Travel

Announcing Apraila Murkha

Samuel Benoit

1 April 2013

In March 2011 I was living in Panchgani, India doing some work with the Baha’i Academy. At that same time my mother was doing community development work with the Baha’is of Slovenia and my dad and sister were back home in Ottawa. Just before going to bed on 30 March I send my family a…

Family, Travel

2011, Apraila, April Fool’s, April Fools Day, consent for marriage, india, joke, Maharashra, Murkha, Nakali, Panchgani, prank, pranking parents, Table land, tableland, Wendy James
Status updates from a bike tour (and friendship) unravelling

Samuel Benoit

4 May 2012

Right now my friend Eric Farr (of Honeyman and the Brothers Farr and the Hidden Words) is working with the International Development and Relief Foundation and his main job is running the Mother’s Day Bike Challenge that will take a group of volunteers from different faiths from Toronto to Ottawa to raise money the organization’s maternal…

Travel, Video

Belleville, bicycle touring, bike tour, Cobourg, cycling, Eric Farr, Facebook, FAF, Faith Acts for Mothers, IDRF, International Development and Relief Foundation, maternal health, Mother’s Day Bike Challenge, Ontario, Ottawa, Perth, Pickering, prank, social network, social networking, Toronto
Pilgrimage to Bhopal

Samuel Benoit

12 March 2012

Late in the night of 2 December 1984 poor safety measures led to the release of 27 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas from a pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide India Limited in the city of Bhopal, India. The poisonous gas went on to kill 25,000 people in the minutes, days, months and years…

Ecology, Photos, Travel

1984, 2011, 2012 london olympics, Bhopal, bhopal india, Bhopal Medical Appeal, Carbide, Chandrakanta, Chingari, Chingari Rehabilitation Centre, Chingari Trust, Dow Chemical, dow chemical company, February, india, London Olympic Committee, London Olympics, Manoj, methyl isocyanate, MIC, pilgrimage, pollution, Prabjit, Prabjit Barn, Sambhavna, Sambhavna Clinic, Sambhavna Trust, Scared Sacred, Tabish Ali, the Yes Men, UCC, UCIL, Union Carbide, Union Carbide Corporation, union carbide factory, union carbide india, Velcrow Ripper, Yes Men
Anna’s presentation

Samuel Benoit

30 August 2011

Last post I shared some photos of demonstrators at India Gate on the evening anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare walked out of Tihar jail to begin his public fast to demand a strong anti-corruption bill be passed by the Indian parliament. Here’s a quick video of some of the chants. If you watch very carefully you…

Photos, Travel, Video

activism, Anna Hazare, chants, corruption, demonstration, Gandhi, Hazare, india, Jan Lokpal, Lokpal, New Delhi, protest, Ramlila, Ramlila Grounds, Ramlila Maidan
The Baha’i Academy (where I have been for the past two months)

Samuel Benoit

21 May 2011

I have always been fascinated by how Baha’i and Baha’i-inspired organizations tend to evolve so drastically to meet changing conditions and build on experience. The Baha’i Academy is a perfect example. It began in 1982 to provide an academic home for some of the many Baha’i scholars who were forced to flee Iran during the Islamic…

Baha’i Community Life, Development, Photos, Travel, Work

2011, Bahai, india, Panchgani, Photos, Travel
To vote or to not not vote

Samuel Benoit

1 May 2011

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is once again applying to renew his contract with the people of Canada, but there are a handful of other guys that think that they can do the job better. Over here in India I feel connected with all my fellow Canadians as we reflect once again on our electoral process,…

Baha’i Community Life, Travel

2011, ballot, Canadian Baha’i News Service, Canadian election, courier, democracy, disillusionment, election, Elections Canada, Harper, india, Panchgani, partisan politics, Stephen Harper, TNT, vote, voting
A short film about sports

Samuel Benoit

3 April 2011

If I don’t understand football, curling, or even marathon running – there is no way I am going to understand the sport that the majority of the planet has long written off as too perplexing to even try. As little as I understand about cricket, I did have the feeling that if India was going to…

Events, Music, Travel, Video

2011, April, celebration, cricket, Cricket World Cup, ICC World Cup, india, Maharashtra, Panchgani, Travel, Video
A Magic Show by Parmesh

Samuel Benoit

28 March 2011

Every 19 days Baha’i communities all over the globe get together for an event called the Nineteen Day Feast. The Feast generally consists of collective worship, consultation and socializing – but each of those elements can take any of a number of forms depending on the culture and style of the community.

Baha’i Community Life, Travel, Video

2011, Baha, Bahai, children, Feast, india, magic, Maharashtra, March, Nineteen Day Feast, Panchgani, Parmesh, tricks, Video
Zach’s account of the earthquake

Samuel Benoit

16 March 2011

On the morning of Friday March 11th I arrived in Singapore to visit with some dear friends for a one day stopover between Japan and India. After a long day of roaming around Singapore (pictures coming later) I wanted to check my email before getting back to the airport for my 2:30am flight. Working from…

Links, Travel

aftershocks, Chiba, disastar, earthquake, Japan, March 11, Narita, quake