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Sakshi VP Ms. Jaya Tandon conducted a Virtual Workshop on "Sustainable Development" for the 10th Hear Us Out Conference (HUO 10) organized by Taylor's College, Malaysia. The conference promotes social awareness among students and comprises workshops by development experts as well as student-managed fundraising activities for various causes. Photos

Taylor's College is part of Taylor's University, one of Malaysia's top education institutions with two campuses and more than 70,000 graduates since it was established in 1969. Along with emphasizing academic excellence, Taylor's encourages its students to be socially aware and actively supports their learning and efforts in this area. The flagship program is the "Hear Us Out" conference by the World Issues department which has both educational and action-oriented components:

A 2-day event where workshops are held for students by outside experts and NGO's on various topics related to development so students can learn more about social issues and solutions.

A number of student-organized fundraising activities preceding the conference like paintball competitions etc, where the funds raised are then donated to various causes.

This year's conference was the 10th one and it's theme was "Pushing the Limits" which reflected the limits we have pushed our social and environmental systems to but also the limits that we need to breach in order to make meaningful changes in our global society. The conference included workshops by eminent social workers in the field of women's rights, animal welfare, reproductive health, conservation etc and from organizations like World Wildlife Fund, Protect the Family, .

Ms. Jaya Tandon, who is an experienced social worker and Sakshi's Vice-President, was invited to conduct a workshop and she worked with Taylor's to set up a Virtual Workshop, through a webconferencing portal. Ms. Tandon is well experienced in conducting Virtual webconference and workshops both as a corporate leader managing a global team and in the development world conducting workshops, but this was the the first time Taylor has ever held a Virtual Workshop.

"Sustainable Development and the Development Trifecta: Poverty Alleviation through Health, Education and Community Development"

Ms. Tandon chose the topic of Sustainable Development for the workshop because it is a subject that is close to her heart and by exemplifying how to push beyond one-dimensional thinking to sustainably resolve the problem of Poverty, aptly fits into the conference theme "Pushing the limits".

Ms. Tandon explained how many efforts to alleviate poverty fail because they are not set up to empower the poor comprehensively and sustainably and how a model of Poverty Alleviation, to be effective, has to be holistic and address not one or two needs but simultaneously all the needs of the beneficiary population on three dimensions - Health, Education and Community Development.

In Ms. Tandon's words, "Although the interaction of the three platforms and their compounding effect on the final impact can be the subject of complex research - the simplest, most intuitive way to understand is this - if there are schools but no healthcare, a child who is always falling sick and missing school will not gain a proper education. If there is healthcare but no schools, a child who is healthy but not educated will not be able to earn a regular living as an adult. And even if there are schools and clinics, a child cannot be healthy and educated without the support of his family and community which is sometimes hard to gain, for example, when communities feel a girl child does not need to study or when parents do not have the financial wherewithal to support their family.

So it is important to work on all three platforms, what I call the "Development Trifecta" -Health, Education and Community Development to accomplish true individual empowerment and societal progress."

Slide 3: Many attempts to eradicate poverty fail because they are not set up to empower the poor sustainably. Sakshi VP Ms. Jaya Tandon described the Sustainable Development model, as exemplified by Sakshi, where a model of Poverty Alleviation to relieve poverty comprehensively must address not one or two but all needs of the beneficiary population on the "Development Trifecta" - Health, Education and Community Development. Learn more at www.archive.sakshingo.org/projects. Photos

Ms. Tandon went on to talk about Sakshi as a successful working example of this model, being a "full spectrum grassroots NGO" which achieves sustainable poverty alleviation by addressing specific needs in Health, Education and Community Development for poorest-of-poor beneficiaries in urban Indian slums. She drew out the "Comprehensive path from Poverty to Prosperity" that Sakshi provides through its 18+ projects in Health, Education and Community Development which individually address different needs of its beneficiaries, with a special focus on Girl Child and Women, and together compound each other's impact so beneficiaries are comprehensively and sustainably empowered to break the cycle of poverty they have been stuck in for generations.

Ms. Tandon brought the whole model and Sakshi's work alive to an audience thousands of miles away through her succint but vivid descriptions and a visually rich presentation full of images and video.

You can read more about Sakshi's projects, the development needs they address and the impact they have at www.archive.sakshingo.org/projects.

(Update: In addition to the above projects, Sakshi has since then launched Leadership Training of Women Project in partnership with Ministry of Minority Affairs, Mahila Panchayat Project in partnership with Delhi Commission of Women, Avaaz Uthao Project in partnership with Dept of Women and Child Development, Government of Delhi and Environmental Awareness Project in partnership with Ministry of Environment and Forests.)

Group Work: "Masihgarh" Case Study in Development

Following Sakshi's "Joyful Learning" model of teaching where education is imparted through interactive engaging activities, Ms. Tandon conducted two interesting and informative group activities to give the audience, students and their parents, newbies in the development world, a practical taste of making a difference.

The first group activity comprised an interesting case study based on a real-life Sakshi experience, where the audience had to put themselves in the shoes of a Sakshi social worker and identify the reason why the Masihgarh community had a significantly higher proportion of sick population than its neighbouring communities. Of course no medical knowledge was required to resolve the study. The answer could be reached if one carefully observed the visual map of the area and applied some common sense. The answer seems very simple and intuitive when one learns what it is but human tendency is to think complexly rather than simply! So the activity was designed to help the audience to get a glimpse into development problems but while doing so, also learn to think insightfully and develop clarity of thought and analytical skills.

Can you solve it below ?

Can you solve this case study based on the map above? You are a Sakshi social worker trying to figure out why Masihgarh has a much higher proportion of sick people than its neighbouring communities. No, it is not because of the industrial area which is equally close to Alampur as well! Photos

Group Work: Online Advocacy and Donation "One Click to Change the World"

The next group activity and final component of the workshop was designed to help the audience take a baby step towards actualizing their good intentions.

Ms. Tandon introduced the group to online advocacy and support and how it was so simple, in this interconnected digital age, to find work going on in causes that were close to one's heart, either global or even in one's local communities,and to support them through votes or funds. In her words, this was "One click to change the world". How much simpler can it get to make an impact and get informed at the same time ?

Wrap-Up

The workshop broadened the horizons of the student audience in more ways than one. The audience had a number of "aha" moments during the workshop, both as the intuitive and effective model of Sustainable Development and Sakshi's work unfolded before them and during the interesting case study which was rather like a detective mystery besides giving them a glimpse into a new world. The interaction also gave them a close encounter with a country other than their own, India, and to cap everything, they took away the encouraging realization that they could make a difference with a few clicks on the net which translated into tangible action and positive impact somewhere else, and was an easy first step to learning and doing more in their area of interest.

All in all, the experience was a positive, enjoyable and fruitful one for all concerned, the students expressed their appreciation and Taylor's invited Ms. Tandon to speak at the next Hear Us Out 11 Conference as well.

(Update: Ms. Tandon will be conducting a Virtual Workshop for the Hear Us Out 11 conference which has a theme very appropriate for our times - "Peace, Unity and Justice".)

Sakshi VP Ms. Jaya Tandon spoke on "Value-Based Education" as a solution to social issues including gender-based crimes on an IGNOU Panel on "Gender and Contemporary Society" telecast live on Doordarshan for International Women's Day. Photos

Established in 1985 by an Act of Parliament with a budget of Rs. 20 Bn, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is India's (and the world's) largest University, with 3.5 Million students in India and 40 other countries, 21 schools, 59 regional centres, 2600 study centres and 52 overseas centres. It is run by the Central Government and besides being a centre of academic excellence, it is also an epicentre of research into social issues and actively spreads awareness about key social issues and their solutions.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, IGNOU organized an expert panel on "Gender and Contemporary Society" to be telecast live on Doordarshan, India's national broadcaster. The topic was chosen in context of recent events - the "Nirbhaya" case - which brought an outpouring of protest across the nation and brought gender-based issues to the forefront of the national consciousness.

As an indication of the importance of the subject under discussion, the Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU himself opened the event and felicitated the panelists which included Sakshi Vice-President Ms. Jaya Tandon, who has long experience in development especially Education and children's and women's issues, and is connected to the development world in both India and the US.

Ms. Tandon spoke on the topic of "Value-Based Education" as a solution to social issues in general and especially the global problem of gender-based crimes and issues. Her address evoked thunderous claps and a number of questions by the audience about how they could learn more and become part of creating this wave of change.

Precis:

The Need for Value-Based Education

Global Problem: Ms. Tandon touched on the global nature of gender-based social issues and crimes, recounting cases in the news of crime against women e.g. the Steuebenville case in the US, the Canadian Steubenville case, the crisis in African nations and of course the Nirbhaya Case in India.

Silver Lining in the Nirbhaya Cloud: She extracted a ray of hope from the "Nirbhaya Case" in India pointing to the mass protests which followed. She said it was a unique event where people cutting across regions, religions, cultures, socio-economic lines, had taken to the streets in a national outcry.

The Invisible Boy Child: Ms. Tandon contrasted the men who participated in the protests with those who had perpetrated the horrific crime on Nov 24, 2012 and asked the audience to think about what the difference could be. In answer, she quoted ex-Chief Justice of India, Hon'ble Altamas Kabir who had called the children growing up on the street without families "lost children" and stated that if they were not brought back into the mainstream, they would grow up to commit dastardly acts like the Nirbhaya incident.

The Need for not only Education but Value-Based Education: Ms. Tandon emphasized that though the first step was to bring these "lost boys" into the fold of family, society and the formal education system, however this was not enough. If this was enough, she said, then we would not see consistent cases of gender-based crimes and social issues in the so-called educated strata of society across the world from sexual harassment at the workplace to date rape at colleges to domestic violence in the upper stratas.

She further pointed to the disturbing trends in the educated youth of our country - where it was becoming "normal" for boys to objectify women and adopt baser instincts (portrayed in Bollywood item songs which are meant at best for entertainment) as their core values and where girls were buying into advertising for consumer goods which equated their self-worth with fairness, looks and popularity index.

Ms. Tandon stated that the fault lay with us and our formal education system where pupils were taught Science, Biology, History but not about Values like right and wrong, integrity, courage, compassion, what constitutes self-worth and respect for women and the vulnerable, the elderly etc.

Value-Based Education

What is Value-Based Education (VBE): Ms. Tandon stated that VBE is not about what to wear, what to say etc but it is about helping children develop their faculty of doing the right thing - and this instinct and judgement is something more intangible that comes from a deeper place inside, and is best summarized by the word "Conscience".

Components of Value-based Education: Ms. Tandon talked about the various components of Value-Based Education in detail including Self-Empowerment and Morals and Ethics. Ms. Tandon said being Self-empowered i.e. self-aware, with a developed personality and socio-economically empowered, enables a person to develop a true sense of self-worth. And then on this strong edifice, one can build strong values like Unity in Diversity, Inner beauty over outer beauty, courage, respect for women, compassion for the vulnerable, elderly, environment, animals etc which together comprise "Morals and Ethics".

How to Teach Value-Based Education: Ms. Tandon said any learning to be truly imbibed must be interactive and engaging. In this sense, as a best practice, she pointed to the Panchtantra and Hitopdesha where stories conveyed complex ideas like value systems easily and engagingly. For example, something as seemingly small as the fact that the characters in the stories spanned the spectrum of religions, cultures, socio-economic strata, skin colours and even included animals and birds, was actually a very big subliminal learning for the children because it unconsciously made them tolerant of differences, to be inclusive and co-exist peacefully with different races and religions and the envinroment.

â€‹Value-based Education re Perception of Women

Ms. Tandon pointed out that our culture has historically regarded women as a Life Giver and Enricher of Life and has accepted her in a variety of roles spanning Laxmi (prosperity) / Durga (power) / Saraswati (learning) / Sita (wife/mother) / Radha (lover). In modern times, celebrated women included Shri Vijaylaxmi Pandit (freedom fighter), Gayatri Devi (Chipko Aandolan), Sushmita Sen (Miss World) etc.

Ms. Tandon stated that Value-Based Education, through cultural, historical and modern stories and examples such as these, conveyed this idea of a women's all-round capability which automatically inspired respect for women in the pupils's minds and also helped them unconsciously learn that a woman is "allowed" to be who she wants to be whether a mother or a chief executive. Further, VBE by inspiring the celebration of festivals like Raksha Bandhan further inculcated a compassionate and respectful attitude towards the opposite gender.

"Value Based Education in Context of Gender and Contemporary Society" -Presentation slide showing essential values and relating them to Attitude towards Women. Photos

Lastly, said Ms. Tandon, a Value-based Education inculcates values broadly and beyond just those based on gender, and teaches children that they are responsible for their own actions. So putting this in context of women's safety, children grow up understanding that what a woman wears and whether her dress is right or wrong, does not justify any demeaning act on their part. Even if the dress is "wrong:", it does not give them the right to commit a sin.

Who is a Value-based Education Teacher?

Ms. Tandon closed her talk by pointing out we have 1 Billion+ Value-Based Education Teachers in India since every one of us has the potential and opportunity to be one.

We can ensure we give our children a value-based education and by doing the right thing ourselves, we can set them an example. Ms. Tandon quoted an Urdu couplet - "à¤¸à¤¾à¤°à¥€ à¤¦à¥à¤¨à¤¿à¤¯à¤¾ à¤¨à¤œà¤¼à¤° à¤†à¤¤à¥€ à¤¹à¥ˆ à¤¸à¤¿à¤¤à¤®à¤—à¤° à¤œà¥ˆà¤¸à¥€, à¤¬à¤¾à¤¤ à¤•à¤°à¤¤à¥‡ à¤¹à¥ˆà¤‚ à¤®à¤—à¤° à¤²à¥‹à¤— à¤ªà¤¯à¤®à¥à¤¬à¤° à¤œà¥ˆà¤¸à¥‡" (The world continues to be full of terrible deeds while people talk like holy men.).

She urged the audience to have the courage to take action instead of just talking. For example, the next time they encountered a woman being eve-teased / a street child / elderly person living on the road / hurt animal, she urged them to not walk on but to stop and help the girl, dial an elderly care home, enter the child in school, take the animal to the vet etc.

"We don't stop to help because we are shy, we don't want to stand out and we don't know what to do and we don't want to look foolish by making a few attempts that fail before we find the right solution to the problem, but you will be surprised, when you start living your values, no one will laugh, instead they will be inspired with the courage to start living theirs too. And this is Value-Based Education."