New Ways: The village speaks...

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The village speaks...

'Manas Darpan' is a monthly Comics Wallposter brought out by Mushroom Development Foundation together with World Comics India. The Wallposter is being distributed in various villages spread across North East India. Each issue of the wallposter focusses on an issue important to the community, besides popularising mushroom cultivation.

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The Genesis

World Comics India (WCI), a collective of artists, media persons, and social activists and grassroots journalists, has emerged from a wide variety of backgrounds to formulate a social movement that identifies comics as a powerful tool to perpetuate social change.WCI organised its Annual ToT (Training of Trainers) Workshop on September 2008 in Kharghuli, Guwahati where some students of Department of Communication and Journalism from Gauhati University also participated. Later in December 2008, Sharad Sharma( Secretary General, WCI) visited this Department again for a workshop and motivated the students to form a group.
A few students realised the need for an alternate media in order to articulate what they felt...to bring about the change they wanted to see. They felt that there are a lot of issues and problems that do not catch the eye of the “media” and hence a medium was needed that could penetrate into those scapes and corners and give a voice to the man on the streets, who has something to say, who has feelings to share…
Therefore, the initiative was taken and a group formed- a group that would be committed to a change for the better. And from then on, there has been no looking back. The members with their little resources, immense support from Department faculty and Sharad Sharma, and intense passion for community development and social change are on for their mission...

The Activities

-Comics on an array of issues were prepared by the members, like corruption, hygiene, alcoholism, deforestation, road rage, dowry etc.

-These comics were displayed at different places within the Gauhati University premises where people would usually wait or gather like canteens, fast food stalls, corridors etc.

-Comics were displayed in Cotton College auditorium, Guwahati during a seminar. People from many colleges of the city participated and gave valuable feedback.

-Comics were displayed in other places, namely, Cotton College Coffee House and Boys’ Hostel.

-Comics were displayed outside Handique Girls’ College on walls, pillars etc. to catch the notice of the trespassers.

-Comics Workshop was conducted in Kasturba Gandhi Ashram with trainers of Shishu Panchayat from various districts of Assam.

-Comics were exhibited in Communika’09, a two-days’ media event conducted by the Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati university on 26th and 27th February 2009.

-Comics were displayed in Women’s Studies Centre, Gauhati University in the photo-exhibition conducted on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 9th March and a presentation done on “Voicing Women’s Issues through Comics”.

-Comics Awareness Programme being carried out across various Departments in Gauhati University.

-Comics Workshop was conducted in Sonapur area, near Guwahati from 1st -3rd April 2009 in collaboration with Mushroom Development Foundation and
Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Guwahati from 10 marginal farmers federation clusters developed by MDF covering 50 villages in Demoria areas of Sonapur.

-Comics were prepared and a presentation given in a two-day seminar on “Emerging Horizons in Science communication today “ to show how Comics can be effectively used as a medium for disseminating information regarding Science to the common masses.

-Comics were prepared for a poster campaign against Sexual Harassment in the Colleges, University campus by Women’s Studies Centre, Gauhati University.

-Comics workshop was conducted on Tobacco Control in association with Voluntary Health Association of Assam from 7th-9th May2009 at VHAA Training Hall, Jyotinagar, Bamunimaidam, Guwahati.

-A Grassroots Comics workshop was conducted in Baksha district of Assam, jointly by World Comics India and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Guwahat from 9th to 12th May 2009 at Tamulpur Anchalik Gram Sahyog (TAGS) Kumarikata. (Trainers - Amrith Basumatary (Chirang Comics Circles) Bongaigaon and Hima Rani Baishya, New Ways, Guwahati)

-An Exhibition of Grassroots comics prepared on the theme of Tobacco Control by participants of the workshop with VHAA was organized in the Annual Youth Festival of Gauhati University on 20th May 2009, an initiative by New Ways Group and World Comics India.

-A Grassroots Comics workshop was organized in State Home for Women, Jalukbari in association with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Guwahati from 22nd-24th May 2009. (Trainers – Minakshi Gogoi, Sushmita Lahkar and Usha Dewani )

-An exhibition cum presentation was done by Hima Baishya and Usha Dewani on “Comics for Development” on 7Th June 2009 during a Sensitization of Media for Child Rights workshop by UNICEF.

-A Grassroots Comics workshop was organized by Safura during their Annual Summer Camp with children from different districts of Assam in Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Guwahati from 10th-15th July 2009. (Trainer- Usha Dewani)

-A workshop was organised with children and youth at Nalbari by Gramya Vikash Mancha, supported by Actionaid India from 1st-3rd August 09 on Disaster Risk Reduction theme. (Trainers- Sushmita Lahkar & Usha Dewani)

- 8th – 10th August 2009, conducted by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Angels’ English School, Sualkuchi, Guwahati. (Trainer- Hima)

- 11th- 13th August 2009, conducted by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University on Anti Ragging theme (Campaign). (Trainers -Sushmita, Minakshi, Usha)

- 22nd – 24th September 2009, conducted by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Delhi Public School, Guwahati. (Trainers- Sushmita, Usha)

- 22nd – 24th September 2009, conducted by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and Manab Sewa Sangh at Surabala Bordoloi Auditorium, Chandrapur College, Chandrapur, Guwahati. (Trainers- Amrith, Hima )

-30th Oct- 1st Nov 2009, conducted by Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti at Sarla Birla Gyan Jyoti Academy, Guwahati on “Man and Environment” theme. (Trainers- Hima, Usha)

-15th -17th November 2009, conducted by sSTEP with support from ActionAid India, at Morigaon, Assam. (Trainers- Usha, Hima)

- 23rd-25th December 2009, conducted by Gramya Vikas Mancha (GVM), Nalbari, Assam supported by ActionAid India on theme Early warning system for Disaster Risk Reduction at GVM office Campus, Nalbari. (Trainers- Sushmita, Usha)

-9th-12th January 2010, conducted by Gramya Vikas Mancha, supported by UNICEF and ECHO, at Dimu, Rangia on theme Disaster Risk Reduction with special reference to women and children. (Trainers- Hima and Usha)

New Ways

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The village speaks...

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