WE BUILD 2011 - Study Abroad info for Students

WE BUILD 2011 Summer Study Abroad/Volunteer’s Program 20 th July – 20 th August 2011 Bangalore, India Why an Alternative Summer Study Abroad program in India?. The students will also eng

WE BUILD 2011 Summer Study Abroad/Volunteer’s Program

20 th July – 20 th August 2011 Bangalore, India Why an Alternative Summer Study Abroad program in India ?

Bangalore, India

Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka With an estimated metropolitan population of 6.1 million (2006), it is India’s third-largest city Bangalore is referred to as the Silicon Valley of India and accounts for 35 percent of India’s software exports Home

to prestigious colleges and research institutions, the city has the second-highest literacy rate in the nation Bangalore is located in the heart of the Mysore Plateau at an average elevation of 920m Due to its elevation, Bangalore enjoys a pleasant and equable climate throughout the year

Objective: This four-week program is designed as a co-curricular service-learning

model, as it connects the theory taught in the school to the application used in the world

It will not only give international exposure to students but also engage them through a labor intensive experience by building houses for the poor communities, interaction with the villagers, understanding caste system and other related issues of development Overall the program will introduce the students to the Indian society and culture by focusing on the three areas - culture, peace and development It will address the whole issue of Global Citizenship and engage students in action addressing issues related to children’s rights to education and poverty alleviation

The students will also engage in a series of action-oriented projects with children and possibly with the tribal and rural communities:

- Facilitate painting, singing and photography classes

- Teach soccer, basketball, jump rope and other recreational games

- Cook and serve food to children

- Facilitate and participate in discussion forums at the World Youth Assembly 2011

- Teach English, Math and other subjects to the children

World Youth Assembly 2011 (18 th – 20 August 2011) th

(Venue: Bangalore, India)

Increasing economic prosperity and social mores are transforming the attitudes and lifestyles of youth Consumerism and capitalism are converting youth into fast emerging key players in the overall emissions of greenhouse gases Young people therefore have a major responsibility, not just because of their voluminous contribution to climate change and unsustainable growth, but also because they are the ones that will face the

change in the future World Youth Assembly 2011 will let the youth prioritize their agenda for this century We are expecting more than 200 young people to participate

Course Program

Indian Culture, Development Issues and Experiential Learning (4 Credit Program) MODULE 1: Indian Life and Culture (1 Credit / 16 hours)

- Contemporary India

- Political and Economical Challenges in India

- Caste System in India

MODULE 2: Peace, Justice and Social Movements (1 Credit/ 16 hours)

- Housing Reforms and Social Justice Movements in India

- Children’s Rights in India

- Education as an antidote to Poverty

MODULE 3: Experiential Learning (2 Credit / 32 hours)

- Build Homes for the poor

- Teach Children

- World Youth Assembly 2011

Time-wise break-up

The time spent in India for the program will be about 32 days / 4 weeks

The break up is as follows:

1 Program orientation 1 day

2 Culture and Development Seminar 6 days

3 Labor intensive activities - BUILD 10 days

4 Excursion/Experiential Learning 8 days

5 Paper Writing & Programme evaluation 4 days

Total 32 days

Tentative Itinerary Outline 20th July – 20 th August 2011

20th July Arrive in Bangalore, India

21st July Programme Orientation

22nd July – 31st July Indian Life and Culture, Development Issues in India

Children rights in India

29th July – 31st July Visit to cultural sites of Mysore and tribal settlement

1st August – 10th August Project WE BUILD – building homes and an

eco-residential school, teaching and interacting with children

11th - 13th August Visit to Kerala, India

13th – 16th August Final Paper Writing & Program Evaluation

18th -20th August World Youth Assembly 2011

21st August Departure

About Global Citizens for Sustainable Development (www.globalcitizens.org.in)

Global Citizens for Sustainable Development (GCSD) is a registered not-for-profit and non-governmental-organization based in Bangalore, India

GSCD MISSION: To engage and empower children, youth, men and women to sustain

communities, cultures and societies while promoting improvement in their social, economic and environmental conditions through the notion of human responsibilities

GCSD creates platform for children, youth, men and women motivated to bring a positive change at a personal, social and ecological level in their individual environment and their respective society for the progress of humanity GCSD creates a platform for youth, children and adults for creativity, innovation and compassion to transform the society GCSD believes that every individual has a capacity to change his/her attitude and behavior Everyone has the possibility to contribute in their individual capacity for creating a responsible, sustainable and united world GCSD through all its activities will foster moral and spiritual values regardless of caste, color, religion or gender and promote secular human values

The Objectives of GCSD are:

1 To develop and implement educational, cultural and economic programs to empower under-privileged sections of society, such as women, youth, and the urban and rural poor,

in order to enhance their social, economic and cultural well being

2 To develop health programs that reaches under-accessed communities and advocate for equality in access to healthcare for these populations

3 To provide educational assistance to deserving children in slums and rural areas and organize programs for overall development of children in need

4 To promote all manner of cultural activities that will serve to enrich the lives of people

in rural and urban areas

5 To promote Cross-Cultural understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures of the world and with focus on Indian life and culture through educational excursions and volunteer work

6 To create a society of “Global Citizens” A well-informed and committed group of young people with a clear vision about intercultural understanding in a world where local and global issues are intertwined and the notion of “Think Global, Act Local” is promoted through various activities

7 To foster peace initiatives, good governance and sustainable living for bridging gaps

Global Citizens for Sustainable Development work focuses on the following areas of social intervention:

Youth Leadership and Youth Empowerment: Capacity building for children and youth

from around the world, credit and volunteer programs for students from Peking University (China), Oberlin University in Japan, University at Albany (USA), St Josephs College (India) and many others

Peace and culture: Building civil society capacities towards inter-community harmony.

For example, working with peace committees in communally sensitive areas; promoting inter-religious understanding and harmony; organizing cultural festivals around the theme

of peaceful coexistence with society and nature; providing platform for people from around the world to meet and learn from each other and so on

Ecology: Advocacy on environmental issues in the country and the region, dealing

particularly with Climate Change Some examples include the looming global water crisis, restoration of water-bodies, roof top rain water harvesting, and water conservation Organic farming and vermi-composting, are part of this advocacy, as well as promoting organic farming among local farmers

Development: Working with farmers, women and youth on issues of ecological

agriculture, health, hygiene, economic and food security; responding to the crisis of HIV-AIDS; and so on

International workshops and networking on civil society issues: GCSD has organized

workshops, film festivals in different parts of US and Asia on themes such as, Climate Change, Water, Youth and World Governance, etc GCSD also helps to network organizations through the World Youth Water Alliance, Asian Youth Climate Network, and Asian Citizens Alliance

Publications: GCSD will print a series of publications every four months for the Forum

for a new World Governance program and that is distributed all over Asia

GCSD International Projects

World Youth Water Alliance (www.wateralliance.org)

China-India Forum (www.chinaindiaforum.org.in)

Japan-India Forum (www.japanindiaforum.org.in)

China-India-Japan Forum

Asian Forum for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

Asian Citizens Assembly 2011 (www.asianassembly2010.org.in)

About St Joseph’s College (www.sj c.ac.in)

For the past 127 years, St Joseph’s College has been imparting graduate, post-graduate and research education to all types of students The college is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council In 2004, the college was declared as a college of potential excellence by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, along with 47 other colleges in the country After examining the academic level of the college, St Joseph’s was declared as an autonomous college by the Karnataka Government in 2005

on the recommendation of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi

About University at Albany (State University of New York) (www.albany.edu)

Strategically located in the state capital of New York, the University at Albany is an internationally recognized public research institution that brings "The World Within Reach" to nearly 18,000 students at the graduate and undergraduate levels The varied perspectives and life experiences of a student body and faculty that represent more than

100 nations provide a diversity that enriches learning at UAlbany Students choose from

125 undergraduate majors and minors and 120-plus graduate programs Many of these programs are nationally ranked, among them criminal justice, information technology, public administration, social welfare and sociology UAlbany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering ranks number one in the world

· Prof Siddalingiah, former Dean of Social Sciences at Bangalore University,

author of several volumes on social issues He is one of the most influential academic, literary and public figures in South India Presently the chairman of Kanada Development Authority

· Prof Manu Chakravorthy is Professor of English in a college of Bangalore

University and is a prolific writer on varied subjects like literature, cinema, music, culture, women's studies etc He is also a visiting Professor at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore for the "Tracking Creative Boundaries" course for the final year MBA students He was a referee for the Central Sahitya Akademi Award (Indian Academy of Letters-2005) and referee for the Karnataka State Sahitya Academy award (Karnataka Academy of letters-2000)

· Prof Jyothi Sahi is a renowned artist with numerous shows to his credit At

present he is running a unique institution, the Art Ashram that attracts numerous visitors He has been lecturing on art in different institutions for a long time

· Prof Ruma Sen is an Associate Professor of Intercultural Communication and

Media Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey She has a Ph.D in Communication Studies and Masters degrees in International Development and Communication She has worked in a range of professional fields including women’s empowerment, rural development and consulting for international development funding agencies Her current research focuses on Indian cinema and media and the role of globalization in the construction and flows of Indian culture

At Ramapo, she teaches a course on globalization and Indian culture

· Ms Bhargavi S Rao is a Trustee and Coordinator of Educational Programmes at

Environment Support Group She has worked in the Dept of Microbiology and Cell Biology of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and as a lecturer in the BMS Women's College She coordinates She now works as Co-Country Coordinator and Faculty of the "Cities in the 21st Century" and "Health and Community" courses of the International Honours Programme, USA and teaches on other International study abroad programs coordinated by ESG in Bangalore

· Dr (Fr.) Ambrose Pinto is a Jesuit He is a Professor of Political Science and the

Principal of St Joseph's College As an academician, he has authored two books and edited eight His special fields of interest are affirmative action, globalization, democracy and human rights He contributes to academic journals, newspapers and magazines on contemporary issues

· Dr Duarte Baretto, former deputy director of the Indian Social Institute,

Bangalore Specialist on history of development in India and impact of globalisation on the poor Presently heading the NGO, FEDINA which works very actively in South India addressing several social and development issues

· Dr Matthew Philip, a human rights activist and Executive Director of SICHREM

seeks to empower the disempowered groups of dalits, tribals, women, children and minorities to protect their individual and collective rights for a dignified life, through education, monitoring and mobilizing civil society for concerted action

· Mr Joseph Matthai is the Director of the Habitat Resource Center based in

Bangalore, has a vast experience in community development projects and housing sector particularly

· Dr Santha Kumar is an executive coach and US trained psychotherapist who

partners with clients to bridge gap between where they are to where they want to be Santha has considerable international and multicultural experience; he has lived, worked and studied in Asia, Europe and the US

· Mr Anugraha John is the Director of Global Citizens for Sustainable

Development, a youth leader and activist promoting the idea of Global Citizens He

is presently on the Youth Advisory Board of the UN-Habitat and has facilitated several sessions in many colleges and universities across the globe on environmental and development issues

· Ms Lucinda Hartley is a registered Landscape Architect with extensive

experience in international development and a diverse project experience across Asia and Pacific Lucinda is currently the Executive Officer of Architects without Frontiers Australia, a non-profit architectural and urban design studio providing pro-bono professional services to communities in need in the Asia Pacific Region She also sits on the youth advisory board of the UN-HABTITAT

· Ms Sangeetha Raju is presently working in the capacity of Programme

Coordinator of the GCSD She holds a Bachelors of Technology Degree in Electronics and Communication from the University of Kannur in Kerala Her schooling in Kuwait has given her an International exposure on inter-cultural issues She has worked in the capacity of a Quality Analyst and Team Lead in an MNC in Bangalore

· Ms Sevelina Trifonova a graduate from the US now living in Bulgaria, has done a

Study Abroad Program in India She will act as a cultural liaison to the students in assisting them acclimate to an Indian lifestyle

Credits Evaluation

This will be jointly done with GCSD and faculty of St Joseph’s College in Bangalore, India and/or University at Albany (State University of New York, USA) After completion of the program you shall receive 4 credits from St Joseph’s College, Bangalore, India and/or University at Albany (State University of New York, USA)

Accommodations

Comfortable single and double rooms, each with bath, are available at Visthar (www.visthar.org) where students will be initially staying Visthar has conference halls, outdoor meditation centers, walking paths, computers, a library and documentation center that are at the disposal of the students From there, students will move to a comfortable Guest House in Gauribidanur During field trips accommodations will include educational institutions or small hotels (Mysore – Hotel Siddhartha) with equivalent facilities

Excursions and Field Trips

Visits to historic and cultural sites and field trips to development projects around Mysore, Alleppey, Kerala (Venice of the East) and Bangalore are also included

Total Program Cost – Study Abroad Program USD $1700 / EURO 1150

Price Includes:

- Food and lodging (31 days)

- All transportation costs in India during the program

- Preparatory costs, Tuition fees and administrative costs

- Field trips and excursions

- Resource persons

- Contribution towards the project, WE BUILD and other NGOs

Price Does Not Include:

- Indian Visa and/or travel insurance

- Airfare to and from Bangalore

- Any travel before or after the program

WE BUILD 2011 Tentative (subje ct to change) Program Schedule

20 th July – 20 th August 2011

Wednesday, 20 th July Arrive in Bangalore, India / Arrival / Welcome / Rest

Dinner at 7:30 pm

Stay at Visthar, Bangalore

Thursday, 21 st July Welcome and flower-mandala ceremony

Morning: Programme Orientation - General information on the WE BUILD program

 Self introduction

 Introducing Global Citizens for Sustainable Development

 Introducing key instructors

 Discussion on cultural "Dos and Donts" (dress code, ways of greeting, possible areas of cultural miscommunications, etc.)

 Guidelines on health, hygiene precautions

 Explaining dietary regime

 Explaining trips into town (bus timings and maps)

 Interaction with faculty members: Dr Santha Kumar, Mr Anugraha John, Ms Lucinda Hartley, Fr Ambrose Pinto, Prof Siddalingiah, Ms Sangeetha,

Dr Ruma Sen and discussion with students on the key question "What do we expect to get out of this program, WE BUILD 2011?"

 Explaining the course outline

 Course related films (feature/documentary) and GCSD Reader

 Explaining class schedule and experiential learning Component The mornings will comprise two sessions with a tea break in between Except on a few days afternoon sessions will be devoted to readings from the GCSD Reader and writing

of assignments

o 1st session: 10:00 am - 11:30 am

o 2nd session: 11.45 am - 01.15 pm

o 3rd session: 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

 Break - Sunday

 Breakfast - 08.00 am; Morning tea - 11.30 am; Lunch - 01.15 pm; Evening tea - 04.00 pm; Dinner - 07.30 pm

 Daily yoga classes by experienced teacher

 Sports and fun: Volleyball, chess, scrabble, and other Indian outdoor games

 The creative urge: Pottery, photo-club, gardening, writing, literature, etc

Afternoon: Visit Bangalore city and welcome Ceremony at Living Hope Children’s Home, Bangalore center

Evening: Bollywood film: ‘Tare Zameen Par’

Friday, 22 nd July

Morning: Prof N Manu Chakravorthy / Prof Ruma Sen: Contemporary India

Saturday, 23 rd July

Prof Japhet: The Dalit Movement/ Caste system

Sunday, 24 th July

FREE DAY

Monday, 25 th July

Visit to Art Ashram and session with Prof Jyoti Sahi on "Art and Social Transformation"

Tuesday, 26 th July

Dr Duarte Baretto: Indian development in the evolving context of Global Economy

Wednesday, 27 th July

Morning: Fr Ambrose Pinto: Education system in India & Reform in India through Education

Afternoon: Dr Mathew Philip: Child Rights & Child Labour

Classes to be held at St Joseph’s College, Bangalore

Thursday, 28 th July

Ms Bhargavi Rao – Environmental movements in India and Innovative methods of Environmental Education for children

Afternoon: Session by Mr Joseph Matthai and Habitat for Humanity Bangalore team on

- Housing and its Challenges

Session by Ms Lucinda Hartley & Mr Anugraha John on

- Agenda of the UN-Habitat and its Policies on Housing & the role of youth

Friday, 29 th July

Leave for Mysore by van

Morning: Visit Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace & Somnathpur Keshava Temple

Saturday, 30 th July

Leave for H.D Kote by van

Visit a poor tribal village (H.D Kote) Interaction with children at the tribal school (GCSD supports and works with this tribal school)