Dignity | Ajit George | TEDxCollegeofWilliam&Mary

Summary

The speaker shares insights on the transformative power of dignity, focusing on how individuals can uplift others and heal themselves in the process. Drawing from personal experiences as the Director of Operations at Shanti Bhavan Children's Project, the speaker highlights the organization's mission to empower India's poorest children by providing education and restoring dignity. Through stories like Bhavani's, a young girl from an 'untouchable' caste, the speaker illustrates how dignity is essential to overcoming poverty and prejudice. The talk emphasizes the interconnectedness of dignity with basic human needs and encourages everyone to treat others with respect to reaffirm their own dignity.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Dignity is a core value that transforms lives and is central to the work at Shanthi Bhavan, a project uplifting impoverished children in India.
• 👶 Shanthi Bhavan takes children at a young age (around 4 years old) and nurtures them until they are ready to enter university and start their careers, a 17-year-long intervention.
• 🏠 Many of the children come from extreme poverty and face both social and economic disadvantages, often from the Dalit or 'untouchable' caste.
• 💔 Lack of dignity, reinforced by societal prejudices, can deeply wound an individual's sense of self-worth, as seen in Bhavani's story of discrimination and hardship.
• 🎓 Bhavani, who started at Shanthi Bhavan at 4 years old, is now a confident 16-year-old with a bright future, showing the transformative power of dignity and education.
• 📚 The approach at Shanthi Bhavan is holistic, providing not just education and basic needs, but also focusing on restoring and nurturing the children's dignity.
• 🤝 The importance of identity, inclusion, and fairness are key principles followed to uphold dignity within the Shanthi Bhavan community.
• 🧠 Dignity isn't something that can be seized or demanded—it must be built and nurtured both in oneself and in others.
• 💡 The speaker's own journey of losing and rebuilding dignity through personal hardship emphasizes that dignity is deeply connected to human connection and mutual respect.
• 🙌 By treating others with dignity in small, everyday actions, we not only uplift them but also restore our own sense of dignity and humanity.

Q & A

What is the core focus of the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project?

The core focus of the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project is to uplift and educate India's most deprived and poor children by nurturing and building their dignity. The project provides education, care, and support from a young age until they graduate from college, helping them transform into successful, self-sufficient professionals.

Why does Shanti Bhavan choose to take in children at a young age and provide boarding rather than just a day school?

Shanti Bhavan takes children at a young age and provides boarding because many of these children come from homes without access to basic necessities like electricity, running water, or toilets. By providing a boarding environment, the project can address childhood malnutrition early, prevent physical and sexual abuse, and start building the children's sense of dignity from their first days.

What impact does caste discrimination have on the children's sense of dignity?

Caste discrimination, especially against the Dalit or 'untouchable' caste, significantly impacts children's dignity by crushing their sense of self-worth. These children are often treated as tainted, unclean, and worthless, leading them to internalize these beliefs, which can destroy their self-esteem and sense of dignity.

How does Shanti Bhavan help restore dignity in children like Bhavani?

Shanti Bhavan restores dignity in children like Bhavani by providing a nurturing environment that values their identity, includes them in a supportive community, and ensures fairness. By being treated with respect and given equal opportunities, children regain their confidence and self-worth.

What does Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggest about the role of dignity in human life?

Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that dignity is not merely a higher-level need but is deeply interconnected with basic necessities like food, shelter, and safety. Dignity is not just a separate component; it is a core element that affects all aspects of human life and well-being.

What lessons does the speaker learn from their own experience with loss of dignity during the 2008 financial crisis?

The speaker learned that dignity is crucial for self-worth and that losing it can be devastating. They realized that dignity is not something to be seized or forced but rather something that is nurtured through kindness, support, and treating others with respect. This experience helped them understand the importance of supporting the dignity of others to restore their own.

How does social status and loss of dignity affect health, according to studies on animals?

Studies on animals, such as baboons, monkeys, and other primates, show that social status and loss of dignity can lead to higher levels of inflammation, increased illness, slower healing times, and other poor health markers. This suggests that dignity has a profound impact on physical health, even in non-human animals.

What are the three guiding principles Shanti Bhavan follows to build children's dignity?

The three guiding principles that Shanti Bhavan follows to build children's dignity are: 1) Identity – helping children understand that their actions and conduct matter more than their caste; 2) Inclusion – creating a sense of belonging and responsibilities within a supportive community; and 3) Fairness – operating with a transparent set of rules that treats everyone equally, without special privileges.

How has helping others with their dignity affected the speaker's own sense of dignity?

Helping others with their dignity has had a healing effect on the speaker's own sense of dignity. As they supported and nurtured the dignity of the children at Shanti Bhavan, the speaker found that their own confidence and self-worth were gradually restored, demonstrating that uplifting others can have a positive impact on oneself.

What challenge does the speaker leave the audience with regarding dignity?

The speaker challenges the audience to approach others with greater dignity, especially in moments of stress or conflict. They encourage people to resist the urge to attack or diminish someone's dignity and instead treat others with respect, as this can lead to the restoration of one's own dignity and a greater sense of shared humanity.