Camp auroville 2014

CAMP AUROVILLE 2014
ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP &
HUMAN WELL-BEING

ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP &
HUMAN WELL-BEING
CAMP
AUROVILLE
2014
This publication documents the 8-day program: Camp Auroville 2014
‘Ecological Stewardship & HumanWell-Being’.The publication was pre-
pared in a collaborative way by participating students and facilitators.
Those were: Arkin Khosla,Tanvi Bokaria,Trilokya Guttapalli, Bani Kaur,
Anam Bhatia, Saransh Gothi,Yuvraj Khanna, Adhish Aggarwal,Tejas
Sachdeva, Rohan Desai.

Acknowledgement
Camp Auroville is the result of the dedicated
work of Arjun Seth, Balu Ramalingam, Catherine
Vallet, Martin Scherfler, Shefali Mendon, Prakash
Kutti andVimal Bhojraj, ErikaVan t’Veld. A spe-
cial thanks to Luigi Zanzi for his endless goodwill
and enthusiasm and making possible the edible
landscaping project at Citadine Community. An-
other special thanks to Kalsang from the Pavilion
forTibetan Culture for her infinite hospitality that
made all participants feel at home. Many thanks
to the countless Aurovilians that contributed to
the successful completion of this program with
their valuable inputs and guidance. Special grati-
tude to all the food growers and producers that
share our common vision of a healthy local living
food economy based on ecological stewardship
principles.
“We are all Interested in the Future, because that is
Where we Plan to Spend the Rest of Our Lives”
— Villain in Superman comic book episode, The Time
Machine, c. 1957
Camp Auroville 2014
Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP
& HUMANWELLBEING 2
PARTICIPANTS’ PROFILES
& LEARNIING 4
URBAN AGRICULTURE PROJECT 7
OUR FUTURE COMMITTMENTS 13

Introduction
Camp Auroville program is an initiative using Au-
roville and its outstanding experience in human
unity & sustainable living as a platform for the
learning and personal growth of students from
around the world.The program is based on the
H3 approach that nurtures the hands (skills), head
(competencies) and heart (inner capacities) of all
participants.
The progam explored the practical application of
ecological stewardship principles in order to pro-
mote enhanced human and planetary well-being.
This program integrates hands-on learning in
attempt to actualize participants’ inner strength,
to activate critical system thinking and to work
on students’ technical capacities of designing and
implementing projects.
Ten students in high school or new high school
graduates from New Delhi and Chennai partici-
pated in this 10-day emersion program held from
20st June to 29th June 2014 at Auroville Interna-
tionalTownship inTamil Nadu, India.
Martin Scherfler
Co-Founder
Auroville Consulting
Insanity is doing the same thing over and
over and expecting different results.
- Albert Einstein
Program contents:
Students work on the implementation of an
urban agriculture project at Citadine Community
at Auroville.The project is a focal point around
which topics such as sustainable water manage-
ment, organic food production, ecological think-
ing, sustainable waste management or social
entrepreneurship were presented during after-
noon sessions.
Students are also introduced to a local artist,
theater games, and the basics of capoeira dance
and Brazilian martial arts.
Objectives
• Introduce students to ecological principles and
their applications.
• Stimulate pattern thinking among students.
• Shadow work done at various service and pro
duction units in Auroville to get clarity about
their career choices.
•Appreciate Auroville’s multicultural learning
environment and its unique art and
cultural scenes.
• Prompt college readiness and introduce
students to independent residential
campus living.
Camp Auroville 20141

2
Participants defined Ecological
Stewardships as:
A mutually interdependent relationship, which
includes both the biotic and abiotic components of
nature and includes equality balance and produc-
tivity.This energy flow involves trust, dedication,
and care, which evolves over time.
Something that implies responsible interdepend-
ence amongst the productive diversity of the
environment and its organisms. It, too, implies a
resilient care and dedicated commitment towards
positive energy flow. Above all it entails account-
able service to and awareness of the biosphere.
A responsibility towards one’s physical and social
environment while maintaining a symbiotic bal-
ance.
The interactive responsibility of effective manage-
ment of resources.This entails holistic approach to
environment and its energy flows.
Something that supports and nurtures eco-system
services and natural abundance, attempts to cre-
ate planetary prosperity, and promotes biological
and cultural diversity
Ecological Stewardship
Participants defined HumanWellbeing as:
Something that implies a sense of contentment in
all psychological, emotional and physical aspects
of living.
The state of maintaining mental and physical bal-
ance.
Physical, emotional, and intellectual vitality and
balance.
A state of individual and collective vitality, con-
tentment and prosperity as a result of activities
that are meaningful and engaging.
Camp Auroville 2014
Human Well-Being

“Its not a question of human wellbeing but of surviv-
al” - Bernard from Pebbles Garden, Auroville
“How your inner wisdom, embodied in
you, can help others around you”-
Shiva from Auroville
3
Encounters
“Taking care of something that does not belong to
you, but you do it for the future generations”-
Deoyani, from Auroville
Camp Auroville 2014

4
My name is Arkin Khosla, and I am a senior atVas-
antValley School, New Delhi. I stand for creativity,
curiosity, passion, and determination. I am extremely
passionate about entrepreneurship and enjoy study-
ing and working with startups. I am always curious
to learn and love reading and watching videos about
anything to do with entrepreneurship. I am more
expressive during interactions with people and so
prefer the verbal to written mode of expression. At
Auroville, I learned a lot about Ecological Steward-
ship and HumanWellbeing, both practically as well
as theoretically. My favourite part of the program
was the presentation on Garbology by Ribhu and the
interaction with Gjis from UnlimitedTamil Nadu. I also
thoroughly enjoyed the visits to the farms of Krishna,
Bernard, Priya and those of many others’. A definite
highlight will be the visit to the Matri Mandir. I learned
about realizing one’s inner strengths and weaknesses.
I noticed a change in which I look at my surround-
ings, especially the plants and the trees around me.
I also got through ten days without an AC, which I
consider a good achievement for myself. I have now
understood the importance of trees and plants in our
surroundings and will definitely spread awareness
to conserve them. I also learned about several key
aspects of urban agriculture such as composting and
mulching. I hope to come back to Auroville next sum-
mer and wish to match up the experience I had this
time, if not exceed it.
My name is Rohan Desai. I currently am in the 12th
grade and am pursuing the International Baccalaure-
ate diploma. I stand for perseverance, selflessness,
and justice. I have always been interested in his-
tory and reading about the immense discrimination
against women, Dalits, and the OBC’s (Other Back-
ward Classes). It has always angered me but I never
felt I could do something to change the common
ideology, which against popular belief, is still preva-
lent in India. I also believe I am open to any kind of
change if necessary. In addition I have also learned the
importance and the ease of living a sustainable life. I
also noticed that I am more comfortable in express-
ing myself in a group than I thought I was. Apart from
personal growth I have gained a lot of practical and
theoretical knowledge about urban farming. Previ-
ously I could have never imagined that one could
make one’s own fertile soil. I also surprisingly learned
how to sleep under a fan! But I did feel that the pro-
gram was a bit rushed and the timetable packed in a
lot of things in one day leaving us less time to focus on
a few aspects of urban and sustainable farming. One
of the most important things I learned was that action
is possible no matter the extent of the situation. I
have learned that there are people working towards
justice on a large scale and working towards it isn’t a
pointless thought. After I reach Delhi I feel I will lead
a different lifestyle to an extent. I feel that I would be
more conscious of my day to day habits.
Arkin Khosla Rohan Desai
Participants’Profiles & Learning
My name is Saransh Gothi. I am originally from Mum-
bai but I shifted to New Delhi about 3 years ago where
I am in Sardar PatelVidyalaya and just started 11th
grade. I was brought up in a house where I was given
quite a lot of freedom and still am. I am really passion-
ate about animals and hope to pursue a career in that
field.This has mainly originated by watching Steve
Irwin and Austin Stevens on Animal Planet. I stand
for enthusiasm, passion, and thirst for knowledge.
I am adaptable and open to change, having shifted
from 5 schools and 3 cities. I am an introvert who likes
meeting new people. Here in Auroville, I learned many
new sustainable practices which I will apply when I
get back to home. At a personal level, this camp has
taught me to be a little more confident and expres-
sive. I realized that I have the ability to work hard and
get the tasks done without giving up. I also met many
interesting people with fascinating personalities that
would shape my future personal and professional life.
My name is Martin. I stand for integrity, compassion
and courage to create. I was born in a small village
settlement at the heart of Austria. I grew up playing
in the local forests, running after the soccer ball and
supporting (often reluctantly so) my parents in their
daily farm work and their restaurant business. I hold
a masters degree in sociology. In 2005 I moved to
Auroville, India where I have been living and work-
ing since. Inspired by some of the environmental and
educational work done in Auroville, I chose to make
this my main area of activity. I am passionate about
creating programs and projects that contribute to
environmental and social justice and give participants
a sense of completion. I love to share this passion with
students, volunteers and interns of all ages and back-
grounds. People can count on me for being responsi-
ble, doing what I say I will do and for me trying to do
the best I can.
Saransh Gothi Martin Scherfler

Yuvraj Khanna
My name isTejas Sachdeva; I am from New Delhi cur-
rently studying in 12th grade in Delhi Public School,
R.K Puram. I stand for equality, selflessness, empathy,
and justice. From an early age I found freedom of ex-
pression through photography that has always helped
me break free from the restraints of the society. I am
a caring person who cares about various social issues
such as equality for women, and animal and environ-
mental rights as well. I am also an adventurous person
who likes experiencing new things in life such as
travelling and playing sports. My unique professional
skills include my experiences in photography and my
leadership skills. I am open to learning new things in
life and learning from my mistakes, which helps me
grow as a person. From this program I will go back
being a more confident person who can speak in front
of a group of people. Auroville and the people living
here have inspired me to live a sustainable life, which
is good for the environment. I have also learned about
various farming trees, which I can use on my terrace
garden. Overall this program has helped me become a
better person.
Tejas Sachdeva
5
My name is Anam Bhatia,I am originally from
karnal,Haryana but went to high school in Delhi.I
stand for patience,humbleness and self dis-
cipline.From an early age I have been fond of
mathematics which has helped me to be more
practical and logical in any decision I make.Most
often I express myself on the cricket field where
I love to bowl my heart out.My unique profes-
sional skills include knowledge about the python
programming language and a semi professional
experience in pace bowling.The best part of the
ecological stewardship program has to be the
theater workshop with Ross where all of us let
ourselves loose and had loads of fun.This experi-
ence has been a big learning curve for me and has
made me realize the importance of a sustainable
environment and the hard work that’s needed to
be put in to make it happen.All this has encour-
aged me to continue with my personal project
after the summer school so that I can contribute
whatever little I can to make this world a better
place to live in.
My name is Adhish, I was born in Amritsar but I
studied in Ajmer in a hostel.Their I made friends from
all over India.they were from different cultures and
background. As I was in hostel, I learned to be disci-
plined. I don’t like to express myself as I think by doing
so, people judge you and I don’t like to be judged. My
unique professional skill is that I like to observe new
things around me.The best part of the program was
theater workshop because in that class we learned
different things like trusting others and coordination
and Krishnas workshop as he taught different tech-
niques of agriculture which I could use in project of
farming.I see myself as a more keen observer and a
patient person and as a person who has learned new
things that can be used in real life.
Anam Bhatia Adhish Aggarwal
Camp Auroville 2014
My name isYuvraj Khanna. I am from Ludhiana,
Punjab and currently I am in 12th grade. I stand for
kindness and passion. I believe that everything hap-
pens for a reason. Basically, I am an introvert so I don’t
express myself that much. Although, I do express
myself while I am singing. I am the lead singer of my
band in school and I have performed in various fests.
I love music and am always curious about it. My thirst
for music just doesn’t end. I loved the Auroville pro-
gram. It was my kind of program because I like peace-
ful and green places and also, it was a break from the
concrete jungles. Personally, the whole program was
amazing and a new experience, the best part of the
program except for the cycling and Capoira, was the
SoundWorkshop, because there I got to hear some
amazing sounds and beats and I even got to play an
instrument. In terms of inner strength, I learned how
to be courageous and independent. I learned how
farming is done and how difficult it is and even devel-
oped some skills of farming like composting. I these
last 8 days of the program I noticed that I have be-
come more courageous than I was before. Now, when
I go back home, one of the things I will do is to keep a
check on what I am eating, especially non-vegetarian
food (after watching the movie Food Inc.). I will prefer
organic food over chemical food because now
I know how organic stuff is better than chemical stuff.

My name isTanvi Bokaria. I have been living in Chen-
nai all my life. I have been brought up in a school that
follows Jiddu Krishnamurti’s teaching in philosophy.
From a very young age, we have been taught to take
a 100% responsibility for the consequences of our ac-
tions. School has played a large role in shaping me. I
have learnt to respect everyone and open my mind.
I express myself outwardly and love talking to new
people. I stand for justice, fearlessness, and courage.
I am very passionate about baking and I have already
set up a small business which I execute from home.
The best part of this program for me was meeting
new people and learning from their personal experi-
ences. I have made a lot of friends this last week,
including the faculty. I am learning how important and
necessary it is for one to live sustainably in the finite
environment. I also feel that the diversity in the group
has taught to accept differences more easily.
I would definitely go back to Chennai and start my
personal project of raising awareness about natural
farming in my neighborhood. I would also make the
effort to control my anger and frustration and release
this energy in an acceptable way.
My name is CatherineVallet. Born and raised in a
traditional French city near Paris, I studied Inter-
national Business and Marketing in-between Paris
and Madrid. I discovered the Auroville community 8
months ago thanks to an internship in Pondicherry
and decided to come back one full year to enjoy the
full human experience. I stand for respect, humility,
sharing and curiosity. My studies allowed me to travel
and move from place to place during these past 5
years. I learned tremendously from every city I have
lived in, the people I met, the culture I discovered.
These travels contributed to build my personality and
strengthen my self-confidence, as I express myself
through sharing and socializing with my surrounded
environment a true believer of the human capacities,
I tend to always see the best in people. Good observer
and listener, I understand and apprehend people and
situation easily, providing the most adequate solu-
tion for them.These qualities became my strongest
professional skills. As I understand people’s needs and
new markets, I am able to develop and market prod-
ucts efficiently for each. Auroville camp reinforced my
patience and tolerance.Through the workshops and
people I met, I learnt a lot about the true values of Au-
roville, which are constant learning, human well-being
and respect for nature. In the next months, I will try to
deepen my knowledge in natural farming helping my
housemate to build a new garden at home.
Tanvi Bokaria Catherine Vallet
6
My name is Bani and am from Karnal and currently I
am in class 12. I stand for Courage, Persistence and
Compassion. I believe that these qualities go a long
way in building my personality. My personal way of
expression is writing. I write poems to express my
both my emotions and experiences and I feel that it’s
a good way of dealing with them. I also believe I have
good oratory skills and am confident on stage with
anchoring, declamation, and debates. I learned a lot
about both my environment and myself, and the best
part of the program so far was the SoundWorkshop.
It taught us how to work together as a team.What I
learned in terms of inner strengths was that it’s better
to focus on strengthening what I stand for rather than
to focus on overcoming my fears, which, in compari-
son to your strength, seem insignificant. I’ve changed
a few things about myself in the last few days, the
biggest achievement being that I am less judgmental
than I used to be. I’ve learnt to accept things and peo-
ple as they are without airing my opinion about stuff
that isn’t related to me. I will be more respectful of
other people’s wishes and give my complete attention
to the things they do for me.
My name isTrilokya Pavani Guttapalli. I am originally
from Hyderabad but I stayed in Delhi. I am taking a
gap year to explore my options. I stand for curiosity,
empathy, and fun. My personal form of expression
is music. I am passionate about many social issues
such as helping orphans and raising awareness about
education among women. My unique professional
experience includes folk singing and video realization.
In terms of inner strengths and skills, I have learned
that I stand for persistence, passion and clarity. I
noticed that I am not very comfortable expressing
myself to a large group of people but that I am at ease
talking about issues that I like. I have learned many
interesting things from the people of Auroville.They
have dedicated so much time and effort into building
this community, which truly has a deep inner mean-
ing for them. My stay in Auroville has inspired me to
live a more sustainable lifestyle and become sensi-
tive towards nature. It has also given me knowledge
on traditional and modern organic farming. After my
stay in Auroville, I will definitively continue with my
personal project of introducing sustainable energies in
Hyderabad.
Bani Kaur Trilokya Pavani Gut-
tapalli
Camp Auroville 2014

7
URBAN AGRICULTURE
PROJECT
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
Helen Keller
Participants designed and im-
plemented a urban agriculture
project at Citadine Community,
Auroville. The harvested crop of
the urban farm will be used by
the community kitchen at
Citadine.

A local food economy is a network of communi-
ty-based food businesses that contribute to the
local economy.
A greater public interest has been raised in issues
such as food security, food miles, carbon emis-
sions or the slow food movement. Consequently,
an increasing number of consumers are willing to
pay a higher price for a better quality food that
has a lower environmental impact.
In order to build a local food economy and a sus-
tainable and stable food chain for a local market,
cooperation and integration of people from a
same community has to be strengthened.The
community has to realize that they are the princi-
pal actors of their own change.
Local food economies bring short and medium
term benefits to a community including:
•The creation of local jobs.
• Enhancing the local economy commercially,
financially and socially.
• Increasing local capacity to meet consumer
demands.
Urban Agriculture:
Building Living Local Food
Economies
One main component of Camp Auroville program
was the design and implementation of an edible
garden project at a Citadine community, a resi-
dential community, of Auroville. Citaine is home
to about 40 residents, and is located next to
Auroville’s administrative center and the Matri-
mandir, the geographical and spiritual center
of Auroville. In front of the Citadine community
there is a green corridor connecting the residen-
tial area of the township and the greenbelt. Part
of the green corridor was chosen to implement
the edible garden project.The emphasis was on
establishing a fluid connection to integrate the
existingTropical Dry Evergreen Forest with fruit
trees, ornamental plants, and creating vegetable
producing spaces and areas for cultivating herbs
and medicinal plants species.
What has been done:
Infrastructure
• 11 raised vegetable beds each 120 cm wide, 30
cm high, and different lengths were created
using a mixture of laterite topsoil, cow manure,
vermicompost and bio charcoal
• water efficient drip irrigation was installed,
recyled water only will be used for irrigation
of crops
• trellis for creeper plants were installed
(cucumbers, tomato, basella spinach, gourdes,
long bean, wigged bean etc.)
Citadine Edible Garden
Project
8 Camp Auroville 2014

Planting of fruits bearing crops
32 banana trees (intercropped with
bougainvillea)
70 pineapples saplings
2 passion fruit plant
2 lemon trees
1 pomello tree
1 pomegranate tree
1 soursoup tree
1 malabar chestnut tree
1 berry tree
Planting of vegetables crops
60 sapplings basella spinach
40 sapplings lauki (gourd)
35 sapplings cucumbers
40 sapplings tomatoes
5 sapplings pumpkin
58 sapplings long beans
40 sapplings ladyfingers
40 sapplings corn
Planting of herbs and medicinal plants
70 lemon grass plants
10 tulsi plants
5 italian basil plants
5 basil plants
20 karpuravalli plants (indian borage)
10 aloe vera plants
Other
5 gliceria trees (for nitrogen fixing)
Farming Knowledge
The following paragraphs introduce some farmi-
made out of cow dung, charcoal, and urine, helps
to bring carbon and ammonia (obtained from
urine) to the soil to increases soil fertility.
Soil is composed of minerals, organic matter,
and myriads of organisms that support life. It is a
medium for plant growth because it stores, sup-
plies, and purifies water, it holds carbon, and it
provides a habitat for organisms. Its composition
varies from place to place, as it might be rocky
or highly fertile. Various levels of carbon content
helps us to differentiate the different types of
soil.The higher the level of carbon it contains, the
more fertile it is and the more nutritious the crops
that grow from it will be. Adding organic compost
made out of cow dung, charcoal, and urine, helps
to bring carbon and ammonia (obtained from
urine) to the soil to increases soil fertility.
Biodiversity refers to the varieties of life existing
in and around our surroundings. Farming is one of
the several activities dependent on biodiversity
and is highly important to obtain a healthy har-
vest. On a microbial level, tiny organisms such as
earthworms are major contributors for a healthy
soil as they increase nutrient availability, im-
prove drainage, plough the fields and therefore
improve the soil structure. In a similar manner,
bigger organisms such as trees and animals are
also important for effective farming.Trees may
provide habitat to pollinators such as bees and
butterflies, which in turn will provide invaluable
services to the farmers by pollinating crops.
Soil Composition & Soil
Fertility
Biodiversity & Farming

When a machine is put to work for an extended
period of time and exposed to the natural ele-
ments it will eventually break down. In a similar
way, soil loses its productivity when exposed to
the harsh conditions of nature. Mulching is the
process of covering up the top soil to protect and
help preserve the longevity and the productivity
of the soil.
There are 2 types of mulching:
• Inorganic mulching, such as plastic tents, which
tend to suffocate soil.
• Organic mulching, used in Auroville most of
the time, consists of a mix of animal waste, dry
leaves, and other organic matter
The main benefits of organic mulching include:
- Contributing to the soil building by attracting
termites that bring up soft particles of soil to
the surface and form a raised top soil layer
- Preventing pests
- Maintaining the moisture level
- Giving back nutrients to the soil while
decomposing.
- Preventing top soil erosion.
Mulching
Crop Rotation is the practice of growing a series
of different types of crops in the same area in
sequential seasons.These crops can range from
rice and wheat, to vegetables (like okra) or pulses
(like beans).
Crop rotation brings along the following benefits:
• Farmers can keep their fields under continuous
production instead of letting them lay fallow
• A reduction in the need for artificial fertilizers
• It decreases the spread of pests and diseases
during the growing season
•The crop yield increases
• It increases the nutrient concentration in the
soil (nitrogen level)
Cover crops, also known as green manure, are-
crops grown to prevent soil erosion, suppress
weeds, control pests and diseases, and to build
soil nutrients after the main crops have been har-
vested. Usually from the legume family, species
like alfalfa, beans, and cowpeas are used as green
manure since they have nitrogen-fixing proper-
ties.They convert nitrogen from the atmosphere
and fix them through their roots into the soil.The
plants can then be used for mulching and even-
tually buried in the soil to make full use of their
properties
Crop Rotation Green Manuring &
Cover Crops

Water efficiency is the process of reducing wa-
ter waste by minimizing the water required for
specific purposes – in this case for crop irrigation.
Micro-irrigation technologies such as sprinklers
or drip irrigation substantially increase water
efficiency and may reduce the water demand by
a factor of 10. Water efficiency however, starts
with selecting appropriate crops to the local
climatic conditions. Mulching as we have learned
earlier, is also an effective and low-cost technol-
ogy that helps save water.
Crop selection is the process of dedicating some
varieties of crops to a specific plot of land, re-
garding the factors determining their growth. Se-
lecting the right crops increases the productivity
of the land, determines the water requirements,
for irrigation and affects the soil fertility.
This process depends on various factors:
• Climatic and micro-climatic conditions
• Soil quality and soil fertility
• Seed quality
• Rainfall pattern
• Availability and accessibility of water
Water Efficiency Crop Selection
Seed sovereignty is defined as the farmers’ right
to save, use, exchange, and sell their own seeds.
A farmer becomes “seed sovereign” when he
does not need to buy seeds from outside sources.
He is independent and produces all his own seeds
and crops. Seed sovereignty is the foundation of
food sovereignty. Its application goes far beyond
farmers’ interests and crops. In the traditional
agriculture, every farmer used to be “seed sov-
ereign”. But in today’s world, with modern linear
perspectives, new laws, and genetic modification,
things have changed.There is need for the revival
of seed sovereignty.
Pest management is the regulation of pest spe-
cies. Pests are detrimental to plant health and
crop yield, and often appear when new crops or
organisms are introduced to a farm. Some be-
lieve that no pest control is the best pest control
strategy, while others over-practice it by using
harmful chemicals. Pest management is done to
minimize the damages done to crops and prevent
the yield from diminishing.The result of good
pest management is healthy plants in healthy
soil.
Natural pest control is done by:
• Cultivating a healthy and living soil
• Mulching
• Proper and well thought out crop rotation
• Increasing the within-field diversity
• Cultivating one’s own seeds
• Cultivating crops that are adapted to local
climatic conditions
Seed Sovereignty Pest Management

Our Future
Commitments
Commitment is an act, not a word.”
Jean-Paul Sartre
12
Committed to sustainable and
equitable development partici-
pants have chosen projects
close to their heart and interest
which they commit to imple-
ment within the next 12 months.

Issues:
The lack of awareness about natural farming is
an existing phenomenon in the city of Chennai. I
see this as an issue because people are not aware
or not interested about where their food comes
from and about the nutrients in it. Also, organic
saplings are inaccessible in the city.
System Shift:
• From a lack of awareness, towards awareness
and knowledge.
• From a basic consumer, towards an
eco-conscious consumer and producer.
• From ignorance towards how/where the food
grows, towards active engagement in what
comes to their plate.
Raise Awareness About
Natural Farming
What will I do?
I will organize free talks in my neighborhood (50
-75 people) about organic/natural farming. I will
encourage them to grow their own food by dis-
tributing 130 saplings and providing assistance.
byTanvi Bokaria
Issue:
• Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides leading to soil infertility.
• Overdependence of farmers on seed and
fertilizer industries who financially exploit them.
System Shift:
• Government should carefully supervise
multinational corporations (MNCs) so that they
do not unnecessarily pressure farmers to use
their products.
• Awareness programs can be launched to inform
farmers about the benefits and the techniques
of natural farming.
• Removing subsidies on chemical fertilizers to
encouraging organic farming.
What will I do?
• Encouraging my father to start using organic
products on his farm would urge the
neighboring farmers to do the same.
Outcome
• Limiting the use of chemicals on crops and
using bio resources as a natural fertilizer would
lead farmers to be self-sufficient, thus
preventing suicides.
•The soil quality would improve drastically
leading to a more profitable crop.
by Anam Bhatia
Making Farms
Selfsufficient by Using
Bioresources

Issue
• Use of chemical fertilizers in todays farming
is harming human health and polluting soil and
underground water, and is not an organic
farming practice.
System Shift
• MNC’s (Multi National Companies) should step
in and provide farmers with materials needed to
do organic farming.
• Government should provide more subsidies to
farmers practicing organic farming.
What will I do:
• I will show people that chemical fertilizers are
harmful for our health and it pollutes our soil
by doing Ph. tests, and I will spread awareness
about the schemes offered by the government
to people practicing organic farming.
• I will bring soil from both an organic field and
Organic Farming
an inorganic field and conduct the experiment
in front of 50 farmers to prove my point.
• I will tell them that organic products are sold
at higher prices than other products, which will
increase their profits.
by Adish Aggarwal
Issues:
Decreasing biodiversity in urban areas is a major
issue. One of the reasons this issue is surfacing
is due to rapid development, causing the habitat
destruction of butterflies. Over 35,000 trees have
already been cut for the Delhi Metro Phase-I,
National Highway Project, flyovers, underpasses,
subways, and general road widening.
System Shifts:
One of the system shifts would be from a de-
structive behavior to a regenerative behavior.
Another would be creating awareness about the
value of biodiversity.
What I Will Do:
• Identify the plants that attract butterflies.
• Get permission to carry out the planting.
• Plant at least 5 plants/bushes to start with.
•Work on a budget.
• Use it as an educational tool to show the
neighborhood.
•Talk to the gardener about the whole process.
Outcome:
Neighborhood will be turned into a beautiful
habitat for butterflies, which can be enjoyed by
the residents as well.
By Saransh Gothi
Creating a Habitat for
Butterflies

ISSUE
Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available
water resources to meet the demands of water
usage within a region. It already affects every
continent and around 2.8 billion people around
the world at least one month out of every year.
More than 1.2 billion people lack access to clean
drinking water.
System Shifts
• Importance of water to be taught in offices,
schools etc.
• People need to be educated about the
decreasing ground water levels.
• Rainwater harvest systems to be made
mandatory in New Delhi.
WHAT WILL I DO
• Put posters, slogans, and endorsements and
perform street plays.
Rain Water Harvesting
System
• Start water saving campaigns in my local
schools and neighborhoods.
• Collect the water used while rinsing fruits and
vegetables and use to water houseplants.
Outcome
• Ground water level increases
• 24/7 water supply
• Sufficient water supply during dry seasons
• It provides water when there is a drought, can
help mitigate flooding of low-lying areas, and
reduces demand on wells, which may enable
ground water levels to be sustained.
• It also helps in the availability of potable water,
as rainwater is substantially free of salinity and
other salts.
• Collect the water you use while rinsing fruits
and vegetables and using it to water house
plants.
By Tejas Sachdeva
In almost every area of India, there is a lack of
awareness of organic practices. Even if there is
awareness, people still blindly eat chemically
treated food.The objective of the project is to
increase the awareness about organic practices
by creating an organic rooftop garden.
ISSUE
Increasing awareness is necessary because of
the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on the
environment and human beings. Some of the
harmful chemical fertilizers may cause waterway
pollution, chemical burn to crops, increased air
pollution, acidification of the soil, and mineral de-
pletion of the soil.The microorganisms that live
inside the soil and enrich it die because of these
fertilizers.They can contaminate the quality of
the surface water and groundwater. Chemical
pesticides can have far-reaching effects on hu-
man health. Individuals who consume pesticide-
sprayed fruits and vegetables are consuming
Creation of an Organic
Rooftop Garden toxins.Therefore, it’s time we address this issue
before it’s too late.
SYSTEM SHIFTS
•The most important shift in society to make this
project happen is the thinking.The thinking of
society needs to be changed.
• Organic food should be accessible to all. For
this to happen, first people need to grow
organic food and second, it should become
available in the supermarket
WHAT I WILL DO
I will plant organic plants in my rooftop garden to
inspire my neighbours and the society in gen-
eral to leave harmful chemical foods and prefer
organic foods. I will show them my garden. Also, I
will help them in setting up their garden.
I hope I will inspire people and I would measure
the number of houses who have started growing
organic foods on their rooftops or in their gar-
dens.
byYuvraj Khanna

16
ISSUE:
Golf is a game of the elite, and is not accessible
to the financially underprivileged section of the
society. India is suffering because of this prob-
lem, as we are losing out on a huge section of the
population that could be potential professional
golfers representing our country.
SYSTEM SHIFTS
•The local golf clubs will have to cooperate in
order to support those golfers
• Golf should be introduced in schools at
all levels.
• Professional golfers will have to be willing to
dispose their used equipment in the right way.
Making Golf Accessible
to the Financially
Underprivileged
WHAT WILL I DO:
I will create a foundation through which used
golf equipment will be collected from profes-
sional golfers and be distributed amongst young
golfers who cannot afford the game. Since pro-
fessional golfers discard their equipment after a
very brief period of time even though it is in good
condition, I believe they will willingly give their
equipment to the foundation. I will use my per-
sonal connections with professional golfers in the
first stage of the project.
MEASURABLE DELIVERABLES:
Golf will become more popular in India and will
begin to draw support and sponsors to the game.
India will produce more golfers at the interna-
tional level and golf will no longer remain the
game of the elite.
by Arkin Khosla
The issue :
People are using plastic bags for every small
things and these are contributing towards envi-
ronmental degradation.
The principles that go behind the concept of this
project are sustainability and social responsibilty
System Shifts :
The focus of this project is to create a community
that is aware of the problems it faces and takes
measures to rectify them.
Specifically, people should go from using plastic
bags frequently to using them infrequently to
stop using them altogether.
Cloth Bags
How the problems show up:
India produces 420 g of garbage per person per
day.
Only 1 % of it is recycled and 99% of it ends up in
landfills.
The average life of a plastic bag is about 20 min-
utes and it takes over 50 million years to decom-
pose, if it ever does.
by Bani Kaur
Camp Auroville 2014

Issue:
-The Lalit, New Delhi get most of its energy
through non-renewable sources
- High costs of using non-renewable sources
of energy
-The Lalit does not focus on any eco-friendly
method of sourcing energy
-The hotels basic means of fuelling the day to
day energy needs would have to change
towards renewables.
What will I do?
- Device a detailed action plan for the Lalit
that considers energy conservation and
efficiency measures as well as the installation
of renewables energy systems..
Outcome:
-The hotel would get renewably energy which
if publicised can be good for business
-The Lalit Group would end up spending less
on energy
by Rohan Desai
About Auroville Green Practices
Auroville Green Practices aims to bring together
various stakeholders to envision future townships
that offer a habitat that is ecologically, socially
and economically nurturing.
About EdBrand
EdBrand is an education consultancy firm that
provides one-on-one mentoring to high school
and college students. It also designs experiential
learning programs on urbanism and social entre-
preneurship in various cities in India.
Renewable Energy for The
Lalit Hotel

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin
it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
- W.H. Murray (The Scottish Himalayan Expedition)

Camp auroville 2014

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (12)

Similar to Camp auroville 2014

Similar to Camp auroville 2014 (20)

More from AurovilleConsulting

More from AurovilleConsulting (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Camp auroville 2014