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DALIT INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
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The Buddha Education Foundation The Buddha Education Foundation (BEF) was formed as a public trust during 1996 by Dr Udit Raj (formerly Ram Raj), who is also its current and National Chairman, with stated objectives of spreading equality amongst masses through education and awareness. The furtherance of education is a key to individual and social development of the masses especially the Dalits. Buddha Education Foundation, hereinafter referred to as BEF, has been working at the forefront for eradication of discrimination against Dalits all over the country through its volunteers and is spearheading a very potent and successful campaign against one of the most heinous crimes against humanity i.e. Discrimination Against Dalits and minorities. Caste discrimination is mother of all forms of discriminations. This discrimination flows from the rigid caste system which is the basis of Hinduism, wherein the whole society is divided on the basis of caste. The BEF has been working in social, educational and economic spheres with the core objective to revolutionize the mindset of Dalit society and to espouse a feeling of self respect in order to break the shackles of centuries old caste system, educational backwardness, economic and social discrimination. The BEF is fighting for the rights of about 250 million marginalized Dalits (this includes tribals also) who are living in conditions which are most appalling and unworthy of human habitation. BEF has been conducting campaigns to educate Dalits, including Christians and Muslims, all over the country so that they become aware of their rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution. There are educational and awareness centres all over the country which are running under the aegis of BEF, imparting education to Dalits who are living as outcastes in the Indian society. The volunteers work under extremely hostile environment and have to deal with the apathy of higher castes and an indifferent government. There are thousands of incidents wherein justice has been delivered to Dalit masses due to the active participation and timely intervention by the BEF. Dalit women and children are the worst victims of this
discrimination as they are subjected to untold misery and hardships. We teach
various skills and educate them, thereby making them self reliant so that they
can live with dignity in the society. The programmes are run with the sole
objective that unless masses are educated and are economically benefited,
Dalit society as a whole cannot be transformed. The organization has been all
throughout engaged in a massive program for providing children with basic
education and is running various schools dedicated to dalits and children of
other marginalized sections of the society. We are also running centres to
impart education to school drop- out kids. Our organization is also working in the field of AIDS Awareness , personal hygiene, leprosy and other such scourges which are due to lack of education but affect marginalized society the most as people there have no alternatives and avenues. We teach them that safe sex is of utmost importance and will not only keep people healthy but will also help control population explosion. Our volunteers visit even the remotest of villages to spread awareness about personal hygiene and its implications in improving the quality of life. Thousands of families have benefited from our programs and we are able to reach anywhere in India due to our pan Indian presence. The world has gone global and therefore the entire world community has a moral obligation to extend their fullest cooperation to us in this fight to bring about the greatest social revolution for eradication of discrimination against Dalits in India. People and organizations across the globe should help us financially so that we can intensify our efforts and fight for basic human rights and to live with dignity for millions of Dalits including Christians and Muslims and pull the Dalit society from the abyss. Financial cooperation extended by the world community will not only help us but will also prove as a catalyst in changing the lives of the largest community on the face of this earth which is waiting for JUSTICE. This will help the world community to partner us in this noble cause and help us to raise our level of effort immensely, since financial cooperation coupled with honest efforts and effective delivery mechanism are a must in our fight. The world community will do a yeoman service to the Dalit cause by raising the issue in their respective political systems so that international opinion can be built to exert effective pressure on the Indian Government hasten the amalgamation of Dalits in the normal Indian society. We also request the world community to help us in furthering higher and better education for dalits and other minorities by opening their educational institutions here in India or transferring their educational experiences to our society. One dalit getting educated acts as an ideal for others since there are not many getting quality education and therefore gainful employment. Entrepreneurial skill development and usage of even the basic technology will help in elevating dalits and in realizing their dream of a better world, thus the world community should not only provide financial resources but should help educationally, technologically and morally so that this last scar can be removed from the face of humanity and all beings can live a just and equal life. The development of any society depends upon its education and economic independence and the dalits are so oppressed, downtrodden, economically weak, socially and educationally backward that it will take ages for them to uplift themselves but for the last glimmer of hope of a massive worldwide program to pull and place them in the civil society. We request world community to help us in strengthening and
expanding one of the most daunting tasks ever faced by human race in its
existence.
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