India Program

Program Duration

This is an eight-month program, running from September through April.

Preparation

Four weeks will be spent in the Toronto area during which significant time will be given to community building among the group members, articulating personal and group goals, prayer and faith sharing, cross-cultural living, introduction to on-going projects with the urban poor, and learning about the history, politics and economics of India. There will also be workshops on communication skills, consensus decision-making, conflict resolution and going cross-cultural.

While In India

The group will fly to Calcutta where there will be two weeks of orientation to the cultures and realities of India. The group will then travel north to the Darjeerling area where the next two months will include a village experience and work on agricultural projects. In the cooler winter months the group will return to Calcutta where there will be urban projects with Mother Theresa’s missions among the poor and other projects for street youth and women. In March the group will travel to Katmandu in Nepal where they will work in refugee camps for Tibetans and on other local projects.

Follow-Up

After a week at home re-uniting with family and friends the group will spend four weeks in the Toronto area reflecting on what has been learned and experienced and evaluating the achievement of personal and group goals. Presentations and workshops will be prepared to share insights and perspectives gained with school, college, church and community groups. This is how the program helps develop a growing community in Canada committed to more just and constructive relationships with the developing world.