The Indian Association of The Experiment In International Living

Hyderabad Centre

EXPERIMENT – ORIGIN & INTRODUCTION
The Experiment In International Living is an international movement pioneered by DR. Donald B. Watt of U.S.A., in the year 1932.

It is generally believed that an individual’s behaviour cannot really affect the world situation. It is hardly surprising that in a world of atomic and nuclear weapons, concentration camps, brain washing and the like, they feel too small and too weak to contribute to a solution of the innumerable conflicts which beset us constantly. Many of these conflicts are due to the web of distrust, distorted views, prejudices, jealously and lack of faith which stand between us and better understanding. It is for this reason that the Experiment believes that the individual is an indispensable means of furthering peace, as the preamble of the UNESCO Charter states. “Since war begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”.

Ever since its inception in 1932, the Experiment Movement has not left any stone unturned in its endeavours to practice what it preaches. Its philosophy “By Living Together We Learn to Live Together” is simple but fundamental. It is only by living together people learn to know one another, to respect differences and to discover human togetherness. Through this experience people not only gain a better understanding of another culture, another way and view of life, but a proper meaning of one world. Basically, the Experiment believes that peace on earth and goodwill among men are inseparable. The latter alone can lead to the former. Thus the Experiment continues to feature the family home stays as the significant educational experience. In that experience every individual experimenter lives the life style of the host family, sharing all of its daily activities, its values, its circle of friends and its hopes for the future.

From such an “Experiment” – available in more than sixty countries – the Experimenter emerges with the heightened self awareness, increased fluency in a second language and most importantly, a conviction that with goodwill and efforts, those differences that separate us human beings can be surmounted in the interest of our common humanity.

The time for friendship and understanding is certainly ripe, but the habits of mind necessary for an idea, even when timely, do not easily take roots. It is the basic aim of The Experiment to include such habits whereby international understanding can become a reality instead of a hopeful wish. It is hopeful and confident that in the fullness of time its efforts will bear fruits, that the coming generations the world over will cease to think in nationalistic isolation and recognize each other as neighbours and members of the same human brotherhood – the family of man.

To recognize the worth of the Movement in the interest of world peace and closer understanding it has been bestowed the honour of becoming a Consultative Member of the UNESCO since 1958 under the UNO.

It is also affiliated with United Nations Economic and Social Council (category II status, non-Governmental Organization as of 1978) and Council of Europe (Since 1981).

Under the dictate of the Motto “By Living Together – We learn to Live Together”, Experimenters from abroad are placed for home stays with the local families in India. They stay as members of the family, eager to understand our way of life. This achieves the goal of providing an opportunity to understand the diversities in religion, social and cultural fields and also to learn to tolerate and appreciate these diversities. This exchange is the most important apparatus towards achieving international peace and harmony.

The host family benefits in no lesser way. Many times it creates bond of friendship which is everlasting and reciprocative. Every Experimenter is expected to be a good ‘Ambassador' of his country, for the family and community that will welcome him in his country.

NATIONAL INTEGRATION PROGRAMMES

Intra India Exchange Programme: The Experiment offers an exceptional opportunity to all those people who sincerely wish to 'DISCOVER INDIA'. Discovering India through travel is fun, but discovering, India the Experiment way is something special.

Based on the same philosophy as the foreign Experimenters, the participants of the Intra India Programme travel from one part of the country to a distant part of India, where a home awaits to welcome the Experimenter. Neither a boarder nor a guest, the Experimenter lives there as one of the members of the family. As part of the family, he learns to respect their way of life, the logic and usefulness of their customs and traditions. He also learns about the society and culture of the region in a direct and personal way, seldom enjoyed by a casual tourist. This combination of home stay and educational travel results in more than fleeting glimpses of that part of our country. He brings back a piece of it with and leaves behind a piece of himself there.

National Integration Project: Though Intra - India programmes contribute a lot towards National Integration but Experiment goes a step further and also organizes programmes for the betterment of the community .in general. With a view to instill the spirit of National Integration, Essay Competitions and Live Together Camps are organised for School and College students.

TRAINING AND ORIENTATION

Foreign Students Services: The Foreign Students Service of the Indian Experiment is for the students coming to India for studies for a prolonged period. Foreign students not only many times feel isolated from the Indian Community but also fail to derive full benefit from their stay here. On the other hand lack of sufficient contact between these students and our community prevents our society from enriching itself with other cultures. For this purpose we organise Foster family for the student. Family adopts a Foreign student, invites him or her to their home for any functions, programmes, festivals and makes a home for him away from his home. Orientations, seminars, farewell functions are also organised for them specially.

For further details about its Hyderabad centre pl contact one of its active experimenter, Mr.Prashant S Mehta on 0091 9849085510.E-mail: pat5550@hotmail.com