Source: India, the Namaste greeting means «Reverence to you»
Sociedad Geográfica de las Indias, an agency specialising in tailor-made travel to the Indian subcontinent, have submitted to Madrid City Council and tried to promote on Change.org, a campaign to make Namaste the recommended greeting back to school
Concern as the school year begins: more than 8 million young students return to classes this September
This campaign aims to strengthen social distancing
After WHO representatives pointed out that the usual “elbow bump” requires people to stand quite close together, Sociedad Geográfica de las Indias shared this message: “Namaste. No more elbowing”. The creators of the campaign highlight that this is not just a change of greeting; "the aim is to make namaste an everyday gesture of peace and an anti-bullying symbol, more appropriate than “elbow bumps”.
“At Sociedad Geográfica de las Indias, we want to do our bit for this unusual return to school by promoting a responsible greeting that is also a symbol.”
See the petition: Namasté. No more elbow bumps. A responsible, thoughtful return to school
In its petition, the Sociedad Geográfica de las Indias explains the reasons for the campaign
“Choosing the world’s best greeting to replace elbow bumps is no simple task. In Japan, senior officials greet one another by bowing at a 90-degree angle, hands resting on their thighs. Respectful, certainly, but doing it repeatedly could send many of us to a physiotherapist with back pain. In New Zealand, Māori culture uses hongi, a greeting in which two people press noses and foreheads together, while Druze tradition, in countries such as Syria, Lebanon or Jordan, exchange kisses with two crossed hands between their mouths.”