‘We are all kind, we just have to practice it. Deep down kindness is our true nature and when given the right environment and opportunity it blossoms magnificently.’
We felt this experience deeply during our one month India road trip. From tibetan schools in Dharamsala to youth coming out of drug addiction in Dehradun, from pre primary school teachers in a small village to big institutes like IIT and IIM, from local organisations to big corporate houses in cities, we met them all. Shared with them power of stories through media workshops. One thing was common in all of them and that was their enthusiasm to be kind. During each workshop, we would show them few inspiring films and kindness videos and ask them how many would like to practice an act of generosity right now, and every time, every single hand in the room went up. We would then gift them a smile deck and immediately the energy in the room would change. Hours before we were strangers but next moment we were all giving each other big hugs and infectiously smiles would spread.
Through Yes I am the change film project , we invited them to make short films in various social causes and random acts of kindness. This year we had 501 citizen filmmaker teams ( approx 2000 filmmakers) making a short film in just 101 hours. The films we have received are overwhelming. It’s inspiring to see films made by 10 year olds to 60, each one of them made with tremendous love, hope and faith.
All the films will be shared soon but here’s what one of the participant Deven Shah shared and his film: After meditating in silence for 10 days in Igatpuri, on August 17th evening I spoke to a couple of fellow meditators about Yes I Am The Change project and they got excited. I checked my email and saw that I have been assigned a topic of making a film around doing a random act of kindness.
Six people who had spoken for the first time on August 17th made a film together. We shot the entire film using my phone camera in Igatpuri at the Vipassana meditation center and I returned to Mumbai on August 18th afternoon and edited it with the help of a friend. Made from start to finish in less than 30 hours