On March 15th, 2005, the Lodi Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham hosted the third Auro-Family reunion. AVI-USA Board members Julian Lines, Chandresh Patel, EdGiordano, Paula Murphy, Constance, former directorNilauro Markus, and Executive Coordinator CharlesFlores and CFO Kalpana Patel were all in attendance.About 40 former Aurovilians, members of theashram, and friends of Auroville were all in attendance.Julian and Charles presented on their trips toAuroville. Much of the focus this meeting was on thetragic event of December 26th, when a tsunami hitSouth-East Asia, which had a devastating effect on anumber of the villages surrounding Auroville. Julianpresented some photographs of the devastation and theTsunami Relief effort, and a new film which documentedthe relief efforts the day of the tsunami.
Julian alsoprovided the latest news on the construction of the Matrimandir, which with enough contributions from theAVI centers, could be completely finished by 2008,exactly 40 years from the founding of Auroville. Charlespresented on the CIIS-Auroville collaboration, resultingin two two-week courses in Auroville, and one friendsand alumni trip. This winter in Auroville was very busy,as not only did the Auroville International conferencetake place there this year, but also a three-day IntegralPsychology Conference and a United NationsInternational Youth Conference.Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham member Vishnuspoke about the future additions to the physical structureof the Lodi Ashram which would allow for larger groupsof people to come and stay overnight on the property.This exciting development will allow for longer and moreinteresting stays for future Auro-Reunions.The next Auro-Reunion is set to be held in the Lodiashram in CA on November 5th and will feature Narad,an American working in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram andAuroville, with an update on the Matrimandir Gardens.Mark the date!
East Coast Office News: Dr. Karan Singh Talk at Asia Society 10/31 at 3:30 pm – Julian Lines reportsThe heir apparent to the last Maharaja of Jammu andKashmir, a charismatic young member of Indira Gandhi'scabinet and former Ambassador to the United States, Dr.Karan Singh has had an illustrious career in publicservice. The most recent honor was his recent appointmentas Chair of the prestigious Indian Council for CulturalRelations (ICCR). This is in addition to his currentservice as a Deputy Leader of the Congress Party in theRajya Sabha and Chancellor of Nehru University. Most importantly in our view, Dr. Karan Singh isserving a second stint as Chairman of the Governing Board of Auroville. He was catapulted into political life at the early ageof eighteen when, in 1949, he was appointed Regent ofKashmir by his father on the intervention of PrimeMinister Jawaharlal Nehru.
He is a renowned orator, andhas lectured in five continents on philosophy and culture,politics and the environment.Dr. Singh's talk will focus on sectarian violence andthe need for multiculturalism and Human Unity. Specificprojects in Auroville like the Nakashima Peace Tablewhich he inaugurated during his first term as Chairman in1994, have an important new context. The second phaseof the Unity Pavilion under construction in the InternationalZone will be the permanent home for the table, known asthe "Hall of Peace". The building was designed by Pieroand Gloria.This year is the birth centenary of GeorgeNakashima, who also helped design and build theremarkable Ashram Guest House, Golconde.For more information please visit the Nakashima Foundationonline at:
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