DIGISEVA:
Digital Service for Empowering and Vitalizing All
Innovate for Society, Transform Your Life
ātmano mokṣārthaṃ jagaddhitāya ca
(“For one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world”)
–Swami Vivekananda
What is the DIGISEVA programme?
DIGISEVA is a volunteer programme that gives you the opportunity to work with us for a duration varying from 3 months to 1 year (or even more if you get hooked on to the charm and power of this grand programme) on a real-world societal problem using the emerging and continuously evolving digital technology. The goal is to create social impact for the benefit of the masses through applied technology and research. Upon completing your project in the chosen timeframe, you will be awarded a certificate of involvement and active participation. Needless to say, we would welcome longer-term associations from those ‘digital warriors’ with passion for taking up the challenges of open-ended projects spanning long periods of time.
Preamble:
Technology has the power to change the world, but it requires enlightened minds and selfless hearts to put it to proper use. Ramakrishna Mission’s DIGISEVA program, conducted under the auspices of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Education and Research Institute, an institution declared as Deemed to be University by the Government of India under Section 3 of University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956, aspires to realize Swami Vivekananda’s above mantra in the present digital world with increasing AI (Artificial Intelligence) dominance. Here’s inviting the Digi Seva members, fired with the idealism and vision to empower and vitalize all, who are longing to and certainly deserve to participate in this global digital awakening by getting exposed to and trained in the emerging modern digital technologies while being rooted in their own indigenous culture, Bharatiya Jnana Parampara (Indian Wisdom Tradition), as envisioned by Swami Vivekananda through the creation of the University RKMVERI in the sacred precincts of Belur Math. We believe that such a vision, when brought to bear upon the digital revolution happening in the modern age with maddening speed, can alone bring about the much needed course correction to effectively quell the misuse of modern technologies by man’s selfishness, greed and egotism. The most important pre-requisite, sine qua non for the success of the above venture is, according to Swami Vivekananda, men and women, particularly youth with integrated personalities combining the three h’s: heart to feel, head to think and hands to work. In his own words: “Men, men, these are wanted: everything else will be ready, but strong, vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the backbone, a hundred such and the world becomes revolutionized. ” “A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to Lion’s courage by their sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising up–the gospel of equality.”
As a small initial step in realizing the above vision is the digital empowerment of the rural and tribal population so that the ‘digital divide’ gets erased for ever and our rural and tribal brethren emerge with pride as digital titans to complete with the so-called elite from urban areas. This initiative, we believe, will create a large band of educated youth as described by Swami Vivekananda (quoted above) and offer them a unique opportunity to apply their skills in the field of ‘translational research’ for societal benefit through the execution of real-world technology projects that will not only brining blessings to society (particularly the disadvantaged and marginalized)—what Swami Vivekananda called ‘jagaddhita’, wellbeing of the whole world—while at the same time helping them to manifest the Perfection already them (which is how Swami Vivekananda defined ‘education’)—leading to ‘atmano moksha’ liberation of the self from self-centredness, egotism and narrowness. This will reveal to these ‘digital warriors’ (as we have chosen to call such committed, dedicated workforce who will respond to our call for the above ‘DigiSeva’ initiative) the higher dimensions of their own selves and add elevate them through a discovery of the profound sense of purpose of their lives dedicated to the service of the ‘Divine in all beings’. DigiSeva will provide the ambience, environment, handholding and support, resources and above all the company of like-minded ‘warriors’ who are committed to selfless service.