Four recent Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) events promoting use of toilets and clean water-
In Varanasi on the sacred day of the full moon of the month of Kartik, on probably the biggest annual holiday there, GIWA organized a massive event with over 200,000 people. They brought together some of India’s most famous musicians, the interfaith GIWA leaders as well as a delegation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) that was with us, led by Rabbi Rosen. They decorated with “Swachhta Kranti” (Clean Revolution) flags (the logo of which is an Indian style toilet!!). Pujya Swamiji led all the faith leaders, musicians and the whole audience in a massive pledge for WASH, extracting 200,000 promises against open defecation, pollution of ground, air, water etc. This massive annual religious holiday became an opportunity to catalyze awareness and hopefully change in attitude and behavior.“The sheer beautiful irony of flags with toilets on them being waved while people prayed and sang on the banks of Ganga was amazing.”-Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
In Rishikesh, GIWA hosted an interfaith event with the AJC, International Buddhist Confederation, International Islamic Sufi Foundation, many of India’s renowned religious leaders and many others again on the theme of WASH and general environmental protection/preservation, particularly of our water bodies. For more information click here-East Meets West at Major Interfaith Gathering at Parmarth
The day before Mumbai’s first global citizen festival, GIWA hosted a Roundtable on Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) for All, organised with the technical support of UNICEF India with interfaith leaders, media leaders and corporate leaders. For further notes on the meeting please see their facebook page.Additionally on November 13, 2016, Pujya Chidanand Saraswatiji – Muniji joined a beautiful display of interfaith harmony at the famous Ajmer Sharif Shrine- Dargah Shariff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chisty during the 33rd General Session of the Jamiat Ulama I Hindi. Some 2 lakh people from Muslim Communities across India and around the world gathered together to hear messages of universal peace and love for all humanity with more than 100,000 in attendance. Click here for more information
