Revive Volume 7, 2010

Contents

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Acknowledgements

Cover design and illustrations on inside pages: Malvika Mehra

Back cover: Sri Aurobindo's words have been taken from Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, On Education, (2006), Sri Aurobindo Asrham Press, Pondicherry, page 20.

Authors: Pawan Gupta, Prakash Burte, Alex M. George, Subash, Sudha Premnath, Sriranjani Ranganathan, Sheel Parekh, Jennifer Thomas, Roberta Altman, Kiren Gera, Baltinder Singh, Sunil Verma, Pramod Maithil, Mohammad Umar, S. Srinivasan. “On thinking about teaching: A conversation with Eleanor Duckworth”, copyright ACSD. Reprinted with permission from ACSD. Learn more about ASCD at www.ascd.org.

Learning Network Revive Team: Anju Anand, Anita Balasubramanian, Reshma Madhusudan, Sriranjani Ranganathan.

The Learning Network also acknowledges the support of Tulika Publishers, Chennai, in publishing Revive 2010.

Goodbooks Trust can be contacted at:
13 Prithvi Avenue, Abhiramapuram, Chennai 600018.
telephone 044-24981639 / 24671117

Happenings - 2008 & 2009

The Learning Network

The Learning Network explores various approaches towards holistic learning, offers opportunities to learn about new perspectives and strengthen existing efforts. The network had its beginnings in Bangalore in January 2003. This network helps learn about new perspectives and strengthen existing efforts. It is a resource for interested groups, educators and parents seeking meaningful approaches to education. This is a volunteer driven network and has several participating individuals and groups. The main activities of the network include an annual conference, workshops on special topics, topic-driven mini-conferences, newsletters and an annual conference magazine. The network hopes to provide a forum to come together, participate and search for answers to questions such as:

?   Can education be defined as learning for life and through life experiences to create a spirit of enquiry into human problems?
?   Can education develop the spirit, strength and inclination to be mindful, inquire, understand and change ourselves and the world?
?   What are the linkages between education and local communities? Can education become person, ecology and community centered in addition to being economycentered?
?   How can education play a role in creating a peaceful society?
?   Can we enrich the experience of disadvantaged children in conventional schools?

6th Annual Conference (Dec 27-30th, 2008, Swanirwar, West Bengal)

The sixth annual conference for the Learning Network was organised at Chamarajanagar from December 27th-30th, 2008. Over 140 participants from all over India participated at the conference. Dhiren Baske, a Santhal elder, and Chief Editor of 'Dis-Hudis' - a Santhali monthly, gave the keynote address on the spirit of schooling through sharing his learning as a child inspired by selfless and loving teachers.

For 4 days participants engaged in energising and absorbing discussions on diverse aspects of education such as the teaching methods of science and language education, the need to learn in local contexts and languages in tribal education, immersion in arts using natural materials, complexities of child behaviour and addressing various learning styles, the pedagogy of social studies in today’s world, the participatory theatre approach for integrated learning and much more. People participated in several workshops and practical sessions in fresh air and under the warmth of the local community. Summary of the conference sessions is available at http://www.learningnet-india.org/activities/conferences/ .

We thank Sanjay Anand, Ashok Balasubramaniam, Nilangshu Gain, Anita Komanduri, Sanjeev Ranganathan, Sabyasachi Mitra, Aditi and Ratnesh, Santosh Padmanabhan and the Swanirwar team for the volunteer support related to conference coordination.

Publications

Electronic versions of all publications are available at http://learningnet-india.org/publications/index.php.

Revive - Annual Magazine *

The sixth volume of Revive - the annual magazine was released at the conference in Swanirwar, West Bengal. Revive was published by Goodbooks Teachers Center with editing and layout support provided by Tulika Publishers. Revive continues to be an informative and useful resource containing articles contributed by the Learning Network members, and profiles and contacts of member groups and individuals. We have received very encouraging responses regarding the usefulness of the content, quality of articles and ease of readability.

Chiguru - Newsletter

One issue of Chiguru, the Learning Network newsletter was released in September 2009 and was circulated to over 500 groups and individuals. We look forward to readers sending us their views on prior articles and contribute further with writings on their own experiences. Chiguru features profiles of new network members, details of various network activities, announcements of events being organised, articles, discussions and opinions on current topics. We thank Shalini Srinivasan on joining us in this venture.

Virtual Resource - Learning Network Website

The website http://www.learningnet-india.org is a free online resource that provides information on events organised by the Learning Network, organisational profiles, articles, newsletters and various resources for learning available from groups and individuals in India.

We encourage members to check their profiles on the website and send us regular updates, so we can keep the information up to date and accurate.

We also urge you to send us your contributions (articles, announcements, news, reports, analyses, experiences, etc.) to be included on the website. Please write to us at : info@learningnet-india.org.

Learning Network Volunteer Coordinating Team: Ravi Aluganti, Anju Anand, Anita Balasubramanian, Meenakshi Balasubramanian, Jayashree Janardhan, Reshma Madhusudan, and Swati Sircar.

*Revive and Chiguru are available online on the website at www.learningnet-india.org. You can also receive copies of prior issues of Revive by post at a cost of Rs. 50/- per copy. Please contact us at info@learningnet-india.org

Timbaktu Collective

Timbaktu is located in the Anatapur district in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. Once part of the Vijayanagara Kingdom, today Anantapur is one of the most impoverished and drought prone districts of India. Timbaktu started in 1990 when a small group of development activists purchased a 32-acre, dry, barren land to heal and regenerate it. They also formed a voluntary organisation, Timbaktu Collective (TC) in 1991 with 3 team members who start working with 10 local villages. Timbaktu is now a 700 acre, agro forest habitat, partners with 140 villages and has grown to 110 full timers.

The principles that drive Timbaktu are based on celebration of life with dignity and self-respect for all. They believe in people, their wisdom, in equitable access to and control over local natural resources, gender equity, joyful spaces for children, cooperation and above all, excellence in everything they do. In a region like Anantpur, the issues of erratic rainfall are exaggerated by mono cropping. The collapse of village economy, lack of modern industry, deforested common lands make living conditions difficult. The women, dalits and children face the brunt of this. Children work and marry at an early age. Any education accessible is not relevant to help them fit in their village or the city. Timbaktu has taken systematic steps to respond to these challenges.

Apart from regenerating the local area, TC has partnered with 12 villages to treat 10,000 acres of common land and 8,000 acres of agricultural land. Ancient water tanks have been de-silted, reconstructed and repaired. Millets and other low water consuming food crops are promoted and so is organic farming and biological pest control. The backbone of this effort is a producer-owned cooperative that markets organic produce to make it financially viable for farmers and extends to 890 families in 26 villages spanning 2670 acres. Mutually Aided Thrift Cooperative Society (MATCS), a sustainable, alternative economic institution of and for women, was initiated in 1994. Today it has spread to 11,007 members in 122 villages. It commands a capital of over 4 crores and houses a legal cell to deal with domestic violence and related cases.

Timabktu runs a residential school for children at risk and a day school where children feel safe and protected and develop their own abilities, pursue interests and have the space to play, sing, dance, laugh and learn different skills. The children are confident and best equipped to shape their own future. The organisation also creates learning spaces for the children through resource centres with access to a library, computers, craft workshops, science labs and play area. They have worked on rights of both children and the disabled and helped organise themselves for self-advocacy.

The organisation works on strengthening grass-root democratic bodies including training of Sarpanches and organising people’s forums where elected members meet the public. Various efforts are ongoing to organise and mobilise rural youth to take part in village development through the community bodies and Panchayats.

Timbaktu is not only a place of organisation and work, but a family that believes in the celebration of life. We invite you to the Learning Network conference here to come and celebrate life with us.

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