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On October
3, 1999, close to 3000 students from twenty universities
nationwide will unite to perform public service in their
local communities to honor and commemorate the life and
philosophy of Indian independence leader, Mohandas K. Gandhi
in an inaugural event: the first
National Gandhi Day of Service (NGDOS).
Students from Dartmouth College to Stanford University
will aspire, as Gandhi did, "to realize the highest in life
through the service of humanity."
The goals of the National Gandhi Day of Service are:
- To commemorate and share the life and philosophies of
M.K. Gandhi
- To allow the South Asian community in the U.S. to
give back to the country that has provided opportunities
for success
- To create networks and synergies between students
across the country
- To excite and inspire students about service to their
local community
"Just as Gandhi demonstrated throughout his lifetime, we
hope that this project will demonstrate to students and to
all Americans that a small group of committed and inspired
individuals can make a tremendous impact in improving
society," says Vikram Sarma, national coordinator of NGDOS
and a junior at the University of Michigan.
Each campus will follow a basic formula. Students will
gather in the morning to hear from an inspirational speaker
talk about the life of M.K. Gandhi and the value of service;
they will then separate to work on various service sites in
their local communities; afterwards, they will spend time
reflecting on their service and it's value to the
community.
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What is NGDOS?