India, Oct. 16 -- justify;">In a nation of wide diversity, where classrooms and communities can sometimes become divided, a quiet movement is underway-led by 17-year-old Gauri Gupta. She is the founder of Common Ground, an initiative using multireligious learning and peacebuilding to help create a society where difference is seen as something to understand and respect.

The reason for this work is clear. Common Ground's nationwide research, surveying over 4,000 students and 520 teachers, revealed a concerning picture: 83% of students reported hearing religious or caste-based slurs weekly, and nearly half (48%) had never meaningfully interacted with a child from another faith. Among educators, 74% acknowledged that divisive attitudes routi...