Being raised in a country like India, which is not only geographically vast but also varied and diverse in terms of religion, cultures, perspective and beliefs. I have grown up hearing the message of unity in diversity and have seen the blend of religion, spirituality, meditative arts, yoga and mindfulness practices intermixed within different types of cultures and practices. In order to prosper as a human race, we need to know that we are interdependent. The joyful understanding of having compassion for people around us is a step in moving forward in that direction. Several social reformers in India like Vivekananda, Gandhi, Buddha to name a few have already advocated the idea of non-violence and peace for the world to remain more integrated, cooperative and yet independent.
According to me, learning social emotional skills is a prerequisite to becoming a change maker. As an educator, it was pertinent for me to cultivate a set of skills that can allow me to firstly, experience the journey of positively transforming myself and secondly, to look at my external environment with absolute respect and love. The realisation of our evolutionary sense of compassion not only has the capacity to transform our own lives but also to impact everyone that is part of our systems. As an educator, I truly advocate for SEL skills to be imperative in our learning systems as any other subject in our curriculum that contributes to human evolution and progress.
Isha Kapur,
Gandhi Fellow,
Piramal School for Education Leadership,
India.