27th-28th January 2012

LIVING SOIL COURSE

With Dr. Vandana Shiva Dr. Vinod Bhatt, Darwan Singh Negi, Chris & Marylyn, and the Navdanya Team

Living soil is an Earth University weekend course focused on the organic and practical applications of soil preservation and biodiversity from both the practical, scientific, political perspective.  The weekend will revolve around solutions to heal the Earth’s soil, from composting to understanding how chemical agriculture destroys the living soil.

6th – 7th April 2012

SEED SAVING AND PARTICIPATORY SELECTION COURSE

With Dr R.S. Rawat, Darwan Singh Negi Anand and Ms. Sheela

Seed Saving and Participatory Selection Course is an Earth University weekend course focused on the main aspects of organic seed saving, from the practical application of seed selection to the politics and reasons for preserving and saving indigenous varieties.

27th – 28th April 2012

INSECT BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL PEST CONTROL COURSE

With Dr. V.P. Uniyal, Dr. Vinod Bhatt, Dr. R.S. Rawat and Darwan Negi

Insect biodiversity and natural pest control is an Earth University weekend course. During this course participants will get to know about the diseases, pests and beneficial insects. The emphasis will be given on maintaining the balance of both pests and friendly insects using indigenous knowledge and biodiversity.

April 19 – 21 2012

GRANDMOTHERS’ UNIVERSITY

With Maya Goburdhun, Usha Maira, Ms. Renu Gulati and others

This year the Grandmothers’ University joins us in our intangible heritage campaign.  As custodians of the “intangible heritage”, expressed as the food diversity of our country and food wisdom of grandmothers, the Grandmothers’ University will engage in a trans-generational dialogue with the Young Ecologists coming for the Earth Summit.  Our hope is that the movement created will put Indian food on the UNESCO world map of intangible heritage.  Grandmothers will be joined by the UNESCO team to help develop a strategy to achieve this goal.

April 21- 22 2012

THE YOUNG ECOLOGISTS EARTH SUMMIT

2012 will be 20 years since the first Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro (1992). As global leaders’ meet to set the agenda for the planet’s ecological future, Navdanya’s Young Ecologists, under the banner of our Bhoomi Movement,  come together to raise their concerns on the Rights of Mother Earth. These young people who have worked for the Bhoomi movement promoting the Rights of Mother Earth, cultivating gardens of hope and discussing the future of food will gather to share their vision at the Earth University, Bija Vidyapeeth. They will be joined by the Grandmothers’ University in a trans- generational dialogue on the intangible heritage of India, which is its food culture. In a country where every 4th Indian is hungry, the youth will create a vision to safeguard its food heritage and respond to the hunger issues, guided by the wisdom of the Grandmothers.

SEPTEMBER 16 - OCTOBER 16 2012

A-Z OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

NAVDANYA ORGANIC FARMING TRAINING A-Z

With Dr.Vandana Shiva, Maya Goburdhun, Dr. Tarafdar, Dr. Panigrahi,  Prof. V.P Uniyal, Dr. Vinod Bhatt, Darwan Singh Negi,  Dr. Mira Shiva, Reetha Balsavar, Lata Sharma, and others.

This 4 week course addresses the physical, intellectual, and holistic aspects of organic farming. Taught in English, for one month the international group will be guided by carefully planned and dedicated instructors who will teach the basics of Navdanya’s organic farming methods.  The course will be 80% hands on and 20% academic focusing on the practical, theoretical, and political aspects of Soil, Seed, and Food. From the Panchagavya and the harvest, to the politics and science of chemical-free farming, students will leave the course with a comprehensive understanding of the how to role model and create, through hands, head, and heart, organic farming methods around the world.  The course will overlap and encompass the Bhoomi 2012 course at Earth University and Terra Madre India, our Vasundhara gathering of Navdanya’s member farmers.  Students will return home certified in the methods of Navdanya organic farming.

A-Z of Organic Agriculture

Agriculture

Biodiversity

Conservation and Composting

Digging

Earth, Ecology, Ethics and Equality

Fertility, Farming and Fair Food

Gandhi and Gaya

Horticulture

Indigenous Cultures

Justice for Farmers

Knowledge of Natural Cycles

Love and Management

Mango Orchard at Navdanya

Non- Violence in human, land and animal relationship

Organic methods

Power of the land

Quality of life and food

Rural Resilience

Sustainable living

Trade

Universal values

Vitality of nature

World Views

Xenogamy (cross-fertilisation)

Young farmers

Zen art of agriculture

October 2 -4 2012

BHOOMI 2012: WOMEN IN DEFENSE OF THE EARTH

With Dr. Vandana Shiva and the DWD Network

This year the Navdanya Movement celebrates its 25 years in conjunction with the 50 years of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson- a book that became the fountainhead for the new environment movement.  The course, ‘Women in Defense of the Earth’ is both a celebration of an introspection on the contribution of women to ensure reverence for the Rights of Mother Earth. Women leaders, working on the five pillars of Navdanya’s concept of Earth Democracy – Soil, Seed, Food, Water, and Forest & Air Sovereignty, -  will be joining us to share their vision and boost the movement towards a living earth, living culture, living economy and living democracy.

NOVEMBER 21-23 2012

BEAUTY AND ECOLOGY

With Satish Kumar and Shakti

In this innovative two days of lectures, dialogue and 'relational drawing' we will develop a deeper understanding of beauty as a dynamic system of relationally and sustainability because of the relational qualities of balance, harmony, proportion and synergy, which constitute beauty in all its facets - as an experience, a state and a process. We will explore how this deeper understanding of beauty might help shape a variety of social systems and be part of the ecological movement. We will examine alternative attitudes, including Gandhian, to everyday aesthetics. We will also briefly explore the question of inner beauty and touch on some practices for cultivating deeper seeing, imagination and meditative art practices using Relational drawing. (This is a contemplative method developed by Shakti Maira of seeing and drawing, and requires no previous art training - everyone can do it)

November 24 – December 4 2012

GANDHI & EARTH DEMOCRACY: HOPE IN TIMES OF CRISIS

With Dr. Vandana Shiva, Satish Kumar, Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche, and Ms. Madhu Suri Prakash

Today globally the culture of out of date economies, civilizations and democracies is being challenged and these the governance and culture of the free market economy is being questioned. In these dark times when people know that these structures can no longer hold true there is also a growing urgency to seek alternatives. Navdanya’s Gandhi and Earth democracy course offers the hope needed in the times of crisis. Gandhi’s vision, as embodied by Navdanya movement, translates into a living earth, living economies, living cultures and living democracy; it helps us envision and chart the road map for the future. Come join us as we create a new world based on non-violence, ecology and earth democracy. As Gandhi ji said “Be the Change you want to see in the world.”