Context:

• The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) organised a special workshop for 42 youth, who have been victims of communal violence in the past, under the Know My India Programme in Bengaluru.
• The Know My India programme is being organised in collaboration with the Art of Living Foundation.

Objective:

• The main objectives of the programme include to help the children deal with post-traumatic stress, provide them life tools to manage their emotions and eliminate disturbing impressions of past events.
• It aims to help them experience deep relaxation and peace, give them a broader and more inclusive view of the world and how each individual is connected with the others beyond social identities.
• The participants include youth, who fall in the age group of 15 to 22 years.
• They belong to 6 different states including Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Gujarat. They were present at the workshop along with 10 official mentors.
• The participants, through fun interactive processes, were taught various body-breath mechanisms and practical tools of wisdom.

Know My India Programme:

• It is a unique programme initiated by the NFCH to bring together financially assisted children of the foundation from different states and regions of the country to promote oneness, fraternity and national integration.

National Foundation for Communal Harmony:

• It is an autonomous organisation under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The key aim of the foundation is to provide assistance to the children, youth rendered orphan or destitute in communal, caste, ethnic or terrorist violence for their rehabilitation besides promoting communal harmony and national integration through various activities.
• The foundation sponsors or conducts different activities for the promotion of communal harmony and strengthening of national integration.
• It takes up various activities, either independently or through state governments or administrations, NGOs, educational and other institutions with a view to promote communal harmony and national integration.