Many years ago, scientists studying monkey behaviour on an island in the South Pacific experimented with teaching baby monkeys to wash the yams which were part of their staple diet. The anthropologists wondered whether, if the monkeys liked the taste better without the gritty sand, would they teach this technique to others in the tribe?

Sure enough, after mastering the art of washing their food first, the babies did begin to teach their elders the new method.

At first, the process was slow and painstaking, with the knowledge being passed on one monkey at a time. Then suddenly, the “Hundredth Monkey” learned the new approach. As if by magic, every monkey on the island, even those who had not been taught, began to wash their yams before eating them. Even more astonishing, monkeys on other islands, where the method had never been seen before, began to do the same.

The scientists concluded that once a certain critical mass is achieved, fundamental changes can occur in the behaviour of groups.

This is our goal with all the activities of the awareness campaign. We introduce ideas about child development, disability, medical care and education which challenge those in practice today and we hope that by reaching out to people at every level of society, we will reach that Hundredth Monkey and create lasting change, at least in Dehradun.