Urja Ghar (Home of Energy) is a group of young people based in urban parts of Ahmedabad city and rural parts of Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts of North Gujarat. Held together purely by a commitment to peace, social justice, critical thinking and active citizenship these young people have sustained their work in urban areas of Ahmedabad city and villages of Sabarkantha and Banaskantha distr
ict of Gujarat for over fifteen years now. The programme was envisioned to develop leadership among the children, youth and women through developing critical thinking on self and the various aspects of life surrounding related to it. In this context that Urja Ghar was formed, by young people committed to using reason, dialogue and creative expression to build a culture of peace through dialogue - dialogue with self and surrounding. Urja Ghar works with children, youth and community uses creative mediums to question the given, the unjust, the violent and builds groups of children and youth who infuse the village and its neighboring areas with the energy of reconstruction. With the former, it strives to create a platform to promote a culture of dialogue in the place of culture of silence; with the latter it works to build sensitivity and empathy. The mobilization of the community to empower for sustainable development is the major thrust area of the organization using various methods such as story-telling, watching and critiquing popular films, documentaries and songs, creative writing, music, theatre and games and sports are the pegs it uses to learn and teach. The walls of the village are the writing board and magazine; the bazaar, the streets, the tea-stalls and the inner recess of homes its class rooms. Gender, caste, religion, violence, peace, reason, market – nothing is too sacrosanct for debate and critical analysis.
