On June 29, the Feather Project celebrated its first anniversary. Since its launch one year ago, 40 video clips have been produced that capture the inspiring messages of moral and spiritual leaders, and the visions and dreams of young people from different parts of the world. The videos have so far received more than 21.000 hits.
And there is much more to come as we have tons of unedited footage - interviews with the Buddhist nun and peace activist Sr. Chan Khong, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, former Dutch Prime Mininister Ruud Lubbers, the Tibetan environmental activist Tsering Yankey, and several young people that are involved in the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development Youth Caucus.
The Feather Project has also launched a fan page on facebook that keeps growing, please join it now to keep updated about the latest news concerning the Feather Project videos and inspiring action projects from around the world!
Feather Project toured through India - the motherland of spirituality
Posted on November 18, 2010
It is time to add a new chapter to the Feather Project – the Feather Project’s tour to India! For two weeks Rabbi Soetendorp, Michael Slaby and Ashley Young traveled through India to record Feather messages of moral and spiritual leaders, young activists and visionaries, and to take part in the Earth Charter + 10 “Framework for a Sustainable World” Conference held in Ahmedabad.
This conference concluded with a “threads of sustainability” ceremony organized in Mahatma Gandhi’s historical ashram in Ahmedabad where Gandhi’s hand-spun cotton was passed from speaker to speaker instead of the Feather. Participants included His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, His Holiness Vishwaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, Sr. Valeriane Bernand of the Brahma Kumaris, Rabbi Soetendorp and several young people from India and Bangladesh.
Watch out for new clips from India to be added shortly! Please see below for some impressions of this journey… Finally, after 6 months of preparations, Feather Project Manager Michael Slaby shakes hand with His Holiness, the XVIIth Gyalwang Karmapa after recording his Feather Message in Gyuto Monastery near Dharamsala...
Gyuto Monastery near Dharamsala...
...Eagle flying over Gyuto Monastery...
Our Camerawoman Ashley Young at work in Dharamsala...
...Rabbi Soetendorp's dialogue with Dadi Janki, 94-year-old leader of the Brahma Kumaris...
...filmed at Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University Headquarters in Mt. Abu, Rajasthan...
...besieged by monkeys on our way to Mt. Abu...
Rabbi Soetendorp speaking at the Earth Charter +10 Conference in Ahmedabad...
Ven. Guo Chan Fa Shi and Ven. Chang Ji Fa Shi of Dharma Drum Mountain, Taiwan / USA...
Michael Slaby with His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananada Puri...
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sharing his message during the "Threads of Sustainability" Ceremony...
...glance of Pakistani Mountains on the way back...
After several months of intense preparation, the Feather Project was officially launched at the Earth Charter + 10 Conference that took place in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands on June 29.
At 18:15 CET, the Feather trailer was screened in front of an international audience that included Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, followed by a live Feather ceremony led by Awraham Soetendorp. The ceremony included two young people from Belarus and Indonesia who shared their personal dreams and visions for a more just and democratic future, and then handed the Feather to the Pakistani Environmental Law expert Parvez Hassan as well as to the Maori Elder Pauline Tangiora.
The personal testimonies moved people to tears, for example when Rabbi Soetendorp shared how he was rescued by the soft forces of compassion that made it possible that he was saved during World War II as a hidden child. Turning to Dmitry Shalveau from Belarus, he said: "I do apologize that we elders do not bequest you a better world - we tried hard but we failed. Therefore the realization of this better future depends on you Dmitry, and your dream and vision that you have."
Pakistani human rights lawyer Parvez Hassan shared that his generation leaves behind a world full of treaties, laws and principles but that it is the core task of the young generation to do better than the elders and start walking the talk, and indeed start implementing the rules and principles that have been drafted.
When the Maori grandmother Pauline Tangiora held the Feather, she remembered how many young indigenous men are being held in prison and told the story how she and other Maori women wanted to bring food to their imprisoned sons but were denied access by the authorities. She then turned to Feather Project Manager Michael Slaby who reminded her of these young men behind the prison bars, sang a Maori song with tears in her eyes and said "Let us indeed give our love and support to our young men so that they do not endure the same fate as the generations of young indigenous men whose potential is being lost as they are locked away."
Michael Slaby then closed the ceremony by inviting the young people in the audience to start creating their own Feather videos, and start uploading them on the Feather website.
Watch the video of the ceremony here:
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Listen to Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende reacting to the feather ceremony in his closing remarks
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