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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