Notice: All materials in SEEDS website are copyrights of their respective owners. If you have other uses beyond viewing, please contact a SEEDS official.

FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOP OF MAHILA SHANTI SENA

MAYURBHANJ, ORISSA

29.11.2005

ORGANISED BY : UNNAYAN, HIG-55, KANAN VIHAR, PHASE-1, PATIA, BHUBANESWAR-751031,ORISSA,INDIA

PHONE:0674 - 2741198/2741112

E-MAIL: UNNAYAN89@YAHOO.CO.IN

A BRIEF REPORT:

Introduction:

A follow-up workshop of the process of Mahila Shanti Sena was held at Unnayan’s field office located at Kakbandh village in Rasgovindpur block of Mayurbhanj district on 29^th November 2005. Noteworthy that the process of Mahila Shanti Sena was initiated in this area in the month of August 2005 and a three-day training programme was conducted from 27.08.2005 to 29.08.2005 in this context. Report of this training programme has already been circulated among all the persons and institutions associated with the process. As per the action plan made at the end of the training, this follow-up workshop was held to review the progress of MSS process in the area and providing basic orientation to the new members who had been motivated by the participants of the training programme held in August’05. About 350 women including the old members of MSS who were imparted training earlier attended this programme.

Participation of students from McMaster University:

Two fellow students named as Ashley and Kaya from Mc Master university, Canada, who had been to India since 9^th November 2005 on a two-months’ study of Mahila Shanti Sena, arrived in our field on 28^th November. They were accompanied by Sri Uma shankar Chaturbedy and Sri Sneh Kumar of Shram Bharati, Bihar. Shram Bharati planned their tour to our field so that it could coincide with the follow-up workshop.

Group Meeting on 28.11.2005:

A meeting of MSS leaders was organized for the students from McMaster University in the evening of 28^th November. 12 selected women leaders from the community who had undergone MSS training, Unnayan’s chairperson, secretary and staff members participated in this meeting. After a formal round of introduction, the students discussed with the women on the issues confronted by them in the locality, the motivation behind MSS, their personal and community life, success and failure stories of MSS, the various components of the training held in August, women’s participation in the decision making process etc. The meeting was meant to give the students an overview of the process of Mahila Shanti Sena in the area. Smt. Nivedita Scudder, Smt. Rashmi Mohanty and Sri Bhanu Prasad Panigrahi helped in interpretation and facilitating dialogues between the students and community leaders.

Workshop on 29.11.2005

Smt. Nivedita Scudder inaugurated the workshop by kindling the lamp. An awareness song in chorus followed it. Rashmi Mohanty, Secretary of Unnayan, gave introductory address. In her address Smt. Rashmi Mohanty deliberated on the motivation of Unnayan in initiating the MSS process, its relevance in the contemporary society and basic objectives of the workshop. Then Sri Uma Shankar Chaturbedy of Shram Bharati spoke about the origin and growth of Mahila Shanti Sena. Giving instances of the subjugated status of women and putting forward the need and role of women to work as agents in bringing about   societal change, he motivated the participating women towards the process of MSS. He examined the cause and effect of the various problems confronted by the society in general and women in particular. He then explained about the various components of MSS. Noteworthy that all the women who attended this programme were already motivated by the old trainees and thus they had basic information about the process. The deliberations of the workshop strengthened their commitment and motivation towards the process. Then all the women who were committed and convicted to this process were invited for oath taking. Smt. Rashmi Mohanty of Unnayan gave oath to the members, old and new alike, by reading out the printed version in Oriya. Knotting the saffron insignia around the necks of the new members, which was done by the chairperson of Unnayan and the old members of MSS, followed this. With this the meeting came to an end with a formal vote of thanks.

Personal Interview:

The students from McMaster University conducted personal interview with six selected MSS members. The questions ranged from their personal and family lives, other members of family, their community life, participation in solving local problems, status in family and community, motivation towards MSS and future perspective.

Workshop on

Culture of Peace And Women

Date:  04-05 February 2006

Venue:  Utkal Nava Jeevan Mandal Campus, Angul, Orissa

Organised by: UNNAYAN, Bhubaneswar (Phone: 0674 – 2741198 / 2741112), 9437024198/ 9437284838 (Mobile)

BAJI RAUT CHHATRAVAS, Angul  (Phone: 06764 – 236533 / 236862), 9937025319 / 9437075929   (Mobile)

UTKAL NAVA JEEVAN MANDAL, Angul (Phone: 06764 – 236310)

                                                                              PROGRAMME

WE ARE SOLDIERS OF PEACE

(Translated from the original Oriya written by Sri Sunil Sasmal)

We are soldiers of peace

Travellers on the road to peace.

Our venture is on the path of peace

Entwining our lives let us walk together

Let us hold high this symbol of peace

Let us establish peace.

Sharing in each other’s sorrows

In togetherness

And arm in arm

Let us wipe away all pain and suffering

Together, let us boldly march forward.

Let us overcome all obstacles

Without fear, without fear, without fear

We have taken the oath of peace

We shall overcome, overcome, overcome.