In lieu of in-person gatherings, Global Peace Foundation (GPF) India hosted an online internship program to uplift young people as innovative leaders by exploring values of peace-building and methods of bringing positive change to society. The program consisted of videos that gave insight on shared principles and allowed a platform for discussion among the interns to open them up to other perceptions and ideas about the content. The interns shared their experiences based on the diverse aspects of the internship they connected to.
Share and discuss ideas
One aspect that the participants enjoyed was the value of exchanging ideas through discussions on the concept of One Family under God and understanding the situations they have with their own families.
One intern Bidisha said,
I thoroughly enjoyed this internship and now have very valuable experience under my belt. I learned more than I ever expected. I have learned to work as a team. From the internship, we have become closer to each other. We have planted many plants in our little garden. Video discussions were really amazing, especially at the last meeting, where we talk about one family under one God. Yes, it is true that all are different from each other, yet, we are equal and unique as human beings. With my parents, I watched the documentaries and movies and the TED Talks. All of us are different from each other but everyone has certain moral and positive values that we can learn and apply to our day to day life.
Learning skills/ gain experience
The interns gave testimonies on how grateful they were to learn practical skills, such as making google forms to use for future initiatives.
The intern Rishika said,
Apart from experiencing tremendous positive change, the internship helped me learn something new every day as well. I learned how to make Google forms, re-use purposeless things, analyze with SWOT, and learn a whole lot about peace, friendship, science, and whatnot from the documentaries and movies we watched.
Gopesh said,
I feel honoured to be a part of this August organization. This month was filled with lots of informative sessions. I learned a lot from them. The documentaries and movies were really very amazing and educational. Working on various themes made me learn many things. I must say that the overall experience of my internship was awesome.
Contributing to something greater
The internship connected the interns to the greater purpose of helping the world be a healthier and peaceful place.
Aditya said,
It was a great and unique experience and I really want to thank Global Peace Foundation team to provide me this opportunity. The environment and way of working are quite interactive and informative, and I am really touched by the issues and problems the foundation addresses. I felt really happy contributing time towards the betterment of the earth and it’s being. I learnt a great deal of things, which really changed my perspective towards the world and its functionality. I came to know the importance of various days and why we celebrate them. I believe that I will continue the things I learnt here.
Positive change in self
The interns liked the development they noticed in themselves by the end of the program. They offered gratitude for the program for making them confident, responsible leaders.
Dolly shared,
It was really a great experience to work in this organization as I started taking care of my family and also motivated other people to do so too. I planted trees, making things from waste material, and did lots of new things which gave me more confidence and opportunities in the future. It is a wonderful internship as well as a great experience.
Gautam said,
I had a journey full of learning and growing as a person. All the values learnt will always be there with me. I am a more confident person now, in expressing what I feel because of the video meets. At last, I’d just write that, after these 4 weeks I feel I have become a better person altogether.
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