Relationships Environment

Social Issues

Dothese sound relevant to your life?

Then come to the JivanVidya Life-skills & Peace Education workshop

from21^st July (Monday) to 27^th July (Sunday), 2008(both days inclusive).

Through dialogues, films and activities, we shall explore these concepts and much more.

The workshop will also offer an opportunity for interaction with participants of the InSPIRE program from the US (see http://summerinindia.org/ for more information on the InSPIRE program).

Where: The beautiful SIDH campus in Kempty (about 15 km from Mussoorie)

Facilitator:This workshop will be facilitated by Vinish Gupta, who currently heads the GapYearCollege programme, and Academics at SIDH. He has been involved with various social and environmental movements in the past. Until just over a year ago, when he took formal permission and left the order, he was a monk in a Buddhist monastic order, during which time he also had opportunity to explore traditional Indian systems of thought and living. 
 

Cost: This workshop is always shared as a gift, so there is no 'fee' for the workshop. However, the cost of boarding and lodging for each participant comes to about Rs 1200 for the week-long workshop. Participants who can, are urged to bear these expenses. If you are able to contribute more, you can help us support the costs of those participants who are unable to pay. The costs of the whole workshop are thus usually met by the participants. Nobody is ever denied participation in the workshop due to inability to make a monetary contribution. 
 

How to sign-up:  Send email to Vinish / Mridu at gapyearcollege@gmail.com or telephone 0135-6455203, or 09756931811. Places are limited, so prior registration is necessary.

P.S.
(a) Please note that the workshop is of an integrated nature and has to be attended in its entirety. It may not be attended partially. The workshop is residential; participants will be accommodated on our campus in Kempty,Mussoorie

(b) This workshop is open to anyone above 18 years of age.

Are you someone who is looking to do something meaningful with your life? Are you someone who believes that the world should be a better place? Are you someone who wants to make a difference? There are many of us who would answer all of those questions with an emphatic ‘YES!’ – yet the choices and opportunities put before us by our society, education and culture often seem to be very inadequate in helping us translate our intentions into meaningful practice. We are all faced with numerous questions and issues in all facets of our own lives, as well as that of society at large, to which there seem to be no answers in sight:

· Are exploitation, poverty, injustice, discrimination and war an inevitable part of human society or is it possible to have a just and equitable society?

· Are development and ecological sustainability always going to be at loggerheads with one another, or is possible to utilise technology for the benefit of humanity, without disturbing the ecological balance of our planet?

· Is the education of children just about rote, memorisation and eventually getting better jobs, or is it possible to have an educational alternative that not only helps children become thinking individuals but also better human beings?

· Are human lives bound to be an endless struggle just to meet one’s material needs, or is it possible to meet one’s economic requirements as well as lead intellectually and emotionally fulfilling lives?

· Are relationships between human beings bound to be full of conflict, differences, inequality, emotional distress and unhappy compromises, or is it possible to have extremely happy, contented, meaningful interpersonal relationships?

· Is unhappiness, meaninglessness and discontent an inherent part of human existence or is it possible for all human beings to live purposeful, meaningful lives?

The long history of mankind has seen numerous attempts to answer the above questions. While many religious and philosophical schools of thought have put forth ‘solutions’ to some of the above problems, their answers have often been mystical and unable to change the inequitable and exploitative structures of society. Moreover, these very ideas have been used as a means to justify religious and communal violence for many centuries. Postindustrial society has seen an intensification of the above problems and questions. Consequently, numerous ideologies, socio-political movements and social experiments have sought solutions in the form of equality of opportunities, freedom from injustice and exploitation, the creation of classless societies, equal access to natural resources, as well as protection of the environment. Undoubtedly, these attempts have had some impact on the society we live in. However, apart from having their own share of supporters and detractors, no ideology, movement or experiment has been able to show any definitive outcomes. As a consequence, many of us have come to believe that no conclusive outcomes, results or solutions are even possible. We often work with the assumption that a meaningful life and a truly just, equitable society are utopian ideals that can only be dreamt about or aspired towards, but never actually realised or concretised.

Yet the need for answers/solutions remains. In fact, it is far greater than ever before. We are faced with a rapidly globalising world, with increasing inequalities, intensifying ecological imbalance, heightening war and violence and sharpened fundamentalist identities. Moreover, a materialist-consumerist culture and way of life is spreading in all parts of the world. The irony of this socio-economic structure/way of life/culture is that while it creates large numbers of ‘have-nots’, the people who are at the bottom of the pyramid and are struggling for survival; the very ‘haves’ who are at the top (and higher end) of the social pyramid are struggling with the meaninglessness and hollowness of their lives. Our current way of life seems inhuman and unsustainable from all perspectives.

So the question still remains – is there any alternative to the existing social, economic, cultural order? Is there any philosophy/set of ideas/worldview that creates the possibilities of a meaningful way of life, and a humane, just and sustainable society? Is it possible for all human beings to have all facets of their lives harmoniously interconnected – be it the personal, inter-personal, social or ecological? What we want to do now is to go beyond a general hopeful vision and a few promising small-scale experiments to a deeper, clearer, and more specific understanding of how such a way of life, and society could actually be developed. Any such ‘understanding’ would have to be universal; that is, it should satisfy the needs and requirements of all human beings. Any such philosophy that seeks to provide answers has to be one that can be examined and analysed by each individual, that is, it has to be free from any sectarianism, mysticism or spiritual leaders.

We are facing many kinds of problems today - corruption, exploitation, and violence in society, strife in family, and lack of satisfaction in the self.

1. What are the current problems a reflection of?
The source of current problems seems to be an emphasis on physical facilities, glamour, consumerist lifestyle, and a false sense of satisfaction in competition and one-upmanship ('neighbours envy - owners pride'). The focus on the external things leads to ignorance about the concerns of the self. It leads to a blind race for wealth, position and jobs. Many times, in spite of achieving ones goals, the individual remains dissatisfied - jobs and positions that are intellectually and mentally unfulfilling, and wealth that breeds chaos in family, problems in society, and imbalance in nature.

Physical facilities are needed to lead a proper life, however, there is a need to examine how much physical facilities are needed and what is their role?

It is also important to ask the question - besides physical facilities, what else is important in human life? The lack of attention to relationships leads to strife in the family, in spite of all the worldly successes. It is the human relationships and human values that are a source of our perennial happiness. We all possess the human values inherently, and what is needed is to bring them out in each one of us.

The workshop addresses the self in the human being. It draws attention to human needs - need for human relationships, inherent desire to seek knowledge, and the joy that we naturally derive from these. In our current situation, we might be seeking different things. Thus, it brings about a dialogue between what we are and what we want to be. It does not posit happiness in an after-world, but here and now, based on "humanness" common to all human beings. The approach is rational, secular and universal.

2. Experiences of earlier Workshops
The approach is holistic, covering a large canvas, and it has made a tremendous impact on people from different walks of life. Some experiences are given below. Although, the concerns of each of the groups is different, what they realize at the end is that there is a need for human values and relationships and that is founded upon the knowledge in the self.

2.1.Young students in engineering
The workshop was included as a compulsory part of the academic curriculum at IIIT Hyderabad last year. It has led to a major rethinking among the first year students. They have been reflecting on what their goals are, the place of money in life, the joy one derives in relationship, and in seeking knowledge and not merely on jobs and the money they get out of it. They have become relaxed in their self, and become more sensitive to relationships with their friends and family, and regarding society and nature.

2.2. People from different walks of urban life
People from different walks of life are affected by the workshop. Many realize the lack of time they give to their family in their relentless pursuit of wealth, and even more importantly, the way they behave with their children, spouse or old parents.

Many such people are affected profoundly and come back to further workshops with their family members, again and again.

2.3. Criminals in jail
The workshop touches criminals in jail most directly. Those who are seething with revenge, slowly start realizing that in fact their "enemies" are not bad. They are to be pitied and not hated.

In turn, they themselves get depressurized and relaxed. This eventually gets reflected in their day to day behaviour with other jail inmates and with jail authorities. Bilaspur jail experience shows that some of the most violent criminals with also the worst behaviour inside the jail, got totally transformed.

2.4.Social workers from NGOs
People working for uplift of downtrodden in rural and urban areas are greatly affected by the workshop. It dawns on them that along with work on employment generation, agriculture, irrigation, health, sanitation, scientific temper, it is also important to work on "understanding" of the self and on relationship, without which their work and successes are short lived.

2.5.Farmers and rural folk
Rural folk today are in a state of demoralization. They are being told that they are backward, and need to be developed; that they are ignorant and do not know what is good for them; that they need to study English and IT without which there is no future. The present political structure and political parties has led to a breakdown of the community decision making. High powered marketing along with TV has led to a loss of community life and led them to yearn for Pepsi and the "luxury of city life". They do not realize what they possess - clean air, clean water, and a stronger possibility of a wholesome life with fulfilling relationship in family and community.

Experience of rural people who attend the workshop has been that they feel a sense of empowerment regarding themselves and what they can do at their own place. Rather than treating farming as an unworthy activity, they see value in what they are doing. The importance and necessity of physical labour for all, comes out as a corollary.

Established business men who have done the workshop have taken up sustainable or "zero-input" farming where all the required resources for farming is generated from farm land itself. Several experiments in renewable energy are also in full swing. They are deriving happiness out of farming and physical labor.

2.6 People with spiritual background
People with spiritual background usually take time to come to terms that one can talk about "human values" without bringing in elements from mystery or unknown. Many are elated at this discovery. People from different faiths - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity - have started getting deep into a process of self-exploration after doing the workshop, and are able to see that the human values can be derived through this process of self exploration by each one of us and are the same as professed by their respective faiths.

3. What the Workshop is Not
3.1. The Workshop is not a course in moral science. It does not tell you DOs and DONTs. It does not tell you what you should become, or what you should do. (It only seeks to connect you with your Self and encourages you to seek answers within self.)

3.2 The workshop does not talk about rewards and punishments in an afterworld. (The goal is happiness here and now. It puts forward the proposition that the basic human values are inherent and intact in all of us, what is needed is to be aware of them. When we follow what is innate in us, we derive joy and happiness. The listener is free to do self investigation and self exploration and come to his own conclusions.)

3.3 The workshop does not say physical facilities are unimportant and must be shunned. It rather talks of prosperity in every family. (It says that there is place for facilities in life and encourages peopleto fix their place in their own life. This also requires separating needs from desires generated by TV and consumerist culture, where the irony is that accumulation of wealth is accompanied not by a sense of fulfillment but by a sense of depravation, The workshop presents this aspect forcefully.)

3.4.The workshop is not the representation of an organization or society. It does not insist on any specific faith or any specific belief. (It only proposes and asks its listenersto investigate and explore into their own inner self and connect to what is innate and intact in all of them as something which is universal, natural and all-fulfilling for them as well as others. They can do this irrespective oftheir own religion or faith or beliefs.)

Delhi to Dehradun

Train information from Delhi to Dehradun:
Dehradun is the last station where trains arrive before one starts climbing up into the mountains.

There are four trains from Delhi to reach Dehradun, which are recommended:

1. MUSSOORIE EXPRESS (Train No: 4041): Leaving Old Delhi Railway Station at around 9.30 PM (please confirm this again, as the schedule keeps changing) and reaching Dehradun at about 8 the next morning. This train has (non AC) sleeper coaches as well as all classes (III tier, II tier and 1st Class) of AC coaches. The same train is also good for going back. Leaves Dehradun at 9.15 PM to reach Old Delhi Railway Station at about 7.30 in the morning the next day.

2. SHATABDI EXPRESS(Train No: 2017): Leaves New Delhi Railway Station (Ajmeri Gate side of the station) at 6.55 in the morning (please confirm current schedule) and reaches Dehradun Railway Station at 12.45 p.m. The same train leaves Dehradun at 5.00 in the evening to reach New Delhi at 10.45 PM. It has ordinary AC and Executive class coaches. Both are chair cars and both are AC.

3. JAN SHATABDI (Train No: 2055): This train leaves New Delhi Station at 3.25 in the afternoon to reach Dehradun at 9.10 at night. On return journey it leaves Dehradun at 5 in the morning to reach New Delhi at 11 AM. It is not advisable to take this train while coming to Kempty or returning to Delhi from Kempty, as travelling at night to Kempty or leaving early morning from Kempty is difficult with minimal transport available.

4. NIZAMMUDIN DEHRADUN SPECIAL (Train No: 2017A): From Hazrat Nizammudin leaving Nizamuddin at 11.30 at night reaching Dehradun early morning at 5.45 am. This train has only AC compartments ranging from 3-tier to first AC. If you take this train, on reaching Dehradun Railway Station you can rush to the Mussoorie Bus Stand (located right next to Dehradun Railway Station) to catch a direct bus to Kempty (leaves at 6 or 6.30 am depending on the number of passengers. Ask someone at bus stand to direct you to the right bus).

Bus information from Delhi to Dehradun:
There are other good options to come to Dehradun from Delhi. There are buses every half an hour or so from ISBT (Kashmere Gate). Deluxe buses leave from 6 am or so till 11.30 pm from ISBT. Though there are very few deluxe buses running the afternoon. State transport buses leave every half hour, practically all day long. The night buses take about 6 hours to reach Dehradun. The buses that leave during the day usually take a little longer. Volvo buses are fewer and leave either early morning or at night.
Bus prices range from 170 to 350 Rs depending on the kind of bus you take.
Delhi ISBT number for Uttaranchal buses: 011-23868951

For return journey from Dehradun to Delhi you can catch a bus from the Old ISBT Stand (within Dehradun) or from the
New ISBT Stand (in Majra, outskirts of Dehradun). There are buses running all day but buses are more frequent in the
early morning and night hours.

Dehradun to Kempty

Travel options from Dehradun to Mussoorie or Kempty:
If you arrive by bus, the bus will drop you off at the New ISBT Bus Stand of Dehradun. This is located in Majra (outskirts of Dehradun). From here, you can either get a bus for Mussoorie or you can take an auto rickshaw (Rs 60-70 approximately) or a blue-coloured three-wheeled ‘vikram’ (shared auto, Rs 5 per passenger approximately) till the Mussoorie Bus Stand in Dehradun (next to the Railway Station). You can also check with the bus driver when you arrive in Dehradun, if the bus can drop you near the Railway Station.

If you arrive by train then: Right next to the Dehradun Railway Station is the Mussoorie Bus Stand and Taxi Stand. From there one can take a bus or taxi (individual or shared) or jeep (shared) to Mussoorie.  Some taxi drivers might be willing to take you directly till SIDH campus (Kempty) as well. The usual taxi fare for a full taxi from Dehradun Railway station to SIDH campus is Rs.800-900.

Ensure that you take the transport to the Library Side (also called Gandhi Chowk) of Mussoorie and NOT the ‘Picture Palace’ side. Once you reach the Library side of Mussoorie, take a bus or individual taxi or shared jeep to Kempty village (2 km. before Kempty Falls). If you are taking the bus, get off at Kempty village [You can ask the conductor to let you know as and when the stop for Kempty village comes] and ask anyone where SIDH school campus¹ (Bodhshala/Bodhigram Malla) is and walk till there. It’s a short walk (10-15 minutes).
In case you need to go to the new campus/Learning Resource Centre (LRC) then, from the Bodhshala campus, one of the SIDH members will direct you to the Learning Resource Center (Bodhigram Talla – 1 km down hill walk). That would be the easiest and fastest way to get till the new campus if you are on foot.

If you are taking a taxi till SIDH campus, they will be able to drop you till the school itself or the LRC. Just ensure that when you reach Kempty village, you look out for boards to guide you to the SIDH LRC/Bodhshala. If you are going to the Bodhshala campus, take that road up which is a slightly narrow road, hence only taxis or mini buses can go up that road. If you are going to the LRC campus, go straight on the main road and follow the road signs for LRC (which is at least 2 kms from the Kempty market and takes approximately 10-15 minutes to reach from the market). There is a toll barrier that you will cross at Kempty, just let the person know that you are coming to SIDH and you don’t need to pay the toll.

Alternatively, there is also a direct bus to Kempty from Dehradun. The bus leaves from Mussoorie Bus Stand located next to the Dehradun train station. There are very few direct buses. One bus leaves at 5.30 am from the Bus Stand. There might be one or two more after that around 7-7:30 am most probably.

Important:
If you reach Dehradun at night after 8 pm it is unlikely that you’ll find a bus. In that case you will have to take a taxi or stay the night in Dehradun. Please consult with SIDH coordinators before planning your trip especially if you will be arriving late at night in Dehradun.

Distance and Traveling Time:
Mussoorie is 33 kms from Dehradun, and it takes between 1-1.5 hours to reach from Dehradun to Mussoorie. Kempty is 12 kms from Mussoorie, and it takes around half an hour to cover that distance.

Cost of Travel from Dehradun to Kempty:
The cost of a bus from Dehradun to Mussoorie is Rs 30 approximately. The cost of a bus from Dehradun to Kempty is Rs 50 approximately. The cost of a shared jeep from Dehradun to Mussoorie is Rs 60/person and the cost of a shared jeep from Mussoorie to Kempty is Rs 25/person approximately. The cost of a taxi from Dehradun to Mussoorie is between Rs 400-500 approximately. The cost of a taxi from Mussoorie to Kempty is between Rs 300-400. The cost of a taxi from Dehradun to Kempty is anywhere between Rs 750-Rs 1000. Bargain for a good price with the taxi driver.

Mobile Connectivity:
On SIDH’s campus, there is low signal for Airtel/Hutch/IDEA/Reliance. There is relatively good coverage for BSNL network. Hence, it is best to call on the office landline first and then try one of our mobile numbers.

Contact details:
SIDH
Bodhigram Talla
Kempty Village
Jaunpur District
Phone: 01376-213060 (Office), 0135-6455203 (Vinish's wireless), 0-9411144021(Vinish’s mobile), 0-9756931811 (Mridu’s mobile)

SIDH
Bodhshala
Bodhigram Malla
Kempty Village
Jaunpur District, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
Phone: 01376-224203 (Office), 01376-224404 (Jitendra’s Residence), 0-9412915002 (Jagmohan’s mobile)

Email: sidhsri@bsnl.in
Website: www.sidhsri.com
Map of how to reach SIDH from Dehradun: http://gapyearcollege.org/pix/mussoorie_map.gif
 

¹ SIDH has two campuses. Bodhigram Malla (upper campus), where we have the school and Bodhigram Talla (lower campus) where we have the workshops and our main office. Both the campuses are only a kilometer apart. The upper campus is closer to the Kempty village market, so please reach the upper campus.

Information Sheet for Workshop Participants
for the JV Life Skills& Peace Education workshop, 21st -27th July, 2008.

Essentials to Carry:

1. Toiletries and towel
2. Lip Balm (it can get dry here, so it is advisable to bring some Vaseline/lip balm along)
3. Own regular medication (if any)
4. Torch
5. Clothing – it is likely to be chilly here in end-July. So please carry some light warm clothing: at least one warm sweater/jacket / shawl and a cap. (Quilts and blankets will be provided here with the bedding of course).
6. Umbrella / Raincoat – Rain is pretty unpredictable here so it is best to be well prepared for it.
7. One pair of slippers
8. Water bottle (you might require it while traveling)
9. Notebook and pen/pencil (would be required for the workshop).
10. A small bag/handbag to avoid bringing plastic bags on campus when making purchases etc.
11. A rucksack/bagpack is ideal (suitcases, even ones with wheels, are sometimes unwieldy in mountainous terrain). Best to travel as light as possible.
12. Mosquito repellant cream (optional)

Some Information:

1. SIDH/Coordinators will have a First Aid Kit, although it is advisable to get your personal medicinal requirements.
2. SIDH campus serves only vegetarian food.
3. The campus is a no-smoking zone.
4. We are trying to make the campus a plastic-free zone. Please help us by not bringing inessential plastic carry bags, wrapped material etc.
5. No Internet access is available on campus for workshop participants.
7. The workshop will commence on the morning of the 21st July (Monday) at 11 a.m. and will close with lunch on 27th July (Sunday). So it is best to arrive by the evening of the 20th July and plan to leave after lunch on 27th July.

In case of any emergency, please call: (while dialing from within India)
SIDH: 01376-213060, 0135-6455021,
Mridu: 0 – 9756931811
Vinish: 0 – 9411144021, 0135-6455203
Please note that on SIDH campus, there is very low mobile signal for some cellular networks. There is relatively good coverage for IDEA, BSNL and Tata network. Hence, it is best to call on the office landline first.

Contact details:
SIDH campus
Bodhigram
Kempty Village
Jaunpur District, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Email: gapyearcollege@gmail.com

Websites: sidhsri.com and gapyearcollege.org

Map of how to reach SIDH from Dehradun: http://gapyearcollege.org/pix/mussoorie_map.gif
 

Full Name of Participant:

Pre-registration Advance: Rs.500

Mode of Payment: Cheque / Demand Draft/Electronic Remittance*:
(The Cheque/Draft must be payable at Dehradun/Mussoorie to “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas”)
 

Details of Cheque / Demand Draft/ Electronic Remittance:
(Name and Branch of the Bank, & Cheque or Demand Draft Number)
 

Phone:

Full Postal Address:
 
 
 

Email ID:

College/Institution/Organisation/Company:

Please mention any food/dietary restrictions:
 

How did you find out about this workshop (please be specific):
 

Have you attended a JV shivir earlier?
If yes, how many times?  Where?
 

I understand that this workshop is of an integrated nature and may not be attended partially. I undertake to attend the whole of the workshop (all 7 days) and to arrive in time for the commencement of the workshop.

Signature:                                                                                            Date:

NOTE: Please fill in this registration form and send to the following postal address, along with the cheque/draft of Rs.500 payable to “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas” by registered/speed-post (Do not send by private couriers since they do not deliver to the higher reaches of Mussoorie where our office is located).  Please write your name and address on the back of the cheque/draft. This registration amount is non-refundable, but will be deducted from your total contribution to the workshop. (For those who for any reason are seeking a complete waiver, the amount will be refunded to them after the workshop).

Gap Year College
SIDH
Hazelwood Cottage
Landour Cantt.
Mussoorie 248179
Uttarakhand, India

* The fee may be remitted electronically to the ICICI bank account of “Society for Integrated Development of Himalayas”, Account Number: 016401015817, ICICI Bank, Dehradun Branch, NCR Plaza, 24, New Cantt. Road, Dehradun-248001. Please email us details of the remittance immediately at gapyearcollege@gmail.com