WHAT’S ON

Seminar

Building livelihood capabilities for women’s economic empowerment

23 Apr (5.00 – 6.30pm)

What do we mean by women's empowerment? What pathways can lead to the empowerment of women in different contexts? Join London School of Economics Professor of Gender and Development

Naila Kabeer as she discusses women's economic empowerment through the lens of livelihoods and capabilities. Naila will then explore the challenge of how we transfer learnings from empowerment activities into an evidence-based theory of change. Location: NSW Business School Lounge, Level 6, UNSW Business School. Details 02 9385 3189.

Saffron and Silk

Sat 27 April (1:30 pm – 3:30 pm)

Blacktown City Libraries presents author Anne Benjamin talking about her latest book Saffron and Silk: An Australian in India. Married to an Indian national she met in Canada, Anne spent years struggling with the frustrations of being a ‘foreign wife’ and uses her personal experiences to explore the larger issues of India’s culture and history. She brings a unique insight into a country that is of increasing significance to contemporary Australia. Venue: Max Webber Library Function Centre, Level 1, Cnr Flushcombe Rd & Alpha St, Blacktown. Details 02 9839 6640.

Exhibition

CREATOR by Ramesh

Mario-Nithiyendran

Until 12 May 2019 at Casula

Powerhouse Arts Centre

Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran pushes the boundaries of figurative sculpture and ceramic conventions. Creator finds the artist channelling Hindu temple iconography, museum displays and colonial public monuments to form a dialogue with museum practices around the framing of Asian faith based objects. Details http://www. casulapowerhouse.com

Community

Kite Flying Festival

Sun 28 Apr (9.30am - 5.30pm) Shri

Swaminarayan Mandir Blacktown organises kite flying day at May Cowpe Reserve, Rooty Hill Leisure Centre, 100 John St, Rooty Hill. Details CK 0433 679 595.

Gujarati Gaurav Awards

Sun 4 May (11.00am - 2.00pm)

United Gujaratis of Australia present Gujarati Gaurav Awards 2019, to celebrate the success of the Gujarati community and to recognise their achievements on the special occasion of 59th Gujarat Sthapana Din (Foundation Day).

Venue: Harvey Lowe Pavillion, Doran Dr, Castle Hill. Details

Deepesh Parikh 0410 734 123.

Have an idea for a community project that needs funding? Want to build a community garden?

A safe and inclusive playground? Hold a cultural fair, maybe? NSW residents can now seek funding for projects valued between $20,000 and $200,000, that will make communities more liveable, cultural, accessible, safe, revitalised or healthy. Shortlisted applications will be put out to community voting online. The NSW Government has announced a total of $24.4 million for its ‘My Community Project’. Details www.nsw.gov.au/ mycommunityproject

Gandhi in my view

Consulate of India in Sydney organises a Velfie (video selfie) contest to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Record your thoughts about Mahatma Gandhi and the relevance of his thoughts in today’s context, in a video less than a minute long, and send it to library.sydney@mea.gov. in. Last date 30 April 2019. Details 02 9223 2702.

ANZAC Day Parade

25 Apr Check out the Sikh contingents marching in this year’s parade, in memory of their forebears who fought in the two World Wars. Their meeting point will be at Chifley Square, on Phillip St, facing the Sofitel Wentworth. They are scheduled to join the march at 11:35 am.

STAGE

Curry Kings of Parramatta

18 - 20 April Lennox Theatre, Riverside Parramatta. Details 02 8839 3399 or online at www. riversideparramatta.com.au

Mickey Singh

Thu 18 Apr (8.30pm – 3.00am)

Urban Asian icon Mickey Singh will be bringing his headline World Tour to Sydney this Easter. Home The Venue, 101/1-5 Wheat Rd, Darling Harbour. Details 0431 026 656.

Sydney Comedy Festival

22 April – 19 May Check out the work of South Asian origin stand-up comics, including Jeeves Verma, Kanan Gill, Nazeem Hussain, Neel Kolhatkar, Rowan Thambar and Suren Jayemanne. Details www. sydneycomedyfest.com.au

Sartaaj at Opera House

Sat 27 Apr (7.00pm – 10.00pm)

Sartaaj performs live at Opera House in Sydney. At Sydney Opera House, Bennelong.

Details 0411 709 559.

Table recital

Indian Tabla exponent Aditya

Kalyanpurpresents two recitals

Sat 4 May (5.30 pm onwards) 31

Yeramba St, Turramurra. Sun 5 May (5.30 pm onwards) 128 Riverbank Drive, The Ponds. Details Niranjan 0404 012 676.

SPIRITUAL

Pilgrims Paada Yatra

Fri 19 Apr (5.30am - 8.30am) This is strictly a devotional, non-profit endeavour to promote tradition and culture to pass on the legacy to our future generations.The event starts at Sri Murugan Temple, Westmead. Details 0433 972 160.

Journey to Wellbeing

Sat 4 May (1.00pm - 5.00pm)

Tamil Women's Development Group presents Journey to Wellbeing an afternoon with inspirational speakers and a workshop addressing our mental wellbeing. At Parramatta RSL 2 Macquarie St, Parramatta. Details 0417 210 268.

Sant Nirankari Mission Sydney weekly congregations

Sundays 5:30pm to 7:30pm followed by community meals.

Venue: Sant Nirankari Bhawan, 166 Glendenning Road, Glendenning. Details Devinder 0403 216 084.

Free Yoga with Divine Life Society

Tuesdays 7pm Swami

Uditramanandaji of The Divine Life Society of Australia offers free Yoga classes every Tuesday from 7.00pm-8.15pm at Strathfield Girls High School. All levels of fitness welcomed. Entrance via Oxford Rd. Details Karo 0413 535 157.

Yoga at Spirit of India

11 May onwards: 15-week Yoga course, Saturdays and Sundays. Check out also special yoga classes for children (5-12 years), adults and senior citizens (55 plus). Venues at Wentworthville, Quakers Hill, Pennant Hills, Auburn, Epping, Homebush, Ryde.

Free Yoga class every Wednesday (5.30pm – 7.00pm) at Indian Consulate Cultural Centre, Level 2, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Free meditation every Saturday (8.30am – 9.15am) at Wentworthville. Details www.spiritofindia.org or call Suresh 0412 202 182 or Raja 0402 789 109.

Lunch-time meditation in the city

Thursdays (12.15 – 1.00pm) The Consulate General of India (Sydney) conducts weekly free meditation sessions in association with the Brahma Kumaris at its Swami

Vivekananda Cultural Centre at Level 2, 265 Castlereagh Street Sydney 2000. Details icc2.sydney@mea.gov.in

Seniors Aasha

Hornsby Every second and fourth Friday of the month, 11.00am -

2.00pm. Venue Hornsby Youth and Community Centre, cnr Muriel and Burdett Sts, Hornsby, close to Hornsby Station. Programs feature yoga, music, dance, games, health and tech presentations, health checks and light lunch.

Details 0412 786 569.

Crows Nest Every third Wednesday of the month, 10.00am -11.30am. Venue 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest. Social event with free tea.

Details 02 9439 5122.

MISC

Documentary movie screening: Ride For Rights: An Indian Odyssey

Wed 24 April (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm) In 2016, four friends began a motorcycle journey through India, visiting and advocating for child rights. This is a documentary about their travels. Palace Chauvel Cinema, 249 Oxford St, Paddington. Details 02 9361 5398.

Sydney Writers’ Festival

29 April - 5 May

Join writers/poets at Australia’s largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Featuring South Asian origin participants including Fatima Bhutto, Michelle de Kretser, Jamila Rizvi, Roanna Gonsalves, Zoya Patel, Osman Faruqi and Nieshanka Nanthakrishnakumar among others. Details www.swf.org.au

Traditional South IndianVegetarian

Thu 2 May (5.30pm - 8.30pm) A cooking class by Sue Kumar that will teach you all the essentials of a vegetarian South Indian meal. At The Essential Ingredient Newcastle, Junction Fair Shopping Centre, 200 Union St, The Junction. Details (02) 4926 1991.

Entertainment

Desi Swag Bhangra

Thu 18 Apr (9.00pm onwards) An invasion of Bhangra and Bollywood at Sydney’s best party spot. At Zeta Bar, Level 4, Hilton Sydney. Details 0412739020.

School holiday program: Bollywood dance class

Wed 24 Apr (1.00pm - 3.00pm) Cumberland Council School Holiday Program and Swastik Institute of Dance present Bollywood dance classes for kids aged 5 to 12 years that live in the Cumberland Local Government Area. Venue Westmead Progress Hall, 43 Hassall St. Details 02 8897 2218.

Bollywood dance night

Sat 4 May (6.30pm - 9.30pm) DJ, entertainment, fashion and fun at Bollywood dance night. Dinner included. At Oz Funland, 2/11 Hollylea Rd, Leumeah. Details 02 4626 7777.

BY MOHAN DHALL

There is a trend these days that on every student CV there should be a line stating the “charity” work they’ve undertaken. Parents love this idea –that their children will have done something “good” or of benefit to others in need. This notion of “giving” can be seen in schools, businesses and in public discourse regarding equity and access. Yet, in my view, most acts of giving, arranged by schools, religious organisations, businesses and others, are acts that lack genuine charity.

This does not mean that they do not do some good, or are of no benefit. All acts of giving can assist people in need. However, this is not enough. In my view, the motivation to do good is generally something rather more selfish than authentic; something more planned and considered than spontaneous; something more extrinsic or compelled than intrinsic.

HOW IS THIS THE CASE?

In my view authentic charity does not seek promotion or a photo opportunity. It does not advertise. It is the charity that walks with a homeless person to buy them a meal instead of giving change and walking on. It is the person who notices the old lady who cannot walk, and carries her bag while helping her across the road, and is ashamed when she says, ‘thank you’. It is the sleep-out without a blanket because the poor on Sydney’s streets do not have blankets and a night in pain is a thousandth of what hundreds of thousands feel