International Experience Program: Grassroots Rural Learning Journeys
Faculty of Arts/Faculty of Science
School Of Humanities and Social Sciences
When: November/December 2012 (exact dates to be advised)
Eligibility: Bachelor of Arts/Justice Studies/Journalism/Agricultural Science
Credit: EEB310 International Cultural and Educational Program subject (other credit may be arranged on an individual basis with your Course Coordinator)
Available program places: 12
NB. This program will require 8 students to proceed.
Cost: aprox $2700.00 (exact costs to be advised)*
*Students may be eligible to receive a $500 travel grant from CSU Global. Please note that this amount is not paid directly to students but deducted from the program fee.
Costs should include: Program fee, international flights, accommodation, insurance, meals.
Please note all CSU Global Programs are group ticketed. Your program will depart from Sydney and return to Sydney on the dates listed.
Timeline:
- Application deadline: early August, 2012 (exact dates TBA)
- Successful students notified (email): early August 2012 (exact dates TBA)
- Passport required for Visa Processing: mid September, 2012 (exact dates TBA)
(You MUST have obtained your passport prior to this date. Please note it may take 4-6 weeks to obtain a passport)
- Payment required: early September, 2012 (exact dates TBA)
Click here to register your interest [doc]
Completed forms must be submitted to:
Linda Rust
CSU Global Manager
Office of International Relations
Charles Sturt University
Wagga Wagga
Phone: 02 6933 8214
Fax: 02 6933 4499
Email: lrust@csu.edu.au
Indicative program outline:
A unique program to experience rural India where at least 70% of India resides - hands-on! This off-beat program is a great way to get involved in the affairs of Indian villages. Specifically designed to give participants a 'hands on' experience of rural India, learn about the aspirations and dreams of her village communities, experience the opportunities and challenges she faces, and of various initiatives in sustainable development
At the end of this program the participants will:
1) Experience rustic lifestyles and hence gather invaluable know-how of Rural India.
2) Connect with the generation next of rural India
3) Undertake Shramdaan* - *Shramdaan, a very powerful development practice where individuals join hands to work for the community and the land that sustains them.
4) Develop sensitivity to rural communities and rural living
5) Be able to witness the change and challenges of development (governmental & non-governmental) projects and their impacts
Draft Program Content
- Panchayat Raj (Local self-governance) - its role and its relevance
- The challenges and opportunities of livelihood opportunities in rural India.
- Status of the infrastructure : electricity, communication, health, financial institutions and education,
- Village life : the simplicity and the inbred sustainability of the lifestyles
- Farming: the various stages of farming, the intricacies of farming from preparation of land to harvesting
- Local economies and knowledge systems of the region
- Government and non government institutions and interventions
- Watershed Management and its importance in mitigating global warming
- Indian Youth: their aspirations and dreams
- The Indian co-operatives (Sugar and Milk): Amongst the largest in the world
- Rural Haat(a rural market) the various dynamics of a rural market from a buyers and sellers perspective. And understanding that rural markets are about social activities rather than only pure economics.
Sample Activities:
- On arriving in the village, the group will be assigned staying quarters and homes for meals. After a meal, and a small orientation the village youth will take us for a light trek to the highest point of the village, to get a bird's eye view of the village followed by group meeting over the bonfire, after dinner.
- Village Living Experiences: The indigenous tribal communities of the village invite you to partake in their life. Using the age old techniques of leaning, observation, story- telling & learning by doing, experience the life of a villager. Get down & dirty with experiences ranging from daily chores of chopping wood, collecting water, coating the walls & floor of the house with cow-dung, cooking, to village livelihoods of farming & tending to cattle to some village adventures of catching young chickens & visiting vegetable gardens.
- Religion is pivotal to the daily living: embark on a pilgrimage tour to the local temple, and witness this aspect of village India which is filled with legends, stories of faith and belief.
- Explore the various government interventions in villages, on housing, infrastructure, health, education, etc and meet various stakeholders of these schemes and learn from them the opportunities, challenges and changes of these schemes.
- Visit to the local market (Haat) The local weekly haat is where all the villagers come together to purchase essential items and sell off their surplus. These haats are the economy centre in villages in India; but these weekly markets are more than just that;, the social facets of weekly haats are equally imperative and have been interwoven delicately to form the fabric of village life.
- A field visit to the co-operatives, the milk corporative and the sugar co-operative of the district. The co-operative movements have been substantially successful in the western state of Maharashtra. The field visit showcases the simplicity of the co-operative movement.
- Watershed development and management have proven to be effective means of mitigating the ill effects of climate change. Watershed Organization Trust has been a pioneering organization in the field of community mobilization and Watershed Management for the past 20 years, many of the techniques pioneered by them are currently being followed by several governments nationally and internationally. The 2 day stay will give hands-on experience of watershed management and its various facets.
- India is one of the oldest living civilizations; the past and present are woven seamlessly together. Harishchandragad is a massive temple complex and a fort, a trek to this breathtaking mountain is a spiritual and a personal journey.
- Travel to village Valwanda: India is a land of over 60000 villages, after every 50 km the socio- economic, and physical environment change. We embark on a 3 day stay to village Valwanda, a 100 km journey to provide you an understanding of some of the intricacies faced by various governmental and non governmental agencies while implementing various programs.
- The indigenous community residing in and around village Valwanda belongs to a tribe called as the 'Warlis'. This tribe is renowned for their love of music and art, which they invite you to witness.
- Spend a day in the village school chatting with children, playing games with them, communicating with arts, music and sports.