Source: The Hamilton Spectator
NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 21, 2003 : Hindu scriptures are full of wonderful female role models, and there are thousands of Hindu temples devoted to Goddesses throughout India. If society in India reflected what Hinduism believes, women would have the upper hand in India. However in India, as elsewhere, for women life hasn’t always been easy. Women are beginning to find their political voice for change, however. Last February, the Center for Peace Studies at McMaster University cosponsored a peace conference in India, helped start a peace movement known as Vaishali Sabha (People’s Assembly) and a peace organization known as Women Shanti Sena (Women Peace Soldiers). Membership in the Women Shanti Sena has grown to 3,000 and continues to expand says Acharya Ramamurti, a prominent Gandhian, the man behind movement. The basic idea of Women Shanti Sena is to seed India with 50,000 trained women peacemakers by 2005. There are two kinds of peacemaking, according to Ramamurti. “The usual kind is making peace after war. The other kind is making peace so we can avoid war. Our effort in India is of the second kind. Women Shanti Sena is teaching women how to get involved in peaceful community-building. They consider themselves on the road to peace through democracy and development.”