A u r o v i l l e

L a n d  F u n d   N e w s l e t t e r

No. 27, March - April 2003

The Fifty Million Rupees or One Million Dollars/Euros Challenge

This issue is fully dedicated to a spontaneous movement that started in January within Auroville to reach out to the Auroville community both in India and abroad to raise 1,000,000 dollars/euros or Rs. 50,000,000 by August 15th this year."

The challenge is to raise Rs. 50,000 or 1,000 dollars/euros in a thousand different ways, either as individual, or in groups." explains a simple black and white leaflet that was recently distributed within Auroville. "If we all take up the challenge and devote one day a month for the next six months to it, then we will succeed. How the days are spent is up to the individual, it can be making things to sell, encouraging other people to take up the challenge, writing to people and asking for donations, or just simply working for the day and giving the wage to the Land Fund."

Indeed, the success of this movement depends more on participation than on money! If 1,000 people within Auroville and the worldwide Auroville family take up one share of Rs. 50,000 or 1,000 dollars/euros, the target is met! You don't necessarily have to give this amount yourself. You just commit yourself to your share and find your own creative way of manifesting it.

The movement has caught on. Several activities have been organised. "Creations for Land" was surely the most creative one. Artists from Auroville and Pondicherry joined hands to hold an exhibition of their art pieces at the Indian Pavilion in Auroville, of which the proceeds went fully to the Land Fund.

We publish below some excerpts from an inspiring interview with the initiative taker and brain behind one million dollars challenge. This challenge is not only a story of the Land. This is much more. This is our chance of showing how a worldwide community, collectively, can overcome obstacles. By joining forces!

Q. Why now?

A. Well actually the situation with the land has reached another one of those critical moments. This time it is a combination of lack of funds, pressure from real estate developers, and also one major landholder in the city area is willing to sell 15 acres in the city area. All this plus the fact that in order to maintain the momentum in the past couple of years, Land Fund received a credit line to buy land, and it is felt now that it would be good to get back on to level ground.

Q. And the threat from the real estate developer is real?

A. As real as the wall that he built on the 50-acre plot in the Green Belt, and the electricity line he brought in within the last two weeks. The last information we have is that if we do not come through with the money he will begin to develop a country club with swimming pools, tennis courts and farmhouse plots. At this point he is still willing to sell the land, but once again it is our lack of funds that is preventing to buy it.
Q. How are we going to raise the money? One million dollars is a large amount for anyone.
A. I agree it is not going to be easy. In fact when I first came to realize the actual situation it looked impossible to me, a figure far too large to contemplate. However, I began playing with the figure 1,000,000 in my head and came to realize that it is seemingly impossible simply because we cannot visualize a number this big. So I began to wonder what number is conceivable, and came to 1,000. It became simple: we need to raise $1,000 a 1,000 times! Then it followed that if we could find a large enough group of people who would take on the challenge we would succeed. I looked at Auroville and the worldwide Auroville community and figured that as a family, a group of people with a heart connection, we have 5,000 people. From this point the task looks manageable. It is not so much about large sums of money, but more about getting people to join in.

Q. How far have you gotten with this?

A. Pretty far actually, because I realized that it is not about money, but about time. I figured that if everyone manages to commit one day a month for six months then we are well on the way.

Q. One day? What will people do with their time?

A. Anything, talk to people, make things to sell, write letters, encourage other people to join in, make a show and entertain people, or simply give a day's wage, once a month for six months. When it is presented like this it suddenly becomes manageable. It is simply the question "can you give two hours a week to the Land Fund to help raise the money we need to realize Mother's dream?" Who can say no to this?

Q. Are people joining in?

A. Yes, and it seems to be gathering momentum. We have just had an art exhibition called 'Creations for Land'. It began with the idea of one artist, she spoke to a few friends, and then by the time the show was over 30 artists had contributed, and we had raised over a $2,000. Two shares gone, 998 to go!

Q. You mean to say that is the only money you have raised?

A. No, no. In actual fact we are one tenth of the way to the target. This idea joins the ongoing efforts of the Land Fund team who have been hard at it for years, raising awareness and building up support. In Auroville itself, we now have over 250 Aurovilians giving a regular monthly contribution to the Land Fund. That in itself generates a share of $1000 a month. All we need to do is widen the support base.

Q. So, we should all go out and find a rich friend to help the cause?

A. Not necessarily! This is more about everyone joining in, joining in on an equal basis. This concept means that we all give according to our means. If your wage is $5 or $50 or $100 a day, we just can give that: one day a month over a period of six months. And then we have all contributed 2% of our annual income. That is the first step. Then if people feel inspired, they can take up the challenge of $1,000, either as an individual or as a group, and try to make it happen. Then let's see, where we are at in six months. I think we could surprise ourselves.

Q. Well I suppose the only thing to do is wish you luck and hope it all goes well.

A. Not exactly, you can join in as well!

(www.auroville.org/million/million.htm for more info about this campaign)