At the meeting, participants took a pledge for `peace, force and joy'. The meeting was attended by members as well as new converts to the cause of Silo, who founded the movement in Argentina in 1969. The movement, which reached India in 1976, believes in the power of people to actively effect social change, a change that begins within. `India can be different if we are not indifferent' is the humanist leitmotif, and it is this motto with which campaigners hope to spearhead the campaign. Said spokesperson Parimal Merchant, ``Selfless service, non-violence and non-discrimination are our catchwords. This campaign aims at demonstrating that it is possible to change, and that depends on nobody but us.''

The campaign seeks to assembletogether individuals, colleges, trade unions, organisations, housing societies and religious groups who would be willing to chip in for a better India. Francis Menezes of the Small Christian Community, one of the participating organisations, said, ``Civic authorities would not hear our representations on issues like sanitation and rationing.

But when we approached the movement, its legal cell solved our problems.''Shakil Sinha (52) was hooked after she attended a recent Humanist meeting, which, she says, changed her life. ``I had a business of my own, but after attending the meeting ten days ago, I knew I needed to move on. So I shut shop and I'm now working for a different India. It is idealistic, but it's worth the effort.''

Added Ranu Gupte, a recruitment manager at Proctor and Gamble, ``What I like about the campaign is that it gets people involved to improve their own lot.''