Teamwork ’88

How it started

Alan: Where did the idea for this exchange come from?

Savitra: After the International Youth Year in 1985, I went back to the States and met Danaan Parry and his wife Diana. I found out they were involved with citizen exchange programmes between the Soviet Union and America, and having just come fresh from the IYY experience, I thought it would be interesting to see if we could bring young American and Soviet people to Auroville.

Why Auroville?

Auroville’s purpose is to bring about an actual human unity. In this sense, the IYY was a reminder of what Auroville was meant to be. After that success, it was natural to want to bring together these two countries which had a tradition of conflict. Mother spoke of the importance of these two nations (US and USSR) coming together if there was to be a true world peace. As things developed we proposed to also include Indian youth, to allow India to play an active rather than a passive role in the process.

You have been planning this exchange programme for more than three years now. Why has it taken so long to come together?

First of all, when there is no precedent for something, there is always lots of resistance. The next time it’s done, it’s easier. And we were dealing with entities that didn’t operate at a fast pace. It took a long time to get the Soviet government to accept the possibility of the event and then they required the sanction of the Indian government before they would begin to act. India, in turn, required Auroville to give a formal commitment that they would host the event. This went very slowly. During the past few years I’ve spent much time lobbying my own community to get us to take the risk of committing ourselves to this project. It took some time for Auroville to feel secure enough to trust an outside organization, for we have reservations about giving carte blanche to outside organizations whom we know little about. There was also the communication problem. If there were fifty communications sent in the last three years between India and America, probably only ten have reached their destination. Finally, this time, unlike the IYY situation, the government of India is not the initiator in the organization of the event. It’s us, and it’s us dealing with formidable entities – the Soviet government, the Indian government and a third party, the Earthstewards.

Tell us more about the Earthstewards.

The organization is less than ten years old. Danaan Parry helped to establish it. As the name suggests, it’s a way of viewing our relationship to the planet, a relationship that stresses our role as stewards rather than possessors. This corresponds very much to our own Charter. Basically, they have followed two lines. One is conflict resolution, concentrating upon bringing together peoples who have traditionally been in conflict. For example, the Soviet Union and the US, the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. The second emphasis is upon the global environment that we all share. In this project in Auroville they are trying, for the first time, to combine both themes simultaneously.

Citizens’ exchange programmes seem to be based upon the assumption that the traditional political level of resolving conflicts is inadequate and that a new dynamic is necessary.

Yes. The core of Danaan Parry’s action is that the individual is the secret to the changing of society. That everything, some how, everywhere is one’s responsibility. But what can one do? This is why Danaan created a network throughout the world of people who were prepared to act despite, or in parallel to, the activities of their governments. This phenomenon is called “Track Two Diplomacy” (Track One Diplomacy is the traditional political relationship between governments). Organizations like the Earthstewards realized that unless individuals are willing to begin risking themselves in direct action in issues of global concern, not just waiting for their Governments to act, the steps that need to be taken to avoid catastrophe will not be taken in the time that is available.

What has it been like working with Danaan and Diana in the States on a project for Auroville? 

They’ve been remarkable and inspiring to work with. Often, I felt out on a limb, trying to co-create something with them in the US while the community was still going through its insecurities and uncertainties. It was a strange juggling act to keep the project alive and moving without the formal commitment from Auroville. Now the response has come for it from a team in Auroville, and the project is gathering momentum, even joy. But in those previous days I asked myself what I was doing. And I am amazed that Earthstewards stuck with us. But I remember a moment when I said to myself: “Even if my own community resists the idea, I’ll hold through to the end, and if it falls through, it won’t collapse because I didn’t hold on.” That’s an extremely personal moment when one remembers who one is working for: Her.

The future

Do you feel that Auroville is entering a new phase now when its connectedness to the outside world will be much stronger?

Yes. But this means relating to the world as friends rather than adversaries. Until now, we have been very suspicious and hesitant in our relationship to the outside, sometimes for good reasons. But at this point we must see that things have changed; what seems to be asked of us in Auroville is to switch our attitude. That instead of trying to protect and defend Auroville, we should move to the spirit in which Mother gave the invitation to Auroville. “Are welcome to Auroville all men of goodwill.” That’s a pretty embracing statement. We should now accept that we don’t have to continually be defenders of Auroville but recognize that Auroville is a phenomenon in the world, not outside it, and that the world is perhaps waiting now to enter and collaborate in the creation of Auroville. But this can only happen when we say, “Yes”. “Yes” to ourselves and “yes” to the world. It seems impossible now that with the 600 people who are here we can build Auroville alone into the next stage. We are a component in that process, but we are going to need lots of partners. Earthstewards can be a partner. I think the government of India is a partner.

Auroville for me is a particular location. But the evolution that Auroville draws its meaning from is not confined to one place on the earth. We have to be wide enough and humble enough to acknowledge that it’s happening, even despite us, all over the planet. You can say that the first twenty years was a phase of Auroville’s development when it tried to bring out what was hidden within itself. I feel the next stage is relating now what it has learned to the larger whole, the larger dynamic that the earth is waiting for. Growing through interaction rather than isolation.

What do you think might grow out of this Auroville exchange programme?

First of all, I’m happy that we are able to open ourselves to the opportunity of developing an ongoing relationship with the Soviet Union and the United States in Auroville. We have had almost no contact with the Soviet bloc. I feel this exchange holds the possibility of laying a foundation stone for these two cultures to actually begin establishing a first presence here. This may lead to the construction of the pavilions of Soviet and American culture. I also find the inclusion of Indian youth in this project very significant, because I see India as truly the peace maker, the missing piece; like a missing link between these two cultures.

I also believe that Danaan and people like him will be great allies for Auroville and I’m looking forward to him and his wife receiving the touch that Auroville gives each person and seeing them carry it out into the world in their own way.

I keep getting this image: The foundation ceremony was truly the descent of the promise of a humanity that is one. Then for years, we went through our unravelling. Then came the IYY which brought the seed back into focus, and now I feel this project is an opportunity to develop that vibration in a more concentrated way, since it deals with three cultures representing quite extreme differences in the cultural spectrum of the earth. Perhaps for us it can help spark some magic and allow us to step out side the small holding pattern we’ve been in and let something much larger just over take us. Having been out frequently in the past few years, I’ve been very impressed by what I see happening. Small pockets of people, here and there, are actually doing their best, and even if they have never heard of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, they represent the phenomenon. And that’s all that matters. If we would not focus so much on the label, but see behind to what the person or group is actually doing in all sincerity, we would find that we have many more allies than we allow ourselves to recognize.