What happens when two countries exchange volunteers in search of solving the world’s problems?
Written May, 2023
Since 2008—when Germany inaugurated the successful weltwaerts volunteer program—I have been one of the coordinators in Auroville. Every year 14-18 young German volunteers come for one year to Auroville to work in educational, social or environmental projects.
And since 2018, young Indians from Auroville and the bioregion go to Germany for a year under the same scheme and conditions.
To tackle the world’s global issues this program supports the importance of international exchanges to create awareness, trying to find solutions and a better understanding of different cultures and human behaviour.
Also, it is exactly these reasons that distinguish the importance of Auroville as an international city.
It is a human laboratory and I am very sure that without Auroville I would not be the person I am now. To find better ways of solving problems, helping the human race, wildlife, flora etc. to survive, we need to first transform ourselves. For this each person needs a different amount of time. In Auroville we find support for this work.
People come and stay or go again, but each person takes a valuable gift with him or her by having been in contact with Auroville for a while. One can very well see the changes in the thousands of people in the bioregion who come every day for work or education. Most of them love Auroville and for me they are Aurovilians without being outwardly recognized as such.
My love for the aims of Auroville is unbroken. Only freedom and time for research, for expression, to unite as many international people with the different Aurovilian goals will provide successes for a laboratory. Auroville has to be a laboratory and should stay a laboratory. Only then our dream and the aims of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother can become a reality.
Auroville, I love you and am happy to see what Auroville has already achieved in the last 55 years with the financial help of many international governments, private people, organizations and last but not least the unending work of Aurovilians. All this together has made Auroville a town with a heart for truth, unity and compassion.
By Karin Latzke
May, 2023