Comics angle for little angels!

From 8th-10th August 09, students of Angels’ High School, Sualkuchi got a break from their mundane studies and competition through a Grassroots Comics workshop conducted by Hima Rani Baishya of New Ways and supported by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. A group of 17 students representing classes 8th, 9th and 10th enthusiastically participated in this new activity that was meant, first, to introduce comics as an alternate media of communication and second, to bring out an overall development and an urge of motivation and creativity amongst the students who are otherwise busy burning their heads in their academic books all the time.

The young minds juggled with their thoughts and experiences to bring out some interesting comics on themes like child marriage, pollution, alcoholism, need for education, reckless driving, addiction and many more. The children expressed their wish to make more comics on other issues and share their learning and knowledge with their friends and family.

"STEP UP AGAINST RAGGING"....a step forward...

And we are back! Back, with the sequel of what we did in Gauhati University Campus on our drive against ragging. This time, it was taken to Cotton College on 18th September when it’s the Freshers’ Social season over here. We performed a street play expressing how young minds can get tortured with ragging and how it can get things just go haywire in the victim’s life after that incident! Comics in different formats, posters, booklets, and wallposters were distributed among the huge college crowd that gathered there and were pasted up on the trees, walls, pillars, doors and any place that we could find.
The students in the crowd were overwhelmed to see their contemporaries raising a question on the culture of the so-called “introduction” between the juniors and seniors that could take an ugly shape…

Though our small endeavour cannot promise a change- but it has certainly brought out different emotions among the people regarding ragging who have been through it or have seen it around them- atleast the thinking wheels have started churning in that direction now!

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Anti Ragging Zindabad! Comics Power Zindabad!

New Ways carried out the first phase of Anti- Ragging Campaign “Step up against Ragging” in Gauhati University on 24th August 09, supported by World Comics India and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. The campaign started with a street play on ragging performed by the students of Department of Communication & Journalism. This brought in a lot of audience. The comics that were prepared on this theme in the Comics Workshop conducted in the Department from 11th-13th august 09 were then distributed among the people and pasted around on walls, trees etc. Comics as Wallposters, A4 Size posters and Booklets were used as Campaign materials. The Vice- Chancellor of Gauhati University and the Chairman of the Anti- Ragging Committee also graced the occasion. The people were excited and thrilled to see a new medium being used for spreading awareness on different aspects of the issue and commented that it is the humour that brought life to the campaign. The troop performed this at another place in the university, too, singing slogans of "Anti Ragging Zindabad! Comics Power Zindabad!along the way...
The Campaign will also be taken to different colleges of Guwahati to spread the word! Stay tuned!

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New Ways on CNN IBN on Independence Day!

On Independence Day, youth in Assam broke free from the traditional mould, speaking out against militancy and violence through a brand new medium - comics.

video tells more!

New Ways to welcome the New Batch!

In a novel attempt, New Ways, decided to welcome the new batch of students in their department with a Grassroots Comics Workshop from 11th-13th August 09. This was meant, first, to serve as an ice-breaking activity between the seniors and the freshers and second, to endorse a cause- Anti Ragging. Therefore, 18 students from the new batch were trained by seniors Minakshi Gogoi, Sushmita Lahkar and Usha Dewani to make comics on various aspects of ragging in educational institutions and hostels.
The new batch of students, though apprehensive and unsure in the beginning picked up the concept of the medium quite well and came up with fantastic comics on issues like personal feelings of a victim of ragging, repercussions in his life, what provokes ragging, implementation of the Supreme Court of India guidelines against ragging and so on. These comics would be used to campaign against ragging in Gauhati University. So watch this space for more news on the same!

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Rising fun...Reducing risk!

New Ways organised a Grassroots Comics Workshop from 1st-3rd August 2009 at Gramya Vikash Mancha (GVM) Office campus in Barbari, in Nalbari District of Assam in association with GVM and supported by Action Aid India. The workshop was a part of GVM’s Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Through Schools Project to create awareness on DRR issues. The workshop was facilitated by trainers Sushmita Lahkar and Usha Dewani. The participants were children and youth from different schools and colleges of Nalbari. These twenty-seven enthusiastic participants made interesting comics on Disaster related issues like prevention, minimizing the risk, early warning system, impact on a child life and so on. The comics were taken to two schools where the participants showed their work to other children and teachers there to test how effective the medium practically was, in communicating the matter in concern.

The organizers took keen interest in the training and found the medium helpful for teaching purposes and would also like to convert and compile these comics into Teaching-Learning materials for younger children. The children are now planning to make more comics on other issues and teach their friends too.

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The child's version...

From 10th-15th July 2009, a Grassroots Comics workshop was organized for children during the Annual Safura summer camp among other activities in Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Guwahati by trainer Usha Dewani. There were 27 participants of age about 10-12 years, from different districts of Assam. The participants made interesting comics on their own feelings about things that they see around them like unnecessary anger on child by the parents, discrimination among children, present situation of the city, deterioration of the environment etc.

The comics were exhibited on 20th July on the closing ceremony of the summer camp. It was indeed interesting to see how the parents were surprised to see the comics made by their children. It was helpful in providing them with an idea of the child’s own world….people and situations from the eyes of the child…

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High spirit in lower Assam!

A Grassroots Comics workshop concluded in Baksha district of Assam, the workshop was jointly organized by World Comics India and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Guwahati. The workshop was held from 9th to12th May 2009 at Tamulpur Anchalik Gram Sahyog (TAGS) Kumarikata , known as the largest NGO to the Northeastern states. The trainers of the workshop were Hima Rani Baishya of New Ways and Amrith Basumatary of Chirang Comics Circles, Bongaigaon.

A total of 55 students of a local chain of school run by Asha Darshan Samiti (Tamulpur) had participated in the workshop. Apart from them teachers and staff, too participated in the workshop. The sessions were so interesting that the founder of Asha Darshan Samiti Ms Biju Borboruah couldn’t stop herself to draw her own story!

The main objective of the workshop was to sensitize participants on social issues and develop reading habit. A wide range of issues were addressed by the participants in their comics from alcoholism to witch-hunting. It was a unique experience for the students to develop their own comics, most of whom have never got a chance to read any mainstream comics before…

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Distant voices...

A Grassroots Comics workshop was organized by the members of New Ways group in association with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Guwahati. The trainers were Minakshi Gogoi, Sushmita Lahkar and Usha Dewani.

35 inmates of State home for Women participated in the workshop including 1 volunteer from Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. The participants were minor girls, who are homeless, trauma struck or rescued victims of social vices like trafficking, prostitution, child labour etc.

The objective of the workshop was to help the participants express their suppressed feelings through the medium of comics. Majority of the participants could not read or write and the workshop was meant to bring a breakthrough in their usual way of communicating their concerns.

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Youth for change...

As a follow up to the “No Tobacco “ drive, a Grassroots Comics exhibition was held in Gauhati University campus in the Youth festival 09, an initiative by New Ways Group and World Comics India. Students from about 42 colleges under Gauhati university from across different places and districts of Assam participated in the festival. The idea was to spread awareness on the different causes and impact of tobacco consumption among the people, especially youth and to inform people about the litigation associated with the violation of the existing legal acts and provisions.

The response of the people was unbelievable! Young boys and girls thronged to read the comics displayed and commented on how and what they liked. Some admitted that the comics informed them of new things and showed faith in the medium to be powerful enough to generate public participation. There were also suggestions to take action against the shops selling tobacco and gutkha in the University campus after reading the comics on the same topic.

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No to Tobacco...Yes to Life...

A Grassroots Comics Workshop was conducted by members of New Ways Group and World Comics India. A total of 16 people participated in the workshop. The participants were a mixed group of members of NGOs, Volunteers from VHAA and recovered victims of tobacco and drug abuse. The participants came from various districts of Assam and represented various age groups. The chief aim of the workshop was to propagate Grassroots Comics as an alternate media to express their concerns, ideas and voices on issues important for them and the community. The workshop was designed to bring out the different aspects of tobacco consumption among the people.
The workshop served to help the participants realize how they can prepare comics themselves, to bring out their own people’s issues and set about motion to motivate them to work upon these problems.

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Exploring "New Ways" at Sonapur...

A Grassroots Comics Workshop was conducted by New Ways Group in collaboration with Mushroom Development Foundation and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Guwahati from 1st – 3rd April 2009 in Sonapur Sahitya Sabha Hall. Total 38 young people participated in the workshop. The participants were 8 girl students from Sonapur Girls' High School and 30 youths (more girls than boys) from 10 marginal farmers federation clusters developed by MDF covering 50 villages in Demoria areas of Sonapur.

The workshop was aimed at empowering the marginal farmers(with hardly any access to media) to easily express their problems or aspirations through the medium of comics with a view to extending their activities to the communtiy for bringing about positive and constructive changes in their area.

Looking beyond the silence...

Comics were prepared on various issues relating to women like eve-teasing, sexual harassment, girl-child property rights, reproductive health etc. and displayed in the photo-exhibition conducted on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 9th March 2009 in Women’s Studies Centre, Gauhati University.
A presentation was also given by New Ways Group members (Usha Dewani and Hima Rani Baishya) on the occassion on “Voicing Women’s Issues through Comics”.

Communicating new ideas in Communika '09

A Comics Exhibition was organized by the members of New Ways Comic Activists’ Group, during Communika’09, an annual media fest organized by the students of Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University. Comics on an array of issues including corruption, road rage, hygiene, alcoholism, dowry, child labour etc. were displayed. The audience included students of Mass Communication of different media institutes of Guwahati, Staff and Professors and students from all hostels of Gauhati University.

Expressing through Comics...

A three-day Workshop on Capacity Building was conducted by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti (New Delhi) and Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, (Assam Branch) Fellows from 7th-9th Feb 2009 in Kasturba Gandhi Ashram, Assam Branch, Ulubari, Guwahati.
The workshop was attended by trainers of Shishu Panchayat from various districts of Assam. The programme was designed to cater to acquainting them to the different methodology involved or that which can be used to carry out various developmental welfare activities by Shishu Panchayat.