Organised by Samanvaya and Gandhigram Trust, 29th and 30th September 2007, Gandhigram Campus
The objective of the 2-day retreat was to jointly explore the Swaraj framework as outlined by Mahatma Gandhi, and its current relevance and understand and gain insights into the different aspects of contemporary political, social and development discourses utilising the SwaRaj framework.
The participants were as follows:
Muthu Velayutham - through his organisation, CCD based in Madurai, has initiated and facilitates community
owned and managed enterprises
Olaganathan Annachi, CCD, Madurai
Krishnaswamy, Village Extension Programme In-charge, Gandhigram Trust
Sathyamurthy - Sathya runs his own financial consulting and technology development company, Vyakul
Technology Solutions
D. V. Sridharan - Founder of goodnewsindia.com, he is currently involved with reclaiming about 17
acres of land in an environmentally sustainable manner
M. V. Murugappan - Chairman, Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre
Naveen - He has initiated Eco-clubs in schools in his native place and is exploring living life responsibly
as against the violence that seems to drive society today
David Barunkumar - Works towards rural development through micro-credit and Self Help Groups in the
Palani Hills
Sangeetha - Currently working on promoting village industries and organic farming
K.S. Kumaravelu - Regional Coordinator, Rejuvenate India Movement
Dinakaran - involved with the education needs of rural poor as part of Ennangalin Sangamam, a voluntary
civil society network
Kaushik - exploring sustainable living and role of education in creating mindsets and assumptions. Interested in problems of beauty and elegance and relating them to science and economics