What made 146 volunteers come to Columbus from all over the US? What were their experiences? What did they think of the conference? Which sessions did they like? What did the conference mean to them? What did the organizing volunteers think? Mandeep Gill, one of the editors of this issue, solicited inputs from new and old volunteers alike about their AID conference experience.

Reflections on the AID Conference 

"The Columbus conference was my last one as an AID US volunteer. Having attended two and organized one, I have come to appreciate the value of these 2 days and 3 nights each year by the friendships which take birth, and those that strengthen. The source of energy fuelling these relationships are invariably the conference speakers, sessions, and attendees. Conference sessions seed discussions and debates. And the Columbus conference was a splendid validation of this simple principle. The number of moments of joy and friendship I experienced while in Columbus is unlike any of my previous conference experiences. I am glad I came to Columbus."
Dwiji Guru, Minnesota

"As always, it was the time between sessions that most inspired me. That's where I had the most passionate discussions; that's where I found the opportunity for in-depth questioning and the most candid sharing of personal experience; that's where conversations sparked new friendships. Each year, I check the AID conference website and am impressed by the biographies of the keynote speakers and excited about the challenging topics of at least a few sessions - but it is the opportunity for connecting personally with people dedicated to building a more just and equitable world, and moreover, the chance to strengthen friendships with my chapter-mates that convince me I must be there. And that all happens in the halls, on the grass, over a biodegradable thali, or waiting for the shower on a Sunday morning."
John Mathias, Ann Arbor 

Memorable Sessions at the AID Conference

"In the AID and Me session, the question regarding the conflict someone might feel in eating costly food after CSH and Aravinda's perspective of "Questioning why the food is costly? Is it because they are treating their employees well, maintaining all health and environmental standards, offering good service etc? This would count compared to one who didn't and offered cheap food?" This got me thinking about not always taking the problems by face value."
Manoj Tammiraju, Baton Rouge

"The key note address by Mr. S.R.Hiremath was one of the most interesting sessions of the conference. Hiremathji spoke at length about the various movements that empowered the local rural/tribal community to raise its voice against planned government-sanctioned deforestation and the ills of unmitigated industrialization. The theme of his talk, community control over common natural resources, was very well-received by a captive audience. The non-violent nature of the protests and the story of the peace-loving villagers sticking to the principles of ahimsa while facing a violent mob and armed police were inspirational.

Another session that I found to be interesting was "AID and Me". This session made be rethink my involvement with AID from a different stand-point. The underlying theme of the session was the impact that being an AID volunteer and interacting with the grass-roots has on our day-to-day life. Does it make us more sensitive about distinguishing our needs from our wants? Does it torment us when we spoil ourselves, while, at the same time, we discuss at a CSH the glaring needs of a community that has been uprooted by a tsunami? How do we reconcile these contradictions? Is it possible to lead a frugal, simplistic lifestyle that minimizes these internal conflicts? I could not find many answers but I got the gut feeling that we were asking the right questions…"
Karthik Gajaraj, Chicago

"Given that it is my third time at the AID conference, I was quite sure that the conference will increase my enthusiasm level by a few notches and it sure did! There are two things that definitely stood out for me at the conference. The 'AID and me' session and the discussions on how volunteers reflect AID in their personal lives and how they manage potential conflicts resonated well with me. The other was the realization that AID is an unique organization where leaders take pride in being followers! Many who attended 'AID and me' might know Ravi's (JS) comment on occasionally drinking coke. The next day I questioned him on this comment and his explanation completely bowled me over. He clarified that his comment were meant in a completely different vein. Given that many volunteers in US do not drink Coke, he wanted to emphasize that AID US volunteers are as inspiring to our Jeevansaathis that they would follow us similar to the way we follow them reciprocally – always raising expectations and setting higher standards provoking each other to question and critically reflect on what/how/why we do. Hats off to our Jeevansaathis! "
Sathish Sundaram, Portland

"As a new chapter, the conference gave us the right exposure and a perfect chance to explore and interact with volunteers from all parts across the US. Some of the sessions were the much needed Treasury issues, Project related and Donor and Media relations where we came to know more about the requirements for the proper functioning of our new chapter. Some other sessions like Publication and IT were necessary to understand the overall binding process of AID-US. I was always amazed at the machinery that keeps all the Chapters, with all their individual volunteers and donors, united.

Others like “AID and Me” or “Role Playing” were simply great in that they really made us think positively in terms of the three pillars of AID “Seva, Sangharsh and Nirman”. They also encouraged us to think about simply living, stressing on leading a healthy and happy life rather than a wealthy and dissatisfied one.

Both Dr. Jayalaksmi Shreedhar and Mr. S. R. Hiremath were so inspiring, giving us perfect glaring examples by their own lives. Their struggles against the AIDS epidemic and the inhuman conditions in the Tungabhabdra basin respectively opened our eyes to some of the problems and the possible ways of stepping towards a solution."
Saikat Chakraborty Thakur, Morgantown 

Thoughts on cultural events at the Conference

"As a part of the 2006 AID Conference cultural events, AID Cincinnati and Nrityaarpana ( A dance school in Cincinnati ) performed "Shakthi - Ode to Woman". Of the complete 2 hours rendition, only a 30 minute segment depicting the life of a rural women was performed at the conference. I played two parts: a lecherous landlord and a drunken husband in that segment. Due to various reasons, we had rehearsed only once before coming on stage and I had the responsibility of living up to expectations, not because I am a born actor, but because I am supposedly good at handling situations. The stage is not new to me and I can relatively carry myself with ease up there, but my coordination skills, especially with clumsy attires and demeanors were put to task on that night. I must say that I impressed myself and even more, the audience. There are times when you realize that the commendations are more perfunctory, but this was not one and I was truly excited to have been on stage in front of an AID crowd and entertain them (and not talk about Treasury stuff)."
Divyachapan (DC) Padur, Cincinnati

"As a member of the host organizing team for the AID Conference 2006, I was desperate to see some cool, light-hearted, enjoyable cultural stuff happen at the conference during the social event slot. AID Cincinnati’s dance drama and the EcoShop Fashion Shop were amazing but wish we had more participation in this area. On the Sunday night of the conference after all the cleaning up, I was comfortably listening to some great guitar music and hindi songs from a comfortable distance. Thanks to my dear friend, Jeeth who dragged me into the inner circle of some talented musicians who also happen to be super dedicated AIDers (driving down 13 hours for the conference in significant numbers) to sing a couple of songs. They made my secret dream for the conference come true and I will cherish it as one of the most memorable nights of my life - outside Dreese labs from midnight to 2.30 am on a beautiful, breezy night with about 30 AIDers..."
Chitra Ranganathan, Columbus

"Probably one of the most interesting things about India is that all Indians sing. No matter where or what time of the day the opportunity knocks if there is an opportunity to sing we sing...Fortunately or unfortunately, AID Columbus was no exception. We started singing at 1 in the morning...any Indian who walked by stayed back and sang along. Singers of the evening were Chitra, Koushikda, I and ‘Saathi’ (I think we need to prepare a list of these exceptionally talented ‘Sathis’). I played guitar while Koushikda played guitar, chair, guitar bag and finally dustbin. Chitra rendered some fantastic solos without music. Koushikda played tabla by making the guitar upside down. That’s probably more original than Hendrix’s or Townsend’s Woodstock performances. People from Muzzafar Nagar remained the soul of the Jam-up. Thankfully most of the people knew the lyrics of most of the songs. It was a good experience."
Vishal Agarwal, Boston

"As a fellow Indian who is a patron of AID, performing for AID was something special. It felt good as I was doing something for a good organization." "I liked the topic, the portrayal of the different aspects of woman and the portrayal of the rural woman in a classical way." As the director of Shakti, this production highlights my own personal journey as an AID volunteer. Conceived as a joint project with my actor husband, Sri Mirle (also an AID volunteer), I was happy to share our work with fellow AIDers and want to take this thought provoking production to all organizations that work with women's issues and empowerment in general.
Anupa Mirle & Participants, Cincinnati 

New Chapter Experiences At The AID Conference

"When we came to know that this year's AID annual meeting was only 3 hours from Morgantown, we decided to grab the opportunity with both hands. Since we were 3 attending the meeting, we decided to attend all three sessions and share the experience later. Although few things went over our head in the beginning, other AID-ers helped us catch up soon. Sessions on IT, projects, long term partners and keynote addresses were truly inspiring and changed our perspective permanently. The way AID handles complex issues like poverty, illiteracy and injustice with simple principles of seva, sangharsh and nirmaan (SSN!) are wonderful. We were more than convinced why we "… rah sangharsh ke hum chune…" after attending the event. Last but not the least, hats-off for the hosts for organizing the conference events so well."
Yeshwanth, Raghuveer and Saikat, Morgantown

"It was in 2006, a whole four years after being introduced to AID, that I attended my first AID conference. I had been a volunteer with the Clemson chapter and a bunch of us had gotten together to start a new chapter at Chicago. My motivation to attend the conference was mainly educational. I wanted to learn as much as I could about issues at an AID level to present to the volunteers of AID-Chicago. Being a new chapter, this would help us set both long-term and short-term goals while identifying resource persons for more specific issues whom we could tap.

The conference provided me an excellent opportunity to interact with volunteers from different chapters from old-timers to the newbies. I was stuck by the diverse nature of their involvement with AID. It made me wonder: What was it that brought this diverse bunch of individuals into this common umbrella called AID. There was only one answer: a shared dream and a conviction. The dream of a country free from poverty, where basic amenities are available to all and the conviction that together we can realize this dream through Sangharsh, Seva and Nirmaan was the common thread linking all the passionate volunteers that I met at Columbus.

Another interesting aspect of the conference was the sheer number of chapters being represented. It was amazing to see chapters from all corners of the US being represented. The conference acted as a meeting ground for all volunteers to exchange notes or various issues that they are working on. Attending the conference brought in me the feeling of being part of a bigger movement similar to meeting the extended family during an Indian festive occasion.

AID Conference 2006 was an experience I would cherish the rest of my life. A wealth of knowledge, a bunch of amazing individuals working towards a common goal, energetic and courteous hosts, all have contributed to make my experience a truly memorable one."
Karthik Gajaraj, Chicago

On Organizing The AID Conference

"My home chapter, Columbus Ohio, was the host of the Eighth Annual AID Conference, held at the OSU campus from May 27 to 29, 2006. Around 125 volunteers from over 35 chapters from around US and India gathered at the conference to discuss, listen, laugh, dance, sing and even have arguments with clenched-fists, each defending their view of the best development processes for India! We invited eminent HIV/AIDS expert, Dr. Jayalakshmi Shreedhar and prominent grassroots activist, Mr. S. R. Hiremath as keynote speakers, both of whom did a splendid job of further inspiring our high-energy volunteers. “All's well that ends well” - a phrase I have often encountered but did not understand until I experienced it this Memorial Day weekend after seeing the smiling faces and praises as our guest bid their farewells after our successful AID Conference."
Kartic Krishnamurthy, Columbus