... for they have their own thoughts - Multiworld India

2005 Goa, India21belonging, accountability, self imposed values, acooperative spirit and self motivation.The whole process of learning is participatory innature with group discussions, role plays, games andstories. Each session (held once a month) has threevital components viz. feedback on the previoussession, future plan of action and the input sessionwhich is conducted as an interactive dialogue. Thesessions are supplemented with community newsletters(poster format), village information boards,informal ‘mobile library’ cum study circles and resultorientedcooperative action.The prime objective of CLM is to develop villagelevel collective leadership complemented bypolitical, cultural, social and environmental regenerationat the community level.Says Dileep, its facilitator: ‘Here, perspective isthe most important element that decides the contextand form of the program. To us, perspective isthe end result of values, beliefs, ideas and ideologiesthat determine the understanding and interpretationof the social, political, eco-cultural context. CLMtreats people not as ‘subjects’ but as masters of theirown destiny, and helps them take charge of theirlives rather then being passive ‘objects’ that can bemoulded and fitted into a previously decidedframework.CLM looks upon participants as individualsbringing in their own values, opinions, perspectiveand unique experience. Through sharing and discussionthey become partners in a collective process oflearning and action. The result is, each one becomesresponsible for his own learning.Inspiration and ideologies are derived fromdiverse schools of thought as Buddha, Kabir,Basavanna, Tukaram, Jyotiba, Savitribai Phule,Gandhi, Ambedkar, Marx and the feminists whoadvocated for the rights of women, dalits, tribals,peasants, toiling workers in the unorganized sector,minorities …..etc.As facilitators and animators our role is to createand ensure a conducive learning atmospherewhere participants get space to question, challenge,debate, experiment, reflect and internalizethe learning. The acid test is when they go back totheir respective villages and share the knowledgewith the aim to influence their own communities intoaction.The results cannot be seen but felt, once thebarriers have broken down. One notices a subtleform of awareness that induces self-confidence,pride and self-worth.STEPHEN SMITHI am a teacher educator in Krishnamurti school.