KAVIYA BALAGURUSWAMY
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Name: KAVIYA BALAGURUSWAMY
Organization: Shanti Ashram
Location: INDIA
Please explain how you have implemented the Learning to Live Together Programme, including the adaptation of its conceptual framework, approach, learning process, methodologies and activities. (600 words)
My way of Implementing the Learning to Live Together (LTLT) program was in different terms. Soon after the facilitator training I worked as a co-facilitator with my facilitators team during workshops and other sessions and gained experience I took the LTLT to government schools, children home, government aided schools, private schools, colleges, NGO staff, teachers and work areas. Children from mixed economic background enjoyed the concepts and sessions which had Family exchanges, Silent Journey, Field visits and so on. I use the methodologies like discussion based learning, Co-operative based learning, Problem based learning during the sessions. Where I use problem based learning to cultivate and improve decision making skills amongst the participants. Activities such as My Life Tree, Diminishing islands, Peace News, Your Silhouette is mine, cultural evenings, Service learnings, etc. I use these activities in most of the sessions that make participants feel the concepts and I enjoy with them due to active participation. After few years I felt that I should think the Concepts and work with a selective team in a long term perspective to have monitoring and evaluation process. So I planned a program to children for a period of one year. And decided to take the concept of LTLT to a institution which is run by government. There I selected 60 children and worked with them. This long term program fetched us with better results where the children learnt and benefitted with the concepts of Understanding self and others.
Explain how the implemented program has been sensitive to the local context. (400 words)
As the children and youth were from mixed economical background and with less chance for exposure, they had an opportunity to learn new things in a safe learning environment which we created. Learning concepts such as Understanding self and others creates opportunities to know about them and their peers. Children and young people enjoyed the values like Empathy and Reconciliation, they think that in addition to respect and responsibility, Empathy and Reconciliation are also needed to create a smooth and happy environment around them. Now a days due to lack of understanding and peace many conflicts arise, so values like empathy and reconciliation could make a better picture amongst youngsters to transform the world. Children and youth need appreciations when they learn something new, so we created some appreciation trees where we displayed the appreciation cards for the kids. Seeing the appreciation cards children and youth were happy and inspired to learn new things.
How has the implemented program fostered interfaith and/or intercultural learning among participating children and young people? (400 words)
The children felt interesting when they go on for interfaith visits, family exchange programs, interfaith lunch which we created during the LTLT sessions and workshops. During the interfaith lunch when we interchange the lunch boxes of the children, in the beginning they hesitated to accept the lunch boxes of the peers. But after explaining the joy of sharing children started to think about their friends and shared their food. Family exchange programs provided chance for the children and youth to explore the elders in different families from different backgrounds and beliefs. Interfaith visits changes the perception of the children about the practices and principles of different religions. When we create such an environment, children and youth share their knowledge with their peer groups which they gained during interfaith visits. Such Interfaith and Intercultural learning provided new experience and knowledge to children and young people.
How has the Learning to Live Together Programme influenced a positive transformation in you, in a personal and professional level. (400 words)
Facilitator trainings, advanced training courses, online courses boosted me and built more self confidence within me. International exposures like Advanced training course in Geneva, Train The Trainers in France adds value to my curriculum and career. Active participation of the children and youth during the sessions makes me to stay informative which in turns improves my knowledge. As I meet children and youth from various backgrounds which makes me mingle freely with all group of people without hesitations in my personal and professional life. Because of the active involvement of the participants I generally keep myself well prepared for the sessions and workshops which improves my teaching skills. As a student I feel happy meeting many children and youth so I could make myself keep updated about youth and their surroundings.
Please explain how you exemplify a strong role-model of the principles of Learning to Live Together. (400 words)
When I work with young people I create a team of young leaders to work and gain experience, when they feel confident about their work I share the responsibility with them. For example the project (KATHAMBAM) which I was involved in the government run home was handed over to one of my peer after proper training and evaluating the facilitator’s capability. As a role model I share the values like Respect and Responsibility when I work with the participants. I create a proper and safe environment for the participants which make them feel comfortable during the sessions. I use some Ice-breakers so that I could get the participants involved throughout the sessions. During the sessions I used to discuss different scenarios/issues which I experienced with the students so that they gain practical knowledge.
Please provide further information on how you initiated, implemented and sustained the programs based on the LTLT, and how you have mobilized necessary support from stakeholders. (600 words)
Implementing and sustaining the LTLT programs where really a challenging thing as because I was a student so initially I had difficulty in managing my time for my education and LTLT sessions by gaining experience and involvement I trained myself to manage time for both the activities. In the seven years experience I was able to reach more than 15 institutions and conducted 30+ sessions and workshops, from this experience I felt that we were lacking the monitoring and evaluation process, so primarily I planned to rectify this challenge by designing a one year program which was carried out in a government run institution with the support of G-18 trust and initiated the program with 60 children. This program fetched with positive changes amongst the children then I gained confidence about myself so I was able to strongly approach stake holders and currently I work with 10 institutions continuously as a facilitator. For the sustaining of LTLT program, I felt that the learning cycle of LTLT would get complete when it is in a tripod model where children, teachers and parents will be the three legs of the tripod. Currently I am working on it with the help of stakeholders which would make children feel like “I am . . Because We Are. .” as the UBUNTU philosophy says. Which makes ‘Living Together’ a possible thing.
