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1 We dedicate this book to the life, work, and being of Shri Komal Kothari (1927 - 2004). He was and will continue to be an inspiration to us all, for his tremendous contributions to the unfolding of learning societies. In loving memory of Komalda “Once upon a time, there was a wise old man who lived in Jodhpur, who could talk about everything under the sun. From morning till night he talked, pushing the seconds into minutes into hours into days into months into years, never stopping to take stock of what he was talking about – land, water, agriculture, livestock, musical instruments, oral epics, folk songs, genealogies, rituals, trances, even contemporary exotica like intellectual property rights. There was nothing he couldn’t talk about, this old man from Rajasthan. Gradually, it became clear to everyone around him that he was no longer just talking, but an oral epic was taking shape through him.” So opens the introduction, “Listening to Komalda”, of author Rustom Bharucha’s collection, Rajasthan, an oral history: Conversations with Komal Kothari. For those of us who knew him, this succinct fable captures the unique style of Komalda. The founder of Rupayan Sansthan, Komalda spent his entire adult life exploring the creative life of the peoples of Rajasthan. His contributions to understanding the folk wisdom of Rajasthan are immeasurable. He will be greatly missed by all of us. From Kishore Saint rom Kishore Saint rom Kishore Saint rom Kishore Saint rom Kishore Saint I first met Komalda in the mid-70s. He was already an internationally recognized resource on the folk music traditions of Rajasthan. I have one vivid recollection of that time. It was an excursion with Langa folk singers for a performance before a village audience. After the function Komalda and the group led by the redoubtable Bundu Khan Langa gathered in a school hall and took off with lyrics of their own choice weaving their magic into the early dawn hours. This was my first view of Komalda’s genius in intimate communion with the performers, following their intricate patterns of rhythm and melody and challenging them to audacious turns of expression. It was this discerning sense of worth in Komalda’s understanding of these traditions that has ensured the preservation of their authenticity while making them available worldwide. Our more recent contacts were during the past two years when he had become involved in gathering material for a folklore museum as a learning centre. In December 2002, he visited our Bagdunda centre and had a long conversation with local Bhil Gavri experts. He urged them to hold on to this epic tradition of theirs in terms significant to them. ‘This is your treasure; I am only a gatherer of what you make available to me,’ he said. He shared with them his desire to take Gavri to the same level of recognition and fame the Langas and Manganyars had achieved. Our last two meetings were this year at times of severe bodily stress for him. As soon as he emerged from intensive treatment and saw familiar faces of friends and family, his eyes lit up. With each one of us, he took up shared concerns with precision and without the least hint of being constrained. As he put it, ‘My body is with the doctors but my mind and my speech are mine for conversing with my friends.’ Komalda’s body has rejoined the ‘panchmahabhoot’ but the strains of music and the traditions, tales and artifacts of folklife in Rajasthan will continue to inspire and challenge us in our search for patterns of living in harmony with nature. Let me end this remembrance and tribute with a well known Urdu couplet: Hazaron saal Nargis apni benoori pe roti hai Badi mushkil se hota hai chaman mein deedavar paida For long ages Nargis laments her lacklustre blossoming Till with much travail a connoisseur is born to admire her magnificence. Komalda was indeed the deedavar, the connoisseur for the folk traditions of Rajasthan! From Ramesh Thanvi rom Ramesh Thanvi rom Ramesh Thanvi rom Ramesh Thanvi rom Ramesh Thanvi We should try to toe the line and explore the ocean of folklore which still remains unfathomed. We need to dive deep into it and learn from its treasures (as Komalda did). From V rom V rom V rom V rom Vidhi Jain idhi Jain idhi Jain idhi Jain idhi Jain Sometime in 2002 I had my first long interaction with Komal kaka. At that time I was trying to do some work

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We dedicate this book to the life, work, and being of Shri Komal Kothari (1927 - 2004).He was and will continue to be an inspiration to us all, for his tremendous contributions to the unfolding of learning societies.

In loving memory of Komalda“Once upon a time, there was a wise old man who lived in Jodhpur,who could talk about everything under the sun. From morning tillnight he talked, pushing the seconds into minutes into hours intodays into months into years, never stopping to take stock of whathe was talking about – land, water, agriculture, livestock, musicalinstruments, oral epics, folk songs, genealogies, rituals, trances,even contemporary exotica like intellectual property rights. Therewas nothing he couldn’t talk about, this old man from Rajasthan.Gradually, it became clear to everyone around him that he was nolonger just talking, but an oral epic was taking shape through him.”

So opens the introduction, “Listening to Komalda”, of author RustomBharucha’s collection, Rajasthan, an oral history: Conversations withKomal Kothari. For those of us who knew him, this succinct fablecaptures the unique style of Komalda. The founder of RupayanSansthan, Komalda spent his entire adult life exploring the creativelife of the peoples of Rajasthan. His contributions to understandingthe folk wisdom of Rajasthan are immeasurable. He will be greatlymissed by all of us.

FFFFFrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore SaintI first met Komalda in the mid-70s. He was alreadyan internationally recognized resource on the folk musictraditions of Rajasthan. I have one vivid recollection ofthat time. It was an excursion with Langa folk singersfor a performance before a village audience. After thefunction Komalda and the group led by the redoubtableBundu Khan Langa gathered in a school hall and tookoff with lyrics of their own choice weaving their magicinto the early dawn hours. This was my first view ofKomalda’s genius in intimate communion with theperformers, following their intricate patterns of rhythmand melody and challenging them to audacious turns ofexpression. It was this discerning sense of worth inKomalda’s understanding of these traditions that hasensured the preservation of their authenticity whilemaking them available worldwide.

Our more recent contacts were during the past twoyears when he had become involved in gathering materialfor a folklore museum as a learning centre. In December2002, he visited our Bagdunda centre and had a longconversation with local Bhil Gavri experts. He urgedthem to hold on to this epic tradition of theirs in termssignificant to them. ‘This is your treasure; I am only agatherer of what you make available to me,’ he said.He shared with them his desire to take Gavri to thesame level of recognition and fame the Langas andManganyars had achieved.

Our last two meetings were this year at times of severe

bodily stress for him.As soon as heemerged fromintensive treatment andsaw familiar faces offriends and family, hiseyes lit up. With eachone of us, he took upshared concerns withprecision and withoutthe least hint of beingconstrained. As heput it, ‘My body iswith the doctors butmy mind and myspeech are mine forconversing with myfriends.’

Komalda’s body has rejoined the ‘panchmahabhoot’but the strains of music and the traditions, tales andartifacts of folklife in Rajasthan will continue to inspireand challenge us in our search for patterns of living inharmony with nature. Let me end this remembranceand tribute with a well known Urdu couplet:

Hazaron saal Nargis apni benoori pe roti haiBadi mushkil se hota hai chaman mein deedavar paidaFor long ages Nargis laments her lacklustre blossomingTill with much travail a connoisseur is born to admireher magnificence.

Komalda was indeed the deedavar, the connoisseur forthe folk traditions of Rajasthan!

FFFFFrom Ramesh Thanvirom Ramesh Thanvirom Ramesh Thanvirom Ramesh Thanvirom Ramesh ThanviWe should try to toe the line and explore the ocean offolklore which still remains unfathomed. We need todive deep into it and learn from its treasures (asKomalda did).

FFFFFrom Vrom Vrom Vrom Vrom Vidhi Jainidhi Jainidhi Jainidhi Jainidhi JainSometime in 2002 I had my first long interaction withKomal kaka. At that time I was trying to do some work

2

with Lok (folk) stories and other forms of oraltradition. One thing that really struck me was thediversity and range of ways in which a particular storyor tale was narrated. There was never one same finale,though the beginning and characters of the stories mayhave been similar. When I got a chance to discuss oraltraditions with Komal kaka, he told me to take off myschooled mindset and look at these more as processesof intergenerational sharing and dialogue. Lok (folk)stories were never narrated to give a child a moral ora message but more to help a child to relate to his orher personal life and experiences. Each child tookaway what s/he wanted to from a story and passed iton to others with an additional insight or newperspective. He told me that these oral traditions were neverforms of one way transmission, but instead were ways tocreate atmospheres of listening and imagining. Unfortunately,mainstream institutions today are manipulating peoples’stories, folk songs, dramas, etc. and using them to promotetheir narrow agendas, to push one single moral or message.This really got me thinking more about some questions whichI am exploring: What does Lok Kala mean in today’s contextof the state, market and academia? What is authentic LokKala? What strengths can I personally develop within myselfby interacting with different forms Lok Kala?

FFFFFrom Prom Prom Prom Prom Panna Lal Panna Lal Panna Lal Panna Lal Panna Lal PatelatelatelatelatelKomal kaka shared with me really interesting local knowledgearound issues of culture, land, food and farming. He is theperson who got me interested in exploring the relationshipbetween different geographical regions and language,especially the rich languages of the people who have neverbeen to school and who spend most of their time in nature.It’s amazing how much he knew and how he wanted tokeep knowing more about people’s music, art, work, tools.

His collection of musical instruments had made himwant to know and share more about the intricatedetails of tunes and taals. How seasons, festivals,the direction of winds, clothes, colors, and theharvest were always a part of music. And how thepower of this local media and entertainment werean important part of day to day life of the village…

FFFFFrom Vrom Vrom Vrom Vrom Vivek Bhandariivek Bhandariivek Bhandariivek Bhandariivek BhandariI knew Komal Kaka first as a relative, and then as asource of intellectual inspiration. Through hisprolonged engagement with issues of social justice,Komal Kaka had acquired enormous respect forthe meanings embedded in seemingly insignificantfacets of everyday life among those groups ofpeople of Rajasthan that are often described as“backward” or “illiterate.” In his work, KomalKaka found a way to transcend the limitations ofhis academic training in the patronizingly namedfield of “ethnomusicology.” He acquiredknowledge through the intimate relationships he

nurtured with myriad Rajasthani musicians andtheir communities. The depth of his understandingwas undoubtedly a result of his humility, and hisdeeply felt respect for the cultural lives of thesegroups. These attitudes allowed him to gaze intoand inhabit the rich social worlds created by thesepeople. In doing so, he was able to reveal thelimitations of academic analytical constructs, andthe complexity of the many worlds that aresometimes dismissed as “marginal” or“alternative.” These attributes of Komal Kaka’sgaze reveal an intellectual generosity that hasallowed me, and countless others, to identifythe limitations of our own understanding, and to

respect the lives of those artists and communities thatcontinue to find meaning and create beauty beyond theinstitutional spaces of our postcolonial modernity.

His legacy begs us to delve into the depth andcomplexity of the concept of loka. How does thisnotion of community differ from the uses of the conceptin western academia? How does his use of this conceptcontain an implicit critique of, and resistance against,patriarchal notions of community, nation, and the modernstate? How does an understanding of such issues enableus to grasp the regenerative potential of people whoselives are not weighed down by the state, capital, andtechno-centric imperatives of modernization?

FFFFFrom Prom Prom Prom Prom Prashant Vrashant Vrashant Vrashant Vrashant VarararararmamamamamaI have been rather stirred to share my feelings forKomalda. Somehow just as these saints depart, eventhough we will miss their physical presence, I knowthat their energy is always there… always to nourishand stir us in moments of despair.

3

dedication to komal kothari ... 1

part one : exploring the WSFpart one : exploring the WSFpart one : exploring the WSFpart one : exploring the WSFpart one : exploring the WSFinvitation to the world social forum ... 5debates on the WSF ... 6learning societies stalls ... 9about the companion film ... 10learning tree of the week ... 11

table of contents

part twopart twopart twopart twopart two ::::: learlearlearlearlearning societies themesning societies themesning societies themesning societies themesning societies themes* unlearning ... 12* escaping the universal declaration of human rights

to recover our human dignities ... 19

* urban living ... 27

* community media and expressions ... 32* growing with our children:

parents, families and communities ... 37

* reintegrating play as part of our lives ... 44

* we are how we eat: food and learning ... 49* the power of hands, back and feet:

dignity of labor and local economies ...54

* wisdom, spirit, healing and nature ...65

* walking out, walking on ... 72

part three : beyond the WSFpart three : beyond the WSFpart three : beyond the WSFpart three : beyond the WSFpart three : beyond the WSFliving and learning centers ... 81initiatives from the learning societies network ... 93

4

“““““WWWWWorking ‘orking ‘orking ‘orking ‘orking ‘WWWWWithin the System’ithin the System’ithin the System’ithin the System’ithin the System’If you beat them at their own game, you’ve lost.”If you beat them at their own game, you’ve lost.”If you beat them at their own game, you’ve lost.”If you beat them at their own game, you’ve lost.”If you beat them at their own game, you’ve lost.”

Welcome to Other WOther WOther WOther WOther Worlds of Porlds of Porlds of Porlds of Porlds of Powerowerowerowerower! This volume, along with the companion film of the same name, is the collective co-creation ofover 250 people in the Unfolding Learning Societies network. Here, you will find the experiences, ideas, dialogues, issues, initiatives,dreams and struggles that friends from across the globe have been engaged with over the past year – our unlearnings and up-learnings!

You will also find some glimpses into the conversations that took place when members of the Learning Societies Conference convenedat the World Social Forum and Mumbai Resistance in Mumbai in January 2004. The challenge of ‘Another World is Possible’ and itsassociated debates were very enriching for the Learning Societies network as a whole. We connected with many new ideas, resourcesand most importantly, made lots of new friends. This was significant because many of us are wary that the Learning Societies communityshould not become some closed, self-indulgent, or isolated group of individuals living in a fantasy world. The ‘space’ is comprised ofdiverse ‘practical dreamers’ who are engaging with many of the pressing questions of our times — albeit from different vantage points.

In the spirit of invitation, we co-hosted two stalls and ten sessions at the WSF. The common feeling that emerged amongst theseinteractions was that Other Worlds of Learning are not only Possible but urgently Necessary. We noticed that we all may need tounlearn much of what our education has taught us (both in terms of content and processes) if we wish to practically co-create AnotherWorld in our own lives. In particular, the interactions at the WSF helped to surface many new questions about activism, social change,freedom and empowerment. It became increasingly clear that we must move beyond relying on dominant institutional notions of power.In this volume, you will find many learning resources for re-discovering and re-connecting to other worlds of power — starting with thepower that lies within yourself.

The dialogues at the Learning Societies Conference venue (before, during and after the WSF) focused on sharing existing effortsamongst the co-creators as well as on brainstorming new initiatives together. Prominent among these are the Walkouts-Walkon Network,the Learning and Living Centers Network and the Search-Research project.

We can feel tremendous energy growing in the learning societies family and beyond. We hope you do too! We invite you tocontinue in this unfolding with us, to demonstrate that other worlds of power are indeed possible.

With gratitude and love,Shikshantar, Abhivyakti, Multiworld, Arab Education Forum, IDSP, and UNESCO

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What is the World Social Forum?The World Social Forum was conceived as an international forumbuilt around the slogan “Another World Is Possible” to contest theformulations offered by neo-liberal economic policies and capitalist-led globalisation. It seeks to provide a space for discussingalternatives, for exchanging experiences and for strengtheningalliances between social movements, unions of working people andNGOs, as well as an opportunity for cross-sectoral dialogue. Thefirst three WSFs were held in January and February 2001-2003, inthe city of Porto Alegre, Brazil and were timed to coincide with theWorld Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The WSF has becomea symbol of the gathering strength of forces fighting againstglobalisation and war. It is for all those opposed to imperialist andneo-liberal globalisation, war and sectarian violence. The WSF hasa commitment to democratic values, plurality, dignity and peace.

WSF 2004 is also a symbol of unity and democratic space for peopleto assert their rights for peace and a world free of violence, bigotryand hatred. The WSF India process will not only focus on imperialistglobalisation but also on the issues of religious and sectarianviolence, casteism and patriarchy. The WSF process in India willmake space for all sections of society to come together and articulatetheir struggles and visions, individually and collectively, against thethreat of neo-liberal, capitalist globalisation on one hand and upholdthe secular, plural and gender sensitive framework on the other.The process in India makes space available for all sections of society,but most importantly, it makes space for all those in society thatremain less visible, marginalized, unrecognised, and oppressed. Thisentails the opening of a dialogue within and between the broadspectrum of political parties and groups, social movements andother organisations. The WSF-India process aims to be widespreadand inclusive by allowing for a space for workers, peasants,indigenous peoples, dalits, women, hawkers, all minorities, immigrants,students, academicians, artisans, artists, the media as well asparliamentarians, sympathetic bureaucrats and other concernedsections from within and outside the state. The event will bringtogether independent, as well as mass organisations, new socialmovements and NGOs on one platform, for the first time in recentIndian history. Excerpted from www.wsfindia.org

Invitation to the World Social Forum

On Mumbai Resistance-2004MR-2004 was a four day international event, scheduled independent ofand run parallel to the World Social Forum. It was part of the process ofbuilding a strong worldwide anti-imperialist movement going beyondthe limits of WSF towards organised resistance in continuation of themilitant traditions of the recent anti-globalisation and anti-warmovements.

MR-2004, seeing a futility in the amorphous presentation of “AnotherPossible World” by the WSF, sought to concretely define an alternativesocio-economic structure, as one built on a basis of self-reliance, with atotal break from all controls, domination and subjugation by imperialismand the institutions of the world capitalist system – such as World Bank,IMF, WTO, TNCs, etc. It believed that prosperity and growth in India, aswith all other underdeveloped countries, could be achieved only througha self-reliant economy, moving towards a genuine socialist order. It wasof the opinion that this can be achieved through struggle, not endlessand often not so meaningful debates.- Adapted from “Introducing MR-2004”, www.mumbairesistance.org

With its focus on dealing with the pressing social issues of our times and oncreating “another world”, the World Social Forum and parallel MumbaiResistance-2004 seemed like excellent opportunities for collectively deepeningthe discourses on learning societies. In turn, we felt that the learning societiesdiscourses could deepen the thinking, particularly on issues related to educationand media, within the WSF/MR’04. Approximately 50 leading thinker-doers and 25 walkouts from South Asia (and other parts of the world)were invited to co-create a 6-day dynamic interaction to:* share ideas and experiences with nurturing learning webs in diverse contexts;* explore learning and living on several levels: the self, family, community,locality, and society;* host several thematic sessions and stalls related to learning societies;* interact with events at the WSF/MR’04 to identify obstacles, challenges,possibilities and resources for unfolding learning societies.

6

“The WSF as Open Space”(excerpts)

At this stage of the evolution of the Forum,the question of whether the Forum is a‘space’ or a ‘movement’ has become afundamental question and choice. To avoidanswering this question, by not phrasing itclearly, would be the best way to createdifficulties for ourselves. The Charter ofPrinciples of the WSF emphatically definesit as a ‘space’. Not everyone, however,thinks and acts as if it were really a space,or that it should always remain a space.Many consider the Forum a ‘space’ that issomething of a ‘movement’. To others, it is‘still’ ‘only a space’. This means it can andshould become an enormous movement,or a ‘movement of movements’ as somejournalists call it…

To begin with, movements and spaces arecompletely different things. Without oversimplifying things in a Manichean way, eitherthey are one or the other. Nevertheless, theycan co-exist. Nor are they opposites, whichmeans that they do not neutralise each

The Forum, as argued by those who initiated it, is not an organisation or a movement, nor a world federation, buta space – and to boot, a relatively non-directed space, from and within which movements and other civil initiativesof many kinds can meet, exchange views, and find space to take forward their work and their visions, locally,nationally, regionally, and globally… The Forum frees – and challenges - us to think and act freely, but it thenequally places a demand on us that we keep the space free of control and resist temptations to try to control it. Itis therefore a challenge not only to mainstream, orthodox, and conservative thinking and practice but also – andperhaps even more so - to all those organisations and initiatives that claim to be working in terms of ‘alternatives’but that are doing so through forms and relations that remain conventionally bounded and territorial.

… there are several tendencies that are already taking shape within the Forum that - in my understanding andanalysis - are deeply negative and contradictory to the spirit of the Forum. They include giganticism, the creepingtakeover by a management culture, and the Forum becoming a brand name, its motto a logo, and the starting ofa kind of worldwide franchising. They also include a distinct possibility that the actually existing Forum is not the‘open space’ that it is said to be, and that the Forum is reproducing classical divisive social relations. …

The challenge for the World Social Forum now is what role it should play in translating this into real social andpolitical alternatives. But equally, the challenge for the Forum is surely going to be how to relate to the extraordinarilyfluid and volatile new world context that we now live in…

The WSF as a whole - Some proposals for consideration:1) One purpose of the Forum – though not the only one – is to have an impact on world opinion. But its scale is

becoming a contradiction, so it is time to rethink the strategy of the Forum in terms of how to impact worldpolicy. Rethink the format, rethink the medium. Respect and explore the idea that smaller can be better – thisis an alternative to conventional thinking.

2) Think of the Forum first as a meeting of minds, and not as a set of events where ‘another invisible hand’ isexpected to work its magic.

3) Think of the Forum not as an organisation or an event but as a culture of politics and as a process that isunfolding. Rethink the idea of ‘The World Social Forum’ as being the one, big annual event. Think about whatthis shift in thinking implies.

4) Reflect more deeply on the idea of the Forum as open space. Understand its limits, and come up with waysthat that can defend the openness and can make it more open. Consider the possibility, and the potentialsand limitations, of conceiving of the Forum as a commons rather than as ‘open space’.

5) Rethink and challenge the subliminal idea that organisations ‘own’ the open space that the Forum represents.Find space within the Forum for individuals, not as interlopers but as full citizens. Remove the two-classsystem within the Forum.

6) Rethink the undeclared but underlying idea in the Forum that organisations are the leading edge of change insociety. Consider the possibility that organisations have important roles to play but are not the only agents ofchange, especially in societies as they are emerging. Rethink the idea of ‘representation’.

7) One approach towards all this: Insist on the Forum being an open and participatory process.- Jai Sen <[email protected]>

“The WSF as Logo, the WSF as Commons” (excerpts) WSFDebates

7

What these NGOs and WSF-type bodies areseeking is the institutionalization of dissent. Theythereby protect the system by turning it into aharmless impotent force. How is this achieved?

First it is ideological. They push a non-classapproach and thereby cover up the realityof class contradictions in society. They arevehemently anti-communist, and while criticizingthe present system, they have no alternative,except fairytale-like utopias. They are fanaticallyagainst violence and ask the people to face themonsters that run this system throughexplanations, expecting a change of heart. Theyare isolationists, with each group only interestedin the impact of globalisation on their particularfield - be it women, dalits, tribals, the environment,etc. The ‘debate’ that takes place at such forumsis rarely ideological — mostly confined to puerilerepetitions of post-modernist formulations in theabstract. They refuse even to confront Marxistarguments and prefer to pretend that such thingsdo not exist. At best they resort to their standard

diatribes against all violence, ‘statism’, partyhierarchy, etc. They tend to be highly empiricist,glorifying their so-called grass-rootism and microexperiences, and building theories around theirlimited worlds… So they have only a superficial viewof imperialism, noticing some of its ill effects, whichthey feel can be reformed. They seek therefore toremove the symptom, rather than cure the disease.

The second role such bodies play, is thediversion of people from struggle. With suchlarge movements taking place throughout thedeveloped world, the imperialists are panic stricken.They need to divert it into channels that areharmless. More important, in the backward countriesof the world, with globalisation having led to extremeimpoverisation, militant and revolutionary strugglesagainst the system are inevitable. The WSF-typebodies utilize their vast resources to divert suchstruggles, in both the developed and underdevelopedcountries, into peaceful channels…

Thirdly, such bodies in the backward countries

seek to wean away the potential (andexisting) progressive & democratic forcesin the country, away from the revolutionaryprocess; hindering the development of aneffective United Front against the forces ofreaction. They seek to isolate the revolutionaryforces, and create a wedge between them andthe other progressives and democrats. Having onceachieved this, they then lead these forces into ablind path of mock opposition and puerile debate.Their vast source of funds also acts as a corruptingfactor, giving participants an easy life and therebyblunting their struggling capacity. Once addictedto this life-style, they tend to avoid conflict andrisk, and easily take to the path of theinstitutionalization of dissent. The ideologies ofpost-modernism, anti-statism, non-violence, etc.,ideally act as moral justification for this NGO-styledissent. Once afflicted by this disease they keepat arms length from the revolutionaries…

- Darshan PalPresident, All-India People’s Revolutionary Front

World Social Forum and Asian Social Forum: NGOs and the Movement Against Globalization (excerpts)

other, but rather, they may even be counterparts. But you can’t be both things atthe same time, not even be a bit of each — which would end up by impairingone or the other. Movements and spaces may be seeking, each one performingits roles, the same general objectives. But each one works in a way of its own,aiming at different specific objectives.

The main question then becomes: would transforming the WSF into a movement,now or later, as the process advances — be a good strategy to achieve theobjective of the overcoming of neoliberalism and the construction of ‘anotherpossible world’ ? Or conversely, would it be helpful for us to be able to count onspaces like those that are opened by the WSF now and in the future?

For me, there is no doubt that it is fundamental to ensure at all costs thecontinuity of the Forum as a space and to not yield to the temptation oftransforming it now or even later, into a movement. If we maintain it as a

space, it will not prevent nor hinder the formation and the development ofmovements — to the contrary it will ensure and enable this process. But if weopt for transforming it into a movement, it will inescapably fail to be a space,and all the potentialities inherent to spaces will then be lost.

Furthermore, if we do transform the Forum into a movement, we will be —without any help at all from those we are fighting against — throwing away apowerful instrument of struggle that we have been able to create by drawingon the most important recent political discovery, of the power of open, free,horizontal structures. It is this idea that explains the success in Porto Alegre aswell as Seattle, and of the February 15 demonstrations against the war. Andkeeping in mind that this idea of ‘horizontal social articulation’ still has so muchto contribute to our struggle today, it will also be necessary in the very processof the construction of the world we want. - Chico Whitaker

www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/1557.html

8

FFFFFrom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy SinhaI want to ask you about The Future of Revolutions:a.. is the era of revolution over?b.. if so, why?c.. if not, what might the revolutions of the future look like?

FFFFFrom Nandini Raorom Nandini Raorom Nandini Raorom Nandini Raorom Nandini RaoRevolutions never end, if there ever WAS something called an “era” of revolution. People will always rise up and ask fortheir due, if not demand it. And there will always be catalysts who will make sure that these demands are fulfilled.

FFFFFrom Alok Singhrom Alok Singhrom Alok Singhrom Alok Singhrom Alok Singhit’s my sense that the age of revolution isn’t over. but it has become clear that the kind of revolution where we create,mobilise and deploy an army to wipe out the current system and power structures is not going to serve us. we need adifferent kind of revolution. call it a ‘spiritual revolution’ if you like - or maybe another term?

what might such a revolution look like? I don’t know, and I’m trying to see that more clearly every day.

FFFFFrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore Saintrom Kishore SaintMy favourite meaning of ‘revolution’ comes from Urdu/Persian/Arabic word for revolution, ‘Inquilaaab’, derived from theroot ‘qalb’ or inner spirit, soul. I understand it means ‘turning of the spirit’ or ‘change of heart’ in the deepest sense.

This periodic inner turning on a large scale in a relatively short time and its outer manifestation in human history can berecognized as revolution. In this sense revolution is never over. We can never know what a future revolution may look like.We can only try to know and understand our own inner understanding/truth/spirit and respond with it in accordance withthe challenges of our epoch. No easy task. As the Urdu poet Jigar Moradabadi puts it,

Iss daure faani mein ai Jigar koi inquilaab na aa saka/ ki buland hoke bhi aadmi abhi khwahishon ka ghulam hai.‘O Jigar, no revolution could occur in this doomed age, for despite reaching great heights of achievement, man remainsenslaved to his desires’.

Revolution is an art I pursue rather than a goal I expect toachieve. Nor is this a source of dismay; a lost cause can beas spiritually satisfying as a victory.

- Robert Heinleinshared by Camy Matthay

9

Dialogue is obviously called for. It will help different people in different contexts and withdifferent means to start contributing, each in her or his way, to creating more openness. The

downside of dialogue is that it may remain mere chatter. So, it should be combined with creatingpractices that relate to some of the problem areas. That can only be meaningfully approached ifone is willing to do so from a more holistic perspective than is usually the case in most schools.

- Jan Visser

The Unfolding LearningSocieties Conferencehosted four stalls at theWorld Social Forum.Three of the stalls weregrouped together, in alarge corner of Hall B(see photo to the left).Here, the work ofvarious learningsocieties partners wasshared, such asShikshantar, Abhivyakti,Multiworld, ArabEducation Forum,Possibilities, IDSP. Thiswas placed in the largercontext of reclaimingour creativity andimagination from a readymade world, in order to make other worlds possible. Unlikethe other stalls of the WSF, we created spaces where people could sit together andcreate, reflect and discuss, using media like clay, natural colors, cooperative gamesand handmade puppets.

The Celebration of Walkouts hosted one stall outside of Hall B (see photo above). Setamidst organizations bent on ‘education for all’ (in other words, forcing all childreninto schools), the Walkouts stall had its share of spirited conversations. An interactiveposter exhibition of walkouts’ experiences and ideas was complemented by one-to-one sharing and finger painting with natural colors, on what is a ‘walkout’ and howeach of us are (or can be) walkouts.

Stalls at the WSF

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When the idea emerged among friends from India,Lebanon and France to make a film about the LearningSocieties Conference and the World Social Forum, wewere not clear about what we wanted to do and how.We were a core team of 5 with video-cameras, togetherwith many others associated with the project. We werecoming from different cultures and life experiences. Wewere all willing to make that film, but at the same timewilling to actively participate in the events going on. Sowe took the option of letting our intuitions and feelingsas well as our experiences of the forums guide us, leavingfor later the decision about the story to be told throughthe film.

So we did...and ended-up with more than 60 hoursof rushes!!! We went through all of them, and thediscussions that followed were sometimes passionate.We were going in many directions, not really finding apunch line for our story. After two weeks we were stilldiscussing, and the editing had not even started! Butwe held on to our willingness to build the filmcollectively, to our desire to integrate the ideas andinterests of everyone in the team. I don’t rememberwhen and how the issue of power emerged in our group,but the process led us to try and understand where liesthis power in creating multiple worlds - other worldsthat do not comply with the monocultural and money-oriented system trying to impose itself upon us underthe banner “there is no alternative”.

This film is trying to illustrate that alternatives (withsmall “a” and with “s”!) are not only possible, they

already exist - not in a supposed golden age of thepast, not in a hoped better future. They exist now,everywhere. There are many seeds growing, all the morepowerful that they grow without pesticides. From areflection on the WSF and the different themesdiscussed in the Learning Societies seminars, we wentinto exploring what these other worlds of power are;and tried to understand what they mean in the life ofsome of the participants of the Learning SocietiesConference. Many more experiences could have beenshared, but we decided to limit ourselves to the materialsthat we had, and to focus more particularly on whatstruck us the most. For me, this film is one step, and Ihope we will pursue this work through other such filmsin the future.

We tried to build this film as a genuine experience. Thismeans that we did not try to act as experts coldlylooking at a reality exterior to them, but reflected onour own lives also. This means that we worked withvery little money but with a huge amount of “wealth innature” offered by all those associated, directly andindirectly, in the project. We did not rush for immediateoutcomes, but we took the necessary time to knoweach other, enrich ourselves from each other, argue, laugh,cry, dance, eat and live together.

Making this film gave me a lot of hope. And I realisedthat hope is a very powerful tool to participate inchanging our societies. Of course, the “anti-” discourseis necessary to denunciate the pitfalls of the dominantsystem. But I feel that if we limit ourselves to this, we

will remain reactive and not proactive. And we will beconsidered unrealistic utopians. I would like to say,YES! We are utopians, but we are being- and doing-utopians. We may be full of contradictions, we maymake mistakes on the way, but we are concretely tryingto make our dreams come true.

While saying this, I feel that we cannot live in ivorytowers, comfortable in isolated “alternative”communities. We need to continue sharing andmediatizing what we are trying to do, the diverse valuesin which we anchor our daily life. We need to exposeourselves to the critical eye of others. And we shouldkeep in mind that WE ALSO are the media. Videosare only but one of the tools that we can use to shareour experiences.

I hope that you will enjoy watching this film. I hope itcan be useful in provoking debates around other possibleworlds, and the power lying in each one of us,individually and collectively, to (re)-create them.

- Claire Mollard <[email protected]>

About the companion film... TheOther

Worlds ofPower

filmmakingteam!

(clockwisefrom top)

Ranjit,Praveen,Zeina,Claire,Tushar

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ing While critiques of existing models of Progress and Development have

been voiced by movements for the last 500 years, what is needed ismore time and space for unlearning. A multitude of assumptions,frameworks, programs, assessments, measures, etc., have suppressedboth our diverse realities and our infinite imaginations. As Albert Einsteinonce said, our problems will not be solved by using the same kind ofthinking which created them in the first place. Without space to examinethis thinking – and the practices that stem from it – it is likely we willcontinue to manufacture higher-order problems. Without giving serioustime and attention to unlearning, it is likely that the global and localcrises which abound today will reach even more catastrophic proportions.

There are several different dimensions that people associate with theconcept of unlearning, namely ‘de-conditioning,’ ‘de-colonizing’, ‘de-programming,’ ‘deschooling/unschooling’, ‘de-professionalizing’, and ‘de-institutionalizing’. Unlearning seems to be about becoming more consciousof the different assumptions, abstractions, stereotypes, and expectationsthat influence how we understand the world. It is about exploring howwe create knowledge, how we relate to each other, how we act andhow we grow. But it does not simply mean rejecting big lies, breakingaway from imposed categories, overcoming our fears or anxieties,shattering oppressive relationships, etc. (though it certainly can includesuch processes). Rather, there are also many regenerative aspects tounlearning. It stimulates the imagination, to allow us to journey withconfidence and humility into the unknown. It involves listening bothinwards and outwards, trying to see interconnections, which eventuallyenables each of us to slowly become whole again. In this way, itdissolves the divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’ (or I and the Other).

In this session, we would like to explore both processes of unlearning(How do we do it? What kinds of relationships, spaces, conditions,foster unlearning?) as well as the content/issues for unlearning (Whatare some of the major myths, assumptions, stereotypes, attitudes,etc., we need to unlearn? What lies have our schools and mass mediataught us?).

an invitation

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The session on Unlearning started with Peter and Subashfrom the TIE-Delhi sharing several theater exercises withthe group. The exercises were intended to bring ourwhole senses and body (not just our heads) into theroom as well as to create an environment for exploringintense personal experiences and emotions from differentperspectives. Needless to say, the forty-odd co-creatorsof the session worked up a good sweat in the Mumbaiheat.

In preparing for the session, the host team – Tiana,Sheela, Sarah, Patricia and myself – decided that wedid not want to define the term ‘unlearning’ or shareprevious research on it in advance. We wanted to explorewhat different meanings around unlearning emerged fromthe experiences of the co-creators themselves.

So we broke into six small groups and asked each co-creator to share a specific personal experience they hadhad with unlearning, highlighting particularly what wasunlearned and what provoked the unlearning process.

As they were sharing, we asked people to notice whatpatterns were emerging as common within each of thesmall groups. Co-creators shared a range of experienceswhich challenged many mainstream assumptions regardingeducation, health, religion, etc. These unlearningexperiences had enabled them to make fundamental shiftsin their own lives. One co-creator described thatunlearning involves re-creating oneself, like a mother givingbirth to a child.

Then we asked each small group to prepare a posterexhibition around their conversations on unlearning toshare with the whole group. Each group was providedfinger paints made of natural colors. One co-creatornoted that unlearning takes place when questioning starts,when discomfort is created, when one has the courageto face uncertainty, when one lets go. Another personshared that it was like learning to be like a child again,playing, looking at things through new eyes. A thirdshared that it was about attaining another (higher) senseof learning — seeing new realities and possibilities andbringing greater harmony between one’s thoughts, words

and actions. Someone else described it as “allowingmyself just to be”.

The session closed with a discussion amongst the wholegroup on unlearning. Manish briefly shared the Paths ofUnlearning book and some of the initial findings fromthe research on unlearning. Several questions were raisedat the end of the discussion including:

- What do people at the WSF have to unlearn for thisevent to remain a vibrant learning space and for thismovement to grow?- Should we try to destroy the filter of conditioning,i.e., be filter-less, or should we try to create our ownfilters?- Can I help my younger brother unlearn certain attitudesor do I have to wait until he himself becomes matureand wants to change?- How can we free our learning/unlearning processesfrom institutions?

- shared by Manish Jain<[email protected]>

“What if we were to develop a conscious desire to explore possibilities outside our conditioned thinking?We might become aware of what lies outside the box, we would perhaps see and hear things we were

previously oblivious of. We would gradually develop a creative tension between our desire to change andour resistance, which is a fear of the unknown; we could confront the old model, unlearn what was holdingus back, and begin to open up enough to dissolve the old box, and create anew. When this occurs, it is amoment of breakthrough and great awareness. For a while, there is reduced attachment to the past and

reduced anxiety about the future. Such transformations lead to dramatic increases in openness and create aspace, a gap between current reality and the future vision.”

- Gregory Bateson, 1972

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Would you like to share your personal story of unlearning? Thisbook seeks to create a space for us to share: how we started tounlearn/challenge/resist Development and Globalization (and theirvarious reference points); how we started to reclaim control overour own learning processes; and, how we are trying to regenerateour own ways of living more creatively, harmoniously, justly, etc.The book is really for people who are struggling to make sense ofthe world around them and to create a positive role for themselvesin it. We hope that it will help nudge them out of the “we canreform the system” mode of thinking about the world and encouragethem to take some risks to live more in tune with their own values.

Please consider the following questions for your story:· How did you come to understand/unmask the presentdestructive military-industrial paradigm and its institutions ofthought-control? What motivates you to challenge it?

· How are you resisting the present consumerist/competitivelifestyle and institutionalized notions of ‘progress’?· What are some of your experiences with unlearning and self-learning? What were the processes/experiences by which youidentified and started to develop your own potentials, abilities,skills, creativities, questions, common sense and voice ofconscience?· What inspires you to undertake new experiments in your life?What values/dreams/relationships are important to you? Howhave you gone about exploring dimensions of meaningful living?· What burning questions are you living with?

Find a diverse range of peoples’ stories of unlearning – their personallife experiences of questioning the dominant system – on Shikshantar’swebsite www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/stories_resistance.htm. A volumein English has been published; a volume in Hindi is currently underway.

Paths of Unlearning

Since I left Brazil, 10 months ago, I have been trying todisconnect myself from the “knowledge” that I hadacquired, from the way of life that I used to live. I feltthat was necessary to make this disconnection in orderto be free and open as possible for life again. I feel thatI have been ‘eating’ many feelings, thoughts, questions,ways of living. But it was only at that moment, at theWSF, that I started ‘digesting’. And I have been askingmyself: “What made this process start?” The onlything that comes to me when I ask myself that questionis hope, faith... Each one of you means faith—faith thatis possible to live in many different ways. This spirit ofhope made it possible for me to reconnect with my past.Made me speak about it without any shame of sayingthat many things do not make sense anymore. And, formy health, many things still do make sense: thank God!So, from this connection, many questions have been raisedand are still raising (I hope this will not have an end).

The idea of learning societies comes for me hand in handwith some principles. One is that the process ofunlearning can only be started from oneself. No one elsecan start this. Another is that every human being hasher/his own beauty. In order to relate in a fruitful waywith each other, we need to appreciate this beauty.Sometimes it will be difficult to discover, even with allour senses, this beauty. And here enters faith again, theexercise of it. The necessity of involving head, hand andheart is also present. Coming from a past in which Iwas involved with processes of communication, in aneducative way, to bring about community participation,I ask myself: Is it possible to use communication to fosterand expand the process of learning/unlearning in onecommunity without denying these principles? How?

Most of the population in Brazil is in the cities. Bigcities make it difficult to have face-to-face dialogue,

unfortunately. In my beliefs, it is not possible to learnfrom each other without dialogue (in a sense of equalinteraction, using different senses, not only verbal). Atthe same time, I want to believe that it is possible to co-create many diverse spaces of learning in the cities inBrazil. If I don’t believe in that, I will exclude not onlythe majority of Brazilians, but the ones that I love andhave as my community. I would like to live with peoplewishing more from life. It does not mean to never besatisfied. It means knowing that we have an endlesssource of beauty and we want to explore it.

I am still digesting… digesting everything. There is alsofear in this process, of what is going to come from this.But this learning experience has made me feel alive andhas strengthened my faith.

- shared by Tiana Lins<[email protected]>

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FFFFFrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa JainIn my understanding, de-schooling (or unlearning, or decolonizing, or de-conditioning)is recognizing debilitating frameworks and processes, and engaging in a deep processof reconnecting…. To just think of this as “saying no to schools” – as though thesewere simply buildings floating in a vacuum-like space – misses the point. But I guessyou need to see schooling as embedded in a larger effort of control and scarcity,institutionalization and expertism/professionalism, in order to begin to see why de-schooling is so necessary today.

I can’t see how those of us who love children, who love humanity and nature, andlove life, really, can dismiss or neglect this process of deschooling our lives. For me,it’s a vital part of trying to become whole and find balance in this deeply fragmentedand violent world today. It is how we can free ourselves from this ‘funnel-thinking’– that the only or best place to learn anything (not decided by you) is in a building(not designed by you) with others of your age (not chosen by you), by a regulartimetable (not determined by you), through a teaching and evaluation process (notshaped by you)…

Taking charge of our own individual learning, and working together to co-createlearning for the kinds of lives we hope to live, is part of the conviviality, the vernacular,etc., that Ivan Illich saw as one of the results of de-schooling. I think of this asSwaraj, also, in part. Which means it is open to, and possible for, everyone – notsimply middle class or elite families (for whom, it may indeed be hardest). Youdon’t need experts or money or degrees to understand learning. As human beingswe all naturally know what learning is about, so long as we are connected with ourselves and with life.

FFFFFrom Serene Huleilehrom Serene Huleilehrom Serene Huleilehrom Serene Huleilehrom Serene HuleilehI’ve been brought up in a world that considers “schooling” a privilege, a right, anda struggle... for Palestinians in particular, one of the great “myths” that we are broughtup to believe wherever we are (dis)located in the world, is that education is ouronly “weapon”: Israel can take away our land, our homes, our heritage, but it cannottake away our education. For every Palestinian family there is a frenzied attitudetowards education: people will save the last scrap of money, will starve, only to

give their children a “good education”... we even boast in our literature that we arethe most “educated” people of the Arab world...

I think what prompted me to write after reading Shilpa’s email is the realization thatwe are talking about “schooling” and not “schools”, because, and maybe this issomething I need to (un)learn (but then again maybe not), I like schools (do I heara horrified cry out there!) at least I liked my experience of my school: the hundredsof girls and boys I got to “live” with over the years, the variety of people I met there,the learning opportunities I had (not within the classroom but through the otheractivities we could organize within the ‘protected’ environment of the school)... Butmaybe I enjoyed this experience precisely because I could “walk out” any time Iliked (for the reasons I mention above) and walk back in, and because I couldsleep in the classroom if I was bored (I often did that out of boredom and since itwas a private school the teacher couldn’t beat me up or scold me for doing it!), andbecause I had a say in what I wanted to learn or didn’t want to learn (I couldchoose to simply pass the tests without thinking twice about what the subject is, andthen spend most of my time doing the things that interest me most like dance,organize events, write, socialize, etc..)...

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Maybe school has “corrupted” my mind... and in some ways I’m sure it has... butthere are also many ways that it has helped me cope with life, grow, be stimulated,be proactive, and constantly question who I am at the exact moment when I understandwho I am... I believe that it is within the most oppressive structure that an individualdevelops the capacity to look for ways out and very often finds the mechanisms thathelp him/her cope and transcend the current situation. So, whether inside the schoolor outside, the learning that each of us acquires has as much to do with who we are,where we are, what is our overall life experience, and what our challenges are, as ithas to do with the day-to-day events within the structure of our learning processes.

FFFFFrom Rustam Vrom Rustam Vrom Rustam Vrom Rustam Vrom Rustam VaniaaniaaniaaniaaniaIn our desire for radical change in a chaotic world, most of us try and visualise atarget, make it a tangible ‘other ’ in our minds in order to attack, demonise andtherefore hope to change. In some peoples minds mainstream ‘schools’ - theclassrooms, the pedagogy and the curriculums - are a tangible target to critique, asthey are percieved (and correctly so in numerous instances) as the fountainhead ofa lot of societal ills. My fear is that in targetting the ‘object’, the tangible ‘other’, wemight miss the woods for the trees. As a journalist with integrity would say, we arereporting the event (schools) and not the processes (schooling). It would be a follyto put all our problem eggs in one basket of mainstream schools, though admittedlythere are many problems with schools.

I also believe that we humans are mimetic in nature… we like to follow establishednorms… it makes us feel comfortable. But like Jostein Gaarder, author of Sophie’sWorld says, most of us are running about like fleas buried deep within the rabbit’shair/fur...occasionally some of us (philosophers) choose to climb up a hair and finda wide vast universe we never knew existed. I hope the spirit of those favouringabolition of ‘schools and/or schooling’ forces us creatures of habit to climb thatrabbit’s hair and pole vault ourselves into viewing the world in a different light.There is always another way...

FFFFFrom Manish Jainrom Manish Jainrom Manish Jainrom Manish Jainrom Manish JainWe may all have very different reasons/experiences for wanting to challenge thisdominant framework of education and these are really important to share with each

other. (At a recent meeting with Wasif, he said that we all tend to assume that the‘why’ is clear, but maybe it isn’t, and we need to be more explicit about this fromour own perspectives. At Shikshantar, we have tried to articulate some of reasonsbehind ‘why’ we find this dominant framework of education so devastating in ourResisting the Culture of Schooling series, www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/resisting.html).It would be interesting to hear others thoughts on ‘why’ we need to change. This‘why’ may help us get to the roots of where the change has to happen. (As anaside, I think that arguments like “I liked my school, I had a good time there, I didwell” are very important in identifying our personal positive learning experiences,but are not very useful in arguing for the validity of a system. For example, a personmay say that they personally benefited quite a bit from the system in Hitler’s Germany.This doesn’t mean though that this is a desireable or legitimate system for all.)

Coming back to the context of learning societies, I personally would like to spendmore time sharing and discussing: How to support each other and our families/communities in reclaiming control over our own learning/unlearning processes? Howto regenerate diverse fuller meanings, purposes and processes of lifelong learning inour own communities? How to relink learning to supporting diverse experiments inecological living and to things like intuition, wisdom, love, justice, dignity, etc.?How to connect to and replenish diverse knowledge systems, intelligences, creativeexpressions, spirituality, etc.? How do we want to challenge institutions ofindoctrination, violence and exploitation and co-create other worlds? and much,much more...

FFFFFrom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia LeeCan learning occur without schooling? Of course, because learning is a naturalhuman function too. I and a friend are both watercolour painters. I chose to learnto paint a couple of years ago by individual practice combined with taking paintingclasses with various teachers. My friend chose to learn to paint many years ago bysimply picking up brushes and paint and paper and working at learning it alone. Iunderwent a form of schooling, she didn’t. Neither choice is right or wrong alone,but both choices were right for us as individuals. I found taking formal classesenabled me to learn basic techniques, concepts, and principles in a much shortertime frame than my friend without in any way preventing me from exploring my ownpainting approach and style, and also gave me something outside of the painting

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itself, which is interaction with other painters, andintroduction to some people in what was then a newcity to me and where I knew hardly anyone.

FFFFFrom Vrom Vrom Vrom Vrom Vineeta Soodineeta Soodineeta Soodineeta Soodineeta SoodGoing through the views and reactions on schools, Iam reminded of the experiences I went through whenmy kids started going to a school after going throughan experience of home schooling for four years. Theywent to a traditional school only for three days intheir life. In those three days, my elder son (11 then)was very happy as he was being noticed in the schoolfor his contributions to the class, he was selected toplay violin in the concert. But on the evening of thethird day when he was doing his homework, therewere tears in his eyes. He said, “Mama, it makes nosense to me. The teacher gives me the questions toanswer and tells me the answer as well. Is it going tobe so monotonous always?” By the end of the thirdday, my younger son (6 then) told me, “Mama, doyou think kids are stupid? “ When I asked him why he feels like that, he told me thatis how all the teachers treat children in the class. Their behavior made him feel as ifkids don’t know how to conduct themselves, and it is the task of the teachers tomake children worthy of living. What an insult to human life and human intelligence!Does any creature on this earth have this kind of mistrust in learning capacities andcapabilities of their offsprings? The system that is based on the pretext that a humanbaby is like an empty bowl, and we adults have to fill it, is really demeaning to theentire human race.

When we try to institutionalize anything, we loose the originality, creativity andinstinctive learning/functioning. And we have institutionalized every thing. Here theproblem is if you decide to stay outside this maze, it becomes very difficult tosustain. But that does not mean that the existing situation is natural or the onlyanswer to the problems of this world. This thought in itself is the result of ourschooled thought processes. Again it is not a struggle between in school and out of

school situations. This is very much a struggle between aschooled thought and a free thought process.

It becomes a problem when a handful of people decidewhat the rest of humanity must do. It is the structuring ofthe content. The schedule of learning that some expertsprepare for youngsters is disturbing. If I seek some kindof information/skill and find opportunities and individualsto learn from, I am taking charge of my life. Then I am ina situation where, if I can’t do or don’t want to dosomething that someone else has thought is importantfor me, I am not made to feel a failure and chucked outof the stream of ‘respectful’ living.

The first step is of course questioning our own beliefsand setting off on a path of unlearning and fresh learning.Beyond that, I very strongly feel we need to relook athow we regard our life, how we regard our children,how we bring them up, what kind of expectations wehave from them, what kind of freedom, love and respect

we give to them, what kind of life situation and opportunities we put them throughand so forth. We can’t teach them to love, respect, and be sensitive to others. Weneed to believe in giving love, respect, and freedom, be sensitive towards them tosee them grow in that direction. It is just as honest an attempt as it is. Nothing less,nothing more, than that can lead us to what we are looking for.

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Seeing the Unseen

Here I was standing in front of a pillar with a blackstone carved into an unexplainable shape. The whitelines decorated the stone with waves and circles.The stone was alive and full of breath. It had thespirit of Love and it was speaking to me.

My meeting with the stone opened a whole world ofsensual experience to me. It was natural for my mindto be in a haste to identify the shape and the designof the stone. My mind said “It’s a woman” or “It’s apeacock”. I was convinced but I allowed myself tolook deeper.

I wanted to believe that it is what I thought and thatwould end my whole process of using my energy tolook at it with curiosity and discover the truth whichI probably have never known before.

I kept my mind open and still, allowing it to suggestwhat it thought but I kept on seeing the object withsilence not letting my thoughts interfere with myvision. Soon I began to see the beauty. I saw thebulge and the tapering and the waves that addedlife to the stone. It had opening for Inlet and Outletas if it was a passage of Life.

I felt a change in myself. In my body. In my breath.I allowed my senses to use their complete potentialand arrive at the truth. Many times, I do not use mysenses fully and come to conclusions with mythoughts.

I felt small. I remembered every moment when I wasput in situations where things were beyond my grasp.Many times I am face to face with challenges thatrequire me to see, feel and learn something I haveno idea about. It tires me. Makes me sleepy. I amnot used to using my senses fully and now they havebecome lazy.

I am happy with my lesson. Now I want to see fullywhen I look at something. Can I use my eyes andlook at you in complete detail and notice things thatI never noticed before?

Can I have a deep relationship with everybody andeverything? I want to see when I eat, touch, smelland taste fully. I want to be sensitive to the worldaround me. I want to wake up each day and look atmy loved ones with a new vision. I want to look ateverybody silently and not let my mind tell me whatit knows already.

There is a whole world around us and within us thatwe are unaware of. We do not even know if it exists.

I am asking gently every moment,

“Please reveal yourself to me. Show me what youtruly are for my mind and my senses still have tolearn to respect you fully.”

This is my prayer to Life which reveals itself onlywhen I am thirsty for its Love.

Are you thirsty for Life too?- Ashish Kejriwal <[email protected]>

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There is an increasing concern around the world in regard to theerosion of diversity in learning and perceiving, and the elimination of apluralistic attitude towards worldviews and systems of knowledge. Inrecent years, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) andthe global project of Development (both of which were formulatedaround the same time), in addition to the mass media and the educationsystem, have deepened and widened the march towards “universalism.”

This session will examine the issue of incompatibility between theUDHR and pluralism, and simultaneously start a process that reflectsmore accurately peoples’ experiences with human dignity in variouscultures. We will bring together several “worldviews” that representdifferent traditions and ways of living, interacting, perceiving andthinking. In this way, we will seek out language, metaphors, storiesand experiences which evoke non-institutionalized understandings ofhuman dignity. The purpose of the session is not to come up with anAlternative or New Universal Declaration, which would replace or beagainst the current one, but rather, to start a serious discussionwhich is respectful of the plurality in how people perceive and practicerights in various cultures.

We would like to invite people to engage with questions like: Whatwould it mean for us to stop demanding institutionalized freedomsfrom a State-Market nexus (which appears to be bent on takingthem away) and instead to start reclaiming lives of true dignity?What kinds of partnerships, dialogues, and critical and creative actionswill be important for us to de-institutionalize our lives? How can wecollectively generate more organic understandings of human dignityfrom our own local cultures, which are dynamic, organic, influentialand meaningful?

The session is not about academic but existential concerns. Pluralismand wisdom are crucial to human survival, growth and happiness.They are crucial for reversing current catastrophic trends, and requirehumbleness and respect. The situation in the world requirescollaboration among all; no one alone has the whole solution.

an invitation

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This was the first time I conducted a workshop devotedto the topic of human rights and, in particular, the needto rethink the UDHR and the way it was declared. Thediscussion made me realize – even more than ever before– how important it is for this topic to be discussed. Ifelt encouraged to conduct similar workshops in anyplace where people would be interested, especially inPalestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt.

The approach in the workshop was not to prove oneview is right and another is wrong but rather, to pointout the logic and relationships embedded in UDHRand the process of its declaration. What is also missingis wisdom, respect for people, and diversity (includinghow we perceive rights). Thus, the stress in theworkshop was on these aspects: regaining diversity,respecting people, embodying wisdom, and looking atthe assumptions governing our thinking, perceptions,actions and relationships. For example, for a group ororganization to declare something in the name of allpeoples of the world in the absence of all people is thelogic and relationship embedded in the Declaration.That set a precedent; it paved the way for the UN tomake similar declarations in the name of all nations,including declaring wars on small countries! The realissue, thus, is not whether this or that item should beincluded or modified but the logic that defines how weperceive ourselves, and our relationship to the worldwe live in. The role of the mind is to see similarities,and this is one place where we should exercise this role.

When a group believes that it is absolutely superior toanother, and gives itself the right (and the means) toimpose its view on another (usually with the claim that itdoes that for the good of the second group), it is the

kind of logic and relationship that is very worrying. Itwas in this context that the issue of “universality” wasdiscussed in the workshop. Universal here refers to thebelief that there is a single undifferentiated path forprogress (including progress in the field of rights). Manyhold views, which they believe to be universal. Thedanger, however, is when a view has the means to imposeitself universally – such as the case with UDHR.

Several views were expressed during the discussion inthe workshop. I will mention here examples of twomain views that were expressed. On the one hand,some raised the issue that having UDHR has been helpfulin many situations and that there is always the possibilityof adding or modifying any item. They pointed tosituations where the UDHR was helpful in bringing rightsto people, such as in the case of honor killings.

On the other hand, the issue of how UDHR justifiespunishing a family (through fines or imprisonment) if itis convinced of a different way for their children tolearn other than imposing “the right to education” in the

form of schooling (that is, a central curriculum andcentral evaluation system etc.) was also raised.

It seems that in the final analysis, things boil down tohow we perceive ourselves. Do we perceive ourselvesas co-partners in creating the reality we live in and asco-authors of the meaning of words we use, or do wesee ourselves as consumers of others’ creations andmeanings? Those who find UDHR helpful in theirsituations, should go ahead and work with it. However,people who feel that it is not alright to declare somethingin their names before having the chance to think, discussetc., their view should also be respected, and the UNshould apologize for declaring something in their nameswithout their consent, and the issue of human rightsshould be considered again for rethinking and discussion,among all those who see the importance to do that.Presenting the issue again for discussion may take severalyears, but then it would involve many people, schools,universities, institutions and groups concerned aboutthe human condition around the world. This step iscrucial if rights are not to be looked at as idols but asliving concerns.

* * *We (meaning people and groups associated with thelearning societies network) can start the discussion alongthe path of respecting diversity, people, and natureand thus of embodying various wisdoms concerningdignity and rights. We can start by gathering (fromvarious cultures, languages and communities) ideas,words, expressions, and proverbs that express diversenotions of human dignity, of rights and of the wisdomembedded in them. Slowly, this could involve increasingnumbers of people and groups concerned about thehuman condition, and seeing the danger of leaving the

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future of humanity and nature to experts andprofessionals.

I myself would like to start with an idea from the cultureI grew up with: the Arab Islamic culture. It is the ideaof ijtihad. In Islam, ijtihad means putting an effort tounderstand the Quran – through reflection,contemplation and discussion – in light of one’sexperiences and realities. No one has the authority toimpose a certain interpretation on all. This right andduty, which give freedom to every Muslim and whichembody diversity down to the individual level, I suggesthere to extend it as a right, which can be articulated asthe right of every person to independently search andform the meaning of words that s/he uses. This rightembodies and guarantees diversity and freedom, bothat the individual and community levels. It embodiesrespect of all people without exception: every personis a co-author of the meaning of the words s/he uses.

- shared by Munir Fasheh<[email protected]>

FFFFFrom Jan Vrom Jan Vrom Jan Vrom Jan Vrom Jan VisserisserisserisserisserI see the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a simple step in ahistorical process. Munir is right in asserting that that process counted with theparticipation of far less than the world community of peoples and that the dialogueon human rights should be ongoing. The declaration was universal only in the mindsof those who defined the parameters of what they saw as the universe. Consideringthe time the declaration was adopted, the world was only beginning to experiencethe emancipation of the majority of its peoples from a system that had for centuriesdefined the world in terms of how a small minority viewed the world. No wonderthat the UDHR reflects that phase of human history. Should anyone apologize forit? I’m personally not in favor, simply because it’s pretty useless. One can’t excusehistory. Those who were involved in the thinking at that time are no longer with us.The United Nations, as a community, has evolved beyond what it was when thedeclaration was adopted. More important is, in my view, that current generationsdevelop consciousness about what, to their present-day mind, was right and wrongin the past and what now ought to be corrected.

Perhaps one of the bigger problems in our world is “institutionalization.” The UDHRhas, for many people, become an institute, rather than an opportunity for ongoingdialogue. The same is often true for Islam, Christianity, Judaism (or whatever otherreligion), art and science. If so, then we must strive towards de-institutionalizationof institutions (and avoid in the process that de-institutionalization becomes anotherinstitution).

FFFFFrom Norrom Norrom Norrom Norrom Norman Longworthman Longworthman Longworthman Longworthman LongworthI offer this thought from Dee Hock, “As the old millennium departs and leavesbehind a thousand years of conflict, ignorance, discord and division, we find ourselvesat a crossroads in the development of human society. Before us lies a beguiling visionof the regeneration of our unique individuality, of a precious liberty of thought andconscience, of unselfish contribution to the betterment of community and the life ofothers, and of a mature, open-minded sense of ethics more advanced than life onthis planet has ever known.”

That quotation provides a starting point for my own explorations into lifelong learningand learning societies and presents an unfashionably positive view of the possibilities

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for humankind. In another sense it places the lifelong learning movement into thecontext of historical progression, and articulates what I at least may want to believeabout the times we live in. That image of a glorious future through lifelong learning,the rebirth of creativity, of culture, of imagination, of invention, of partnership, thenotion that finally we have the tools and the vision to enable human beings to realisetheir own enormous potential for good, that is indeed a beguiling vision for me.

Where it relates to UDHR is in the focus on the individual - it’s worth remindingourselves that it is about the person and NOT about the institution (Jan’s word) inwhich the person is situated and from which he/she draws his/her beliefs and eventuallyhis/her actions. So let me be a little controversial. Any declaration of the futureshould contain four essentials: a) it should be based on the rights of each individual to follow his/her ownpathways and not on the rights of belief systems to impose their pathways uponindividuals. b) Consequently it should include the right of all individuals to rise above anysocial, economic, religious, environmental, cultural or political situation in whichthey find themselves, and a right to the acquisition of the physical and mental toolsto enable them to do so. c) it should look positively to the future of humankind d) it should require a basic responsibility to the welfare and the right to life ofothers, whether or not they are in agreement.

FFFFFrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa Jainrom Shilpa JainWhat I realize is that today, most human rights organizations solely focus on petitioninginstitutional channels (the government, the police, the military) to rectify the wrongsthey commit upon people, their lives and their liberties. However, inherent to thisunderstanding is a dilemma. As these institutions are often responsible for infringingupon human freedoms, it seems counter-intuitive to expect them to simultaneouslyuphold them. The “social contract” has been reneged on so many times, in the nameof Development and Progress — and particularly for the world’s social majorities— that pursuing a wholly institutional course of action seems foolhardy.

In recent years, I have begun to see that the human rights framework, as espoused byboth the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by governments’ constitutions,

itself seems to sanctify an institutionalized life for human beings. It seems ironic thatnearly all definitions of what constitutes a free and just life for a human being aredependent upon an institutional affiliation of some kind: the State’s political process,the courts, the bureaucracy, the education system, the medical establishment, themarket and wage economy, etc. (These come in the form of the ‘right to education’,‘the right to employment’, ‘the right to health care’, etc.)

I think “Escaping Human Rights” is an invitation for people to engage with questionslike: What would it mean for us to stop demanding freedoms from the State-Market-(Military)-(Education)-(Media) (which appears to be bent on taking themaway) and instead to start reclaiming lives of true dignity? What kinds ofpartnerships, dialogues, and critical and creative actions will be important for us tode-institutionalize our lives? How can we collectively generate more inclusive andempowering understandings of human life, which are dynamic, organic, influentialand meaningful? These questions are especially important, for they help lay theseeds for emerging practices of learning societies.

FFFFFrom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia Leerom Sylvia LeeI think the UDHR has a meaningful purpose, which is to help us connect with eachother, to share, to explore. But, as you say here, it was developed by, and is now“managed” by, people whose primary life and cultural experience was grounded ininstitutions. Is it the UDHR that’s “wrong” or its interpretation and implementation?For me it’s a fundamental question, because change is only going to happen if weknow WHAT we’re trying to change – in this case, the declaration itself, or thesystem that upholds the declaration – as well as why.

While the UDHR may well be flawed – after all, it was developed by mere humans!– at least it provides a framework for bringing people and cultures and nationstogether, which is a good start. Rather than destroy, can we build on that – build onthe underlying concept and purpose? It is so easy to destroy the body by trying tokill the virus invading the body. If we throw out the UDHR, what will we have tobring us together?

Having said that, it may well be that it’s the UDHR itself that’s “wrong” , althoughthat begs the question of whether it’s possible to ever create something for

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everyone. To generate and activate the “partnerships, dialogues, and critical andcreative actions” you write of, Shilpa, means that there has to be some connection,some common basis for agreement, among the participants, even though there will bedifferent bases of agreement between various people, in a kind of web-like way,rather than spokes-and-wheels way.

FFFFFrom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy Sinharom Sanjoy SinhaIvan Illich said that “Unfortunately both hospitals and schools are not an index ofthe health or the intelligence of a nation. Actually, the number of hospitals is indicativeof the ill health of the people and schools of their ignorance.” Similarly the court,laws, judiciary, human rights are not indexes of the peace, justice, non-violence of anation; they are indicative of the evil, violent, destructive face of a nation. FFFFFrom Blaise Josephrom Blaise Josephrom Blaise Josephrom Blaise Josephrom Blaise Joseph‘Human rights’ is a term often used in today’s world where the violation of the samehas become a common phenomenon. On the one hand there are immense attemptsoccurring to justify a common, universal code of human rights, by the powerfulforces who ironically indulge in the violation of the rights of the other. What does‘human rights’ mean? It is not merely the rights to own land or to meet the basicneeds as a human being, such as food andshelter. It is about the right to be a humanbeing with all the dignity, and the respecta person deserves as a human being. Thisbasic norm has to be understood universally.However, there can be no universal law tosafeguard the rights of human beings,because the laws have to be framedaccording to the context of the peoplewhom they are applicable to. Therefore, itbecomes obvious that the very diversity ofcultures around the world itself questionsthe authenticity of the human rights codeformatted by the governmental bodiesacross the world. The analysis shows thatall such norms are, ironically, created by

people who are alien to the other. The so-called educated people are approved tobe the custodians of such ritualistic activities, who unfortunately do not take anyeffort to listen to the voice of the other. The hypocrisy of these codes is that the verydecision makers are the ones who unleash the violating activities. So the universallyaccepted norms are merely a justification to these contradictions.

Above all the most important aspect of the dark side of human rights is that, it is notframed according to the context of the people to whom they concern. Hence, muchof it becomes the need of the ‘privileged class’, in order to justify their own dominantnature. In other words it becomes a jargon, a loud cry that engulfs the real cry of theother. It is high time that the dominant ones open up their senses and acknowledgethe capacity of the other to make decisions for him/herself. It demands one to takethe radical approach to the universal understanding of justice and human rights — astep that demands one to shed off the attitude of being ‘charitable’. One has toenter into the shoes of the other, only then there is a possibility of doing justice toothers. It is a process of reversing the binocular. In this light the seminar on HumanRights conducted by Munir was an enlightening one. It opened up my mind towardsthe unread aspect much of the ideals that we uphold as universally acceptable.

FFFFFrom Sheela Prom Sheela Prom Sheela Prom Sheela Prom Sheela PimpareimpareimpareimpareimpareOne of the frequently expressedarguments in favour of the UDHR andwhich also happened to be mentionedin this workshop, is the unquestionableuniversality of the ‘values’ it promotes :that of equality, freedom, justice, peaceand so on. Therefore it is claimed thatwhat would have to be condemned isits violation or misuse but surely not itsexistence.

However there seems to be one uniqueunderstanding of each of these values,needed to be promoted through a set ofinstitutions (democracy, nation-state,

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education systems, market economy, etc.) set up to safeguard those understandings.Therefore material compensation (if at all) to families who have been displaced bydam constructions or wars (carried out in the interest of the Nation-State) is a way touphold the value of justice. Even the activists I met seem to hold this view saying thatif nothing else the families should at least be compensated with quality land forsurvival. Therefore in the name of justice, while material disruption is sought to berepaired, families are left to cater to the mental and spiritual disruption in their livesand all that that entails.

Democracy has not ensured more justice in India or in any other country but it somehowseems politically correct to continue to believe in the virtues of the modern practice ofdemocracy to bring that desired justice and equally incorrect to ‘author a meaning’, touse Munir ’s term, of justice, equality or karma which originate from the anotherworldview and in which reside most of the concerned lot’s beliefs. In other words,I would suggest we collectively reflect on how some of these values were/areunderstood and safeguarded in the other worldviews that we are trying to re-generatein our lives and work and then reflect on how to promote them without having to makeuse of institutional instruments to preserve them.

FFFFFrom Camy Matthayrom Camy Matthayrom Camy Matthayrom Camy Matthayrom Camy MatthayI have been searching without any success for an article I skimmed a few years agocalled something like “Rights for People or Rights for Cultures?” which in part wasaddressing the issue of cultural genocide and, for example, the moral status of suchculturally overwhelming institutions as Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. Although thearticle appeared to be expressing a potent case for “human rights,” in fact it was acovert (and ugly) argument for increasing the strength of individualism and the spiritof acquisition at the expense of any sense of the collective.

FFFFFrom Munir From Munir From Munir From Munir From Munir FashehashehashehashehashehI will respond first to the second comment made by Jan: “I see the UDHR as asimple step in a historical process.” I agree as long as we don’t perceive that processas linear; that is as long as we don’t see it as necessarily a step in the right direction,and as long as we see that there are other directions. The feeling I have when I reada statement such as “a step in a process” is that things are moving forward. And thisis exactly my problem with the UDHR.

Charter of Human ResponsibilitiesThe growing interdependence among individuals, amongsocieties, and between human beings and nature heightensthe impacts of individual or collective human actions ontheir social and natural environments, immediately or faraway. This opens up new possibilities for each of us toplay a role in the new challenges that face humankind:every human being has the capacity to assumeresponsibilities; even those who feel powerless can stilllink up with others to forge a collective strength. …

The Charter of Human Responsibilities is neither a legaldocument nor a prescription. It does not solicit signatoriesor endorsements. It is, instead, an invitation, a proposition,a process. It seeks to create a climate of opinion, ofshared principles of action….

PRINCIPLES to guide the exercise of humanresponsibilities (selected)· Every person’s dignity demands that he or she

contribute to the freedom and dignity of others.· To ensure the full flowering of the human personality,

its non-material aspirations as well as its material needsmust be addressed.

· The exercise of power can only be legitimate if it servesthe common good, and if it is monitored by those overwhom it is exercised.

· Consumption of natural resources to meet human needsmust be integrated in a larger effort of active protectionand careful management of the environment.

· The pursuit of prosperity cannot be separated froman equitable sharing of wealth.

· Freedom of scientific research implies accepting thatthis freedom is limited by ethical criteria.

· The full potential of knowledge and know-how isrealised only through sharing them, and through usingthem in the service of solidarity and the culture ofpeace.

- shared by Makarand Paranjape,Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World

<[email protected]>

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What happens when you have faith in eachperson and in the collective?

It is easy on each one. There is less burden to carry.There is more fun and lightness.

You become free from the ‘savior’ mode and the ‘it’smy duty’ mode.

You and everyone learn a lot.You don’t carry enmity or ill feelings towards anyone.

There is no need for rigid structures in ourinteractions.

Relationships become organic and living forms.There is freedom for children and everybody.You are filled with hope instead of cynicism.

- shared by Aspi, Munir, Shilpa,Shammi, Anjali, Tony, and other friends

For me, the declaration blocked the possibility of thinking radically critically – oreven widely – about rights of real human beings, about people who have history,culture, and diverse ways of living, interacting, perceiving, and relating. There havebeen no serious ongoing discussions (to my knowledge) about the assumptionsunderlying UDHR since its declaration, other than elaborations, suggestions,amendments, violations... It was something that fell on our heads suddenly and wewere supposed to mold accordingly. The way it was done, and the implications itcarried, are what worry me.

Progress, development, and education… all embody the same logic: the assumptionthat some people are absolutely better than others and give themselves the right to“help” those others! In relation to the first comment, my purpose for suggesting anapology is not to score a point, or belittle the efforts that were put in articulating thedeclaration, or prove we are more moral (my mind never works like that), butbecause the logic and relationship that were embedded in the declaration are stillalive. My guess is that if the issue of disrespect was raised from the very beginningand the UN was asked to apologize, then the probability of repeating that wouldhave been less. It would have found it harder later – for example – to declare warsagainst small countries in the name of all nations and expect people to accept it aslegitimate.

The “wrongs” I am talking about here are the lack of respect, the feebleness inthought, and the absence of wisdom. Ignoring people, diversity, and the impact onother aspects in the life of communities and societies manifest this lack, feeblenessand absence. The assumption that a group can know what is good for all, withoutknowing them, is part of what is wrong with the world today. This modern habit ofa group deciding what is good for other peoples, cultures and communities withoutknowing them, and having the tools to impose their decisions on them, is manifestedin many aspects of life.

That’s why I believe in the approach we follow within the learning societies’ groups:to heal ourselves from (i.e. unlearn a lot of) what we acquired through the processof institutionalization; to walk out and move on; to save our learning communitiesfrom the onslaught of the various monopolies (such as the monopoly of educationover learning); and to walk our own paths that we form through listening attentivelyto our inner voices, to one another, and to the world around us.

Some people might say (as actually some have done in relation to UDHR) that wedon’t need to reinvent the wheel. I say that conditions in the world today impel us

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www.MultiversityLibrary.comoffers scholars, intellectuals, teachers and students, fromAsia, Africa and South America, electronic access to someof the most significant literature originating from the GlobalSouth. It is an effort by the Multiworld Network, to makesuch prominent work more accessible and available to awider audience, both within the South and within theNorth. These works seek to question the dominantknowledge system, and celebrate the diversity ofknowledges and cosmologies emerging from the South.The site is fully non-commercial, without economic benefitto anyone; so visitors can easily download a number ofrelevant books and materials. In the future,MultiversityLibrary.com hopes to also make films fromthese three continents available on the site.

to re-invent everything (especially whatis considered universal or scientific suchas the wheel!) We re-invent everything,from the meaning of friendship, love,anger, justice, goodness, struggle,solidarity, home… everything. Why notthe wheel?

The apology has another importantpurpose. Even if we just ask for it, it wouldawaken people from the sedate attitudeand the drugged condition that seems tobe part of the policy and design ofcontrolling people in modern times. Thedrugging impact that UDHR has onpeople and organizations, by transformingus mainly into complainers, demanders,promoters and implementers, is part ofthe reason why many communities lost theability to manage their daily affairs andgive it up to the very structures that violatepeople’s rights and dignities.

I want the UN to apologize in humility not in humiliation, in faith not in defeat, to apologizewith warmth and not as a master – something European powers never did for peoples whomthey wiped out and stole their continents, in their march towards progress! Our purposeshould not be to try to make it a gentler master, but a place where real voices of real peopleare taken seriously and discussed.

In the process, we ourselves need to heal from the dominant logic that governs, not onlyinstitutions and governments, but also our perceptions and behaviors. We can’t play doublestandard with ourselves; we need to be honest and cut through the dirt that has accumulatedover the centuries, especially during the past 500 years, and more especially the past 50years. We can’t ask others to heal and apologize without starting with ourselves.

“It’s sadly predictable that the only wayyou can come up with to celebrate the

liberation you feel at leaving the oldsystem behind is by coming up with a‘system of liberation,’ as if such a thingcould exist -- but that’s what we canexpect from those who have never

known anything other than systems andsystematizing, I guess.”

- farewell letter from Mao Tse-Tung’s mistress afterChinese Communist Revolution

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Urb

an

li

vin

gMany modern cities today have become models of faulty development policies and pursuits.Apart from building a massive network of infrastructure, cities are becoming breedinggrounds of inhuman relationships and alienating processes. Feeling the brunt of urbanizationare disconnected city dwellers, who are thrust into cut-throat competition with eachother for supposedly scarce resources. From industries to educational institutions, totrade and culture, urbanites think mainly of how to fulfill their various insatiable needs.But the urban landscape relies heavily on institutions of the dominant system/marketeconomy, in the areas of public health, education, transportation, food, mass media andgovernance. The question for urban dwellers then becomes: Are these institutions servingthe purpose for which they were created? Are schools promoting learning? Do hospitalsreally heal the patients? Does mass transportation ease our travel? Does mass mediaprovide entertainment? Does the state machinery deliver welfare?

While the responses to these questions may evoke rhetoric as well as realities, it seemsto be a crucial time to reflect deeply on urban living. What are the hidden costs ofurbanization? How do we learn to live more sustainably in our cities? What spaces andopportunities for resisting violent globalization exist within cities? For learning societies,urbanization and its corresponding impacts cannot be ignored. Socially, politically,economically, and ecologically cities are facing tremendous crises. Moreover, withoutexamining urban living, it is difficult to imagine how rural communities will survive. Daily,rural resources (at all levels) are being sucked dry by cities.

The emerging crises of city life transcend the pace and scope of education in schoolsand call for new societal processes of learning. Thus, the quality of life in cities andvillages depends not only on individual learning but also on families, groups, neighborhoods,and cities engaging in learning together in ways.

The questions we hope to explore in this session include: How does (or can) city lifeprovide a meaningful existence? What contributions can city dwellers make to transformurban environments? How can they consciously and creatively engage in the city?What is the relationship between urban and rural life? What can city people learn fromvillages? What experiences, stories, experiments are already occurring in this field? Howhave we who live in cities been changing our own personal lifestyles?

an invitation

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Before the workshop all of us (Gunjan, Del, Blaise,Augusto, Rustam, Priya) who were hosting it wereconscious of the dangers of falling into extremes, close-ended and very general debates on whether cities aregood or bad. We wanted the three hours to be spenton more personal experiences. We wanted people tocritically and creatively think about the places they livein today and how we can work towards making themlearning ecologies. And as always, we had thought-outsomething and something rather different happened…which was in itself very enriching.

The workshop comprised of a diverse group of about45 people who live in cities and those who are dealingwith city life in their own ways. Basically they all had alot of questions around urbanization and urban livingand were doing something or the other interesting, be itin the field of environment or spirituality or street theatre.There were also three friends who live in villages andwho were anxious to know how they could prevent theirvillages from turning into parasitic and mind-numbingentities.

The workshop began very informally with each one ofus walking around meeting each other and then puttingdown a symbolic representation of our own cities orurban spaces on a big chart hanging on the wall. Thesimple question on it was, What does your city looklike to you?

The depictions were interesting. One was that of abuffalo consuming endless amounts of garbage andcreating even more toxic waste, which gets dumped intosurrounding spaces. Another was a head full of chimneysand smoke, implying that ‘urbanization’ is more of a state

of mind. Someone felt that his or her city was like afunnel where tons of opportunities exist. Someone elseshowed their city as an octopus. What made this sessionvery interesting was the fact that some of the participantswere even trying to draw rather comprehensive picturesof their own city or village. The whole exercise ofdrawing turned out to be a lot of fun. We then took alook at all these depictions and left the questions thatemerged to get discussed informally.

The next part of the workshop was about sharing with apartner our own relationship with our city or living space.There were three very broad questions put forth:What motivates you to live in the place you live in today?Share stories/ experiences of the spaces that have helpedyou to learn and grow.What is one new thing or action you would you like totake in your place?

The participants were asked to use whichever part ofthe WSF they wanted for their sharing as this workshopwas more about identifying and creating new spaces forlearning or to identify the richness of different spaces ofself learning. As a result, some people who went tohave chai or wada paav, never came back! And manynew faces just showed up.

It seems like the discussions turned out to be quiteengrossing and most people got to share their own work,dreams and a lot of stuff that they learnt with theirfamilies, communities, friends and places they work in.As was shared in the larger group, a lot of participantstalked about their own experiments that are helping themto live less consumerist lives or how they are trying tocreate more artistic homes. One friend from Chennai

shared her work with growing and making their ownspices at home and decreasing their own dependenceon the market. Some friends shared how they use onlybicycles and do only carpooling to commute in the city,how they are trying (and will hopefully succeed) tomake some zones of their city car free. One friend hasdecided to organize storytelling sessions once or twicea month in their mohallas (neighborhoods), though hewas not sure whether he was keen on turning it into acompetition. And so the discussion moved towards thecompetitive city life. This led to talking about theimmense potential to focus more on collaborative games,festivals, art and family life. Music and art were twoareas that I see immense potential in and therefore Itried to share my experiences on it. For me creatingspaces and environments for apprenticeship learning isone of the things I personally feel excited about.

I think many terms like eco-friendly living, organic living,got shared and also deeply scrutinized. One friend fromPakistan shared his experience of moving back and forthfrom city and farm house for a span of nearly six years.He was convinced that you cannot change cities unlessyou do away with schools, degrees and the TV. He isnow back in the city without all three of these things.

There was a long discussion in one group on spiritualgrowth and science/technology, and how urban life is aweird combination of both of them. In such a situation,what does it mean to live a balanced life? Is it possible?The need for spaces and environments for self-growthemerged again and again. This meant yoga, meditationor different processes of self-healing. A number offriends shared how they are creating spaces for these intheir own communities. What does it mean to be spiritual

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in a city? is something that we all left open. There are dangers of being self-absorbedin all these and forget who and were we live.

Many experiments on community learning spaces were also shared, how communitymedia and community arts centers and libraries are really great spaces for intergenerationallearning. There was also quite a long discussion on language, and how cities (unlikevillages) have lost their rooted-ness, because there is an implicit monopoly of onelanguage versus many different spoken languages and dialects. How expression andsymbolism gets lost in such situations. One friend shared how he was devoted toopening up different spaces for regenerating the diversity of expression through localmeans- be it through songs, poems and the spoken oral traditions. This opened up talkaround the need for intergenerational learning and creation and also the need for doingmore physical work with the use of the whole body and mind.

Overall, the workshop was a starting point for thought and a lot of personal churning.My questions about how and what cities can learn from villages, without swallowingthem or destroying them, still remain open. I would also like to know more aboutdifferent resources, be it books, videos, websites and of course people who can provokeinteresting discussions around these personal, as well as political issues of living andself-learning. I am also willing to share some of our joint efforts and experiences onUdaipur as a Learning City with those interested and borrow some ideas from them.

- shared by Vidhi Jain <[email protected]>

Urban Farmer ExtraordinaireRT Doshi has grown averitable paradise on hisrooftop, in urban Bandra,Mumbai. Over the lastten years, he hascultivated severalhundred plants on his1200 square footterrace. These includelarge trees like coconut,guava, custard apple,mango, bananas, as wellof vegetables of allvarieties. A formerdistributor of NPK(chemical fertilizer),Doshi left chemical-based agricultural infavor of urban organicgardening. Afterexperimenting forseveral years, he has come up with a simple way togrow fruits and vegetables in urban spaces. He usesgunny or plastic sacks, easily available seeds, minimalsoil, and kitchen and street waste (like sugarcane husks)for providing natural bio-mass nutrients. He also usesvery little water, as the humid climate of Mumbai providesmore than enough moisture to the plants.

Several of the Unfolding Learning Societies conferenceparticipants had a chance to experience the beautyand wonder of RT Doshi’s farming efforts, as they traveledto his home on the last afternoon of the conference(prior to the closing program of the WSF). They leftfeeling inspired to begin such experiments in their ownurban homes.

Find more on city farming at www.gobartimes.org/gt20040315/gt_covfeature.htm, prepared by LearningSocieties conference participant, Rustam Vania, GobarTimes editor!

FFFFFrom Jock McClellanrom Jock McClellanrom Jock McClellanrom Jock McClellanrom Jock McClellanMy wife, daughter and I were very affected by what we saw on ourtrip to Bhutan recently. They seek “Gross National Happiness,” andsee GNP as misleading. Admittedly superficial, we nonetheless hadthe strong sense that people are genuinely happy, and not because ofglobalized products, but because of a commitment to serve each otherwith compassion, with respect for each person as an end, not as ameans. Anyway, perhaps one approach to change is to visualize positivesustainable alternatives, to feel the happinesses that can come withoutdestroying life. I find myself a millimeter closer to cutting my addictionto all the trappings of this furnace of destruction.

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This is a brief update about the effort being made by some Master ofAdult Education students at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax,Nova Scotia, Canada to have Halifax become a learning city.

We, the students, recently met with a group called the Metro Councilon Continuing Education and gave a brief presentation about what weenvision learning to be. They were very receptive to the idea or, asone of the council members said, we are in the same “head space”.After the presentation, we had a combination question/answer sessionand a brainstorming session, what follows are some of the ideas thatwere brainstormed:

relationship/communitiesinterest courses/classes

connectivityconnecting “isolated” learning interest cells

connect/bridge recreationpromote concept as a critical benchmark

work with city councila commitment to learning

civic and societya value

show how HRM is a learning citystart small

need levels (government) supportgrowth is through culture; markets

know needs of peoplestorytelling/sharing

what are the things in place?approved, & how to get this out to ppl

block partiescommunity days

festival+events (HRM)(tourism+rec)

preventative/health promotionpromote better life styles

We have planted the seed of an idea. Now it is time for us to startnurturing that seed to see what grows!

- shared by Scott MacPhail <

Halifax as a Learning CityUseful Resources forOrganic/Natural Living in Cities

On Urban SpacesProject for Public Spaces: www.pps.orgCommunity Trees Project: www.communitytrees.orgThe Billboard Liberation Front: www.billboardliberation.comNYC Garden Activists: www.treebranch.com/savegardensLand Reclamation: counterproductiveindustries.comThe God Bless Graffiti Coalition, Inc.

www.counterproductiveindustries.com/gbgcEcocity Builders: www.ecocitybuilders.org

On Alternative Energy, Water Harvesting, Solar CookingCenter for Science and Environment: www.cseindia.org

Exnora: www.exnora.orgCentre for Alternative Technology: www.cat.org.ukUrban Ecology Australia: www.urbanecology.org.auThe ‘PATH’ Project: www.pathtofreedom.comSolar Cooking Organization: www.solarcooking.org/recipesFrugal Living: www.frugalliving.about.com/od/solarcooking

On Car-Free Transportation and Pedestrian PowerCar Busters: www.carbusters.ecn.czCitystreets: www.citystreets.orgCritical Mass Hub: criticalmasshub.comCar Free Cities guide: www.carfree.comCar Free Day: www.carfreeday.caTransportation Alternatives: www.transalt.orgBicycle Civil Liberties Union: www.bclu.orgItalian Car Free Advocates: digilander.iol.it/partizanAlliance for a Paving Moratorium: www.lesscars.orgSpanish Language: www.laneta.apc.org/bicitekasBody Cartography: www.bodycartography.orgNational Center for Bicycling and Walking: www.bikewalk.orgWalkable Communities, Inc.: www.walkable.org

More on learning cities at www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/udaipur.html

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Nasik as a Creative CityNashik is a growing city in north Maharashtra. Itspopulation today is beyond one million. It has a mixedgroup of people; mostly aspiring middle class, while asubstantial number consists of migrants from neighbouringvillages as well as districts. It has a booming constructionbusiness, which absorbs cheap labour available in theform of migrant populations. Its neighbouring villagesalso steadily supply cheap resources even as their owncontinue to degrade. Not much is made of this unequalrelationship between Nashik and its rural surroundings.Many of the migrants gradually become part of the citybut are never considered worthy enough to elicit theircontribution. The result has been painful and traumatic.Local communities with rich resources and creativity endup becoming dependent, self-doubting and with littletrust in their abilities and knowledge.

The attitude of its people like any other urban center isthat it is the government job to look after the growth ofthe city and its members. Most of the time this growthis thought of in terms of economic development andfacilities that the city can boast, e.g. air-conditionedshopping malls or multiplexes.

Engaging members, especially women and elders, aboutsustainable lifestyles, traditional knowledge systems andother resources within their fold and its application tocity life would fill a huge gap. It would make themarginalised communities value their resources andintegrate into alien urban life with a sense of purpose.While their economic productiveness is considered usefulfor the growth of the city, their other social and culturalassets are not even seen.

Through our work with parents, youth, children andgrassroots workers we see lot of hope in their energy,ideas, and aspirations to create change, to make meaningout of their lives. Most of them voice their frustrationswith the system, be it educational institutions or theinefficient state machinery. They feel the pressures ofwork, lack of time and space for coming together,interacting and dialogue, and absence of sustainedrelationship. We have realised this in our many openforums with different community groups of Nashik.

One example emerged during the Media Fair we hadorganised, which invited the public to interact with mediaand create something close to their heart. The stall withclay saw a large number trying their hands to shape afew forms. Why did clay attract so many, both childrenand adults? Maybe because in the modern world, theuse of hands has become restricted, mechanical. Handsare vital elements of learning as they link our heart andhead together for initiating meaningful processes relevantto our lives.

We think the way forward lies in three strategies: (1)critical reflections about ourselves and about the modelof development pursued by the city; (2) strengtheningdialogue and relationships; and (3) enhancing people’scapacities in creative processes. Engagement in thesethree inter-connected process will give people new spaceto dream about their lives and see its organic linkage tothe city as a whole.

For more details, contact Nitin Paranjape<[email protected]>

WaterlutionLearning to Live with WaterMy current work in learning / unlearningrevolves around creating spaces toexplore our relationship with water. As ahost of spaces where meaningfulconversations can happen and as adesigner of experiential and participatorylearning, I have been engaging withpeople ranging from those involved in“water work” from NGO to business tothose who just share a passion for thisbasic element of life.

The idea of our work is to engage withpeople appreciatively rather than fear-based, and to explore local cultures ofwater as a means to reconnecting withour local water sources and histories. Thisis also my own learning edge, as I am nota water expert/manager/technician buthave come to realise an emergent patternin my life about caring deeply about wateras a metaphor for so many things in life.

Waterlution was conceived by the shoresof Lake Ontario when we askedourselves how the lake we grew up by istoo unnatural to swim in but yet MADEnatural enough to drink from our taps athome - how can chlorination give life tothe water that gives life to ourselves? We all have our stories, and Waterlutionexists to bring diverse people togetherto share those stories. I welcome anyideas on how to engage people increative, experiential and holistic ways -and how local initiatives with widersustainability / learning intentions candraw on Waterlution.- shared by Tatiana Glad and Karen Kun

www.waterlution.org