IARJ member Bhavya Srivastava, a journalist from India, is a 2018 KAICIID Fellow. He writes about the hopes for peacemaking among his colleagues in a recent training program. The center in Austria has expanded dramatically its network of fellows. “Counting alumni and the new 2018 fellows, there are now 142 of us from diverse backgrounds,” Bhavya writes.

Covering large spiritual gatherings and religious events and reporting outside your native region carries many challenges. Among these is knowing how to handle yourself appropriately and improve your odds for getting the best story that you can. The IARJ is offering this occasional series on how to work in lands and cover events that you may not be familiar with. Journalist Bhavya Srivastava, the author of this report, is a founding member of the IARJ and a resident of India.

Indian journalist Bhavya Srivastava reports on the vast interfaith festival in March 2016 in India, called World Cultural Festival hosted by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.