Issue Nº359-360

In the first issue of Auroville Today, way back in 1988, we said we would make it our mission to provide an overview of what is happening in the community in each issue.

My name is Malcolm, I am an internationally acclaimed poet and author living in Auroville since 2017.

My name is Marie, I come from France where I studied art and graphic design, in Paris and in Le Havre. I came to Auroville in October 2018 through Service Civique.

I have been in Auroville for 20 years since the age of 10. I worked as a teacher in Future School, a writer for the Auroville Today and Auroville Village Action Group, and served a term in the Working Committee.

I was born in Auroville in 1994, where I grew up as a child. I left for France when I was nine years old, came back for one year in 2009, and returned to France to finish my studies.

My name is QurratulAin Contractor and I am 27 years old. I come from Mumbai and have been living and working in Auroville since April, 2016.

I am currently 50, I live in Denver Colorado with my husband, Murugan and my 13 year old daughter, Rasam. My son Chidambaram is a junior at Harvard.

I am now 28, born and brought up as a third generation in Auroville. My grandparents are of Indian (Kuilaypalayam) and European (Dutch/German) background... my grandparents having worked for Auroville at its very start.

“You wanted to be born in Auroville, you made that clear,” our mothers told us. I told my therapist I wasn’t clear and she told me she couldn’t understand, because I was so clear.

Stereotypes play an important role in daily suffering. Especially when you belong to a minority. The majority can easily fall into humiliation games towards the minority, which can lead to depression or worse.

I am Manya Sekar, 12 years old and i like reading, writing and music.

‘It has been said that man is made up of blood and cells. But in truth he is like a tree’s foliage. Not compressed into a solid block, but composed of scattered images like leaves upon the branches, through which the wind must blow so as to make them sing.’

I wonder if this is a shared rationale, and whether being exposed from a young age to a dynamic and participatory learning environment is conducive to engaging in creating such opportunities.

I am Francesco Colturi, of Italian origin, and I arrived in Auroville when I was twenty years old after a pretty regular western education and at the end of an early career as a professional snowboarder.

Born in Yugoslavia, raised in Croatia, I went to University in Italy. One day the pull and push and call was so strong that I embarked to a journey: Auroville - Integral Yoga.

I consider myself as a smiling acroyogi who landed in Auroville in 2014 after stepping out of managing my international social responsibility business within the textile industry.

To speak about how I feel about Auroville or what makes me feel a part of Auroville is always really difficult. It is almost like a mission impossible.

I grew up in Sanjeevinagar village next to Auroville. My father worked as a builder in Auroville. My first impression of Auroville was from my father.

Born and brought up in the international context of Auroville, I teach English, I am a freelance photographer and content writer, massage therapist in the becoming, and am dedicated to all things community related.

Imagine being a young person, discovering, participating, and actively dedicated to the development of Auroville. Imagine living in a group of twelve, all volunteering in the community: people from different parts of the world, with different cultural backgrounds, but with a common intention to experience and contribute to Auroville.

The post hails from the cozy north-eastern town of Shillong in the state of Meghakaya. The inspiration for the writings comes from my personal journey through this labyrinth that we call life.

I finished my undergrad studies in architecture in 2017 from Bangalore. I come from Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh. During my stay in Auroville, I lived in several places including ‘La Maison des Jeunes’ which influenced me to make 0 comic strip relating to the community.

I am Mitali Joshi, 24, born and bred in Bombay, India, I have been volunteering with Thamarai Educational Projects as content writer, editor and facilitator in the after-school program.

I am Portuguese and 31 years old. I graduated as a nurse, but I consider myself firstly as a change-maker, a totally passionate defender of our environment and our planet.

We are Julian, Jonas and Anadi, three Auroville youths that run Tree Care, an arboriculture business. In case you are wondering what arboriculture is, let us tell you: arboriculture is the synthesis of tree science (biology), physics, chemistry, physical coordination, strength, heavy machinery, and of course some yoga to stay calm and focused throughout technical and dangerous procedures, or as Google would define it: the cultivation of trees and shrubs.

Money, in any of its forms, stipulates a hierarchy of values, which creates separations between people as well as between humanity and the environment.

20 years old, I was born and raised in Auroville. I studied in Last School and I am currently living in Muyarchi. My passion/interest lies in several activities like art, fire dance, horsemanship, writing/languages.

I am 24 years old and i am from Tamil Nadu. I came to Auroville 2.5 years ago, I consider myself a barefoot architect working on integral rural development through community empowerment and participatory leadership.

I was brought up in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram School and I am currently working for YouthLink and living in Maison des Jeunes. In my quest for meaning, I have found my place in Auroville.