Sambhaavnaa Institute is conducting a workshop on ‘Reclaiming our Republic: Re-imagining the constitution through the lived realities of 75 years; Working toward a justice-based democracy’, from May 19 to 23, 2022 in Palampur, HP.
About the Series
‘Reclaiming our Republic’ is a series of residential programs organized by Sambhaavnaa institute to facilitate new thinking and ideation to rethink the concept of the republic, nuances of the Indian constitution, and the frame of the very democracy we live in. It is aimed at creating a platform for sharing, learning, and ideating, for young citizens from across India.
At the workshop, the youth will be provided a space to learn from the experience and expertise offered by veterans and contemporaries alike, understand the theoretical framework of the Indian Republic and initiate people-oriented programs and activities to facilitate a new mode of civic intervention in India.
About the Workshop
seeking applications from aspirants in the age group between 21 and 40, who are eager to understand the complex world of democracy, human rights, dignity, gender justice – from the prism of exploring the Constitution of India, asserting the preamble of the Republic and sharing our re-imaginations about democracy, justice, etc. The workshop is being curated by experienced socio-political analysts and practitioners, aiming for collective ideation towards re-imagination. The workshop promises to have an interesting mix of practitioners, community leaders, activists, theoreticians, and ideators, to facilitate collective learning and output.
in the upcoming Residential Workshop, we feel it is important to understand, review and learn from the experimentation of the implementation of the constitution too. As a country, we need to be clear about our direction and shape it, not just know what we need to defend.
Objectives of the program:
- Understanding modern authoritarianism
- ‘Othering’ of people & Identity assertion
- Counter-hegemony: Indigenous perspectives
- Counter-culture: Gender lens
- Combating Bigotry: cultural and educational tools
- Mass media, fake news, and people’s truth
Resource Persons for the Workshop
Narayana Bhattathiri is a Calligrapher, illustrator, and artist based in Keralam. He has done illustrations for a wide spectrum of books, magazines, and journals in many language publications for over four decades, putting him in a league of his own.
He has won several national and international accolades for his sharp skill and political perspectives (he recently won the South Korean Jikji prize). Known as the father of calligraphy (Lipi Acchhan) in his literature-rich home state of Keralam, Narayana Bhattathiri has been a consistent co-traveler of the progressive movement in South Asia too.
Akash Poyam is a researcher and writer based in Chhattisgarh. He is currently working as an assistant editor at The Caravan and is the founder of Adivasi Resurgence, an online archive of writings by Adivasi writers.
His work has been published in various publications, including The Caravan, Al Jazeera, Portside Review, and Gondwana Darshan among others. Akash belongs to the Koitur or Gond people.
Rachelle Bharathi Chandran’s writing and research focus on caste, sexuality, gender, intergenerational trauma patterns, and disability. Ze primarily works with organizations led by marginalized caste, gender, sexuality and disabled persons.
Ze is a Dalit non-binary neurodivergent (autistic) person. BRC established the first decentralized reading group: Savitri Birsa Ambedkar Malcolm X Kanshiram Ansari Veerammal (SBAMKAV) which works as a collective instead of following a leadership model.
Ze also moderates the signal/whatsapp group: Stym-the first autistic support group espousing anti-caste values.
The workshop is being curated by: Evita Das and Vijayan MJ
Evita Das is a New Delhi-based urban researcher and practitioner. Her body of work revolves around housing and caste in Indian cities.
Currently, she is the national coordinator for Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace & Democracy. She is a regular contributor of research articles to leading publications and news portals – especially on land and housing-related aspects of Indian cities.
Vijayan MJ is an activist, analyst, and researcher based in Delhi. For more than two decades, he has been engaged in shaping several civic initiatives for peace, justice, environmental protection, and community rights – in India and South Asia.
He is the General Secretary of the Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy. He is also a Senior Advisor of The Research Collective, Delhi and a scholar with Carnegie Europe – a global think-tank on civil society.
He is a co-traveler of many movements and trade unions in South Asia and is actively engaged as a solidarity worker with the people’s movements for self-determination in Jammu & Kashmir, Nagalim among others.
Who is this Workshop for?
All teachers, students, activists, community mobilizers, and concerned citizens who are deeply concerned about this state of affairs today
General Details
- Date: May 19-23, 2022
- Venue: Sambhaavnaa Institute, VPO – Kandbari, Tehsil – Palampur, District – Kangra, PIN 176061, Himachal Pradesh
Contribution towards Program Costs
We hope that each participant would contribute an amount of Rs. 2500 /- towards the workshop expenses, inclusive of all onsite workshop costs: boarding, lodging, and all the materials used in the workshop.
Need-based partial waivers are available, especially for people from marginalized communities.
The organizers have a very limited number of partial waivers, so, please apply for a waiver only if you really need it. Please do remember that there may be others who need it more than you.
Contact Information
- WhatsApp or call Shalini at 889 422 7954 (Working hours 10 AM to 5 PM, Mon-Sat),
- Write to programs@sambhaavnaa.org
