Activities February 2018
Formation of Peace Committee
Date: 24th February, 2018
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Bambala village
Brief Description:
The Peace Centre organized a meeting of youth in Bambala village which was attended by youths from the villages of Bambala and Futala. The facilitator discussed about various issues witnessed in the villages such as rift among people of different villages, problems of education, polarization of youth by political leaders, etc. The youths shared
their personal experiences and participated in the discussion actively. The facilitator then asked the youth about the need of a Youth Peace Committee in the village in order to resolve the conflicts arising in the communities to which all the youths agreed and enthusiastically showed their interest in becoming the members. The committee decided to promote peace education in the villages to foster the culture of peace and non-violence, document and keep record of peace processes and interventions; and facilitate training’s, community dialogue, sensitization and raising awareness. They also decided to bring together the stakeholders at a common platform in case of conflicts and initiate a dialogue by allowing everyone to put forward their views.
Film screening
Date:17th February, 2018
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Barodwara village
Name of Event/Activity: Film Screening
Peace center organized film screening of the Bollywood movie “Gulab Gang” in Kanbai village which was attended by 30 women, 10 youth and 21 children. Gulab Gang is a feature movie based on the real story of the struggle with the system by a group of women. It is a film advocating education for girls and autonomy for women.
Afterwards a healthy discussion was held on the movie’s story with the youth. Everyone enjoyed the movie by the emotions of laughing, seriousness, whispering and curiosity. Munis introduced them about the real story behind the movie and how “Gulabi Gang” struggled with the injustice and discrimination. The women who were watching the film felt energetic and during the discussion about violence and discrimination faced by them, they were actively taking part in helping solve the problem, i.e. standing up for their rights at home first. They pledged to end gender based discrimination and violence and ensure that every girl would attend school.
Naresh explained them that the more you trap someone the more they would want to break free and in the process end up doing unethical things. If girls will be given the freedom to pursue their dreams, they will happily bring your family laurels instead of bad name. Naresh shared that as per the ancient tribal culture, there was no form of gender bias but with the influence of Hinduism tribals have given up on their wise practices and adopted some of the bad processes from other cultures.
Youth Meeting- Gender Talk
Date: 11th February, 2018
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Barodwara village
Name of Event/Activity:Youth Meeting- Gender Talk
Type of Activity: Discussion
Peace Centre conducted a youth meeting in which the facilitator talked about the gender issues and understanding our bodies (male and female). The facilitator explained that women are discriminated and face violence as the patriarchal society perceives them as a weaker gender. They attribute their ineffectiveness to the processes the girls go through which starts during adolescents. It is called menstruation. There are various myths and wrong stereotypes around menstruation which circumscribes the freedom of women and pose them vulnerable to discrimination.
Males witness changes such as heaviness in voice, develop beard and moustache which are attributed as the signs of mardaangiand often seen that they are now capable of protecting a woman who is weak. If these changes are not developed in men, they too are considered inferior and mocked upon under the garb of masculinity. Body changes play a crucial role in developing the mindset of male domination over a woman which certainly leads to discrimination and violence faced by women.
Activities January 2018
Martyrdom Day of Gandhi
Date: 30th January, 2018
Time: 12 p.m.
Location:Govt. School, Karawara
Name of Event/Activity: Martyrdom Day of Gandhi
Type of Activity: Film Screening and Discussion
Brief Description:
Peace Centre organized film screening in Government Senior Secondary School, Karawara on the 70thdeath anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in which students from 6th to 12th grade participated. They were shown two documentaries. One was based on the life ofGandhi and the other on the death. They were shown the involvement of Godse and the ideology behind the killing of Gandhi. After the screening of the documentaries, a healthy discussion of peace centre team and students began in which the school teachers also contributed. The students shared what they understood by the film and also shared what misconceptions they had earlier. Some were of the view that Gandhi was killed for right reasons but after the fruitful discussions, they also understood the ideology and the venom of casteism which is spreading hatred among people of different communities.
Date: 26thJanuary, 2018
Time: 9 a.m. -11 a.m.
Location:Village Spirit Academy, Karawara
Name of Event/Activity:Republic Day
Type of Activity:Celebration
Brief Description:
The Peace Centre organized Republic Day in VSA to acquaint the children with the importance of the day as well as the values of our constitution. They were prepared dances and drama which depicted the basic rights and values provided by our constitution to all the citizens of the country. Two dramas were presented on the themes of Girl education and Fraternity. Through dances, the children depicted their right to dream (DilhaiChhota Sa), go to school (School Chale Hum), fulfill their aspirations without infringing upon the rights of others (Insaaf Ki Dagar) and finally making their nation, community and family proud by their achievements (Jai Ho). This time, the whole event was hosted by the kids only. All the children also participated in the Parade and made beautiful formations with dupattas during the parade. Children enthusiastically performed on the day and they seemed very happyas all the kids performed on the stage for the first time in front of their parents as well as members of the Panchayat. The audience appreciated the efforts of the children and really liked the whole program.
Date:20th January, 2018
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Kanbai village
Name of Event/Activity:Film Screening
Type of Activity: Film screening and discussion
Brief Description:
Peace center organized film screening of the Bollywood movie “Gulab Gang” in Kanbai village which was attended by youth as well as community people. 20 youths and 10 people from the community attended this screening. Gulab Gang is a feature movie based on the real story of the struggle with the system by a group of women. It is a film advocating education for girls and autonomy for women.
Afterwards a healthy discussion was held on the movie’s story with the youth. Everyone enjoyed the movie by the emotions of laughing, seriousness, whispering and curiosity. Naresh introduced them about the real story behind the movie and how “Gulabi Gang” struggled with the injustice and discrimination. The youths shared that we should help our sisters, mothers and friends in coming out of the shackles of the patriarchal society and enable them to have full access to education because it is the human right which is for everyone irrespective of the gender, class, caste and religion. The elder generation in the audience responded with pessimism that leaving the women free brings shame to the family. What if they run away with a boy while we have sent her to study in a school away from our village. The girls become arrogant once they become educated. To which the facilitators explained them that the more you trap your women the more they would want to break free and in the process end up doing unethical things. If they will be given the freedom like boys to pursue their dreams, they will happily bring your family laurels instead of bad name. Naresh shared that as per the ancient tribal culture, there was no form of gender bias but with the influence of Hinduism tribals have given up on their wise practices and adopted some of the bad processes from other cultures.To which the youth responded by assuring that they would try to start this within their homes.The community people also agreed to send the females outside for education and jobs and let them achieve their aspirations.
Date:14thJanuary, 2018
Time: 12 p.m.
Location: Bambala village
Name of Event/Activity:Youth Meeting
Brief Description:
Peace Centre Udaipur conducted a meeting with all the youth of Bambala village who are associated with the peace centre. This meeting was to thank them for their regular association with the peace centre in the last year.They were then explained about the concept and importance of empathy. They were explained that empathy is critical tounderstand other persons’ feelings to build healthy relationships and it is the firststep towards conflict resolution.If you can understand someone’s situation/ problem by stepping into his/her shoes, conflicts among people of different opinions and beliefs can be resolved easily without leading to the violent disruptions that are caused today. Empathy builds trust and integrity between people. They were explained empathy through practical activities to which they responded very effectively.
Activities for the month of September 2016
Peace Centre Team Meeting
Date: September 29, 2016, Time: 2 P.M., Location: Udaipur
Name of Event/Activity: Staff Meeting
Type of Activity: Discussion about the programs and individual learning plans
Brief Description:
The team of peace centre had a meeting at the centre to discuss the planning and review of the whole month. It helped the team members again to figure out the roles and responsibilities and what are the clear aims and objectives of the peace center. The team also discussed about the activities which have been conducted, challenges faced and steps taken to address the same. The team members developed their individual learning plans of what kinds of skill they would like to personally learn and achieve in the whole month. Each and every member also mentioned their areas and field of interest in which they will focus to develop their understanding and knowledge.
Theme: Strengthening the organization and individual growth
Rationale: It is very important for everyone to know and understand in which direction they are moving and what journey they are going through. It is important to develop some plans and strategies which will help team member to have a clear idea of what they want to accomplish. Looking at this need, peace centre team decided to conduct a meeting to discuss about the monthly plan of the centre and personal goals and objectives.
Resource Person/s: Rahul Dubey
Impact of Activity:
- Total number of participants (in that activity)
4 staff members
- Feedback:
- From Organizers
Meeting was organized and managed well.
- From Participants
Development of monthly plan was done in an effective way.
- From Resource Persons
Meeting was good and all participants showed their active interests.
No. of new youth who joined the peace centre: 15
No. of new community members who joined the peace centre: 7
No. of new partnerships: 4
Youth Meeting
Date: September 25, 2016, Time: 5 p.m, Location: Ghati, Kherwara
Name of Event/Activity: Youth Meeting, Type of Activity: Youth Engagement
Brief Description:
Ghati center conducted a meeting of young people belonging to Ghati village. Meeting was held to know what youth wants to learn in the process of a whole year and how they can become the role models of their village. Young people discussed with the resource person how they want to engage at the center and come out as a leader for younger people of their village. Time and date of next meeting was also decided during the group discussions and youth were promised that the center would help them to become a leader if they also remain persistent and regularly engaged.
Theme: Building learning plans of Youth
Rationale:
ALFA is running its one of the peace centres in Ghati village where youth meeting happened to strengthen the centre. Youth engagement in community arrangement is very crucial since more than half of our population is young which shows the strength and the kind of influence they can leave on the nation and local communities in particular. Ghati is a place which is a mix of many identities from different caste and religion. Majority of the population belongs to tribal community. So there are chances and cases of conflict in the community. Youth are the ones who easily get influenced by polarizing elements of society which includes various religious groups that ignite the fire of conflict. It is important to empower the youth and make them understand that they can manifest a peaceful society.
Resource Person/s: Lokesh and Naresh
- Impact of Activity:
Youth were given food for thought to find out what they wish to learn in the coming 1 year. They shared some of the learning and became excited to work on them - Total number of participants (in that activity)
250 youth participants
- Feedback:
- From Organizers
It was good to see such enthusiasm among youth about their learning.
- From Participants
They were excited to share and work on their respective learning plans.
- From Resource Persons
Good to see how youth participation in the decision making at all different levels has to be participatory and inclusive.
World Peace Day
Date: September 21, 2016, Time: 10:30 a.m., Location: CASA Training Centre, Udaipur
Name of Event/Activity: World Peace Day
Type of Activity: Spreading Peace in the Society
Brief Description:
ALFA Educational Society in collaboration with CSSS celebrated World Peace Day on 21st September, 2016 as a part of Youth Council campaign. The day was commemorated to promote love, peace and friendship in the society. It is a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace. The day started with some brief introduction about the schedule and importance of the day delivered by Rahul. After the introduction, a movie named “Shudras- the rising” was screened which depicted the atrocities that Shudras or Dalits in particular had to go through and how it still happens but in different forms. After the movie, social activist Mr. Nayan Patel was invited to further the issue of caste system. He spoke on “Reservation and Caste”. Another fellow speaker in the continuation of the previous session, Mehul Makwana, also added his opinions and thoughts on reservation and majorly connected it to the present scenario. The last and the third session of the day was focused on the present scenario of communalism and what all could be the possible solutions to end the same. The whole day became very interactive as all the young people were curious to understand the issues.
Theme: Spreading awareness about Peace
Rationale:
India is the youngest nation in the world with more than half of the population belonging to 18-24 years. Still many of them don’t play important roles in the development of the country. If population is huge, given the power to lead, youth can play humongous role in building a peaceful society. Peace can be achieved by eradicating social disparity and discrimination, intolerance, ignorance and other evils of the society as these are the elements which hinder the growth as well as tranquility of a nation. And peace in the society comes from peace at home. Start living a life free of the above mentioned evils and help creating a society full of happiness and peace.
Resource Person/s:
- Mr. Nayan Patel
- Mr. Mehul Makwana
- Mr. Bhanwar Meghwanshi
- Impact of Activity:
All youth participants came with an open and curious mind to build their understanding on the current and ongoing issues which are disrupting peace in the communities. The activities were planned and designed according to the current local issues of the societies.
- Total number of participants (in that activity)
70 youth participants
- Feedback:
- From Organizers
Youth showed their interest in understanding the current scenario in the country and made the sessions interactive.
- From Participants
Participants learned the importance of peace and harmony in the community and how they should deal with the conflicts.
- From Resource Persons
The young peace builders are more concerned about the present local issues of their communities and are taking steps towards building peaceful communities every day.
Session on Right to Information
Date: September 9, 2016, Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Community Peace Centre, Udaipur, Name of Event/Activity: Session
Type of Activity: Developing information on RTI
Brief Description:
One of our volunteers named Yudhishthir has shown interest in the Act and has researched about the same. He wanted to share his findings and thus took a session on the RTI Act. He apprised other youth about how this act came into effect, why there is a need and how people can use it. Many people have benefitted from the Act and many government led scams have been unveiled because of its implementation. He explained other volunteers how to avail the benefits, become a responsible citizen and spread peace in the society. Transparency plays an important role in building a peaceful society. This makes the government feel accountable to its people and truly follows the definition of democracy.
Theme: Building understanding on RTI
Rationale: India ranks 76th in the Corruption Perception Index just as the last year showing no improvement. It is plagued with high level of corruption in almost all fields and areas. An IAS officer turned social activist named Aruna Roy along with many local activists and grass root civil society organizations fought diligently to pass an act to tackle this evil of corruption and bring greater transparency and accountability in the government. The act was then passed by the Government of India in 2005 and was named Right To Information Act popularly known as RTI.
Resource Person/s: Yudhishthir Pandit
Impact of Activity:
- Total number of participants (in that activity)
10 youth participants
- Feedback:
- From Organizers
It was very good and participants showed their interest actively
- From Participants
The session taken was informative and impactful. The information provided was very useful and will be implemented in whenever needed.
iii. From Resource Persons
The team did a very good job and they have to keep on organizing such events in the future to apprise the youth about latest schemes.
Session on Relationships
Date: September 9, 2016, Time: 10 a.m. , Location: Community Peace Centre, Udaipur
Name of Event/Activity: Session , Type of Activity: Interactive activity
Brief Description:
Divyesh, one of our volunteers of peace centre facilitated the session on Relationships styles and it various handling modes. He explained the importance of having people in life with whom you can share things and build strong connections. The session focused on various exercises which made all youth participants think about their life and how many people they are attached with at all different levels. The people included everyone from parents, friends to a common person they see and meet in their daily life. Through these activities, the facilitator made them think on how and why some relationships are more strong and long termed than other and how one could actually spread the circle of relationships in his/her life. The session at the end got connected with the real life and with the concept of social exclusion that how many different communities/group of people/some particular caste members are isolated or neglected from the rest of the society.
Theme: Importance of Relationships
Rationale:
Human beings survive on the system of relationships and especially we Indians are much attached to the ones we are close or have some kind of relation with. When this system is disrupted, conflict sets in. Due to this commotion we tend to lose the ones we are close with and at the end are left with just a few people. Instead it is important to know the root cause and have a dialogue to settle the situation, get back to those people and widen the circle.
Resource Person/s: Divyesh Joshi
Impact of Activity:
- Total number of participants (in that activity)
- youth
- Feedback:
- From Organizers
Session became interactive.
- From Participants
Participants found it interesting on how they can increase their relationship circle.
- From Resource Persons
Youth engagement was good.
Activities for the month of August 2016
Activities for the month of May 2016
Report – Youth Parliament on Gender based issues in India , March 19, 2016
Activities for the month of March 2016