I had been with AID for almost a year, and my level of involvement was confined to volunteering at football games, basketball games, etc. I did make it a point to attend the CSH whenever possible, but I was largely ignorant about a lot of issues for example - the administrative structure within AID, policy-, accounting and decision-making procedures, inter-chapter relations - in short, the real stuff. Fortunately for me I got a wonderful opportunity in the form of an all-chapter AID conference held over the Memorial Day weekend in the place where it all had begun 10 years ago - the College Park campus of the University of Maryland, Washington, D.C. Kavitha told me that it would be a wonderful chance to get the bigger picture that I wanted to have, and I decided to jump in. And so Vamsi, Kavitha, Hema and myself set out for D.C. on a damp and soggy morning. All of us were very excited, the other three about seeing old friends, and myself about making new ones. In the car, I took a crash course on a variety of topics starting from "What is the administrative difference between AID - Penn State and AID - State College?", and between energetic discussions I pored over pages of printed matter, like a student preparing for an exam. We proceeded to the house of Hema's friend, who had graciously agreed to accommodate us in his absence.
Joined there by Shailabh and Rashmi, the next morning we proceeded to Dr.Bhagat's house , where the conference was supposed to begin with a tree-planting ceremony. But by the time we got there the inauguration was already over and everybody was leaving for College Park campus, so we followed them there. After registration and a good breakfast, things started pretty much on schedule, with a welcome address. It was an emotional and nostalgic experience for many, to be sitting in the very hall where the first CSH had been held by the founders 10 years ago. This being a 10th year anniversary, the conference was very well attended by chapters from all over the US. At this point I must take my hat off to the organizers who did a fabulous job of organizing the whole event, given the logistical complexity of managing 200+ people. The first hour was devoted to take stock of the last 10 years and look into the future directions of AID. Subsequent talks were more technical and involved, details of which I will not go into. Despite this, the packed audience kept up the enthusiasm. The highlight of the post-lunch session was a moving talk by Mallika Dutt, a women's rights activist, on women's empowerment issues, followed by a talk by Dr.Mohan Bhagat, Professor in the University of Maryland on "incorporating" AID (as in AID Inc.). This was followed by the GBM, and updates by individual chapters on their activities later in the evening.
The schedule was punishing, with as many events crammed into the day as was possible, since there was so much to be discussed and so less time to do it in. Inevitably each discussion would spill over to the next slot, so by the time everything was over it would be 11p.m. We then used to head home by midnight, wake up the next morning at 6.30 and head back to the conference. This was the schedule we followed for those 3 days, which whizzed past me in fast forward mode.
Other noteworthy talks on the next day were by Venkatesh (ex-Penn State) on "Alternative Technologies" and by Shailabh (also ex-Penn State) on "Returning to India". That afternoon featured a presentation on the HBP by Dr.Sunderraman, and the subsequent eagerly awaited discussion on the role of AID in the plan. However the discussion became very heated and a consensus could not be arrived due to paucity of time. There were also some useful workshops on administration issues, accounting procedures, etc. This was followed by a by most riveting talk by P.Sainath, a renowned journalist, on the deplorable conditions of the landless, agricultural laborers in India which has resulted in millions of hungry and malnourished people despite a bumper grain harvest, accentuated by faulty policies of the Government and the corporatised media.
The last day of the conference featured among other things, documentaries and discussions on the adverse impacts of globalization, and wound up to a conclusion that afternoon. We packed our bags, and made our way back to State College later that night, after a brief stopover in Baltimore Harbour for some sightseeing.
It would be appropriate to say that the conference was an eye-opening experience for me. Those three days of incessant, unrelenting bombardment taught me more about AID than I had ever hoped to learn. It also made think, and realize that we have been conditioned to the extent that we accept majority and prevalent viewpoints as being right. There are compelling arguments and perspectives that seemingly fly in the face of conventional wisdom, and it is important to have an open mind to appreciate them. Seeing those documentaries and videos gave me a better idea of who is it that we are selling water for, and humbled me into realizing how fortunate we all are. It is important for us all to constantly remind ourselves of the bigger picture, not to get bogged down by small frustrations. People have voluntarily and selflessly sacrificed their professional careers in the noble cause that AID is, and seeing them in person was a source of energy and inspiration for me.
It would be unfair to say that the conference was all work and no fun. The great company I had during the trip ensured that we did have our fair share of fun and excitement as well. On the first day, we had a great time at the Smithsonians, spending the afternoon at the Mall, sightseeing and window-shopping. The absorbing discussions with Vamsi and Kavitha in the car about the Sardar Sarovar Project, resulted in our losing our way at Maryland at night without a map, and we had to spend some anxious moments before being rescued by Hema and Shailabh. The visit to Baltimore harbor was memorable. And the word game we played in the car on our way back taught me that the capital of California is Sacramento, not Los Angeles. In short, I came back, enriched by an unforgettable experience.
-- by Vaidyanathan.S.