the difference.
You may ask, what’s in it for me? First and foremost, serving others gives the greatest life satisfaction than anything else. Next, Yogathon is designed for all sorts of people from beginners to seasoned yogis. Beginner can learn Yoga through many free workshops and it keeps your body flexible, active, healthy and fit. Best thing I like about Yoga is, whether it is raining or shining, I can practice it within home without any equipment. On the other hand, Yogathon challenges a seasoned yogi to complete at least 54 rounds of “Sun Salutation” in one hour. Yogathon has other family & kids-friendly events as well. You can learn more about Yogathon at yogathan.iahv.org.
Now that you have learned that Yogathon not only helps youth, but also you, I encourage you to register today and take a pledge to raise funds from your family and friends to support youth. Personally, I have pledged to support 10 youths by raising one thousand dollars. Through generous donations of few of my friends and family, I have already raised 20% of it. So, for some reason, you are unable to register as a Yogathoner, I hope you can at least support the cause and help me to meet and exceed my fund raising goal. In that case, please use my full name “Sudhagar Chinnaswamy” under “Pledge for a Yogathoner” and donate generously. Lets strive hard and hope for a peaceful and stress-free tomorrow.
"Can we care for the youth?"
--Copy of this presentation can be found here.
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