The UN world inter-faith harmony week was celebrated by united religions initiative-north zone (India and Afghanistan) this year by spreading love and light. On January 27, URI-North Zone organised an event — Udaan, a flight towards a new dawn that aimed at spreading ideas of inclusivity, cooperation and peaceful co-existence.
They invited children from all backgrounds — under-privileged, differently abled, orphaned and HIV affected to join them for an afternoon filled with dance, music, puppets and beatboxing. The India Islamic Cultural Centre was filled with the sound of laughter from the 350 children that were present there. Around 18 organisations were present at the event while a few including Inspiration, Society for the Welfare of the Handicapped and Music Basti performed for the children and chief guests spreading messages of harmonious living. They were joined on stage by Ishan Nangia, the first ever beatboxer to represent our country internationally and the ventriloquist, Anil Singh, who has never failed to make the audience laugh along with sending a powerful message.
Augustine Veliath, the founder director of the Asian Centre for Entertainment Education, Dr AK Merchant, the national trustee of the lotus temple and Baha’I community of India and Farid Ahmed Nizami, the secretary general of the Sufi Cultural Organisation and Dr Indu Prakash Singh, the facilitator of City Makers Mission International along with many others joined the children and URI in making the day special. The event hoped to spread ordinary and powerful messages through extraordinary engagements and performances, the children returned home with smiles on their face.