top of page
common-1300520_1280-pixabay_edited.png

Basic Orientation and Info for Aspiring Learners

Welcome.

​

 We are looking for young learners (preferably between 21 - 30 years of age ) who are committed followers and leaders, guided by virtues, values and a meaningful life that nurtures an inclusive and compassionate common good. We encourage such followers/leaders to apply for this learning and fellowship journey.

 

Please note that the fellowship offers no financial support from the main institutions. Or, the collaborators' community. The fellowship aims to bring together Gandhi-Mandela-Freire Fellows as an eco-socio-spiritual moral community.

 

Please also note that this course is not directly positioned to benefit you with a job opportunity. It is also not directly meant to improve your career. The course/learning journey will benefit you as a person and your desire to contribute to self and social transformation. And caring for Nature.       

 

We like our aspirants to consider the following.

 

Openness to Change 

You must be able to exercise an openness to change that comes along with learning. With this also comes the ability to be understanding, flexible and adaptable as you encounter persons and situations who introduce you to simple and complex, normative and radical ideas and practices. This openness should also be your gateway to self and social transformation -- thinking “out of the box” or “going off the grid” or “getting off the highway”. A sensitive readiness to mindful change is critical.

 

Integrity, Honesty and Authenticity

You have to be honest to yourself, always ensuring alignment between context, thought, emotion and action. All these also call for your inherent courageous and compassionate nature to stand up for truth or for people and nature who need your help. Integrity and authenticity are critical for building trust and friendships that we so critically need to build an inclusive local and global society. (Over the months, this course also needs all these to come alive through self-directed work.)

​

Other Personal Attributes

You need to be patient, practice humility, cultivate the ability to laugh at yourself, ask critical and uncomfortable questions to self and others, believe in participatory and deliberative democracy, hold virtues that value those who may have different ways of thinking and acting, be persistent, practise perseverance and a deep commitment that reaches out to not only self but also, importantly, others. (Note: While we encourage accepting people with different perspectives, we must also be on our guard to face those positions that destroy critical dialogue, human dignity and the freedom of others.)

 

Plurality, Diversity and Dialogue

You must accept with grace diversity and plurality in society. On that foundation, you must show keen interest to engage -- listen, learn, understand and contribute to your own journey as well as to that of others, with whom you may or may not agree. It is important that you also reflect upon these encounters with a sincere aim to engage in dialogue and endeavour to build an active dialogical-deliberative unity.

 

Orientation and Competences

You need the attitudes, ‘philosophical’ or ‘spiritual’ orientations to pursue this course/learning journey. Importantly to articulate, practice or disseminate your ideas, practices or imagination, you need the drive to acquire research, writing, designing and such other competencies/skills for the purpose of wholesome and informed communication, portrayal and discussions. This is also needed to encourage your learning, scholarship, involved engagement and learningful encounters with individuals, groups, and communities.

 

Willingness to Make Sense

You need the willingness to explore the external and internal interconnected complexities of the ways of self, social and Nature. You need to learn to unpack realities, examine/interrogate them and their deep interconnections. You need to also understand data, information and knowledge creation from integrated/interconnected sense and to approach them as a generalist and not merely as a specialist. We encourage the journey from knowledge to wisdom. In a sense, you need to avoid silo thinking and be cosmological. You need to accept or be comfortable with dissonance, difficulties and challenges in order to struggle to learn and to share your learning.

Critical Course Related Information (for 2022)
common-1300520_1280-pixabay_edited.png
Number of Students (Targetted): 12 (2022 Batch: 7 Fellows)
 
Duration of Course
  • 15th January -- 8th October 2022 (with 3 breaks)
  • 32 Weeks (inclusive of mentored project work)
  • 300 plus Hours (approximately covers 1/3 contact hours, and about 2/3 self-directed/self-supervised, collective and field work) 
  • Approximately 8 Hours/Weekends/Evenings/Regional-GlobalHolidays

Online Contact Hours/Days
More time may be added if needed and when mutually agreed upon. Some educators may need more time. There will be some special lectures. They will also be opportunities to connect with educators if further support or guidance is needed.

9 Months Full Course Fee  (for 2022; will be revised for 2023)
Our very nominal fee is as follow: 
  • India: INR 5000.00 (For Indian Students)
  • Outside:  USD 70.00 (For Outside India Students)
Those who want donate beyond this minimum are welcome too.
We appreciate your kind gesture. Just let us know.

Payment of Fee
Please make the payment by the 10th of January 2022. Payment details will be provide seprately.


3 Steps Application Process (2022. Will be the same Process for 2023)
  • 15th December 2021: Essay (300 - 500 words): "Why Do You Want To Do This Course?": Step 1
  • 22th December 2021: Report on the Use of an online Self-Discovery Tool (UNFOLD NEST): Step 2
  • Step 3: Interview: 22th December 2021 - 5th January 2022
​
Flexible Assessment
Since we are not following normal course pathways, our assessment will be based on your unconditional involvement -- attendance to the self-directed activities we have provided. Critical highlights would be your diary entries, your presentations, your field activities (to the extent possible under the pandemic situation) and the completion of your projects (group and individual).

Award
Those successfully completing the learning journey will be given the Gandhi-Mandela-Freire Fellowship Award (soft and hard copy certificate). The award certificate will be issued by Loyola Extension Services (LES), Loyola College of Social Sciences (LCSS), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India and is supported by a multi-institutional collaborative educational platform
common-1300520_1280-pixabay_edited.png

Learner's Toolkit

Learners are encouraged to avail, acquire, register, subscribe, own the following to help themselves through the learning journey. Do what is possible within your means. Share what is possible with others in the group.

  • Own a diary. This is a must for the 9 months journey. Physical writing is expected. Try avoiding use of online diaries. But the final choice is yours. 

  • Do have notebooks to note down important online exchanges.

  • Explore web tools and services that help you to unfold/infold: free blogs, vlogs, design service, video channel, powerpoint service, photo portfolio, bookmarking, shoutouts, free personal website, survey tools, video meetings, etc. Do some research. Own a blog or vlog is compulsory.

  • Curate, document and build your own web resources bank relevant to your journey.

  • If funds allow, subscribe to movie and documentary channels as well as an online library for at least 9 months from January to October 2022.

  • Research your place of residence for possible trips to parks, forests, and other places that you can include in the learning journey as you share them.

  • If funds allow, do own a few key books that you think would be of use to you (based on our suggestions).

bottom of page