Dear Holy Father, ( Addressed to HH Pope and HH Patrirach)
1) Greetings and best wishes from your admirers and well-wishers of secular India. We the Sustainable Development Forum (SDF) are a secular forum meeting regularly at Mel Mana Gardens in Rural Ooramana. Overlooking the running river waters of Muvattupuzha River near Cochin International Airport in Kerala, India. Mel Mana Gardens is located in the picturesque lap of nature surrounded by ever green vegetation of one acre land of Dr. Isabella George and Dr. KM George a former UN Advisor, where the erstwhile famous Kadamatttathu Kathanar ( Priest) was living with his mother.
2) Since 1998 activists, policy makers and policy takers, decision thinkers, senior citizens and ordinary farmers meet regularly on a monthly basis. In fact movers and shakers destiny meet on proactive themes here under the banner of DEF. Till May 2017, we have had some 104 seminars on many topics like agriculture, rural health, ICT, legal activism, soft skills, nature life, yoga, women empowerment, micro finance, sustainable development goals of the UN,NGOs as rural growth promoters, Vaastu Vidya, memorial orations of great departed souls like Dr Paulose Gregorios—a world citizen and one time president to the WCC, etc.
3) Our motto is to know and proclaim, not to argue and win, in simple words, horizontal and vertical empowerment of the society.
4) Our speakers among others included, Hon Justice Kurup, Mr KK -Director of Asian Development Bank, Metropolitans Osthathiousious, Thomas Athanasius, Arch Bishop Dr Thomas Koorilos, Joseph Gregorios, Air Marshall Dr. Madusoodan,Rev Dr. Mulamootil, Dr.Viswambaran, Swami Yoganda,Prof. Dr Abraham Ittyacahn, Prof Dr Sahl, Dr Philip Augustine, Dr KC Chakaravarthy –former Dy Governor Reserve Bank of India, and Prof Dr Prem Nair of Amrita Medical College , Kochi to mention a few. Our participants come from far and near places. Normally we get some 100 people to attend various sessions depending on the theme and its relevance. At times we had as many as 300 participants!
5) Information dissemination has been our core objective and as such so far we have had cumulatively some ten thousand participants in our River View Discussion Forum—( Currently Sustainable Development Forum) since 1998.
6) Let us remember the serenity prayer.” God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can-and wisdom to know the difference”. Let’s make the challenges our opportunities.
7) This is in nutshell about us. It is an informal NGO like autonomous secular forum.
Request:
During your forthcoming visit to India, if any, please do spare a time slot for us the remote rural people at rural Ooramana not exceeding three hours including a dinner—purely Kerala style vegetarian meal! Your suggested theme may be your vision for lasting world peace, justice and development in the fast changing global scenario. Please do recall that a century ago oil was the major resource. Now it is the digital era. Thus Alphabet (parent company of Google), Amazon, Apple, Face Book and Micro Soft look unstoppable!
9) A line reply is much appreciated.
Dr KM George, (Former UN Advisor)