Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
The Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, founded by A. T. Ariyaratne, provides comprehensive development programs based on Buddhist and Gandhian principles to villages in Sri Lanka. It is also the largest indigenous organization working in reconstruction from the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
The Sarvodaya program begins with an invitation from a village for discussion of what is needed and how it can be done. It proceeds in stages through creating a village council, building a school and clinic, setting up family programs, creating economic opportunity so that the village economy becomes self-sustaining, starting a village bank, and offering help to other villages. In addition, Sarvodaya sponsors public meditations in which tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians meditate together on each other's welfare, using the Buddhist Brahmavihara (Abode of God) meditations, which are acceptable within all four faiths. Template:Org-stub
