Emotional health

Building Empathetic Leadership for Peaceful Co-existence

The initiative focuses on strengthening emotional well-being and fostering harmony in the urban slums of Ahmedabad. With over four decades of experience working with marginalized communities, Sanchetana recognizes the deep-seated emotional health challenges that impact communal relationships. This project uses creative Emotional Health, Art Therapy and Nonviolent communication (NVC) tools to address these issues and build a culture of empathy and cooperation.

Diversity in Empathy Circles

Our empathy circles encourage inclusive dialogue among individuals from different religious and caste backgrounds. In areas like Behrampura, where Hindu and Muslim communities coexist, and Bombay Hotel, a predominantly Muslim neighborhood, these circles foster connections that challenge societal divisions. Participants come from a range of communities, including Chamaar, Sargara, Bhati, Vankar, Valmiki, Od, Vadhiyari, Luhaar, Meghwal, Purohit, Gujjar, Rajput, Devipujak, and Sunni and Deobandi Muslim groups, as well as other scheduled castes. These interactions help dismantle barriers and promote deeper understanding.

Key Goals

Enhancing Emotional Health: Encouraging self-awareness and empathy among adolescent girls, their mothers, and women community leaders.

Encouraging Peaceful Co-existence: Addressing communal, caste, and gender-related challenges to foster social harmony.

Developing Community Leaders: Training individuals who can lead and sustain efforts toward conflict resolution and emotional well-being.

Objectives and Impact

Establishing 20 empathy circles in the first year, expanding to 60 circles over three years, reaching around 600 participants.
Training 50 empathetic leaders who will drive change within their communities.
Providing comprehensive emotional health training with a focus on self-awareness and understanding others.
Engaging diverse participants to build connections across religious and caste identities.
Using creative methods like art and psychodrama to facilitate emotional expression and healing.
Conducting workshops on trauma, communal harmony, and leadership.
Equipping community leaders with the skills to sustain initiatives that promote peaceful co-existence.

Through this initiative, Sanchetana is working to create a stronger, more compassionate community where individuals can engage in meaningful dialogue, overcome prejudices, and work together for a more inclusive future.

Empowerment Through Non-Violent Communication (NVC)

Non-Violent Communication (NVC) training to empower women and adolescent girls emotionally. NVC fosters dialogue, helping them understand and express emotions effectively. This approach, developed by Marshall Rosenberg, emphasizes shared human needs and conflict resolution, resulting in authentic communication and deeper
connections. NVC impacts personal growth, relationships, and societal change by addressing needs and strategies for meeting them.