[Reader-list] The Next Phase Of SAFAR

[sadan at sarai.net]

Dear Rakesh, Gautam and the entire Safar team,
congratulations!
Only from your mail, I realized that this is not 'kal ki baat' but two
years have passed since I first acme to know about the founding of this
group from Rakesh. And, it is not just the time but the seer density of
activities that fill this canvas of two years is praise-worthy.
All the best wishes,
sadan.

On 12:11 am 09/05/07 "Safar Delhi" <safar.delhi at gmail.com> wrote:
> *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
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