Activities
22. Oktober 2009
Kevin Arnold Dacosta, Principal of Study Hall, a school in Lucknow that is part of the Schools Against Violent Extremism initiative
Anjumand Zaidi, Principal of St Xaviers Convent, and Archana Kapoor
SAVE India launches its campaign in Lucknow
"We are conscious of our responsibility as a school and the role that education can play in allaying the fears of minority communities," says Kevin Arnold Dacosta, Principal of Study Hall, a school in Lucknow. "We assure you full participation of our students, its management and the teachers in making SAVE a success here in Lucknow."
"We have to give peace another chance," says Anjumand Zaidi, Principal of St Xaviers Convent, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. "Our effort is to create a just and equitable environment by providing opportunities to all - children of low income groups, minorities and others." In line with her beliefs, Anjumand has taken care to ensure that over 20% of the children in her school come from the neighborhood's minority groups. Another 20% are from low income families, and the rest from majority groups. The school's foundation subsidizes the fees for those who cannot afford to pay tuition.
During the Schools Against Violent Extremism pilot phase, three schools - Study Hall, Delhi Public School (DPS) and St Xaviers Convent - have joined the initiative. They are committed to holding workshops and training programs for the students and teachers.
Debjani Saha, Principal of DPS, has also committed to including peace making/promoting skills as part of the skill set required for evaluating students in the new assessment pattern. She is keen on producing a peace curriculum, which can then be incorporated into the regular curriculum.
All three schools have a large number of students from different communities. Superficially, the students all seem to get along, but if one probes a bit it becomes clear that the minorities frequently feel isolated. They feel that the majority groups are suspicious of them and point fingers whenever there is a terror attack in the country.
The fears are mutual. When Debjani started compulsory yoga in her school, there was resistance from some parents, saying that it promoted Hindutva ideologies in a secular school. Debjani faced a lot of barriers. She ultimately did away with the chanting of ‘Om’ during the breathing exercises.
Debjani feels that there is an urgent need to address a number of issues, including mistrust, fear, injustice, isolation, anger and the legacy of the past. She also feels that this should be a continuous effort and cannot be a one-time workshop. "Peace, tolerance, and allowing others to have a say and space to be different should be ingrained in the minds of the children with the larger objective of living together in harmony," she believes.
The general feeling is that until people look beyond religion, caste, community, and nationality, peace will not have a chance. SAVE believes that schools can play an important role in sowing the seeds of humanity, which stands above all differences.
