The workshops are organised with the objective to discuss the diversity that exists in our country, dwell on the challenges that emerge due to intolerance and non-acceptance, and how best these challenges can be addressed through a process of learning and communication amongst the young.
The workshop brings participants together for an understanding of how Diversity in its various forms, can be discussed as an issue with young people.
In t6 to 8 hours of engagement, Munshi Premchand’s Idgah story in the form of a short film is screened and discussed ; Tagore’s nationalism is discussed based on Ravish Kumar’s Prime Time interview; and a short film ‘Mandir Aur Masjid Mein Kya Fark Hai (Laddoo)’ helps in discussing as to how children’s minds work, and how efforts can be made to inculcate values of fraternity, tolerance and acceptance, to diverse variety of people and thought processes.
The workshop starts with a short introduction of participants and how each one of us understands diversity.
- The diversity exists in various ways – on the basis of language, caste, tribe, religion, gender, sexual orientation, rural – urban background, origin, literacy, access to opportunity, food habits, beliefs, family system, etc
- The diversity exists because of some socio-cultural or geographical or other reasons and these require to be understood for smooth co-existence and acceptance of ‘others’.
- A process of ‘othering’ is inculcated from the very childhood in families and communities. While a child learns how to appreciate and associate with people who are ‘similar’ , he / she also learns to disassociate and grow distance from people or culture which are ‘dis-similar’ (as taught by his / her parents). This process of ‘othering’ also gives rise to prejudices which are dangerous for multicultural society.
- Association was made to the existence of different species of plants and animals in nature. The way monoculture harms this coexistence is likewise in human society. The species which are rare, less in number and/ or ‘marginalised’ are overshadowed by the majoritarian specie. This leads to the death of many species.
- A fear develops within (minority) people who have lifestyle, culture, language different from the majoritarian. They fear exclusion (because of the neglect and marginalisation) and try to follow the follow the mainstream, killing their own inherent characteristics.
- There are subaltern movements happening (to save identity, language, sexuality, and more) in small yet coordinated ways. People are getting together to express their collective voice and stake their claim in democratic India.
Aman Prayas - Leadership for Social Change 