The Auroville Youth Integration Programme

Similar initiatives have been attempted in the past, most notably the Youth Forward programme, which was discontinued in December 2021 after three sessions.

Before designing the AVYI program, YouthLink looked at the framework of Youth Forward and the Yucca program and also engaged with the Entry Service and Yucca teams. We envisioned a program that would go beyond mere information, that could create a safe space for connection and sharing, while also providing tools and techniques for introspection and personal growth. This mindset led to the inclusion of unconventional activities such as roleplaying as the Entry Board, meeting Aurovilians from different generations and various energising games and exercises.

At the end of May, a first cohort of nine youth participated in what is currently a four-day programme. Day one included an exercise called ‘Spectrum of Feelings’ where participants examine their feelings about joining Auroville and their reactions to questions such as whether they see themselves living in Auroville for the rest of their lives.

The second and third days were spent diving more deeply into aspects of Auroville that children and young adults growing up here might not have discussed at length. There was an exercise related to Mother’s values, a talk by Satyavan Bhatt about The Dream, a discussion about the Auroville Charter with Raman, and a theatre exercise related to Auroville Services. Carel Thieme explained how Auroville is organised; Manas Chakrabarti spoke about the Auroville economy and finance; and Deepti Tewari facilitated a sharing and discussion on how to be a true Aurovilian.

The last day included several more games and exercises which were intended to help participants examine their own and others’ perspectives and biases. During the discussion on opportunities and difficulties of living in Auroville facilitated by Lucrezia, an interesting observation emerged. Many of the difficulties listed by participants were perceived by other participants as opportunities. The programme concluded with an appreciation exercise to reinforce for participants and facilitators alike the sense of caring and community that had been fostered over the four days.

Initial feedback by the participants (see below) and facilitators has been very positive. We hope to incorporate some of the changes suggested, to learn from the experience and to continue to improve the programme design in order to make it a recurring offering.