Karuna-Shechen works in and around the Himalayas, which have been described as the Third Pole, and we are highly concerned by environmental issues.
The question of the environment is complex scientifically, economically, and politically. But in the end, it is a matter of altruism versus selfishness.
We may assume that the majority of us are basically good people who are willing to build a better world. We can do so together with altruism.
If we have more consideration for others, we will promote a more caring economy, and we will promote harmony and reduce inequalities. We will do what is needed so that humanity and the rest of the biosphere can continue to prosper.
In northern India, Nepal and Tibet, at our humble level, Karuna-Shechen carries out projects that respond to the vital needs of the most fragile individuals and villages, while acting in the long term. Our approach to rural development focuses on education and the active participation of villagers, but also on the preservation and sustainable management of local natural resources.
We bring solar electricity to isolated villages in Nepal, where we also promote agro-ecology and the production of organic foods that are more sustainable for the local environment. We also implement rainwater harvesting systems to avoid depleting the water-table (which results in springs drying up in many villages).
In the Indian provinces of Bihar and Jharkhand, our beneficiaries plant more than 20,000 gardens every year to offset the increase in monocultures that deplete soil quality and significantly reduce biodiversity. We are also training women as electric rickshaw taxi drivers to encourage the economic empowerment of women, while promoting an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. We also distribute tens of thousands of jute bags to combat plastic pollution.
This is just a drop in the ocean, but if we all make efforts in the right direction, we may still be able to build a better world.
~Matthieu Ricard
Read more from Matthieu Ricard about protecting the environment
May 6 2022
We believe that education is a tool for development, which should also help everyone to cultivate their inner qualities. Indeed, Early Childhood Development (ECD) is a major axis of intervention for K...
April 28 2022
This year, all the donations collected by Action For Karuna finance our food security program in India which supports more than 53,000 families: organic vegetable gardens, fruit trees, drip irrigati...
April 19 2022
"When altruists join forces, they can generate a tremendous power for good. (...) Everyone can mobilize in his or her own way and cultivate an altruistic state of mind to become a link in the immense ...
March 31 2022
Since June 2021, Karuna-Shechen has been supporting Calcutta Rescue in its intervention in the slums of Nonadanga and Canal West, in Calcutta, India. This sister association was created by Dr. Jack P...
March 14 2022
"In this current era, we face many challenges. One of our main problems is to reconcile the demands of the economy, the pursuit of happiness and respect for the environment. These imperatives corresp...
