Bija Vidyapeeth: Centre for Learning
Bija
Vidyapeeth
Education
for Earth Citizenship
International College for Sustainable Living
In partnership with the Schumacher
Colllege, UK
Founded by: Satish
Kumar, founder Schumacher College and
Vandana Shiva, founder Navdanya
and RFSTE
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Earth Democracy - August 4-11, 2002
Earth Democracy is the Universal Concept of Earth Citizenship - as members of the Earth family , Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, in the Indian Tradition, as a strand in the web of life and as a part of the kinship of species in the Native American Tradition. The fabric of Earth Democracy is under violent assault through the three crises:
- The ecological and economic crisis rooted in the globalization of a non-sustainable, dissatisfying, consumerist culture which is depriving millions of basic needs and denying basic rights and livelihood trends.
- The cultural crisis arising from the rise of fragmented identities unleashing violence through fundamentalism and terrorism.
- The political crisis of the erosion of democracy and the undermining of constitutions, leading to a collapse of the fundamental freedom of peoples.
Earth Democracy in the current context is a response to the triple crises - ecological/economic, cultural and political - that is threatening the very survival of our species and the sustainability of our societies.
The course on Earth Democracy will explore new paradigms and creative practices, opening new spaces for citizens to live sustainabily to share the Earth's resources equitably, to live without violence, fear, oppression and exclusion.
These alternative worldviews and paradigms are being shared by leading women writers, intellectuals, scientists who will be the course faculty. They include Vandana Shiva, Kamla Chaudhary, Kapila Vatsayan, Mahashweta Devi, Arundhati Roy, Sugatha Kumari, Vidya Rao.
The course will be conducted from August 4-11, 2002. If you are interested in receiving more information on any of the above mentioned courses, if you would like information on costs or to register please contact the Project Co-ordinator. Registration should be submitted as soon as possible as class sizes are limited.
