Category Archives: Stakeholder Engagement

July 27, 2015 · 1:36 pm

Appreciating My Khelshala Service Trip Experience

I recently completed my 2+ months service trip in Chandigarh at Khelshala. While I have tried to keep you updated of the highlights along the way, I find myself a bit emotional after being so welcomed by the Khelshala family – Founders, Board members, staff, children, volunteers and well wishers.

Satinder Bajwa, Founder & Trustee of Khelshala presenting a “thank you” gift to Khelshala Secretary.

Satinder Bajwa, Founder & Trustee of Khelshala presenting a “thank you” gift to Khelshala Secretary.

It was truly an honor and privilege to help advance the mission of Khelshala while interacting with various stakeholders in India and abroad. My heartfelt thanks to Satinder Bajwa for encouraging me to make the journey and many thanks to my family and friends for donating to help fund this trip. I thought about each of you along the way.  This made me appreciate the experience even more.

We are not done though. We have set Khelshala on a higher path and so there is a lot more to do take the organization where it deserves to be. I will continue to stay connected to the Khelshala mission, but encourage others who read this to get involved as I hope you will find as much joy and satisfaction as I have experienced. Be strong!

Leave a comment

Filed under Capacity Buidling, Coaching, Community Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, International Development, Leadership, Private Public Partnerships, Professional Development, Recreation, Squash, Stakeholder Engagement, Volunteering, Youth Development, Youth Sport

July 14, 2015 · 10:28 am

Celebrating India’s Independence with Khelshala

To celebrate India’s 66th Independence Day, fifteen Khelshala children along with Satinder Bajwa, Founder & Trustee of Khelshala, Rajshekhar, Legal Advisor and myself were graciously invited by Ms. Kavita Das, Principal of St. John’s High School in Chandigarh to mark the occasion.

Khelshala students, Mr. Bajwa, Founder & Trustee of Khelshala, Rajshekhar, Legal Advisor, Ms. Kavita Das, Principal, Ms. Rashi Sethi, Teacher and myself.

Khelshala students, Mr. Bajwa, Founder & Trustee of Khelshala, Rajshekhar, Legal Advisor, Ms. Kavita Das, Principal, Ms. Rashi Sethi, Teacher and myself.

The ceremony began with the school’s junior cadets marching us to the flagpole where upon Mr. Bajwa hoisted the Indian flag. Thereafter, St. John’s School students put on array of music, dances and treats. Pooja, one of our Khelshala students proudly spoke to an audience of 250 students, staff and parents about the significance of the day followed by Mr. Bajwa who reminded students that, “if you do good things, good things happen.” St. John’s School students’ skits and dances highlighted India’s multitude of cultures, languages and rich heritage of India while emphasizing the importance of gender equity, social tolerance and inclusion.

Personally, it was moving to connect with my “Indian-ness,” and be reminded that it is a part of me that I cannot forget.  Having been fortunate to have studied, lived and worked in multiple countries, I believe we should move beyond patriotism and celebrate our common values and humanity in an increasingly interconnected world.

Leave a comment

Filed under Capacity Buidling, Coaching, Education, Foreign Policy, International Development, Leadership, Networking, Peace Building, Private Public Partnerships, Psycho-Social Support, Squash, Stakeholder Engagement, Volunteering, Youth Development, Youth Sport

May 21, 2015 · 2:07 pm

Khelshala Finding Strength at AISEC Event in Rock Garden, Chandigarh

Today I had the pleasure of chaperoning 22 underprivileged children from Khelshala to attend the 2013 Balakaladkaar, an event organized by AISEC’s Chandigarh chapter for 975 underprivileged children from various local non-governmental organizations.

Today I had the pleasure of chaperoning 22 underprivileged children from Khelshala to attend the 2013 Balakaladkaar, an event organized by AISEC’s Chandigarh chapter for 975 underprivileged children from various local non-governmental organizations.

Khelshala Children at AISEC’s 2013 Balakaladkaar at the Rock Garden in Chandigarh

Khelshala Children at AISEC’s 2013 Balakaladkaar at the Rock Garden in Chandigarh

Khelshala competed in dance and art competitions facilitated by the AISEC organizing committee. Moreover, the event was held at the Rock Garden in Chandigarh where children were provided transportation and lunch. There were prizes given out for the best dance performance and artwork. Though Khelshala did not receive any prizes, the children applauded the winners and demonstrated good sportsmanship off the court.

Overall, it was an educational opportunity for the Khelshala children to interact with peer groups, test their skills, develop cross-cultural understanding by interacting with AISECers from 15 countries and have fun in a safe environment! Many thanks to the AISEC Chandigarh Organizing Committee and sponsors.

Leave a comment

Filed under Capacity Buidling, Coaching, Community Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, Gender, Leisure, Networking, Philanthropy, Psycho-Social Support, Recreation, Stakeholder Engagement, Youth Development

May 8, 2015 · 10:41 pm

Representing Khelshala and Kidsquash at the United Nations Headquarters

Over the past few days, I was fortunate to attend the 3rd International Forum on Sport for Peace and Development at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee led the opening session of the Forum. Here is the official UN press release.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee leading the opening session.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee leading the opening session.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee leading the opening session.

As a member of the International Sport for Development and Peace Association, I attended the forum to represent Khelshala (India) and Kidsquash (USA) to learn, connect and collaborate with others working in the field of sport for development and peace. An informal meeting of practitioners, researchers and educators provided an opportunity for networking as well as an avenue for sharing updates on university programs, research and sport-based youth development initiatives.

There were several references made by Mr. Wilfred Lemke, UN Special Advisor on Sport, on the role of volunteerism in sport as a means to activate young people. As a former United Nations Volunteer, I believe this would be a valuable experience for aspiring development professionals. Thanks to the organizers of the event it was an opportunity to learn from the nuances in high-level, policy discussions as well as be at the forefront to mainstream sport-for development programming in the United Nations systems and beyond.

Leave a comment

Filed under Community Development, Conferences, Education, Foreign Policy, International Development, Leadership, Networking, Olympic, Paralympic, Peace Building, Private Public Partnerships, Professional Development, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Youth Development, Youth Sport

April 11, 2015 · 3:31 pm

Engaging in a Day of Service with Bowdoin Alumni

Thanks to the Bowdoin Club of Boston, I volunteered on a Saturday afternoon at Gaining Ground, a Concord-based organic farm that draws upon community volunteers to donate food to local meal and food programs.

Bowdoin Alums at Gaining Ground, an organic farm for a “Day of Service.”

Bowdoin Alums at Gaining Ground, an organic farm for a “Day of Service.”

Beverly Halliday, a Bowdoin alum who is on the Board of Directors of Gaining Ground facilitated introductions and not long after we were in two groups – weeding, planting and sorting various types of vegetables and flowers.

Having facilitated service trips for Concord Academy students, it was good to get first hand experience about the importance of environmental sustainability right in one’s own neighborhood.

If you ever find yourself looking for meaningful things to do over a weekend, I highly recommend spending time at Gaining Ground. Go U Bears!

Leave a comment

Filed under Community Development, Education, Leadership, Networking, Philanthropy, Poverty, Professional Development, Stakeholder Engagement

January 27, 2015 · 10:41 pm

Sport and Development Documentary Filmmaking: Khelshala Next?

Earlier this month, I attended the 2013 UMass Boston Film Series to watch the movie China Heavyweight and listen to a question and answer session with the Director of the movie. Without giving away too much, for friends and colleagues in the sport and development field I recommend watching the movie. Below is the trailer.

The movie resonated with me since the master coach’s triumphs and tribulations were parallel to my observations of Coach Bajwa’s vision for Khelshala. While Khelshala graduates will be making their career decisions in the coming years, the young boxers in China Heavyweight illustrate the challenges of collective action versus individual pursuits in a resource-constrained environment.

In listening to the Director Yung Chang speak about the production process behind the film, I could not help but think that a Bollywood Director or documentary filmmaker would find an equally enriching storyline behind the children of Khelshala. A “Champion from Chandigarh” would be a fun movie to make.

Leave a comment

Filed under Coaching, Community Development, Education, International Development, Leadership, Literature Review, Networking, Poverty, Professional Development, Stakeholder Engagement, Uncategorized

January 23, 2015 · 4:32 pm

Concord Academy Students Engage in Sustainable Food Systems

During the past week, I was fortunate to chaperone two service events with Concord Academy students. The first event was spearheaded by Concord Academy Students in Action (CASA), a student club where 8 students traveled to Littleton, MA and prepared 18 trays of lasagna for Open Table, a food pantry serving the Metrowest area of Boston. Thanks to Iris Oliver and her family for hosting us.

Building on the theme for sustainable food, later in the week, I chaperoned a group of 10 students on a 3-hour service trip to The Food Project in Lincoln, Massachusetts that brings together youth, food and community. Our group received a brief orientation and then divided up into groups to “break-up,” drop and plant scallions.

CA students were also working in collaboration with youth from the City of Boston and together were able to plant 10,000 scallions of different varieties. Thanks to Tim Laird, Director of Agriculture and his team at The Food Project for enabling Concord Academy students to learn about the values of team work, service and the volunteer spirit.

Leave a comment

Filed under Community Development, Education, Leadership, Networking, Philanthropy, Stakeholder Engagement, Volunteering, Youth Development

January 9, 2015 · 7:17 pm

Bringing Change Through Private-Public Partnerships

Just over 10 years ago, I embarked on a journey to Africa to serve as a United Nations Volunteer in Uganda to help strengthen and expand the Cisco Networking Academy Program across secondary schools, technical colleges and universities with an emphasis on gender equity and workforce development. I shot some of the footage from Uganda for the video below that was shown at the 2003 Africa Forum in Dakar, Senegal.

Fast forward 10 years later the explosion of social media and computer networking is continuing to rapidly bring about economic and social change in developing countries. While I am yet to return to Uganda to see the long term impact of the Cisco Least Developed Countries Initiative, I am grateful to Ugandan and non-Ugandan volunteers, colleagues and friends for sharing a pivotal growth experience. Moreover, the lessons that the emerging sport for development and peace sector can learn is that private-public partnerships can spur innovation.

Leave a comment

Filed under Capacity Buidling, Community Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, Foreign Policy, Gender, International Development, Leadership, Networking, Philanthropy, Poverty, Private Public Partnerships, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Volunteering, Youth Development

January 8, 2015 · 6:41 pm

Building Social Capital Through Squash

Keeping in tradition with last year’s friendly match between the Concord Academy girls varsity squash team and a faculty-staff team, I organized another opportunity for the CA community to foster healthy adult-student relationships, get a work out and have fun.

Introductions at 2013 Concord Academy Girls Varsity Squash vs. Faculty-Staff Team. Photo credit: Ben Stumpf

Introductions at 2013 Concord Academy Girls Varsity Squash vs. Faculty-Staff Team. Photo credit: Ben Stumpf

This year’s match comprised of 14 members of the girls varsity squash team and 7 adults from various departments, including Modern and Classical Languages, Admissions and Athletics. The format included 14 head to head matches with some faculty matches playing twice to complete the roster.

The CA girls team narrowly missed defeating the faculty team by an overall score of 7-6. However, the girls team showed their tenacity by outplaying the faculty in a 5 vs. 5 match of “Offense/Defense,” a team-oriented game that challenges players to win points decisively while demonstrating patience.

Many thanks to the CA adults for making time in their schedules to support CA squash. Overall, the matches were a positive team-building experience for both CA students and adults, alike

Leave a comment

Filed under Coaching, Community Development, Education, Gender, Networking, Recreation, Squash, Stakeholder Engagement, Youth Development

January 7, 2015 · 4:28 pm

Facilitating Greater Growth and Learning in Sport for Development and Peace

In my early 2009 blog post titled, “A good starting point,” I encouraged those new to the field of sport for development and peace to view Youtube videos as means of becoming more familiar with current programs. Not that I can claim any credit for this, but fast forward to 2013, I was pleased to discover a website dedicated to raising awareness of the sport for development and peace sector.

Those of you who are interested in learning more about sport and social change programs, I recommend visiting and joining Sport4dev.tv, an emerging site that allows viewers to be active participants in the sport for development community.

Not only is it a good way of sharing one’s involvement (like I have already done with various Khelshala’s videos) but to learn about other sport for development programs in numerous countries and by sector, such as health, gender or disaster response. As the world becomes increasingly connected, communities of practice such as Sport4dev.tv will hopefully facilitate greater growth and learning for all stakeholders.

Leave a comment

Filed under Capacity Buidling, Community Development, Education, International Development, Literature Review, Networking, Professional Development, Stakeholder Engagement