[Reader-list] The Next Phase Of SAFAR

[Safar Delhi]

*The Next Phase Of SAFAR *





Dear Friends



Greetings from SAFAR!



As all you know that SAFAR has been working almost for the last two years.
During this period it has organized 'Abhivyakti'11 01 & 02 to celebrate Dr.
Baba Sahab Bhimrao Ambedkar's birth anniversary, held discussions, seminars
and workshop on the issues of caste, gender, media, RTI, legal awareness &
aid camps in various parts of Delhi, took part in Indian Social Forum 2006,
began Shikshaghar, Kitabghar and Clubs in Seohar and Bhagalpur district of
Bihar and recently attended a film making workshop organized by Shikshantar
in Udaipur, Rajsthan and also organized an interactive meeting with a
delegation of development activists form Pakistan in Delhi.



Till now the organization has not paid attention to the dissemination &
publicity of its work. The first brochure in Hindi (The English version is
still to come) came out this May. As far the publicity is concerned, some of
the activities of SAFAR was covered by The Times of India, Sahara Time,
www.anubhaw.blogspot.com and DD news.



This May* 3 new volunteers* Rajeev Raman, Nitu and Shamreen from Ambedkar
College joined SAFAR. They along with Chanchal did an ethnographic study of
two resettlement colonies Holambi Kalan and Holambi Khurd in outer Delhi,
while Shamreen has done a similar study in Mustafabad, in the east Delhi.
Reports based on both the studies is likely to come out by the end of
September 2007.



This is a fact that whatever SAFAR has done in the last 20-21 months, was
spontaneous without any plan. Yes, it has a proper understanding of the
situation and also the agenda and to some extent a group of volunteers also,
but no plan and proper fund mechanism other than some issue & event based
support from some organization and individual friends & well-wishers. Now,
when the organization is going to complete 2 years of its inception the team
members have felt the need of a proper organizational set up and a
work-plan. Keeping this necessity in mind, last Sunday (2nd September 2007)
the working committee met in New Delhi. Following are the outcomes:



   1. *Space: *SAFAR does not have proper space yet. This is a big
   hindrance in the coordination of day to day activities. It was decided in
   the meeting to arrange a work space as the earliest.



   1. *Future plan of activities of SAFAR delhi:  *

* *

*a.      *Now it is decided that SAFAR will concentrate on Colleges and
schools. Organization can interact with the students and teachers with its
modules on media and law.



*b.      *RTI camps can also be held at these places alternatively. In the
first round the organization can focus on the colleges and schools situated
on the periphery of Delhi, because these colleges have many infrastructural
problems.



*c.       *It was also felt that that some members of SAFAR team can assist
the students of media courses. This could be a root of the flow of
volunteers to the organization.



*d.      *Apart from the localities the legal cell of SAFAR will organsie
legal aid & awareness camps in the schools and colleges also. Legal team
will also organize workshops around the issue of violence, human rights,
gender etc, which are directly related to people's everyday life.



*e.       *Experimenting with various media forms will be one of the main
activities of SAFAR. From October 2007, the organization will start a 8 page
newsletter in Hindi (which can be published in English after a couple of
months) and also start a community video unit with the production of small
films and animations probably in November 2007.



*f.       *It was also decided that apart form the above mentioned
activities, the organization will try to associate with other programmes,
struggles, movements, etc of people's interest in Delhi.



   1. *Finance :* Money do matters to function smoothly, but till now
   SAFAR does not have any reliable source of fund. Big activities have been
   organizing with the support of like minded organizations and individuals,
   while the expense of everyday activities always been shared by few core
   members. It was felt in the meeting that this kind of casual approach is
   insufficient for the sustenance of the organization. Till now organization's
   monthly expense (other than space) is roughly around rs. 3000/-. Since the
   need of space is also being felt, there is a need of 08-10, 000/-. It was
   also decided that each of the core members will do maximum effort to
   increase the *membership* and also take monthly monetary commitment
   from the members. These all together will help the organization to improve
   its financial health.

The members were also agreed upon to get professional jobs from other
organizations and individuals to fulfill organizational financial need. The
team members can extend professional help in the field of research,
translation, editing, design, and also can provide facilitators & trainers
for workshops/training programmes on the issue of caste, gender, media &
law.



   1. *British Council* has offered free English classes to the
   volunteers of SAFAR, which was applauded by the team members. Some of them
   expressed their desire to learn the same. Now the process of materializing
   the same will be started.



   1. *Division of work*:



(i)     Coordinator, University                                        Mr.
Pradeep Kumar Singh

(ii)   Coordinator, Legal Cell                             Ms. Chandra Nigam

(iii) Coordinator, School                                              Mr.
Naresh Kumar

(iv) Coordinator, Research                                          Mr.
Naresh Goswami

(v)   Coordinator, Outreach                                          Mr.
Adityanath

(vi) Coordinator, Media & Publication                       Ms. Bhawna

(vii)     Coordinator, Student Unit                                 Ms.
Chanchal Mehlawat

(viii)   Coordinator, Finance                                         Mr.
Sheetal Shyam

(ix) SAFAR Delhi Co-ordinator                                  Mr. Gautam
Jayprakash



   1. *Forthcoming activities: *SAFAR*, *Delhi will organize a series of
   workshop on media, law & RTI act in the coming months. Following is the
   tentative schedule:



      Media Worshop*: *

Time & Date: 10.30 am, 15th Septemeber, 2007

Venue: Dr. B R Ambedkar College, DU



RTI workshop:

Date:   Second Saturday of October 2007

Venue: Tis hazari Court/Karkarduma Court/ Faculty of Law?/Delhi School of
Social Work



RTI Camp

Time & Date: 10 am, 8 September, 2007

Venue: Manoranjan Kaksha, DA Flats, Timarpur



Besides the above mentioned things the organization discussed the
development of *SAFAR Bihar* also. Currently 5 Shikshaghars (informal
education centers), one Kitabghar (library), one club is running in Tariyani
Chhapra village of Seohar district. Recently 3 volunteers from the same
village had attended a 10 day residential film making workshop in
Shikshantar, Udaipur. Now they are in the process of setting up a Mediaghar
(a media lab) there with the help of some more volunteers. A laptop and a
camcorder were given to them (with the support of PALAS) to start the
community media project. But the team members felt that merely these
equipments are not sufficient to set up the mediaghar. They need to have
some more logistical support such as technological know how, space, proper
power supply etc. It was also decided that the organization should think
about having at least a week long residential camps there, where besides
media some other issue of local concern can be discussed, which will help
them to do their work.

Rakesh will be responsible to coordinate the work of SAFAR Bihar with the
help of local volunteers. He will also be assisting the Delhi team.

* *

*Our partners & associates*

Several organizations and individuals including Insaf-Delhi, Kriti, Satark
Nagrik Sangathan (SNS), PALAS & Nav-Srijan, Asmita Theater Group, Youthreach
and Pravah have helped SAFAR in carrying out its activities. The
organization thanks all of them and wishes to maintain and sustain this
association, and is ready to collaborate with them in future.



Your suggestions and support are most welcome


Warm regards

Gautam & Rakesh

for safar team

-- 
SAFAR a collective journey of researchers, journalists, students, lawyers,
activists, cultural practitioners and performing artists with a deep
commitment to the ideals of social and gender equality. This is an open
space for the dialogue, betterment and empowerment of the marginalized.

http://www.freewebs.com/safarindia