| Saturday,
May 29th |
| Time |
Session |
Presenter(s) |
| 08:00am - 09:45am |
Registration and Breakfast
Renew friendships and make new friends. DonĖt forget to buy the
conference t-shirts!
|
|
| 09:45am - 10:00am |
Songs
Get charged with songs of freedom, struggle and persistance.
|
Aravinda, Devashree |
| 10:00am - 10:05am |
Welcome
The president of AID Austin introduces and welcomes the attendees.
|
Chandrika Ramanujam |
| 10:05am - 11:15am |
Balaji's Corner
Balaji Sampath was instrumental in expanding AID in the US and
is currently a Jeevan Saathi (AID fellow) in India. He played a
key role in developing the Hundred
Block Plan spanning 1000 villages in TN and Bihar. Balaji will
share his experiences on collaborations with TNSF, growth of AID
Chennai, and other upcoming plans.
|
Balaji Sampath |
| 11:15am - 12:15pm |
People's movements & AID
This session will focus on the strategies and the directions of
the people's movements in India and AID-India.
Presentation slides : Download powerpoint presentation
|
Gautam and Aravinda |
| 12:15pm - 01:00pm |
AID Strategy Discussion
This session will discuss some strategic issues for AID's survival and continued effectiveness. The focus is on how we operate in the US - as chapters and volunteers. First we'll look at some strengths and some weaknesses of 'Operation AID-US', and then look at some specific strategic directions which will help us build on our strengths and reduce our shortcomings.
A brief description of what we hope to accomplish;
1) To draw attention of the volunteers to some important concerns.
2) To put some strategic directions and ideas on the table, so that in the coming months we can make progress on them with a broad volunteer involvement.
3) The strategic issues discussed here will hopefully set the backdrop for some other sessions and workshops, so that some specific operational details can be worked out.
4) To bring together motivated volunteers to plan to pursue these directions in the next few months.
More Details : Volunteer Survey
Presentation slides : Download powerpoint presentation
|
Kiran Vissa |
| 01:00pm - 02:00pm |
Lunch |
|
| 02:00pm - 02:15pm |
Interconnected Problems & Solutions: An audio visual presentation
A small journey of pictures and footnotes that will convey the
essence of what we stand for, the issues we take on and some of
what we have done and hope to do here in AID.
|
Srinadh Madhavapeddi,
Sunita Mani |
| 02:15pm - 03:40pm |
Issues Cells Discussion
AID has been supporting and funding projects in various states
on several issues over the past 13 years. Issue cells and region
cells are an approach towards more structured thinking and action
across chapters. This session will introduce the conceptual goals
for such structuring, and the various issues and region cells in
development.
|
Mokshay, Kalpana |
| 03:40pm - 03:45pm |
Stretch Break |
|
| 03:45pm - 04:45pm |
Parallel Sessions on Issue Cells: |
|
|
Adivasi
Development of Adivasis is a complex issue which is entangled with
many other issues like wildlife protection, forest conservation,
land reforms, water etc. The Adivasi Cell, with the help of Mr.Chennaiah
from the APVVU, will outline key challenges in enabling adivasis
to live a life of dignity without poverty, by an overview of the
legal framework as well as case studies. It will also review projects
and struggles impacting adivasis that AID has supported so far in
order to introspect about the goals and the gaps in AID's intervention
on these issues.
Presentation slides : Powerpoint presentation on Adivasi backgrounder, Powerpoint presentation of a case study "The forest case"
|
Mokshay Madiman |
|
Bhopal
The Bhopal session will focus on how AID can continue its work
on behalf of the people of Bhopal, both through continued contributions
to the Bhopal campaign and also through an expanded focus on development
work and livelihood generation. This is an opportunity for all those
concerned about the people in Bhopal to offer their thoughts about
how AID can best serve their needs. During this meeting we hope
that promising new strategies will be identified and set in motion,
and that a framework to guide future efforts will be developed.
The session will be guided by Ryan Bodanyi, the Student Coordinator
of the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal.
More Details : www.studentsforbhopal.org www.bhopal.org
|
Ryan Bodanyi |
|
Water
Water cell is made of volunteers from AID and other individuals
with an effort to understand, promote community based water management
in India through programs and campaigns. Our current work is focused
on research on interlinking of rivers (ILR) and water privatization
and its impacts on community based water management. The workshop
will cover the work of the cell, an ILR presentation, a discussion
with Rajendra Singh, and chapter plans for the next year.
More Details : Water Study Group, ILR.pdf
|
Chandrika,
Samyukta, Shrinaath |
|
Women
The Women's Cell session will include a workshop organized by Aravinda
on women's reproductive health and family choices, a discussion
led by Kalpana and Padmapriya on the gender factor in HBP, and an
introduction to HIV/AIDS, its impact in India, and possible connections
to HBP by Rahel and Smita.
|
Vaiyjanthi, Priya |
|
Spirituality
The philosophy of holistic and sustainable development that is
at the heart of AID's work reflects deeply spiritual goals that
have often been advocated in various religions. This session will
focus on two issues of interest-- the 'economic' implications of
a spiritual worldview, and the distortions of religions (used to
justify violence, for example) which represent a social problem.
More Details: Volunteer Survey Motivation, Purpose and Additional Readings
Presentation slides : Download powerpoint presentation
|
Arun Sripati,
Amit Basole, Hrishi Shinde, Vivek Gulati |
| 04:45pm - 05:15pm |
Tea |
|
| 05:15pm - 07:15pm |
Keynote Speech (Public Event): Water - Bringing people together
In the Alwar District of Rajasthan, solving the local water problems
became the seed to mobilization of the local community towards self
reliance. Rajendra Singh will discuss about his work in Alwar District
and the national water policy of India and its impacts in Rajasthan
and elsewhere in India.
|
Rajendra Singh
(Tarun Bharat Sangh) |
| 07:15pm - 08:00pm |
AID Poster Sessions
Posters have been a creative means for AID to communicate its messages
ranging from projects, issues and chapter activities. An informal
session for participants to walk through various posters, read them,
ask questions and provide comments. There will be a prize for the
best poster!
|
Kavita, Prasanthi |
| 08:00pm - 09:00pm |
Dinner
|
|
| 08:30pm - 10:00pm |
Movie
If poetry is not your cup of tea, here is a socially themed movie.
Movie announcement to follow.
|
Madhulika |
| 09:00pm - 10:00pm |
AID Shayari: Read your favourite inspirational poems in any
language.
After a long day of serious discussions and workshops, time to
be unwind with poetry reading by the members of AID Shayari group.
|
Sastry, Priya Ranjan |
| |
