NAYI DISHAYEINSpring School on Rethinking "Development"a space to think critically, to listen, to have a dialogue, and evolve pathways for a gentler and more sensitive society |
Background Inequality and injustice is deeply entrenched in the socio-cultural and economic fabric of our country today, and the economic gaps in particular, are widening at an alarming rate. In 2017, 1% of the population held 58% of the country’s total wealth, and currently, the top 1% of the population holds 73% of the country’s wealth, is this what we call growth? Sometimes, either we equate growth with ‘development’, in which the distinctions between growth and development get blurred, or at other times, the discussions remain fixated with the notion of economic growth and progress. As for ‘modern development’, we tend to see it as a panacea to the issues related to poverty, inequality, injustice, unemployment, and marginalization in our society. But, the conditions of societies across the world today, wrought with conflict, discrimination, and exploitation, is a grim reminder that these thought processes need to be changed with a sense of urgency. About the School: Sambhaavnaa Institute has for the last nine years been organising a participatory, reflective and perspective-building program on ‘Rethinking Development’ called Nayi Dishayein. This program aims to interweave theory and practice, focusing on building a varied and dynamic understanding of some of the pertinent issues facing our society today. In this program, we work with young participants to: | 1. | Deconstruct, and critically examine, the notion of development – to understand it as a field of ideas. We shall converse with a plethora of narratives and discourses surrounding this notion, and the ways in which they are constructed. |
| 2. | Examine the root causes of growing inequity in the distribution of wealth and resources and opportunities, and its impacts on nature and people, in a society fractured along the lines of gender, caste, race, class, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, knowledge, and language. |
| 3. | To stretch our imaginations, and re-examine and challenge our beliefs, views, convictions, and privileges resulting from the enduring power structures that stem from the social markers of caste, gender, religion, and class; and how they are linked with the notion(s) of development. |
| 4. | Examine how the State and its institutions of policy-making and governance influence these power structures and vice versa. |
| 5. | Assess possibilities of transformation through people’s actions, through exposure to, and dialogue on, a range of initiatives/movements towards a more just society. The themes of the program are explored using interactive lectures, group work and group discussions, cinema, theatre of the oppressed, songs of resistance, fieldwork, self-reflections, and importantly, sharing of lived experiences by activists. |
Who is the program for? If you are in the age group of 21-28 years and seeking an engagement with the above deliberations, or you are just figuring out how to frame the questions you would want to ask yourself or trying to understand the interconnections between different issues that you see around yourself, then please join us for an intensive collective churning on them – to open up ‘nayi dishayein’ in both your thinking and … hopefully, living. Resources Persons: Some of the resource persons what have been part of earlier programs are Prashant Bhushan, Praveen Singh, Bezwada Wilson, Manshi Asher, Dunu Roy, Kamla Bhasin, Bhanwar Meghwanshi, Janaki Srinivasan, Dhiren Borisa, Nawal Watali, Vikramaditya, Himanshu Kumar, Mir Suhail. The final list will be updated here as we get confirmations. Language: Primarily English, and some Hindi. Dates and Venue: 21st to 30th April 2021, Sambhaavnaa Institute, VPO – Kandbari, Tehsil – Palampur, District – Kangra, PIN 176061, Himachal Pradesh Contact: For more information please Whatsapp or call Shashank – 889 422 7954 or email: prog...@sambhaavnaa.org To know more and fill the application form click here: |
Hope to see you there, Programs Manager,
Sambhaavnaa. |
©2021 Sambhaavnaa | Gaon Kandbari, Tehsil Palampur, Zila Kangra |
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