October - AFS Intercultural Programs India
Transcription
October - AFS Intercultural Programs India
Celebrating 123456789 10Years of AFS Intercultural Programs India October 2015 Newsletter Issue - X Your source to stay up to date with AFS Intercultural Programs India activities, events & opportunities AFS provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. C O 01 From Director's Desk E N T Intercultural Learning 05 N T 02 Explore MALAYSIA 09 Alumni Achievements 11 Chapter Stories 10 Sending Stories 03 AFS Partner Schools 07 Hosting Stories National Director desk Divya Arora from director’s Know About Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s Slogan Based on Buddhist Philosophy: Educate, Agitate, Organise Bhimrao was born in 1891, in a Mahar family in Mhow to an Army man, Ramji Sakpal. The family moved to Satara in Maharashtra on his father’s retirement, where his mother died when he was barely five. A Brahmin teacher, Madhav Ambedkar, noticed his intelligence, guided him and eventually gave him his own name. In his early education, he lived through many insults recounted as No Peon No Water, in his book Waiting for a visa. He was the first untouchable to enter the Elphinstone College, University of Bombay. Graduating in Economics and Political Science, he entered the service of the Maharaja of Baroda who noticed his brilliance and gave him a scholarship to study in Columbia University where he encountered the Afro-American community, which propelled him to campaign for human rights. Obtaining his doctorate in economics, he then attended the London School of Economics and passed the Bar at Gray’s Inn. He returned to India in 1917 and his patron, the Maharaja of Baroda, awarded him the position of Military Secretary in the Government. Still being treated as an untouchable, he resigned from his post and applied his energies towards the sufferings of millions of his fellow men. He moved to Mumbai as Professor of Political Economy in Sydenham College, where he was very popular with his students, but faced discrimination from his colleagues. This only reinforced his determination and he founded a weekly Mooknayak – Leader of the Silent. He struggled in summarized in his beautiful final words “Educate, Agitate, Organise” which is still the motto of his followers. He was the messiah of his times and converted his followers into Buddhism in 1935 to overcome the stigma of untouchability. In 1936, Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party, which won 15 seats in the 1937 elections to the Central Legislative Assembly. His book The Annihilation of Caste in the same year, based on his thesis at Columbia, attained immense popular success. Ambedkar served on the Defence Advisory Committee and the Viceroy’s Executive Council as minister for labour. On India attaining Independence, his knowledge and understanding of the political climate led to his becoming the Father of the Constitution of India. Today he is the most respected icon of the Dalits and is revered as much as ever. 01 intercultural learning ICL Level W trainings held in Pune October 11th 2015 Trainers: Ajay Mehta, Najmuzamman Mohammad Participants: 19 The training was carried out in Pune at the Kshitij Center and was a one day long training on October 11th 2015. The training comprised of 19 participants from the Pune chapter. It was conducted by Ajay Mehta and Najmuzamman Mohammad and local volunteers helped organize the training. The training comprised of basic ICL concepts such as cultural values and dimensions; communication styles; AFS educational approach; and cultural adaptation models. The participants found the training to be engaging and informative and enthusiastically participated in all the sessions. The trainers found the group interactive and receptive to the training objectives. The training was considered a success by both the participants, trainers and the national staff. 02 AFS Partner Schools Mrs. Kusam Warikoo Principal Delhi Public School, Srinagar About the Principal Mrs. Kusam Warikoo with 31 years of experience as an educator finds herself still in a mode of a learner. Her career spans education, special educational needs, International baccalaureate, resource person and media. She has been on the Advisory Board of the Education Department and the Indian School, New Delhi, nominated by CBSE. She has contributed to many organisations including NCERT on Peace Education. Is well travelled, loves to read books and cherishes her tenure at Sardar Patel Vidhyalaya, New Delhi as the Principal. Introduction about the school’s association with AFS DPS, Srinagar is situated in salubrious conditions with approximately 4 thousand students from the age group of 3 plus to 17 plus. It enjoys the reputation of being one of the most progressive schools in the valley with excellent facilities. This twelve year old school is the first private CBSE affiliated Co-educational school in the valley. We strive to nurture global citizens which is a huge challenge for us. The school is associated with AFS from the year 2013. In this period we have sent thirteen teachers and the Principal for AFS exchange programmes to many countries .Four students have also travelled abroad under YES programme. One student went for a short term programme as well. However we have not hosted any student till date. Q1.What is your take on Intercultural Programs? Culture is what we acquire after we are born. The first thing we breathe in along with fresh air when we come into this world is culture around us. So before we know we have already adopted our culture and faiths. It grows on us. This homogenous conditioning is so natural that we don’t even realise that it is happening to us. This is the first intercultural programme in the life of a child. We, as a children get flabbergasted when we experience the heterogeneous situation in the school. This is the second intercultural programme that we are exposed to in our life. When we see people with different food habits, speaking different languages and sometimes behaving differently because of their cultural influence we wonder whether we are at the right place. But as, “Child is the father of man” we adopt and get adapted to the whole scenario like a fish that takes to water. This brings in fresh breath of air and learning situations in our life without causing much of a difference. This whole process brings in learning experiences of thinking logically, trying and analysing whatever little the child can, trying to understand and accepting the differences in cultures, faiths and ideologies and adjusting him /herself accordingly. Because, for this child, exposure is not intimidating but gradual and a natural growth plan .It is only adults who create unnecessary barriers for each other. They become obstinate by nature and resist change. Acceptance is barred due to ego and prejudice. For these kind of people AFS intercultural programmes is the best thing that can happen to them as adults. Q2.Your vision of Intercultural learning in compliance with your school ? We have a homogenous group in our school in terms of culture and faith .So we try and bring people from different places to the school and also send children to other places. Every year we conduct two art exhibitions of different cultures in the school. The artists reside in the premises of the school and they interact with the students and teachers on a daily basis. All of them together create a new ideology and acceptance of differences on the canvas, sculptures in metal or clay work. Q3.What benefits are in store for the school and students? This year tribal artists from MP, West Bengal, Gujarat, Patna and Maharashtra camped in the school. Students were amazed to find out that one simple meek looking lady had already travelled half the world as an artist with her paintings. People from different walks of life interact with the students on different topics ranging from academics to career option and the world around them. At present we have an international group of artists from different parts of the world camping in the school. We also had an exchange programme with a North East school. Much more is needed to be done to bring acceptance of cultural differences on the foreground through discussions, debates and by living together. 03 Q4.How is AFS different from other organization? We are very glad to be associated with AFS because it works differently. Its programmes are very well structured. The volunteer group is well trained and accountable. Selection processes to different programmes are fair and well structured. Standard Operational Procedures are in place. The best thing about the organisation is that at every level people are counselled, are well oriented and advised before they plunge into a new situation. Last but not the least, the hierarchy is very well defined and everyone is committed to the cause. Q5.Has there been any notable transformation you have witnessed in students sent on AFS Programs? Students who had gone for YES programme show tremendous change in their personality. First and foremost, their horizon of vision has broadened to a great extent. They can easily put themselves in the shoes of others to analyse and understand the situation which was very difficult for them before this exposure. They have honed their intrinsic skills. They also have explored themselves .They have learnt to expand their boundaries .They now understand giving up is not the option but striving for excellence is what is required .They are now happy children. Q6.How has AFS Support system been? It has been a great experience to be associated with AFS. The organisation personifies what they believe in .Support system is very helpful .We as an organisation have benefitted by their programmes a great deal .We are proud to be partners in whatever this organisation does and want to extend more help in whichever way we can .It has brought a breath of fresh air to my organisation .We are very thankful to the American Embassy who introduced us to this organisation which has a global vision. Q7.Your most cherished moment with AFS family? I cherished my visit Istanbul. That was a humongous experience for me personally .Besides experiencing uniqueness of this historical place which connects Asia and Europe I had a chance to meet people from twelve different countries, faiths and culture at a go. It doesn’t happen every day that you get to meet people from the world on a single platform .It wasn’t only meeting them but we lived together, interacted day in and out. We listened to each other’s point of view, which was so divergent from each other. Even then we connected at every level. We realised how much our background influences our thought process. Every opinion lay in context to whichever place we belonged to. In the end despite having diverse cultural opinions and faiths we parted like friends and are still in touch with each other. I would like to thank our host in Istanbul who not only served us homemade food (which was lots of it) but also took trouble of travelling for hours to bring us to her home. Thank you. Students who went on Exchange Program from Srinagar shares their experience https://youtu.be/GOyTtH6aKDE?list=PL2u0rBAY0brv6SZutbHCkDcKBshwqp1Os 04 Malaysia Beautiful & Diverse Country Want to study in Malaysia? Stay with a traditional Malaysian Host Family? Experience the Malysian School System? Be part of their Culture & Tradition? Here’s why you should choose to go to Malaysia: Populated by a blend of Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous groups, Malaysia boasts a rich cultural heritage, from a huge variety of annual festivals and wonderful cuisines, to traditional architecture and rural crafts. There’s astonishing natural beauty to take in too, including gorgeous beaches and some of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, much of which is surprisingly accessible. Malaysia’s national parks are superb for trekking and wildlife-watching, and sometimes for cave exploration and river rafting. Lifestyle and Family Living 1 Extended families often live together. Elders are highly regarded and respected. Malaysians have a relaxed attitude about time and punctuality. Parents are protective of their children and like to know whom there 2 are with and whereabouts. When visiting a Malaysian house, it is customary to stop at the bottom step and announce one’s presence, or knock at the door and wait. Nobody walks through an open door uninvited. Education System School plays an important role in Malaysian society. In states where Friday is a weekend day, school runs from Sunday through Thursday. The language of instruction is Bahasa Melayu but English is a compulsory second language. AFS students can choose which classes to join depending on their interests and availability. Most schools in Malaysia (both primary and secondary) have computer labs, and learning to use the computer is compulsory. Extracurricular activities, including sports and clubs, are conducted after school hours or on Saturdays. AFS MAS will expect Students to make an effort to learn Malay, Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) or Tamil languages 3 06 Teen Life Malaysian teenagers love sports. Soccer and badminton are the most popular games. Tennis, bowling, golf, squash, motor racing, swimming and horseback riding. Teens also engage in sea sports such as surfing and jet skiing, or martial arts. Dating is not encouraged among teenagers. All religions in Malaysia respect each other. Unsurprisingly for a country situated entirely on a peninsula and islands, Malaysia has thousands of miles of beaches for relaxation and recreation. Most of its western coastline is swamp and mangrove, not sandy beaches, but the tiny offshore islands contains some of the country's most visited beaches. .Malaysia has 65,877 km of highway. This is more than the Earth's circumference of 40,075 km. Outside of its major cities, Malaysia is covered by lush rainforests, mangrove forests and offshore coral reefs, making it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund. These include several endangered species of elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, turtles and orangutans. In 1999, Malaysia launched the Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. At that time, it was the first Formula One event in Southeast Asia and the only one in Asia outside of Japan. In subsequent years the event, which occurs in early spring, has become one of the country's major international tourism draws. Last Application Receive Date: 1st March 2016 Program Start: July 2016 Program End: June 2017 Country Age Preferencet: 15 to 18 years For more information, write at: [email protected] Facts & Photos are copied from various sites on internet. 06 Regional Mid-Term Orientation Hosting Stories For Hosted Students Mid-Term Orientations were organized at the regional level in the month of October 2015 at seven different ports. Orientation was hosted by the following seven chapters namely Anand, Ahmedabad, Jalandhar, Delhi, Karaikudi , Mumbai and Pune which included hosted students from the neighboring chapters. The objective of the orientation was to facilitate the hosted students to reflect on their experiences and see if their expectations and goals have been met so far. During the orientation workshops, host students were able to recognize and talk about their difficult situations which they had been facing and how to overcome these situations. These discussions which took place enabled them to help each other to understand the Cultural realities .They had also talked about their feelings and moments which they have been able experience as a consequence of their memorable experiences. All the host students enjoyed and had good time during Mid Term Orientation. One of the host students shared that eating with hand was a cultural shock for him when he arrived but now eating by hand comes naturally to him. Some of them shared their expectations to see Elephant on roads, learn to cook jalebis, dance with peacock and many more which made them go on different levels while discussing with each other. They were happy to share about the bonds with their host parents, siblings, teachers and elders at home. One of them shared that she trusts her host parents and love to answer their concern questions again and again as this is really new to her and will surely miss it when she will be back in her country. Someone shared that the religious values and belief her host family is giving to her would be something which she would remember throughout her life. The event was successfully organized and spread over for two days at every port. On the first day of the orientation host students had intensive sessions which helped them to debriefed and second day it was much on the discussion over their future plan of actions to have a great exchange year in India followed with a city tour. Mid-term Orientation helped us on monitoring the progress of all the host students. This was a successful event and productive in terms of better understanding of the host students. Host students on different ports thank us for organizing Mid Term orientation as they shared that these reflections has helped them to plan their next months of their stay in India. They shared that this was a learning and self reflective experience for each one of them. Last but not the least, we would like to thank the volunteers who came to facilitate the orientations at various ports. 07 Bravo Julia! Hosting Stories By Julia D. Marden, Hosted in Jodhpur, Rajasthan As a proud member of YES Abroad student of AFS ,I Julia D. Marden joined Rajamta Krishna Kumari Girls’ Public School, Jodhpur (Rajasthan) on a one year exchange program (2015-2016). Within a short span the school gave me ample amount of opportunities to explore and groom my personality and skills. One of the best among them was my selection in the IPSC swimming Championship at Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar. This event was organised by the school from 9th Oct to 11th Oct 2015. Almost 19 top IPSC schools participated in this championship. I represented the team of RKKGPS under 19 category and participated in the following events• Free style (400 mts) • Breast stroke (100mts) • Individual medley • Rely (4x100mts) free style • Butterfly 100 mts. It gives me immense pleasure to write that I won the Bronze Medal in the Butterfly 100 mts event. I am grateful the school Principal Mrs. Neera Singh and my swimming coach Ms. Sita Kumari who showed trust in me and became the motivational force behind my victory. Raksha Bandhan Celebrations! By Mansi Vadgama, Host Sister of Christina Guyn, Rajkot I am mansi Vadgama, the host sister of Christina Guyn from Rajkot.I like to share some photos of one of the great functions ' Raksha Bandhan'. As per our home tradition, we have celebrated it. Then we went to our Maternal Uncle's home to tie a Rakhi. And had so much fun with them. On that day, Ahji wore Chaniya Choli the very first time. And she liked it very much. There are some photos of that day. 08 Alumni Achievements A National Youth Forum on drug abuse prevention called “FIRST INDIA YOUTH FORUM” was conducted by Colombo Plan (Drug Advisory Plan) in collaboration with SPYM –society for promotion of youth and masses from 06-08 September 2015 in New Delhi. AFS alumni: Arun Sharma (YES’10), Vyom Raisurana (YES’10) and Syed Maaz Hasan (YES’13) were a part of this forum-conference that was intended for students’ youth leaders and young professionals etc. The plenary sessions comprised of what is drug and how harmful it is, types of drugs, addiction, drug prevention strategies, healthcare in India, About Colombo plan and SPYM– society for pro-motion youth and masses. The sessions were led by doctors, psychologist and train professionals and full of energizers and innovative activities to make us understand concepts such as life skills (e.g. assertion skills). Last day an action plan was made in order to help the victims and to spread the awareness about drug abuse. The participants found this forum as a fun learning experience where they all join their hands from different background to empower this social cause. Furthermore, this forum also provided a good platform for networking and public speaking skills. This program was full of surplus amount of enjoyment. The participants were also awarded participation certificate along with receiving few books as a gift. To read more about AFS Stories, please visit our blog: https://afsindiablog.wordpress.com/ IIT I Can Conference was conducted from 11 – 13 September in New Delhi, the capital city of India. It was an honor for Syed Maaz Hasan (YES’10) and Akash Kumar (YES’14) to be part of IIT conference, with young minds from top colleges and with different backgrounds. The conference was based on a captivating model, a simulation of the three fundamental pillars on which the modern civilization is laid: the Government, the Corporate and the Media. The enthusiasm among the participants and zeal to win at any cost made the atmosphere overwhelming. The political parties battling against each other, propagandizing and making coalition in order to win the election along with hearts of corporate who fought in the market to gain heavy profits in market and convincing the media for advertisements. The complexity of this conference challenged one’s potential as a seller, buyer, leader, graphics designer, propagandist, politician, networker and a lot more in order to stand out as an ultimate winner for his/ her team. A special certificate was awarded to Akash Kumar for the best political party. A certificate of participation was awarded to each and every individual. Last but not the least, Mr Shashi Tharoor, an author and MP for Thiruvananthapuram gave an inspiring speech and made the evening more delightful. For more details, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/iitd.delhi/posts/900 121813348717 09 Sending Stories Discovery Day For students going abroad The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides scholarships for secondary school students to spend one academic year in the United States. The Discovery day which is the second stage of YES Process cycle was carried in 16 cities Nasik, Indore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Delhi, Baroda, Hyderabad, Rajkot, Anand, Bangalore, Chennai, Srinagar, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Pune and Bhubneshwar. It included activities like My name is exercise, English/Vocabulary test, Short story through newspaper, interaction with the parents etc. It was conducted in the month of September and first week of October and was facilitated c by the volunteers and staff members. This gave all of us a platform to interact with students. The students were enthusiastic and pro active during the entire day. Divyalakshya Chauhan, Hosted in Belgium Flanders Umang Patel, Hosted in Colombia I am very thankful to you for giving a wonderful oppurtunity to have a exchange year in Colombia. And I am enjoying a lot. I also feel wonderful as I am very first student from India. I am doing good. and I always represent India in a incredible way. 10 10 Yashashvi Sharma, Hosted in USA Sending Stories BP Scholarship I have completed a month in Houston and this is the best experience I ever had. The US education system provides many opportunities to make choices and display our talent. My host family is also very supportive and they encourage me to try new things .This program is promoting me to be an independent and confident individual. I am really enjoying my stay in the United States. Thanks to BP for providing me the scholarship. Atharv Vyas, Hosted in Japan Marching J Scholarship It feels so great after completing more than 6 months in Japan. It has been a great experience. Japan is an amazing place with rich cultural heritage. People here are so welcoming and always ready to help. From its wonderful people to its wonderful food japan is now one of my favourite country in the world. I am really happy to stay in such an awesome place. The more I learn about this place, it fascinates me more. A thank you might be a very small word to express my gratitude. I am giving all my efforts to imbibe, learn as much as I can and share my culture, values and traditions as well. Thank you so much AFS and AFS volunteers for this wonderful time till now. Janmashtami Celebrations By Jasleen Kaur On the eve of the Sri Krishna Janmashtami, the Delhi chapter organized an event for the host students to experience the joyous celebration. AFS volunteers got together with two of our host students Chiara and Pietro (From Italy) at the ISKCON Chhipiwara Temple in Old Delhi. Our host students actively participated in activities like aarti and kirtan and got to learn about the history behind the festival and the temple. Dressed in traditional Indian attire, our host students took to the floor joining the singing and dancing devotees at the temple. We would also like to thank Divya Ma’am for gracing the auspicious event with her presence. Share your story/experiences Write at - [email protected] For more information, write us at - [email protected] Designed by: Aadil F. Edited by: Ridhima Chabbra AFS Intercultural Programs India Anand Bhawan, 12, Hailey Road, New Delhi - 110001 www.afs.org.in, +91-11-42512498 / 41501672 / 41540827 Connect with us: https://twitter.com/IndiaAFS Chapter Stories
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