Multiworld Multiversity Taleemnet

The End of Education 1 Eurocentrism in Social Science 3 To School or Not to School 7 Network websites 2 Universidad de la Tierra 4 Interview with “walk-outs” 8 Multiversity Tracts 5 Vinoba Bhave on Teaching 9 Vazhviyal Multiversity goes to Unschooling in Pakistan 10 Malaysia 6 Love Letters to Kamiriithu 11 Ploughing a Lonely Furrow 12

2003 Vol.I No.2 War on Iraq: The End of Education?

In the intervening period between the priceless heirlooms of the ancient publication of the first and second issues of civilisations of Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Kamiriithu, the world of human beings has Babylon? How do we teach the next genera- been transformed in a most profound and tions that the destruction of history and tumultuous manner. scholarship was required in order to safe- The illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq guard fuel supplies for American cars, stub- by a country reported to be celebrating for bornly pursuing not just the end of history, some time now “the end of history” has but the end of the planet as well? frontally assaulted our most cherished Can any decent, civilised citizen from any human ideals. We have to seriously consider part of the remaining profoundly human now whether the “end of history” in the societies of Asia, Africa or South America United States of America has come to mean ever again pretend that flying to the US will the “end of education” there as well. any longer get him or her an “education”? What kind of “education” would allow the What education? Education to become a brutalisation of the innocent people of Iraq, plague, a pathogen, a disease? and earlier, of Afghanistan? Which system Post-Iraq, many will say that the direction in of learning would justify the open theft of which we are headed is largely towards resources from a nation kept forcibly impov- making the planet a more miserable place for erished for a dozen all the people fated to live in these times. years? Can one ever Others, however, have a better view. Munir applaud a high-tech Fasheh wrote me recently, for instance: war against a nation “What is ugly is not new, it has been there of undernourished all the time, especially since the invasion of people, many chil- the Americas. What is new, and to me marks dren? a new phase in human history, is the new The rulers of these spirit, as manifested for the first time in highly “educated” and human history, in millions of people from all so-called advanced walks of life and backgrounds and regions societies of the going out on the same day in more than 600 United States of cities around the world and saying no to the America, the dominant inhuman logic. They did not go United Kingdom out for support of a charismatic leader or and their crony ideology (as what happened in the sixties) but allies violated every for feeling that the dominant logic will soon conceivable law known to civilised society. reach and wipe out everyone. This spirit, They resorted to unacceptable levels of these manifestations reflect the main human violence against innocent civilians. They lied treasure which consists of what people and and fabricated documents to show that the cultures have. The danger of wiping out life Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction. By from this earth is there, of course; these their unilateral use of brute force, the maniacs have the tools to do it. But, I feel invaders created overnight a country bereft things are and will be swinging the other of civic life and education (and a planet direction in the coming future.” emptied of international law as well). The publication of Kamiriithu and its mes- For decades, the United States has been a sage is therefore timely. Multiworld’s associ- magnet for people seeking “quality educa- ates have no desire to conduct themselves as tion” from around the world. The “brain pall-bearers of the glorious ideals associated drain” of several years has ensured that with “education”. But the Multiworld commu- “the best and the brightest” of young people nity is convinced that offering more and from all across the planet end up in Ameri- more children to the altar of “American- can universities. How did this allegedly inspired” educational institutions and their brilliantly endowed country descend almost life-less curricula can only make the globe a more terrible and galling place to live in. As overnight into this abysmal sewer of human t r t e e s l w e N s r ’ o k t w N e rl d o u l t i w M T h e depravities? Arif Tabassum wrote recently, we can never Education ought to have prevented the need forget that “the nuclear bomb is a product of of war and all else associated with this schooled minds.” terrible human disease. We associate We may not be able to stop the American education with the hopeful long term curing war machine in its tracks as yet because of the human pathologies associated with all there is today simply no institution large war, just or unjust. These ideals failed in enough to hold the clinically insane, thor- the United States where even school chil- oughly schooled individuals who control and dren take up guns and spray their teachers direct it. and colleagues with lead in senseless bouts But we can begin right now by taking greater of violence. So what can be expected of their care about how we undertake the education political leaders? of our children: that we never surrender In fact, the violent American conquest of these most precious gifts from God to be Iraq symbolises not just the failure of trained for service in a system that can only UN MUNDO EN QUE QUEPAN MUCHOS MUNDOS education in the United States, but its benefit and strengthen this manic cabal of rejection as well. anti-civilisation, anti-culture terrorists and With what face shall we teach American thieves that claims it has reached the end of students about the beginnings of human history – and of education as well. civilisation knowing we collaborated in the Claude Alvares destruction of museums that housed the 2 Multiworld Network websites

multiworld.org taleemnet.org indiaorganic.org multiversity msn page Multiworld.org is the main This site is exclusively for re- Yusef Progler from the UAE Multiworld website. This site deals exclusively with porting on discussions and ex- the field of organic agricultural runs an independent Multiver- We are encouraging educa- sity website which also features periments dealing with learn- science. tional activists in every country ing experiences outside school exciting new discussion mate- within the South to have their Traditional agriculture in walls or outside the framework almost all countries has been rial, rare articles and reports own Multiworld chapter and on Multiversity themes. of ‘factory schooling’. replaced by imported agribusi- site, operated by their own core Taleemnet is actually the You can access the site at: group. Naturally, several of ness science based on use of co- first major site dedicated exclu- pious synthetic chemicals and http://groups.msn.com/multi- these will be in their own na- versity sively to de-schooling or pesticides pushed by huge cor- tional, regional or local lan- unschooling experiments in Join the discussions there. guages, with crosslinks to the porations. Asia, Africa and South The site is frequently updated main Multiworld page. In several countries, in fact, America. and the discussions way out. The main website will even- farmers have been cut off from Everything relating to the re- tually host discussions in the The site aims to create an inherited knowledge of farming principal languages of the international community of and are now finding it difficult gime of Western academic stud- ies is being challenged with de- South: Hindi, Chinese, Swahili, parents and students who take to survive with an alien system termination, verve and imagi- Spanish, Arabic, Farsi etc. a decision to “walk-out” of of growing crops that is not only Multiworld.org, for the mo- school and resume learning us- increasingly unprofitable but nation. Progler is also editing a se- ment, also hosts the Multiver- ing their own resources. that actually devastates the en- ries of short booklets containing sity site. It also hosts the dis- Educators, parents and vironment as well. cussion dealing with the teach- students are encouraged to For the moment, the infor- essays by important scholars who have attempted to chal- ing and implications of (colo- visit the site to learn about the mation available relates lenge in a fundamental way nial) international law. mental and spiritual damage largely to the organic farming There are crosslinks that that is done to children and movement in India and Malay- Western academic culture and its various associated compo- will take you to other learners when they submit sia. nents. Called the “Radical Es- multiworld sites, including themselves to the coercive pro- The site provides linkages those dealing with schooling cesses of schooling. to several organic farming sites sentials Pamphlet Series”, the essays appear in the format of (taleemnet) and organic agri- After reading the critique, within the country and abroad. colourful booklets (see p.5 of culture (indiaorganic). We are parents may be interested in It reports on intellectual also providing linkages to sev- knowing what other parents are work carried out by farmers this issue for more details). In- eral other sites which are work- dian editions of these books doing in different parts of the and innovations in the area of ing in similar directions. will be out shortly. country and abroad. restoring soil fertility, improv- We are also envisioning The site features stories of ing the micro-community of soil These booklets have been separate Multiworld sites on designed for seminars and children who have done better species and organisms, home- specific issues like the WTO, out of school than if they had workshops on themes relating debt, international law, etc. Any made inputs, etc. continued with it. The main activities of or- to decolonisation of knowledge. person volunteering to set up Taleemnet hosts stories and run such sites for us is ganic farming teaching are car- making fun of the school and ried out under the rubric of welcome to do so. Please keep cartoons critical of the school. us informed so that work is not Vazhviyal Multiversity which is The site also provides a de- located in Tamilnadu and was unnecessarily duplicated. If you tailed overview of educational come across interesting sites inaugurated on September 11, systems outside the purview of 2002. that should be linked with the Western educational institu- Multiworld page, please inform The first major activity of tions. us. Vazhviyal has been the con- Links are provided to sig- The multiworld.org site is ducting of training camps for nificant home-schooling move- being updated every week com- farmers eager to turn away mencing June, 2003. We wel- ments within the industrialised from chemical farming. come comments and contribu- countries where there is an In April 2003, several farm- tions to the multiworld even greater mental anguish ers from Tamilnadu visited webpage from sympathetic col- about the negative impact of Malaysia to exchange notes leagues and friends in Asia, Af- schooling on the personality de- with farmers there on natural rica and South America. This velopment of children and farming techniques. Network is not designed to be youth. run from above, but through its numerous constituents.

Hitherto, the knowledge we in Asia, Eventually, the entire 500 titles Africa and South America created or will be written onto a single CD which we still create everyday, was multiversitylibrary.com which will not be available for sale suppressed or was simply ignored commercially. However, scholars because it did not fit within the 3. Edward Said, Orientalism 21. D.L.O. Mendis, Eppawala: Destruc- and teachers from Asia, Africa and dominant paradigms that rule the 4. J.P.S Uberoi, Science and Culture tion of Cultural Heritage in the South America will be able to ask academic world. The present day 5. Nsekuye Bizimana, White Para- Race of Development for copies for use in classrooms and output of books – that wield influ- dise, Hell for Africa? 22. Dharampal, Collected Writings (5 for purposes of their own research. ence in the knowledge system being 6. M.K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj vols) Where permissions from au- disseminated – is notorious for its 7. Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society 27. Just World Trust, Dominance of the thors or publishers is available, we lack of any works generated by in- 8. Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviviality West Versus the Rest shall also post the entire text of tellectuals from the South. So one 9. Ivan Illich, Energy and Equity 28. Just World Trust, Human Wrongs: these books on the Net. of the Multiversity’s first tasks has 10. Sunil Sahasrabudhey, Gandhi’s Reflections on Western Global Multiversity is also commencing been the rescue, airing and sharing Challenge to Modern Science Dominance and its Impact on Hu- preparation of an annotated bibliog- of suppressed knowledge. 11. Masanobu Fukuoka, The One man Rights raphy of up to 10,000 articles writ- To achieve this, the Multiversity has Straw Revolution 29. Orlando Fals Borda, Knowledge ten by intellectuals from the South set up an internet library called 12. Ashis Nandy, The Intimate Enemy and People’s Power and organised under various disci- Multiversitylibrary.com. The site will 13. Claude Alvares, Decolonising His- 30. Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart plines and which demonstrate cre- offer scholars from Asia, Africa and tory 31. Orlando Albornoz, Sociology and ative work, new ideas, methodolo- South America free loads of major 14. Claude Alvares, Science, Develop- the Third World Perspective gies equal to or superior to what we titles written by scholars from these ment and Violence 32. Renato Constantino, Synthetic have learned from the academic in- continents. 15. Ziauddin Sardar, editor, The Touch Culture and Development stitutions of the West. Many of Eventually the Internet Multi- of Midas 33. Claude Ake, Democracy and De- these articles are already posted on versity library will comprise over 16. Winin Pereira, Inhuman Rights velopment in Africa the Net. 500 of the best titles from Asia, Af- 17. Winin Pereira, Global Parasites 34. Roberto Galeano, Open Veins of We request intellectuals, writers, rica and South America. The list of 18. K.M. Panikkar, Asia and Western Latin America academics from Asia, Africa and titles already scanned includes the Dominance 35. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Moving the South America to use the webpages following: 19. Walter Rodney, How Europe Un- Center of multiversitylibrary.com and 1. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, derdeveloped Africa 36. Ali Shariati, The Sociology of Is- multiworld.org to circulate the best Decolonising the Mind 20. Mohammad Kattami, Islam, Lib- lam. of their writing within the interna- 2. Rana Kabbani, Devise and Rule: erty and Development 37. Ziauddin Sardar, How we know: tional community. Europe’s Myths of Orient Ilm snd the revival of knowledge. The Multiworld Network’s Newsletter 3

B R I N G I N G C O L O U R B A C K I N T O A C A D E M I C S T U D I E S

Why Teach European Social Science to Asians? Syed Farid Alatas of the Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore tells us of the new courses he and his colleagues are designing in order to marginalise the dominance and tyranny of Western social scientists and their work in his sphere of influence. Writing in the early part of theory questioned the existing have attempted to deal with the This is an introductory course the last century, Benoy Kumar paradigms in the social sciences, issue of teaching sociological to Muslim civilization. Em- Sarkar (1887-1949) was well they have so far been unable to theory by way of a more univer- phasis is on the historical, cul- ahead of his time when he displace the fundamental as- salistic approach to the study of tural and social context of the censured Asian thinkers for sumptions of specific disciplines sociological theory. This in- emergence and development of having fallen “victim to the fal- in practice. The pragmatic need cludes raising the question of Islam, and the great diversity lacious sociological methods to reproduce disciplines such as whether sociological theorising that exists in the Muslim and messages of the modern sociology and anthropology de- had been done outside of the world, from Morocco in the West, to which the postulate of mands that certain continuities bounds of European modernity. west to Indonesia in the east. an alleged distinction between with the past be maintained. This would imply changes in so- The course is divided into five the Orient and the Occident is Hence, it is not insignificant ciology theory curricula. We sections. The first, consisting the first principle of science.” that the critique of the human have been experimenting with of two lectures, provides an in- He attacked such Eurocentric sciences is confined to the pro- various approaches entailing troduction to the study of civi- notions as the inferiority of fessional arena (that is, scientific changes in the way sociological lizations in general, defines Is- Hindus in matters of science journals, conferences and other theory is taught. Some interest- lam as belief and practice, and technology, the one-sided academic forums) with the par- ing results came out of such creed and civilization, and emphasis on the other-worldly ticipants being established schol- changes which we had reported briefly discusses the origins of and speculative dimension of Islam. the Hindu spirit, and the al- The next set of lectures dis- leged dichotomy between Ori- cusses the spread of Islam and ent and Occident. He was the encounter between Islam also critical of the methodol- and the West in the past. ogy of the prevailing Indology This part of the course intro- of his times on three grounds: duces the major cultural areas (i) it overlooked the positive, within Muslim civilization, materialistic and secular theo- that is, the Arab, Persian, Ot- ries and institutions of the toman, Moghul, and Malay, Hindus, (ii) it compared the and covers topics such as the ancient and medieval condi- Muslim conquest of Spain and tions of India with modern and Why read or teach the works of Marx, Weber and Durkheim Sicily, the Crusades, and the contemporary European and Islamization of Southeast Asia. American societies, and (iii) it or other European authors long since departed to a class of ignored the distinction be- Singaporean or Southeast Asian students? What have the The third part of the course tween existing institutions on examines the cultural dimen- the one hand and ideals on ideas of three European theorists born in the last century in sion of Muslim civilization, the other. with particular emphasis a different cultural milieu to do with the non-European placed on the religious and ra- Sarkar was very explicit about regions of the world today? tional sciences that developed his call for a new Indology among the Arabs and Per- that would function to demol- ars and not students. The cri- in the journal, Teaching Sociol- sians, their contact with the ish the idolas of Orientalism Greek heritage, and the im- as they are found in sociology. tique of the social sciences that ogy. emanated from academic institu- pact that Islam had on medi- In 1968, the well-known In- These changes involved, among eval European philosophy and tions in Asia, Africa and Latin other things, introducing Asian dian periodical, Seminar, de- America tended to remain at an science. Also discussed in this voted an issue to the topic of thinkers who were grappling part of the course are the lit- abstract and reflexive level. with similar problems of social academic colonialism, which There had been several thought- erary and artistic dimensions was understood in terms of change and emerging modernity of Muslim civilization. ful pieces on the state of the as nineteenth century European two aspects. One referred to various disciplines, raising the The fourth part of the course the use of academically gener- scholars were. For example, the issue of the lack of connected- works of Ibn Khaldun, focuses on current issues in ated information by overt and ness between social science and the contemporary period (post- covert North American agen- Rammohun Roy, Jose Rizal and the societies in which it was Benoy Kumar Sarkar were World War II). Particular em- cies to facilitate political domi- taught. But the calls to phasis is given to the emer- nation of Afro-Asian countries. taught in addition to those of decolonize the social sciences Marx, Weber and Durkheim. gence of Orientalism in Europe The other referred to the eco- were generally not followed by and the Islamic response to it. nomic, political and intellec- We are also planning to intro- successful attempts to build ‘in- duce the ideas of East Asian This section also provides an tual dominance that North digenous’ theories and autono- overview of the political American academics them- thinkers such as the Japanese, mous social science traditions, Ogy Sorai (1666-1728). economy of the Muslim world, selves exercise over academics delinked from the academic core setting the stage for discus- elsewhere. of Western Europe and North Because of the relative au- sions on a number of contem- Why read or teach the works America. Neither have these tonomy that university profes- porary problems and issues of Marx, Weber and Durkheim calls manifested themselves at sors enjoy, we are in a position such as gender, underdevelop- or other European authors the level of teaching in the so- to make such changes in the ment, Islamic revivalism, and long since departed to a class cial sciences. As far as sociologi- courses that we teach, even if imperialism. entire curricula cannot be re- of Singaporean or Southeast cal theory is concerned course on The main objective is to bring Asian students? What have this throughout the world tend vamped along these lines. In addition to the two courses men- students to an understanding the ideas of three European to restrict themselves to discus- of what I understand as the theorists born in the last cen- sion and exposition of the works tioned above, I have attempted to put into practice some three central themes of the tury in a different cultural mi- of Marx, Weber and Durkheim study of civilizations: a) Inter- lieu to do with the non-Euro- in addition to those of other themes that I believe should in- form the dialogue among civiliza- civilizational encounters; b) pean regions of the world to- nineteenth century Western Multicultural origins of moder- day? scholars. tion in a course entitled “Islam and Contemporary Muslim Civi- nity and c) The variety of While the various calls for al- Given this scenario, my col- lizations”. points of view. (Full text of ternative discourses have in league, Vineeta Sinha, and I this paper at multiworld.org) 4

Universidad de la Tierra: Reclaiming Our Freedom to Learn Gustavo Esteva (who wrote this piece for Multiversity) is a grassroots activist and deprofessionalized intellectual. Author of 27 books and many essays, he lives in a small indigenous village in Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. Universidad de la Tierra en Oaxaca was created by a coalition of grassroots organisations. The University is a unique institution created for the uneducated and unschooled of South America. We welcome many more such universities all across the planet. Those wanting to set one up can contact Gustavo Esteva at: [email protected] They came from villages and The seminar has been very denied to them by the educa- school with those out of the barrios, mostly Indigenous. fruitful. Most of the participants tional system. Instead of certify- school. The latter knew more They were naive refuseniks, are now conscious refuseniks. ing a number of ass-hours, as about everything, except the fed up with the classroom. Our ‘students’ have been learn- conventional diplomas, we cer- national anthem... And those They came with curiosity, ing faster than we expected. Af- tify a specific competence that is going to school were looking rather than conviction. They ter a few months they start to immediately appreciated by the down at their communities heard about Universidad de la be called by their communities communities. and cultures, and subordinat- Tierra from friends or ac- to do there what they have We are also extending similar ing their minds and hearts to quaintances and decided to learned. Some of them are com- diplomas to wise people, who the authority of the teacher. give it a try. bining different lines of learning may never have been in a Maldonado’s report is titled, They knew that we have no in a creative way. One of them, school or our university. Their “How the school produces ig- teachers or curricula and don’t for example, combined organic competence is certified by their norance”. provide educational services. agriculture and soil regeneration peers and the community. The The people in the villages They loved the idea that they (his original interest), with ver- idea, again, is to use in our own know very well that the would be in full control of nacular architecture. He is thus way – laughingly – the symbols school prevents their children their own learning – the con- enriching, though a variety of of the dominant system. from learning what is needed tent, the rhythm, the condi- experiences and tutors, what a The cost of the whole adventure for survival in the community. tions. But it was not easy for good peasant usually does. In- is ridiculously low, almost irrel- And that it does not offer to them to take such control stead of seeking to get dignity evant. Most of the ‘students’, them appropriate preparation into their hands. (Even those and income by producing and however, do require support for for life or work out of the com- that suffered school for only a munity. They no longer del- few years were already condi- egate their children’s learning tioned to think of themselves to the school, but most of as passive receptacles for re- them don’t dare take the chil- ceiving instructions). dren out of the school either. As soon as they arrive, they They don’t want to deprive start to work with a tutor, a them of the school diploma, a person doing what they want required passport in modern to learn, who is willing to ac- society, whose lack is a con- cept them as apprentices. tinual source of discrimination and humiliation. In doing their work, in observ- ing their tutors, the ‘students’ They know by experience usually discover that some what happens with those books may have good use. As abandoning their communities apprentices with an agrarian to get “higher education”. lawyer, for example, they ob- They will not come back to the serve how he alludes during community and are usually his work to some articles of And so we created our university. Young men or women lost in the cities, in degraded the Agrarian Law and smell without any diploma, and better if they never attended the jobs. A recent official study with curiosity that little book found that only 8% of all full of strange sentences. At school, can come with us. They will be able to learn whatever graduates of Mexican universi- their request, a reading circle they want to learn – practical trades, like topography or law, ties will be able to work in starts, where several ‘stu- whatever they graduated. Cer- dents’ study together the or fields of study, like philosophy, astronomy, whatever. They tified lawyers or engineers are Agrarian Law. driving a taxi or tending a will learn the skills of the trade or field of study as appren- stall. Inspite of such aware- They also discover that they tices of someone doing those activities. They will also learn, ness, people still hold the illu- need specific skills to do what sion that higher education they want to do. Most of the in doing it, how to learn with modern tools and practices, not may offer something to their time, they get those skills by children. They don’t feel com- practice. At their request, available in their communities. fortable in depriving their chil- they may attend specific work- dren of such “opportunity”. shops, to shorten the time selling professional services, he food and lodging, since they are needed to get those skills. learns how to share what he is out of their communities during And so we created our univer- learning with others. Like the their learning process. This has sity. Young men or women We have regular seminars, to peasants. been a limiting factor, prevent- without any diploma, and bet- freely discuss what we want ter if they never attended the What we are mostly doing is to ing us from accepting all the to discuss. We usually start school, can come with us. reclaim practices of apprentice- ‘students’ that apply to learn at with a definition of a common They will be able to learn ship as old as the hills, and Unitierra. interest. Someone suggests a whatever they want to learn – complement them with some Why Unitierra? specific text, pertinent to the practical trades, like topogra- contemporary practices for theme. In the next session we Years ago, we started to observe phy or law, or fields of study, shared learning and study. organise our conversation in villages and barrios, particu- like philosophy, astronomy, around what we read. The To define areas of apprentice- larly among Indigenous peoples, whatever. They will learn the number of participants in ev- ship, we explore with the com- a radical reaction against educa- skills of the trade or field of ery session varies from six to munities both the kind of knowl- tion and schools. A few of them study as apprentices of some- 25. edge or skills not available in closed their schools and expelled one doing those activities. We also organise special semi- them and the kind of learning their teachers. Most of them They will also learn, in doing nars, when one of us or an in- they want for their young avoided the political conflict in- it, how to learn with modern teresting visitor has some- people. volved in such move and opted tools and practices, not avail- thing to share. The speaker Of course we also play with the for by-passing the school, while able in their communities. reclaiming and regenerating the speaks for 30 or 40 minutes symbols of the oppressive educa- We called it ‘university’ to conditions in which people tradi- and all the participants dis- tional system. After one or two laugh at the official system tionally learned their own ways. cuss with him or her for one years of learning, once the ‘stu- and to be able to provide uni- or two hours more. dents’ are successfully able to They came to this point after a versity diplomas, protecting A regular seminar is focused perform the activities they want long experience. For many years our ‘graduates’ from discrimi- on the ideas of Iván Illich. We to learn (as Agrarian Lawyers they resisted the school. And nation. But we also reclaimed are exploring how he articu- or Alternative Medical Practitio- then, like the Zapatistas, they for our organisation an old tra- lated our experience at the ners, in Popular Communica- said ¡Basta!, Enough! They knew dition of the medieval univer- grassroots and how appropri- tion, Vernacular Architecture, very well what was happening. sity: the opportunity for a ately he achieved this. We use Forestry, Social Research, etc.), Benjamín Maldonado, a young group of friends to learn and a selection of his texts as a we give them a magnificent uni- anthropologist, certified it. Using study together, around a table reference or a framework to versity diploma. We are thus of- a collection of tests, he com- examine our own experience. fering them a ‘social recognition’ pared children going to the (continued next page) The Multiworld Network’s Newsletter 5

Enlightened thinkers and the Multiversity Tracts USA: The Crumbling of Empire revolutionary Society By Frederik F Clairmont By Ali Shariati (Rs. 30, US$3) Citizens International, Malaysia, These booklets are part of the (Rs. 30, US$3) has brought out these six book- “Radical Essentials Pamphlet lets which look at the world and Series”. The series in intended its major problems through non- to bring readers a collection of Western eyes and brains. essays necessary for envisioning Kamiriithu has already featured life beyond the hegemonic grip “White Studies” in its first issue. of Western modernity, its John Mohawk is a native Ameri- knowledge traditions and its can who has challenged the he- socio-economic systems. Pam- gemony of Western thinking. So phlets feature works by Third has Ali Shariati, who also wrote World thinkers developing their critically of Western academic own intellectual traditions and sciences and sought to replace works by maverick thinkers op- them with Islamic models. erating within the Western in- tellectual tradition. ‘Digital Diploma Mills’ is a sharp critique of the Western educa- The focus of the series is on ac- tion system with its new empha- tion-oriented critical analysis sis on distance learning. about a variety of contemporary Frederic Clairmont is an elo- topics, including the environ- quent writer who forecasts the ment, consumerism, technology, end of Western liberalism and health and education. its manifestation as an empire. You can order all the titles from The War on Iraq is a revealing Other India Bookstore, Above exposure of Israeli direction of Mapusa Clinic, Mapusa 403 507 the criminal US led war on Iraq. Goa, India. Rs.30 each.

War on Iraq: Conceived in A Basic Call to Consciousness Israel. By Stephen Sniegoski By John Mohawk (Rs. 30, US$3) (Rs. 30, US$3) Digital Diploma Mills White Studies By David Noble (Rs. 30, US$3) By Ward Churchill (Rs. 30, US$3)

(continued from previous page) An Apology Esteva: Reclaiming Our Freedom to Learn Despite the best of our ef- forts, we were unable to – not to get any diploma or recent years, indigenous peoples first example mentioned by the bring out Kamiriithu earlier. advance up the education lad- have been repeating an old say- participants when we discuss But in the near future as der, but for the joy of it. ing: “They wrenched off our such alien elements. They re- well, the publication of We started recently another fruits... They ripped off our member that three years ago, Kamiriithu will not be on a adventure. People of 300 com- branches... They burned our in a public forum of the indig- regular basis. This is largely munities from three provinces trunk... But they could not kill enous peoples of Oaxaca, after because we are operating on are participating with us in an our roots.” The foliage repre- months of reflection and dis- a shoe-string basis, with com- exercise in cultural regenera- sents the visible aspect of a cul- cussion, they declared: “The pletely inadequate staff. tion. We have two or three ture, its morphology. The trunk, school has been the main tool We have therefore taken a day workshops, in groups of part visible and part invisible, of the State to destroy the In- unilateral decision that sub- 20 to 40, every six months, in represents the structural aspect. digenous cultures”. scriptions sent for the news- some towns near the commu- And the roots represent their We are learning together, letter will not be valid for a nities. Every month we have myths, their view of the world, with these young or old people bi-monthly published over six one or two day workshops, in their notion of the self, space, designated in communities’ as- months of the year. Instead, groups of 3 to 8, in the com- time, spirituality. semblies of ten indigenous all subscriptions will be for a munities. We share with all A culture may have, as a tree, peoples to participate in this set of six issues as and when the participants some texts, some grafts – something brought adventure of ‘reflection in ac- these are published. audiocassettes and videocas- by another culture that became tion’. We are learning how to The reason for this change? settes, for them to share the fully incorporated. The Span- regenerate our own cultures. experience in their communi- iards, for example, brought the We are hospitably opening our We have decided to ensure ties. For a few months we will plough, which is now an inti- arms and hearts to others, but that half of the newsletter share reflections on our cul- mate part of our peasant cul- fully aware that we need to will feature actual stories of tures and how they have been tures. But to prosper, a graft protect our own cultural trees people already working to affected and damaged. The should be of the same species, from inhospitable people, tools meet multiversity objectives. participants will then conceive and it should be grafted in the and practices that corrupt or Meeting such people and of initiatives to strengthen appropriate way. In the commu- kill them. We are thus heal- writing up their stories their own cultures. During the nities there are also many alien ing ourselves from the dam- takes considerable time. But, following years we will accom- elements, that cannot be grafted ages done to us by you will agree, such stories pany them in the implementa- in their cultures. They may de- colonisation and development. will ensure that Kamiriithu tion of their initiatives. Those cide to keep them and use them And we are joyfully walking is not just a talk shop, but a so willing may continue their in their own way, with a critical again our own path, trusting real life workshop as well. learning process in the univer- distance, or they may decide to again our own noses, dream- We are keen to ensure that sity. reject them, as something dam- ing again our own dreams... subscribers preserve every In this adventure we are us- aging or dissolving their own issue of Kamiriithu as if it ing the analogy of a tree. In culture. The school is often the were gold. Or better. 6

Teaching Across Borders Multiversity introduces natural farming to Malaysia Through the assistance of the Third World Network, organic farmers from Vazhviyal Multiversity arrived in Malaysia for a three week teaching tour targetted at getting Malaysian farmers to switch to natural farming and decrease their dependence on destructive Western agricultural science. Malaysia’s farmers appear to have completely forgotten about composting, earthworms and mulching. The rotten economics of modern agriculture based on expensive fertilisers and toxic pesticides is inducing them to learn their subject all over again.

Over the years, almost all of lem of communication would not spread and the media got in- cow: milk, curd, ghee, dung Malaysia’s agriculture has con- constitute an obstacle. volved, more and more enqui- and urine. Panchagavya en- verted to intensive farming Accordingly, three key organic ries poured into the offices of the ables farmers using synthetic based on expensive synthetic farmers associated with Consumers Association of chemicals to make the switch chemicals and toxic pesticides. Vazhviyal Multiversity were Penang that was organizing the to a non-chemicals based agri- However, as with farmers’ ex- first selected to visit Malaysia tour. By the end of their stay, culture within the space of a periences elsewhere, the use and train their Malaysian coun- the organic farming promotion year. of these chemicals is producing terparts. The three farmers in- tour was covered by The Star, The five elements required for diminishing results. Farmers cluded G Nammalwar, one of the New Strait Times, Utusan Panchagavya are mixed in cer- find they are making greater the principal leaders of the or- Konsumer and a host of Tamil tain pre-fixed proportions fol- cash payments to companies ganic farming movement in newspapers including Tamil Na- lowing a recipe invented by a for costly inputs, while their Tamilnadu. (Nammalwar is a tion, Malaysia Namban, Makkal medical doctor and allowed to output is stagnant or declin- former trained agricultural sci- Osai and Kumudam. ferment. After a set period of ing. entist who today disavows what- The Indian farmers were sur- 18 days, the Panchagavya is Worse, synthetic chemicals ever he learnt at agricultural prised to discover that their Ma- ready to be diluted and used as damage the soil, driving out university.) laysian counterparts had com- a growth promoter and as a the micro and macro fauna in- 65 year old Nammalwar sur- pletely forgotten how to prepare soil conditioner. Once a cluding earthworms. Toxic prised ordinary Malaysians by simple compost and were rou- farmer begins to prepare and pesticides affect not only the his vast knowledge of plants tinely getting rid of the large use Panchagavya, he turns his health of those farmers that found during his visit. While quantities of organic waste gen- back completely on synthetic use them, but also end up in walking around either in the erated on their farms by dispos- chemicals and pesticides. He the food crops bought by inno- urban environment or in the ing them of as unwanted and thereby saves considerable cent people in the open mar- fields of the Malays, he picked troublesome garbage. The first amounts that normally go out ket. They also destroy impor- up various grasses, weeds, ferns step was therefore teaching the of his hard earned earnings to tant elements of the ecosys- and other plants and explained assembled farmers how to pro- pay for such costly chemicals. tem including honey-bees and Another major component of fish in the streams and ponds the techniques was into which the toxic pesticides vermicomposting: the use of end up. select species of earthworms All these impacts of modern for preparing compost from ag- “green revolution” agriculture ricultural wastes. are well known, but those who Earthworm farming is a major continue to propagate the industry in India with several package of practices associated entrepreneurs setting up huge with it have no options left. sheds for raising these useful Within this context, Indian or- creatures. The earthworms ganic farmers appeared to be are raised for sale and also for natural candidates for initiat- producing A grade compost ing Malaysian farmers into the which farmers use in place of intricacies of natural farming: synthetic chemicals. a way of growing crops that Malaysian farmers had several relies wholly on recycled natu- misconceptions – mostly hos- ral materials and eschews tile – about earthworms. completely any dependence on Some believed that earth- inputs, especially synthetic worms, if not eliminated, chemicals, from outside the Organic farmers from Vazhviyal Multiversity (Tamilnadu) explain to Malay- would destroy vegetables by farm. sian farmers the basic skills of composting agricultural wastes boring holes through such pro- The organic farming move- duce. It took some time for the ment has taken great strides their medicinal properties. He cess such agricultural wastes in- Indians to rid the farmers of within India in the past de- even picked up several plants cluding dead leaves. these prejudices and to con- cade. The Third World Net- growing by the roadside in The Tamilian teachers also vince them that earthworms work played a key role in the Penang town and explained how taught the Malaysians the art of were a useful and very effec- movement by assisting in the they could be used for dealing mulching their crops. Mulching tive tool for sustainable agri- publication of The Organic with specific pests in agricul- is a key organic farming tech- culture. ture. Farming Source Book, an nique by which the soil is cov- From day one, the Tamilians encyclopaedic document that The other farmers included K. ered with a layer of dead agri- also taught the Malaysians created enormous excitement Mohanasundaram, Tamilnadu’s cultural waste materials so as to how to manufacture their own, and energy among those look- best known organic turmeric form a blanket above it. The or- environmentally benign, ing for alternatives to modern grower and M Venkatachalam, ganic soil cover has several im- herbal pesticides. Nammalwar agriculture and induced a run- a barefoot untrained entomolo- portant advantages when com- and his team were able to away trend among farmers gist who learnt the entire art of pared with keeping the soil ex- identify several plants they converting to natural farming. biological pest control on his posed to the elements: the soil found growing in the Malay In many areas, the own without going to university under the mulch is cooler. In countryside – and which are Sourcebook functioned as a and set up a successful village addition, its water requirement normally treated as “weeds” – sort of clearing-house for new level unit for raising natural is less since evaporation rates that could be used for purposes ideas relating to organic agri- predators that farmers could use are also cut down. The mulch of controlling pests. Farmers culture. Today farmers in In- in their fields against pests. eventually degrades and merges were taught how to mash dia are glad to be rid of the The three farmers spent practi- with the soil, creating a these leaves, then boil them dependence on costly synthetic cally the entire month of April favourable substratum called hu- and finally use the concoctions chemicals, toxic pesticides, (2003) visiting farmers in vari- mus for beneficial microbes to in the form of effective sprays bank credit, crop insurance ous parts of Malaysia: flourish. The microbes are re- to control pests. and a host of other dependence sponsible for unleashing biologi- Cameroon High Lands, Ipoh, The Indian farmers also visited created by the so-called Green Kedah, Penang and KL. They cal and chemical processes that Revolution of the mid-sixties. Merbok in Kedah, a typical came equipped with slide presen- assist in plant growth and plant health. Malaysian paddy growing vil- Since a number of farmers in tations on various techniques lage, where they spent three Malaysia originally migrated and procedures that were essen- Besides composting and mulch- days talking to farmers and from Tamilnadu in India (asso- tial to natural farming. ing, the Malaysians were also teaching them the use of ciated with earlier indentured They began their first course in taught the art of making earthworms and herbal pesti- labourers), it was decided to Cameroon Highlands with a “Panchgavya”, an exciting micro- cides. bring in farmer teachers from mere ten farmers in attendance. bial brew prepared by mixing Tamilnadu, so that the prob- Claude Alvares As news of their techniques five elements sourced to the The Multiworld Network’s Newsletter 7

FREEING CHILDREN FROM THE TYRANNY OF SCHOOLS

On guard To school or not to school by Satinath Sarangi (Sathyu)

Schools are both a manifesta- in this regard, is, if some are tion and a tool of the dominant happy with schools, let them Children listen with a logic. have them. The problem is lot of attention One basic ingredient in any not having schools as much as logic is the assumptions/pre- in not allowing (or legitimiz- Children see with a ing) other ways of learning to mises/ governing values (or lot of attention whatever word one uses in flourish (or even to exist). this regard). A basic value Those who like schools and They have just come within the dominant logic is want (or their parents want the belief in universal think- them) to go to schools should into this world ing, i.e. believing in a single, have the freedom and ability undifferentiated path for to go to schools. If some have And they have so progress. Other values that sweet memories of their many questions to accompany this value of uni- school days, let them enjoy versalism are control and win- those memories. I don’t think ask ning. Measurement becomes we can tell anyone that they Like a corollary, absolutely neces- should not send their children sary for the spread of control to school. But this freedom Why should guavas be and universal thinking. In or- has to be also enjoyed by der for these values to be those who do not want to go always drawn round served best, the mind had to to school, and who want to fol- in pictures? be elevated to a supreme low other paths for living and ruler and wisdom had to be learning. This is what I think Like imprisoned. This logic along we should pursue and put a with its values have been a lot of effort towards realizing. Why isn’t the death major factor in destroying di- It is the diversity of ways of versity, distorting pluralism, nology to develop at an amazing learning that I think we are of a goat an accident? rate. However, they have been, forcing learning to move along struggling for; for such ways Why are there firings narrow paths, equating under- at the same time, a main cause to gain legitimacy, recogni- standing to acquiring informa- for the catastrophic situation tion, resources (including a across borders? tion and technical skills and and trends, which we witness to- proportionate part of the bud- knowledge, and pushing wis- day around us. Life cannot hold get geared for education); i.e., Why are there fir- dom aside. together for too long without to provide various forms for wisdom. ings? The logic embedded in univer- children to choose from. My sal thinking naturally leads to For me, two basic values we concern concerning schools is Why are there bor- the belief that one person/ seem to share (not so much ex- with the students (and they ders? people/ nation/ country/ reli- plicitly) are harmony and health form the majority) who leave gion/ culture can be absolutely (of the human body, of commu- schools after 12 years (or less), They are ignorant better than another (according nities, and of nature). Pluralism basically as useless people, to some supposedly universal and wisdom are crucial in this with hardly any skills other They do not know quest. That’s why I think that than passing or failing in measure!) and, thus, can im- that it is more impor- pose their ideas and ways on trying to prove that schools are meaningless tests, and are the world at large. good or bad, in some universal blamed for it. I think what we tant to brush your sense, is falling into the grip of are talking about is regaining The belief that one’s ideas and the dominant logic. My feeling, diversity in learning/ living, teeth in the morning ways are universal or the best pluralism in our attitudes, and than to give clothes is not new. What is new (and wisdom in our approaches. exclusively characteristic of to someone who western civilization) is the suc- Those who like schools and Of course we have a big chal- cessful diffusion/ dissemina- lenge in front of us. Schools doesn’t have them. want to go to schools have been ingrained in our tion, through “universal” tools The system is threat- (softly or coercively), certain should have the freedom to minds and our psyche for so beliefs and practices as univer- long and so deep that our ened if too many go to schools. If some have imaginations can’t even think sal. The most effective tool has questions are asked. been education as it has been sweet memories of their of alternatives. But those of conceived and practiced at us, who believe that the uni- If the answers are not least during the past 300 school days, let them enjoy versal path is disastrous to hu- years through a curriculum man beings and to human approved. taught to all students, and those memories. I don’t communities and to nature, through standards, measures, think we can tell anyone have no choice but to go on So deploy a parent concepts and meanings that doing what our inner convic- are assumed to be universal. that they should not send tions tell us, regardless of behind every child. what others think and regard- Mathematics and the sciences And for further cau- with their claims to universal their children to school. But less of the price we may have truths, and technology with this freedom has to be also to pay for swimming against tion, its magical impact on people, the current (i.e., in believing have been part of this trium- enjoyed by those who do and living in accordance with a Open schools. phant march of universal pluralistic and wise attitudes thinking and the belief in a lin- not want to go to school, and ways). The mind, the sci- ear path for progress. Ignoring ences, etc should be looked at wisdom and pushing it outside and who want to follow as part of the tools we can people’s consciousness seemed other paths for learning. use, not as masters. necessary for science and tech- Munir Fasheh 8

For years, Janani Narayanan, Interviews with “walk-outs” Karnataka – the source of a school teacher, smarted un- river Madei – documenting der the restrictive and dead- the rich bio-diversity of the ening environment of her Out of school, at last! region and seeking to create school. Both she and her hus- an awareness against the band, a retired Navy officer, A middle-class family in India decides to walk out of school and dam project proposed on the watched helplessly as the begins living and learning all over again. Their story. river. school their two sons at- At present, Srini is appearing tended prevented them from took voluntary retirement from did not agree with this thrust as for his 12th standard examina- learning anything outside the the Indian Navy before he de- they felt they wanted to ‘educate tion through the National In- school syllabus. According to cided to settle down with his our children and give them a stitute of Open Schooling. the school teachers, any activ- family in the city. In 1999, he sound platform to build their The subjects he has chosen ity other than text-book mug- started a fortnightly ‘Vasco lives on and also to make them for his board exams include ging was illegitimate and “di- Watch’ (VW) primarily for the understand the dignity of labour. geography, history, english, versionary”. residents of Vasco. He was ably As any other parent, we too hindi and economics. In 1999, just when their eldest assisted in this new profession wish to give the very best to our Shiv the younger has been son, Srinivas, was being pro- by Janani. children. We feel we are the very passionate about origami moted to the last year of his It was while they were setting best persons to teach and guide since the age of five. Origami school, the family finally re- up VW, that both parents came them.’ is an ancient Japanese art of volted. Both Srinivas and his to the conclusion that they Thus they exercised their choice paper folding without cutting younger brother, Shivram, should take their children out of as parents to free their children and sticking or pasting, sur- were yanked out of formal school. Accordingly, Janani quit from the oppressive shackles of viving from around 1000 AD. school and given their free- her job as a school teacher and present day school routines. (Ori – to fold and kami – pa- dom. decided, apart from helping with They were rather fortunate that per = origami). Now that in India needs a lot VW, to be a full-time teacher of their respective families re- Despite his young age, Shiv of courage. Children in their her boys. Along with com- spected their decision and did has already held eight exhibi- final year of school drive par- mander Narayan, she could edu- not seek to undermine it. tions across the country plus ents up the wall, upset family cate and initiate them into a And how did Srini and Shiv feel numerous workshops with routines, get the entire family broad based value system based schools, senior citizens’ high-strung and nervous till on their own practical experi- on leaving school? Both of them have a smile and a twinkle in groups, mentally challenged the results are out. Some who ence and knowledge. They persons etc. He finds interac- fail or even don’t get the ting with people from all marks they want, commit sui- walks of life very stimulating cide. But here was this family as there is fruitful exchange taking their children out of of knowledge and skills. Shiv school just as their eldest was has also created his own de- going to wrap it all up! signs (around forty) in origami At the time of walking their and spends time working and children out of school, Srini improving upon them. was 14 yrs old, in class 9. In February 2003, Shiv was Shiv was 11. Janani says that invited by the Goa Science a lot of people thought that Centre for a two day work- they had taken a very bold shop. The first day’s demon- and courageous step, but she stration was on ‘Aerodynamics never did feel that way at through paper airplanes’. The any point of time. When second day was devoted to ex- probed a bit more, both par- plaining mathematics and sci- ents insisted they had nothing ence through origami. against schooling but did not subscribe to the prevalent Srini and Shiv are both education system and its det- shhishyas (pupils) of the great rimental effects it was having Ghatam music maestro, Shri on society. They feel (even Vikku Vinayak Ram. Srini is three years after they got the learning the mridangam and children out) that they have Srinivas, Ananthanarayan, Janani and Shivram: escape from school Shiv the ghatam and flute from Shri Ramanathan. made the right decision. would have, in addition, ample their eyes when asked this ques- Both parents found that the time and opportunity to pursue tion. Without hesitation, Srini The brothers are voracious present schooling system en- their specific interests. said: ‘We feel free to pursue our readers (like their parents). Apart from their study mate- couraged students to be mind- Both parents told me of their hobbies and interests, and this less morons doing everything becomes a part of our educa- rial, they read novels and sub- conviction that ‘a teacher is of- scribe to magazines like ‘Na- at the biddings of the higher ten a role model and a positive tional process. Our parents are authorities i.e. (teachers, in always there to guide us and dis- tional Geographic’ and ‘Popu- influence in the life of a student. lar Science’, to name just a this case). They said that the Sadly, these features are lacking cuss our problems.’ students do not even know few. Incidentally, the in most teachers of today. So Their parents however say: ‘We Narayanans have never kept nor understand what they we decided we could play the don’t push them in any one di- were learning. All that schools a television set till date. The role of a teacher instead and rection: we encourage them to parents say they spend qual- and teachers are interested in have a positive impact on chil- think for themselves and utilize are marks, marks and more ity time as a family instead of dren in their formative and cru- their time in the manner in watching inane serials. marks, and ranks in the cial years. Since both of us were which they want to.” Board exams so that they The boys’ daily routine is wak- now at home, this was possible Commander Narayan is of the have more and more students. as well. We felt we knew our ing up early in the morning, Schools are big money. considered opinion that to learn reading the subjects they children better then any body a vocation one has to undergo Teachers do not like students else, hence our decision.’ have chosen, surfing the Net asking questions and tend to apprenticeship for a number of and pursuing their various ignore them when asked. This Janani added that there was an- years if one has to get a hands- hobbies, interacting with par- reminded Janani of a line other vital element missing on feel of the subject. Srini ents and playing and from ‘The Charge of the from school curriculum: life wants to be a wild life photogra- socialisng with friends. They Light Brigade’ – Ours not to skills – a major dimension to be- pher and is ready to undergo an travel extensively too. question why, ours but to do ing a conscientious citizen and apprenticeship with a profes- to making a meaningful contri- sional in the field. His interests While Srini wants to be a wild and die. The text book is the life photographer, Shiv takes gospel truth which cannot be bution to the community. By life are diverse: he has completed a skills the Narayanans mean – correspondence course in orni- it one day at a time. He will questioned. It has to be drilled be appearing for his 10th into the student’s head. communication, curiousity, thology through the Rishi Valley openness, developing self confi- Foundation, Chittur, and one on standard next year. When students learn by rote dence, and inherent basic hu- entomolgy through the Bombay When asked if they regret in without understanding, where man values. Natural History Society. An any manner the decision is all this going to lead them Commander Narayan and amateur electronic buff with spe- taken three years ago to to? demanded Commander cial interest in robotics, sailing walkout from formal day Narayanan. Janani both emphasised the dif- ference between academics and and trekking, Srini has designed school, they pose a counter The Narayanan household is education. Academics was just a a land yacht from cycle parts question: ‘Would we have located in an ordinary middle curriculum devised to put stu- and old wind surfing material. been able to do all this, if we class neighbourhood in Vasco- dents through some sort of sys- He trekked through unchartered went to regular school?’ da-Gama, one of Goa’s five cit- tem to get a job, and all that it terrain with eleven colleagues P D Mukherjee ies. Commander Narayan stressed on was marks. They from Valpoi to Gawali in The Multiworld Network’s Newsletter 9

An interesting light is cast on “Take it easy,” I laughed. “Can the Indian attitude to educa- Vinoba Bhave: “Only Teaching” you teach patience?” tion by the fact that in all That was too much. fourteen languages of India Bhave was a close disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. He followed there is no root word corre- “I know what you mean,” I sponding to English “teach.” Gandhi in challenging conventional ideas about education, learn- said. “You can teach reading, We can learn, we can help ing and schools. Here he talks of those who can “only teach”. writing, history, and geogra- others to learn, but we cannot phy. Well, they are not en- tirely useless, there are times “teach.” The use of two distinct prived of the most valuable tools “Yes, yes, I do not doubt that, words, “teach” and “learn,” in life when they are needed. of knowledge. Books do have a but what are you going to But they are not basic to life. suggests that these two pro- place as tools of knowledge, but teach? Spinning? Carding? cesses may be thought of as Would you be willing to learn it is a very minor place. The Weaving? Could you teach any of weaving?” independent of one another. major need is for teacher and these?” But that is merely the profes- “I don’t want to learn anything student to become work-part- “No, I can’t teach those.” sional vanity of the “teacher,” ners, and this can happen only new now. Besides I couldn’t and we shall not understand when the distinction between “Then tailoring, or dyeing, or learn to weave, I have never the nature of education unless the teacher “teaching” and the carpentry?” before done any kind of hand- we rid ourselves of that van- student “learning” can be over- “No, I know nothing about work.” ity. come. them.” “In that case it might, of Our first task is to realize that In matters of knowledge, no or- “Perhaps you could teach cook- course, take you longer to an “uneducated” human being ders can be given. Education ing, grinding, and other house- learn, but why should you be is nowhere to be found. But does not “discipline” students, it hold skills?” unable to learn it?” today, all too often, an ordi- gives them complete freedom. “No, I have never done any “I don’t think I could ever nary schoolboy treats a first- Whether or not society free learn it. But even supposing I class carpenter as if he were work like that. I can only from governments is ever built teach...” could, it would mean a lot of an ignorant boor. The carpen- in the larger world, such a soci- hard work and a great deal of ter may be a man of maturity ety must be found in the world “My dear friend, you answer ‘No’ trouble. So please understand and experience, a wise and of students. If there is one thing to every question, and yet you that I could not undertake it.” skilled workman, who is of keep saying you can only teach. of supreme importance for stu- This conversation is quite real service to his community. dents it is this freedom. What do you mean? Can you But simply because he cannot teach gardening?” enough to enable us to under- read or write, the “educated” A young man said that he stand the psychology and char- boy treats him as an inferior. wished to do some good work The would-be teacher said, acteristics of far too many of for society. rather angrily, “Why do you ask our “teachers.” To be “only a Wherever two people live to- all this? I told you at the begin- “Tell me,” I said, “what kind of teacher” means to be: com- gether in this kind of com- ning, I can do nothing else. I pletely ignorant of any kind of radeship, giving and receiving work do you feel you could do can teach literature.” well?” practical skill which might be mutual help, there real educa- useful in real life; incapable of tion is in progress. The place “Good! Good! I am beginning to “Only teaching, I think,” replied understand now. You mean you learning anything new and in- of books is, therefore, second- the young man. “I can’t do any- different towards any kind of ary. This idea troubles many can teach people to write books thing else, I can only teach, but like Tagore and Shakespeare?” craftsmanship; conceited; and people, who think that if the I am interested in it and I feel buried in books. place assigned to books is re- sure that I shall be able to do it This made the young man so duced the students will be de- well.” angry that he began to splutter. “Only teaching” means being a corpse cut off from life.

Textbooks as Missiles Supporting Multiworld The educational system in Israel has also become a form of war Good ideas need the support of good money from good people. Israeli school textbooks as Cohen also researched 1,700 Can you help? Here’s how. well as children’s story books, Israeli children’s books pub- according to recent academic lished after 1967. He found Unlike other projects which studies and surveys, portray that 520 of the books con- begin with large grants and Palestinians and Arabs as tained humiliating, negative huge offices, the Multiworld “murderers”, “rioters”, “suspi- descriptions of Palestinians. Project on dismantling colo- cious,” and generally backward He also took pains to break nial and corporate-led educa- and unproductive. down the descriptions: tion has begun small. But even small initiatives require Direct delegitimisation and Sixty six percent of the 520 small amounts of resources, negative stereotyping of Pales- books refer to Arabs as violent; support and money. tinians and Arabs are the rule 52 percent as evil; 37 percent rather than the exception in as liars; 31 percent as greedy; For those with little or no such educational material. 28 percent as two-faced; 27 access to money, we welcome percent as traitors, etc. the idea of contributions in Professor Daniel Bar-Tal of the form of voluntary labour. Tel Aviv University studied Cohen points out that the au- How can you best do this? 124 elementary, middle- and thors of these children’s books high school textbooks on effectively instill hatred toward Be the eyes and ears of Mul- grammar and Hebrew litera- Arabs by means of stripping tiversity in your area. If you ture, history, geography and them of their human nature are aware of exciting work citizenship. Bar-Tal concluded and classifying them in an- outside the framework of fac- that Israeli textbooks present other category. tory schooling, document it and keep us in touch with it. the view that Jews are in- In a sampling of 86 books, volved in a justified, even hu- If you find articles, books, Cohen counted the following media reports, films, CDs on manitarian, war against an descriptions used to dehuman- Arab enemy that refuses to any multiversity themes, school in Haifa. The pupils were ize Arabs: Murderer was used mail these to our office. accept and acknowledge the asked five questions about their 21 times; snake, six times; You can also support our existence and rights of Jews in attitude towards Arabs, how dirty, 9 times; vicious animal, work by sending us a regular Israel. they recognize them and how 17 times; bloodthirsty, 21 amount, howsoever small, Israeli writer/researcher Adir they relate to them. The results times; warmonger, 17 times; every year, automatically Cohen’s book An Ugly Face in were as shocking as they were killer, 13 times; believer in from your bank account and the Mirror is a study of the na- disturbing: myths, 9 times; and a camel’s ture of children’s upbringing hump, 2 times. be happy you are helping Seventy five percent of the chil- support one of the most criti- in Israel, concentrating on dren described the “Arab” as a (Readers will notice that the how the historical establish- cally important projects murderer, one who kidnaps chil- research reported in the above launched this century. ment sees and portrays Arab dren, a criminal and a terrorist. news item was carried out by Another useful way you can Palestinians as well as how Eighty percent said they saw the Israeli citizens and scholars support our work is to buy Jewish Israeli children per- Arab as someone dirty with a committed to a Mid-East with- and gift subscriptions to ceive Palestinians. terrifying face. Ninety percent of out violence. There is still hope Kamiriithu to people in your One section of the book was the students stated they believe for our times.) working circle and within based on the results of a sur- that Palestinians have no rights th your community. (The sub- vey taken of a group of 4 and whatsoever to the land in Israel th scription form is on p.11) 6 grade Jewish students at a or Palestine. 10 Unlearning in Pakistan Arif Tabassum tells of his wasted schooling days and how he had to unlearn the manufactured facts fed to him for over a decade. Now as a member of the Faculty of the Institute for Development Studies and Practices (IDSP), he and his colleagues spend their time on their own homegrown cultures which they have found are a rich resource for collective learning. Arif Tabassum’s email is [email protected] I belong to a family that was formed an organization for ad- cultures that are now obsolesc- ing skills were also acquired. totally dependent on agricul- dressing social issues facing our ing due to the overwhelming The gathering also provided ture for all its needs. But I town. Through this process and spread of formal schooling in far- creation/recreation opportuni- never went near my agricul- interaction with communities I flung communities. I belong to ties through folk songs, thus ture farms because I was sup- felt more confident and realistic the same race but was never al- contributing to keep the local posed to be schooled for a than I ever felt, even for a mo- lowed to reflect on my indig- folk literature alive. ‘bright future’. I still remem- ment, in my formal education enous culture during my formal • Through the practice of ber the days of my life when I process. I continued my formal studies nor was it ever included charah, the whole commu- was unconsciously forced to studies but not with the inten- in our core curriculum. The nity is involved in the con- spend all my fruitful time in findings of the said research struction and cleaning of con- attending classes that were Because of these engage- were an eye opener. A brief ac- duits or water canals (karez), full of facts, of which I never count of the findings is given as so that no water is wasted. found any relevance to my so- ments (morning to night) under: Every family sends some cial surroundings and ground how could I spare time for • The collective work of cultivat- members to participate in realities. ing and harvesting of crops, con- this common action voluntar- I was kept engaged in memo- my agriculture, culture and struction etc. which was the ily. The activity generated rizing the lessons taught to me principal ‘indigenous participa- feelings of ownership of the for my learning and reinforce- social interaction that were tory learning approach’, was work. But it also enabled the ment of those lessons by tu- basic and real sources of interaction between commu- tors. Because of these engage- nity members to be smooth ments (morning to night) how learning? I was unable to and frequent and helped the could I spare time for my ag- settling down of the water dis- riculture, culture and social find some time even for tribution mechanism. Com- interaction that were basic sports, because I was told munities acquired important and real sources of learning? I knowledge of water sources, that school was my first pri- their distribution and proper usage and about knowledge ority, compulsory and inevi- transfers to the next genera- table for my learning. tion. • Communities get together tion of learning, but for a for- in social events, events of mal degree in order to avoid the joy and sorrow. In every mar- social pressure associated with riage the whole community my ‘bright future’. shares their commodities (i.e. My association with IDSP-Paki- pots, beds & tents etc.) and stan, first as a learner of a pilot helps to accommodate the course (1998) and then as a fac- guests. Likewise when a ulty member (1999 till date), death has occurred, the com- shed light on all my foggy munity felt the responsibility to share and provide the thoughts about learning, educa- called ashar. This approach, in tion, development and progress. breakfasts, lunches and din- which the whole communities ners to the affected family. Through discussions, dialogues, collectively work for a member’s debates within the IDSP team, This process is a collective need without any remuneration, learning activity that led com- interactions with learners and was valued strongly. continuous reflections over munities towards voluntarism, learning processes and the de- • Another participatory and col- being accountable to them- lective learning approach, selves to help others and was unable to find some time velopment paradigm, I came to clearly understand the theoreti- woman-led was termed krastah. share their sorrows and joys. even for sports, because I was After a family had extracted the told that school was my first cal logic of this paradigm and The bijjar, jirga, nanawati, the causes of my frustrations wood from the sheep, all the gudar, baitak, etc. are other priority, compulsory and inevi- women of the community were table for my learning. and blurred thinking during my similar customs that provide formal studies whose roots I had major sources of learning and So I remember the day when never been able to uncover. All these indigenous collec- help keep the people interde- I went with all my school- So I started the process of un- pendent and in touch with mates to our farm and we tive learning opportunities each other. planted the seeds of tomatoes learning manufactured facts and through ashar’. That was a irrelevant so-called realities on and spaces have been over- All these indigenous collective very rich opportunity of learn- memorizing which I had spent a learning opportunities/spaces ing ‘how to plant tomatoes good period of my life in school. whelmed first by the colo- have been overwhelmed first with a collective effort’. While This unlearning process was nial schooling system with by the colonial schooling sys- on the one hand this activity strengthened when I involved tem with its past mission of provided us with an opportu- myself with learners during its past mission of ‘civilizing ‘civilizing the sub-humans of nity to learn the skill of sow- their participatory action re- the world’ and with the ing tomatoes, on the other, it searches in different communi- the sub-humans of the present agenda of EFA. They enabled us to learn the ‘value ties of the country on indig- world’ and with the present are also crushed by ‘develop- of collectivism’. At that time enous cultures, local literature, ment workers’ and ‘change this realization was blurred. education, poverty, agriculture agenda of EFA. They are agents’ who are promoting After that lesson I was never and many more. also crushed by ‘develop- agendas of consumerism in again to experience such During these researches I found far-flung rural communities learning activities throughout indigenous cultures a rich re- ment workers’ and ‘change from corporations in the my formal schooling process. source of learning. An example shape of the neo-liberal, mar- ket economy . When I was in tenth class, I of my relearning is research on agents’. got bored with my studies and ‘indigenous learning systems’ in At our institute we are en- became active in a progressive a rural community of Loralai, invited to its home where they gaged in re-creation and re- political movement. I started conventionally termed an ‘unde- collectively started the process vival of these learning sys- reading, writing literature (po- veloped’ district of Pakistan that of making a carpet from the tems through reflective dia- etry, fiction, articles). This ac- was carried out by a group of wool. During this process, life, logues and interactions with tivism nurtured my capacities learners from our community- social matters, and the problems motivated youth and other of being a conscious citizen based course (2001). I was in- and hurdles of routine work sections in different communi- and I was introduced to a lot volved then as research supervi- were shared by the women. The ties. Let’s hope we succeed. of learning that was live and sor throughout the course. situation created the learning experiential. I became involved opportunities from each other’s During this research I have be- experience and, on other hand, in social activities with some come aware of the collective of my colleagues and we kept the women well informed learning processes of indigenous about social events. Carpet mak- The Multiworld Network’s Newsletter 11 Love Letters to Kamiriithu Appeal for Stories Today your new magazine came ation and ranking of children. All If you have come across a in the mail. Very excited to know that destroys the joy of learning. family like the Narayans or the Rastogis, please write to that your torch is now focussed Maybe parents could consider us, giving us their address onto education. Since my husband getting into groups of 10 to 15 and contact information. and I are educational consultants families. If they hire tutors for we have a lot of our own ‘stories’. subjects that they do not feel Taleemnet will send a person Just yesterday Dinesh was teach- comfortable with, it will still be to do a detailed interview ing our eight year old daughter. much cheaper than the costs of with these families, so that We were looking at the drawing going to school. Parents can share others can learn from their Tara had done of the life cycle of teaching, and almost every home experiences as well. The de- the mustard seed. I had pulled has space for 15 to 20 children. tailed interviews will also up various stages of mustard It will also force one to be regular find place on the Taleemnet growing in the garden. Then and consistent. (That is our big- webpage, enabling these sto- Suman (the lady who manages gest problem with Tara.) ries to be made available to all learners worldwide. our house) and Tara and myself Parents will soon notice that spent about 15 minutes examin- many subjects are completely ir- Alternatively you can con- ing these mustard plants. I then relevant. What class 3 child en- duct the interview yourself drew up a series of cartoon-like joys learning about the food hab- and send this along to us for squares and asked Tara to draw its or industry in Orissa? And publication and for hosting the stages. who cares what the highest on the Internet. Later we picked up the drawing vice-principal discusses sports-day desert of the world is? First of Every issue of Taleemnet to talk about it. Tara told her … or annual day ... or the report card all there is so much to explore will carry at least one major Papa what was happening in … or the art competition. around one’s own community. story with a family that each square. Papa was impressed In fact, schools themselves walked out of school in dis- and wanted to know who taught And if a teacher does teach it is usually one-way traffic. should know that they can decide gust and has ventured to her. ‘Suman’ was the very quick on their own course of study - at have its children learn about reply. ‘She knows everything. She Teachers themselves are very much least up to class 5. No one has life on their own. manages the kitchen, she man- victims of the system. Too many told them to teach in a boring ages upstairs [the four roomed students, too much marking to do We especially welcome first manner. They could easily person stories, written by ei- guest house], she manages the makes them weary and dull. The shorten their school hours and en- garden… and you and mummy object is not to learn, but to rank ther parents or by children courage parents to provide extra out of school. They should only know how to read.’ and grade kids as if they are label- stimulation. After all, the sheer ing spice jars. never be more than 1200 So Tara had ‘evaluated’ her par- numbers in school mitigate words long. Pictures are wel- ents and Suman was happy to There are alternatives for parents. against personal attention and come. know that she is on the top of You could send your four and five learning ... no matter how good Tara's list. year old to a small neighbourhood the teacher is. If you find an interesting ar- ticle or booklet on Taleemnet Tara is home-schooled. If Dinesh school and leave her there for only Hope you find this interesting. 2 or 3 hours. She will have time to themes, please send it along and I were settled in one place Look forward to your next news- to us. she would most probably be go- socialize, the small student-teacher letter. ratio means she may get more at- There are literally hundreds ing to school. But our job as con- Ruth Rastogi sultants in ‘active-education’ re- tention, and you could also volun- of stories of parents in Asia, quires us to travel, so she goes teer for a few hours. You will save Africa and South America WE TOTALLY BELIEVE AND along with us. a lot of money and you can spend that have taken their chil- more for a nice library, art supplies, AGREE WITH YOUR VIEWS. dren out of school and set Two hours a day is more than good music and sports equipment. PLEASE KEEP US ON YOUR them free. enough for the formal part of (When you volunteer, you can read MAILING LIST. learning. The wasted hours in Eventually we hope that all stories to the kids, sing songs along SEEMA GUPTA school are quite scandalous. The these stories will be as- with the cassettes, play games that MUMBAI 022-2-5565949 assembly takes half an hour … sembled in the pages of the you learned in childhood, and chat Alternative Education what was said, what was under- with the kids about themselves). stood, no one knows. The news of My wife Lakshmi and I are going Sourcebook which we plan to the day, the thought of the day, Children need the company of many to adopt a baby girl soon. We publish towards the end of the pledge, the songs – have they other children of all ages and plan to ‘educate’ her at home (all 2003. made us patriotic? Moral? stages. Home-schooling has limita- the usual reasons). Please send your story to: Thoughtful? During school hours tions if the child does not get to so- Any help, guidance will be cialize. In the USA, many parents Multiworld children sit and wait … for the greatly appreciated. G-8 St Britto’s Apartments English teacher to show up … homeschool because of the violence in schools or for religious reasons. Thanks, Feira Alta, Mapusa 403 507 while their teacher practices a Goa, India. speech with two children … while In India, the problem seems to be Jogesh their teacher chats in the hall total irrelevance of the subjects, the [email protected] or with her neighbour ... while the dull teaching methods, the humili- email:[email protected]

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Tel.:______Mobile: WEBSITES http://www.multiworld.org Fax: ______E-mail: ______http://www.taleemnet.org http://www.indiaorganic.org 12 Ploughing a lonely furrow When I first saw Guru (my sorry for him because he immediate neighbour) plough- would receive punishment ing his fields, I thought it to Rahul Alvares, a college boy from zoology class in India, learns to from me and from the older be the most simple thing in plough fields in his spare time – and enjoys himself in the bargain. bull as well. the world. All that it appeared During my ploughing exercises necessary to do – as the bulls I met a lot of farmers. Most of pulled the plough effortlessly them seemed surprised that I up front – was hold the imple- was in a field ploughing. They ment steady by its handle . all recognised me of course When Guru reached the end because I am from the same of the field, the bulls would village. But they were always automatically turn around and a little surprised to find me he would plough in the oppo- out in the field at 6 a.m. hard site direction. It seemed like a at work in their fields. I think fairly monotonous job to me. I was the only ploughman who When I took a one year break besides having a college edu- from school, three years ago, cation also sported a pony tail ploughing was one of the skills and wore glasses to work. I learnt during the rains. Some of the men folk would As I first held the plough, compliment me and say I was however, I soon realised that doing a fine job. this was going to require some But the women who came to skill. In fact, I eventually took the field thought that there longer to learn ploughing than was something wrong with me. to drive the family car. I also They couldn’t understand why found the work quite enjoy- the son of a so called bhatkar able. Nothing about it was (landlord) was out ploughing a monotonous. field instead of going to col- Since then Guru has called me lege. In fact, the first thing to help in ploughing his fields Ploughing a field Indian style is not as simple as it looks. they would say to me would for the past three consecutive exactly between the hind legs of be to ask, ‘Are you going to years. Guru is part of a big The heroes of the ploughing ex- college or not.’ the two bulls. The trick is to ercise are of course the bulls. So joint family of about 25 mem- move parallel to the groove cre- One rather strict lady even bers but yet he doesn’t have a let me tell you about Guru’s ated in the previous round, and bulls. asked me which class I was in single member in the entire at the same time, avoid plough- and what subjects I had taken family who will help him in ing the bulls’ hooves. If one of Both of them are two different just to make sure I wasn’t ploughing his fields. Every one the bulls had to get the plough characters altogether. The older bluffing. When I told her that wants to get nice ‘desk’ jobs. into his leg he would need at one is a 23-year-old and is red- I was definitely going to col- Let me start by telling you least one week’s rest for the dish brown in colour. He has lege but there was still a week how the plough works. A wound to heal and this would short and thick horns like two for it to begin, she relaxed a wooden piece about one and a cost the owner severely. This is oversized bananas sticking out bit. half metres long and 10 cms because bulls have only one use, of his head! His back was arched but yet he never ap- Another lady whose field I had thick is tied across the necks which is to plough the field for ploughed met my mother at of the two bulls. Tied perpen- one month of the year. Also, if a peared tired when compared to his younger partner who is a 16- Sunday mass. She told my dicular to this is the plough bull is injured, it is as bad as mum rather hesitantly, ‘Your which is about 3 metres long, having both the bulls injured year-old. The younger bull looks stronger, his back is straight but son did a great job ploughing with a handle and the sharp because a lone bull can’t plough my field – the furrows were curved blade. The bulls move the field. yet he was the one who tired out more easily. After I finished absolutely straight.’ Then forward as you tap them with In theory, holding the plough realising that her compliment a stick. Normally you start one round around the field, seems to be quite easy but actu- sweet sixteen would immediately perhaps unwittingly implied ploughing from either the cen- ally each field is different. In that I was from the peasant tre or the edge of the field and demand a rest. Normally I some fields, the soil is hard and wouldn’t disapprove of this but class, she quickly retracted continue with concentric the plough lifts out of the field saying, ‘Of course, I know he circles around them. Usually, when I knew I had 20-30 rounds on its own and has to be pushed more to go I would get a little is not meant to be ploughing Guru used to do the first back in. Some fields are full of at all.’ round so that the bulls knew impatient. grass which would get entangled Now as I write this article dur- where to turn around and then and the plough would start slip- Then in order to waste more he would hand me the plough. time, the younger bull would ing a free lecture in college, I ping towards the bulls’ hooves. think of the great time I had He would then leave me to At times, the field is so full of throw down the zu (wooden plough the rest of the field. piece across his neck). I had to this year ploughing. It was a water, you can’t even see what wonderful feeling being all As he left he would call out you are ploughing. At times the lift it up and place it back again across his neck. This of course alone with two bulls under his famous parting words: bulls would lash out with their your control, the cool rain ‘Rahul, go straight, OK? Don’t tails, throwing mud straight into put me into a very vulnerable position because I was right be- beating against your back: you miss the line.’ Then he would your eyes. definitely felt tough. return after an hour when the tween the heads of the two bulls Another area of difficulty is the and if any one of them had to Next year I’m sure to be back work was almost done and see- turn at the end of the field: the ing me fully drenched in lash out, I would be in deep in the fields again, with the plough has to be gently turned trouble. Fortunately, they were pungent smell of bulls, muck sweat, he would say, ‘Now you and at the same time you have can leave this to me.’ both well behaved and I suffered all over my body, the farmers to concentrate on directing the no injuries. all asking questions about my Sometimes I would be plough- bulls to turn around too. If you college as usual. ing in the rain, cold and wet, incline the plough too much, it Though both the bulls were si- and Guru would return snug will start skidding: then follows lent and showed no expressions Guru, of course, still calls me in his raincoat, ‘Don't get wet the comical jugglery of the except the usual sad and mourn- on Sunday mornings when I or you’ll catch a cold,’ he’d farmer with the plough, trying ful face, I was quite sure that don’t have college. And I find I say. to push it back in as it dangles there was some bull talk going can never resist. on between them. For example, A lot of people are under the dangerously behind the bulls’ About the author: Rahul hooves. the older bull was a bully. If the Alvares is an expert snake and impression that when you younger bull didn’t manage to plough you have to push the Then you have to remember to reptile handler. His first book throw down the zu at the end of Free from School (pp.136 plough into the ground. Actu- lift the plough with one hand the round, the older bull would ally you have to guide the over the bund (raised mounds of Rs.100/US$5) was published lash out at him. Sometimes, the when he was sixteen. His sec- plough, a task that is really mud that divide fields) and then younger bull would walk slower more difficult than handling push it back in again. The ond book, The Call of the than the older bull who would Snake (pp.150 Rs.110/US$6), the steering wheel of a car. plough wasn’t that heavy but naturally get angry and swing The plough has a curved blade when you lifted it about 40-50 has been recently released. his horns towards him, as if to Both titles can be ordered and a pointed end which goes times over each bund, you defi- say, ‘Do you expect me to do all into the soil. This is situated nitely felt its weight. from Other India Bookstore, the work!’ Sometimes I felt Mapusa 403 507 Goa, India.

About Kamiriithu: Kamiriithu will appear six times a year. The newsletter has been printed by Multiworld at Maureen’s, Rua de Ourem, Panaji, Goa, India. It is designed for private circulation and is also posted on the Net at multiworld.org. It is published from: Multiworld Network, G-8 St Britto’s Apartments, Feira Alta, Mapusa 403 507 Goa, India. email: [email protected]