Theme 1: Significance of Religion and Spirituality.

This theme will focus on the importance of spirituality and religion in the daily life of the deaf individuals. It would enable them to learn and experience good virtues and to deal with their life (e.g. No regrets of being deaf). How can spirituality be used to build peace and brotherhood, maintain social ability and promote interfaith dialogue amongst different communities (Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Sufis, Parsees, Jews and others)? Apart from these, other issues that will be dealt with are:

• Mind, Body and Soul.
• Importance of religion.
• Importance of prayer and chanting the Holy Names.
• The power of forgiveness.
• Lessons from various Religious Books.

Theme 2: Personality Development and Relationships

This theme will concentrate on the all-round development of the deaf persons, the important criterion of better relationships. It will focus on how to handle undesirable relationships in their lifetime. It will help facilitate better relationships between the deaf and the hearing. It will also answer questions like: How can acceptable character be developed?  What are the lessons in life? It will promote independent skills and positive thinking. This theme will enlighten the importance of Proverbs and Quotations from various religions. Understanding of deaf culture and hearing culture will also be dealt with.

Theme 3: Importance of Inner healings and Wellbeing.

This theme will focus on how inner healings create the well-being. How do inner healings foster generous attitude towards the world? How can meditation be used to generate peace? How do spiritual practices empower us? It will bring to light the importance of various types of healings, thus encouraging empowerment through healthy mind and body.

Theme 4: Attitude, Communication and Quality of life 

This presentation will examine how desirable attitude and effective communication play a major role in building good quality of life. What are the values of life? Is the deaf person able to effectively communicate his personal values and points of view? This theme will promote positive attitude of the deaf towards the society and life. It will also focus on the importance of sign language in order to facilitate suitable communication between the deaf and the hearing.

Theme 5: Practical Life Nourishing Education and Vision

This theme will emphasize on how parents and other significant ones use life’s practical skills to create a good vision. What are life skills? How can practical life skills generate morality, potentiality and enjoyment in learning? A vision for your family? How does change challenge us? It will put forth the importance of vegetarianism and healthy lifestyles.  The role of hearing or deaf parents in educating and empowering deaf children will also be discussed, along with the art of self-motivation.

Theme 6: Spiritual and Ethical Life Issues Management

This strand will take into account the issues faced by the deaf persons such as human rights, morality, responsibilities, sufferings, injustices, insecurity, needs.

Written by Vinu Pereira.