Bangalore: A Youth Group Striving to Ignite Visions, Missions and Passions

Melwyn Pinto, Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 12: It was S Radhakrishnan, statesman and former President of India, who said, “Education to be complete must include not only the training of the intellect, but also the refinement of the heart and the discipline of the spirit.” In a competitive world where one is judged only through success and achievements, education system seems to have just become marks oriented. Students are put to increasing pressures and stress to perform at any cost. Studies have shown how too much stress just on the intellectual dimension and less emphasis on other dimensions affects the child as it grows up.

It is in this context that an active youth group, largely consisting of graduates and teachers, has organised itself to help education institutions and others to re-orient their focus, helping students in their integral development. In fact, the group feels that when all dimensions are taken care, there are better results also in the academics.

The youth group, based in Bangalore call themselves Ignitors. As the name suggests, the group helps ignite “visions, passions and missions”. Visions for creative and critical thinking, passions for committed and constructive actions and missions to dream of a better world.

Fr Brian Pereira, a Jesuit priest, who has done his Masters in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Loyola College, Maryland, USA, is the animator of this group and the force behind its success. The group was started by him in the year 2010. Since its formation, it has caught the imagination of young minds. In the year 2010-11, the group reached out to over 17,500 college students in Karnataka.

Members of the group, most of whom are trained in-house in youth animation, go to various colleges by invitation and conduct unique programmes. Some of these programmes include faith formation, social analysis and life skill training. Says Fr Brian, “The youths that I have come across in colleges are reservoir of energy, enthusiasm, power and creative potentials. However, apart from the highly motivated, there are those who are averagely motivated and least motivated. Unfortunately, most of today’s youth fall under these second and third categories. Though they have as much energy as the highly motivated, what they lack is a spark, a gentle push. Ignitors seeks to do just that: to boost their self esteem so that they can make a big difference to society.”

In general, the regular training programme given by Ignitors is a three-day training cum workshop of 15 sessions. However, adjustments are made based on local needs. Students attending all 15 sessions are given certificates by the Karnataka Jesuit Educational Society.

The group among Ignitors that animates retreats includes famous preachers like Fr Franklin and T K John. Many of those giving life skill training and social analysis are graduates from prestigious institutions such as XLRI, TATA Institute, among others.

“Our strength is our resource persons,” says a confident Fr Brian. “It is them who make the difference. Since they are well trained and are effective communicators, they vibe with the young quite easily. Most students have been highly appreciative of our resource persons.”

Follow up

The training programmes and workshops that Ignitors conduct do not end just with three day sessions. There are also follow up programmes for interested students. These include Neuro Linguistic Programme (NLP), Personality Test, Public Speaking etc. These programmes are conducted regularly at the Ashirvad Youth Centre on St Mark’s Road, Bangalore. Participants of Ignitors’ programme also have a free access to documentation centre and library at Ashirvad which has more than 5,000 research articles and 2,000 movies and documentaries on relevant issues for adolescents, teachers and parents.

What is the major challenge that Ingitors faces? “I think it is to reach out to all sections of youth,” opines Fr Brian. “It is easy to reach out to youth that vibrate with us. It is a far greater challenge to vibrate with the youth that are cold, and negative in their outlook to life. We have taken this challenge head on and are very positive about them. Helping students manage anger, stress, conflict and disillusionment is also a major challenge.”

Alistair Lasrado, a student of St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Bangalore, who attended the programme of the Ignitors recently says, “It was an excellent package. It was highly educative and opened my eyes to new horizons of understanding.”

Samanta of St Aloysius PU College, Mangalore, who attended the programme last year stresses the point. “I think the programme that I attended was excellent. It was something different from the usual orientations and training sessions we used to have. I, for one, became aware that I have far greater potentials than what I had thought. I think I have become a little more confident than before.”

Ingitors has set a goal to reach as many as 25,000 youth in Karnataka during this academic year. Those interested to get in touch with Ignitors can contact Fr Brian Pereira on his phone (9535183210) or through email (briansj@jesuits.net).