SHIKSHANTAR:

The Peoples’ institute for

rethinking education and development

21 Fatehpura • Udaipur, rajasthan • 313004

telePhone: 294-245-1303 • FAX: 294-245-1949

EMAIL: <shikshantar@yahoo.com>

WEB: <www.swaraj.org/shikshantar>

Dear Friend:

Walking out from an institution, societal norm or dysfunctional mindset usually isn’t easy. Sometimes we find the courage to walk-out because the dysfunction is so great, or because we’re passionate about being the change we want to see in the world. This strength isn’t always there, however; sometimes the desire to walk out exists, but not the confidence and courage to make it happen. A little help is needed, a little encouragement for those of us generating new ways of living.

Help with the walk-out/walk-on process is what Walkout Challenge Day is all about.

Basically, Walkout Challenge Day is a day when walkouts help each other overcome the fear and/or inertia that’s limited their walk-out/walk-on journey. On April 6, 75 years to the day since M. K. Gandhi defied the British by making his own salt, walkouts in several sites throughout the world will host a walkout celebration. At each celebration, a handful of people who have declared in advance will embrace a new path and officially “walk-out” from something they’ve thus far not had the courage or confidence to reject.

We envision these celebrations as walkout parties, but we’re still conceptualizing exactly what format such celebrations should take. Perhaps a potluck lunch, perhaps public commitments/speeches by those who are walking-out/walking-on, perhaps presentations from those in the community who help and strongly support walkouts, perhaps a buddy system to encourage walkouts after the event, perhaps all or none of the above. Your help brainstorming ideas would be greatly appreciated. One format we’re not excited about is the awards format, though, as awards and honors implicitly promote competition.

The celebrations serve several functions. They encourage and support those who are walking-out, and they provide an opportunity to publicly commit to change. They create an excuse to get a bunch of really cool people together. Also, the celebrations spread awareness that walking out is viable, and that a network exists for people who want to take a path less taken (we’ll be putting together a press packet organizers can use for the event). Viva la Swapathgami network!

Walkout Challenge Day only works if people in various sites help make it happen, though. We at Shikshantar are hosting a walkout celebration in Udaipur, and we were wondering if you’d be interested in hosting an event in your neck of the woods, too.

Let us know what you think, and please pass along suggestions. We’re still in the planning stage; if you’re interested, please get back to us by February 6 so we can co-create this event.

We look forward to hearing from you.

With love,

Peter Kowalke and the Shikshantar team