Bija Vidyapeeth: Centre for Learning

Schedule of 2008 Courses

January 11 - 14

Little Ecologist Program for Schools on Envisioning the Future

January 18 - 21

Young Ecologist Program for Colleges on Envisioning the Future

February 1 – 4

Grandmother’s University: Women’s Traditional Knowledge in Food & Health

Invited Faculty: Mrs. Usha Maira, Ms. Maya Goburdhun, Ms. Vidya Rao, Dr. Mira Shiva and Dr. Vandana Shiva (Faculty subject to change)

Grandmothers’ are custodians of a rich reservoir of knowledge necessary for conservation of nature and protection of our health. Their knowledge has however been marginalised and excluded by dominant knowledge systems, which are leading to ecological devastation and the spread of disease and ill health. If we do not make efforts to recognize and rejuvenate the knowledge and wisdom of our grandmothers’ it could disappear forever and never be available for humanity’s evolution and adaption to rapid change.

The sessions of Grandmothers’ University will include philosophy of the body, approaches to food and nutrition, cooking classes, classes on medicinal plants and traditional healing.

February 5 – 6, New Delhi

International Conference on Gandhi, Globalisation and Climate Change

February 7 - 10

Water and Climate Change: Glaciers, Rivers and Dams in the Himalayas

Invited Faculty – Dr. Vandana Shiva, Prof. H.S. Nainwal, Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna, Mr. Rajendra Singh and Ms. Nalini Jayal (Faculty subject to change)

The Ganges basin supports the largest density of humans on the planet. Today, both the river and the civilization it supports are under threat. Climate change is leading through melting of the glaciers. The rivers of the Himalayas are being dammed at every stage leaving no water flow to maintain ecosystems or the needs of the population of the basin.

The course on water and climate change will provide detailed, scientific inputs on the status of the glaciers and the rivers. It will also explore changes that need to be made in water management to deal with the challenges of climate change.

(For those interested a trip from the source from the Ganga to Haridwar can be arranged along with white water rafting)

February 11, New Delhi

International Conference on Himalayan Rivers and Climate Change

February 22 - 24

Web of Life

Faculty : Mr. Frijof Capra and Dr. Vandana Shiva (Faculty subject to change)

Dr. Frijof Capra is the author of several books amongst which best sellers such as The Tao of Physics (1975), his first book, The Turning Point (1993) and the most recent The Science of Leonardo (2007). Capra who has been the focus of over 50 television interview, documentaries and talk shows, was the first subject of the BBC's new documentary series "Beautiful Minds" (2002). The course will explore themes such as the philosophical and social implications of contemporary science. He will also address ideas covered in his classic Tao of Physics and his latest book The Science of Leonardo.

February 25 – 29

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture

Faculty – Mr. Tewolde Egziabher, Environment Protection Authority, Ethiopia, Ms. Sue Edwards and Dr. Vandana Shiva and Mr. Tej Pratap (Faculty subject to change)

A common concern emerging worldwide is about the “technology fatigue” of the green revolution. Chemical industrial agriculture has reached its limits of production and productivity. Alternatives are necessary for ensuring that people’s right to food is met.

The course on biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture will share the science and the practice of producing more food while conserving our biodiversity. The faculty has worked with programs that have successfully doubled and tripled field outputs and farm incomes through biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture practices.

(For those interested exposure tour to communities conserving biodiversity and promoting organic farming can be organised)

March 4 – 5

Women, Health and Environment

Invited Faculty – Prof. Laura Corradi and Dr. Mira Shiva (Faculty subject to change)

April 1 – 5

Earth Democracy: Alternatives to Corporate Globalisation

Invited Faculty – Dr. Vandana Shiva and Navdanya Communities (Faculty subject to change)

Corporate globalisation has led to a global take over of the land, the forest, the biodiversity, the water, and the fisheries of third world communities. Everywhere in India and other countries, the most significant conflicts are conflicts over resources engendered by corporate greed. People are organizing to defend their land sovereignty, their water sovereignty, their seed sovereignty and their food sovereignty.

The course on earth democracy will both explore the impacts of corporate globalisation on people’s resource rights as well as the movements that people are building to defend their rights to the earth’s resources.

September, 2008

Course on Nano-technology with ETC, Canada

Faculty – Dr. Vandana Shiva and Mr. Pat Mooney (Faculty subject to change)

Man learnt how to burn fossil fuels for running machines. Two hundred years later, we have the environmental burden of climate change. Industrial agriculture introduced chemicals in farming leaving a trail of toxic contamination of the soil, water and our bodies. Genetic engineering has given us the new ecological problem of genetic contamination, which has polluted the corn in Mexico, the rice in the US, the canola in the Canadian Prairies.

Nano technology is technology on the Nano scale. It is being applied and commercialized without any assessment of its impact on the environment and public health.

The course will cover the market and players in Nanotechnology, Nano medicine, nano structures, nano cosmetics and other applications along with the risks that these applications bring.

October 3 –10

The Future of Food : GMO's vs Organic

November 24 – December 7

Gandhi and Globalisation

Faculty – Dr. Vandana Shiva, Mr. Satish Kumar and Venerable Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche (Faculty subject to change)