The Impact of Pedagogy on Shaping the Socio-Political Reality of Northeast India

3 August, 2023

The Departments of Political Science and English at Don Bosco College, in collaboration with the Regional Peace Network, is organising an International Webinar to explore the role of pedagogy in shaping the socio-political reality in Northeast India. The Webinar will analyze the role that the teaching of Political Science and Political Philosophy plays in enhancing the ability of individuals and tribal cultures to live in accordance with their most cherished values and achieve greater self-determination.

IMPORTANT DATES

One may participate in the webinar with or without presentation of an article. All participants are expected to register for the webinar using the google form available for the purpose and will be given a certificate of participation.

Participation with presentation of article:

  • Last date for registration and submission of Introduction: May 15, 2023
  • Notification of acceptance of Introduction: June1, 2023
  • Last date for submission of full article: July 12, 2023
  • Notification of acceptance of article: July 24, 2023

E-mail id for submission of Introduction and Articles: [email protected] with a copy to [email protected]

Participation without presentation of article

  • Last date for registration for participation: 29 July, 2023

Click this link to access the Registration Form: https://forms.gle/4dM9EZEwUMXrqV5C6

Subthemes

  • The role of pedagogy in elevating the life experience of individuals and social groups
  • Achieving the highest good possible by means of organized social activity
  • The connection between the quality of the character of our students and the quality of social life (i.e., the connection between teaching self-cultivation, citizenship, self-determination, and civic virtue)
  • The relationship between India’s socio-political ideals and the cultural values and worldview of the tribal cultures of Northeast India
  • Social pedagogy and political philosophy: e.g., Sen’s theories of social justice and capabilities, empowering individuals and social groups to live in accordance with what they have reason to value, and teaching students how to experience what they value doing and/or being.
  • Related topics not included here may also be addressed.

Webinar Organizers

Chairperson: Dr. (Fr) Abhilash VJ SDB (Principal, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri).

Coordinator: Manek Narzary (Asst. Professor, Department of Political Science).

Co-Coordinators: Dr. Anuradha Goswami (Asst. Professor, Department of English, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri), Nobin Narzary (Asst. Professor, Department of English, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri), Failao Brahma (Asst. Professor, Department of Political Science, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri), Bhumiraj Mushahary(Asst. Professor, Department of Political Science, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri), Jugami Bargoyary (Asst. Professor, Department of Computer Science, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri), Sujeet Basumatary (Asst. Professor, Department of Education, Don Bosco College, Chapaguri).

External Members of the Organizing Committee

International Coordinator: Professor Leon Miller (Research Fellow affiliated with The Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia)

Advisory Specialist: Dr. Biswajit Das (former Dean of the School of Languages and Head of the PhD program at The School of Management at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India)

Advisory Specialist: Professor Jayadeba Sahoo (Coordinator of Teacher Education and Head of the Faculties of Education & Languages, Rajiv Gandhi (Central) University, Arunachal Pradesh)

Advisory Specialist: Dr. Dale Snauwaert (Professor of Peace Studies and Education at The University of Toledo, USA)

CONCEPT NOTE

All education in the broadest sense is part of a project of freedom, and eminently political
because it offers students the conditions for self-development and self-determination
(Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 2005).

The theme of this webinar is the significance of pedagogy in shaping the socio-political reality of Northeast India. However, the focus is on teaching students in Northeast India the relationship between their own personal development and the ability to fully enjoy or exercise their human and natural rights (i.e., including self-determination in personal terms and the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination).The contributing articles will explain the link between citizenship education (i.e., teaching political science and/or political philosophy), the self-cultivation of the learner, and civic virtue).The articles emphasize a fundamental principle of political philosophy – that self-cultivation enables experiencing the highest good humanly possible and inclines individuals to experience what is in their best interest. However, the contributors also emphasize that such knowledge is, in fact, political knowledge (Aristotle 2004, 4). The self-cultivation of the learner (i.e., developing the full capabilities of learners and training them in how to realize their desired functionings) empowers learners in such a way that they begin to feel that they are experiencing greater freedom and self-determination. This includes explaining the role that individuals and social groups play in engaging in civic activities in order to make desirable things happen for themselves rather than having the feeling that undesired things are happening to them over which they have no control (i.e., the co-creation of desirable social outcomes) (Giddens, 1994, 15).

In this respect individuals and social groups will be moving toward cooperating with their local officials to realize a common goal based on shared values. The goal is to realize the desired aims of social action and implement a participatory approach to governance, which in the end are steps toward a peaceful approach to self-determination. Social flourishing occurs when society empowers individuals to achieve their highest good and to live in accordance with the forces shaping the natural order. Thus, promoting human rights necessarily involve sunder standing the role that natural law (i.e., the precursor of human rights) plays in social flourishing. Therefore, the contributing articles will emphasize that the human rights discourse necessarily includes an explanation of the connection between achieving one’s highest good, natural law, developing the best qualities in individuals in order to develop the best possible quality of social life, and living in accordance with the fundamental principles of social justice (Cicero 2004, 38-43 & 83-86; Aristotle 1998, 192-193; Confucius, 2005, l2; Rig Veda 2014, 358-359 &1661; Atharva Veda 1905, 138-139; also see Giddens 1993, 4-5).

Natural law is important for four reasons: (1) natural law is prescribed by political philosophy as fundamental to establishing a good society and to social justice; (2) socio-political philosophy emphasizes the natural right of individuals to develop their full capabilities and potential – thus the right of individuals to be their authentic selves and to experience self-actualization; (3)natural law is regarded as the precursor to human rights; and (4) natural rights are regarded as the most basic or fundamental aspect of freedom in accordance with natural law, which is ordained by higher authority. However, equally important is the connection between the principles of socio-political philosophy, natural law, and civic virtue. Natural, in the terms prescribed by both political philosophy and social psychology, also implies a person who is authentic, acts sincerely, and has a virtuous character (i.e., satya). Such individuals are free from acts that are considered immoral, corrupt, or harmful to oneself and others. Thus, free in terms of being unrestrained by influences that would hinder experiencing the highest good. This also means being free in the sense of acting in such a way that others feel that there is no need to inhibit nor condemn their actions (Saint Thomas Aquinas 2010, 125). Because of the contribution such principles make to civic virtue and social development there is a willingness on the part of public officials to engage in activities that promote achieving such civic virtue.

REFERENCES

Aristotle. (2004) Nicomachean Ethics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Aristotle. (1998) Politics. (Reeve, C. Trans.). Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.

Atharva Veda. (1905) (Whitney, William. Trans.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

Cicero. (2004) On Moral Ends. (Woolf, Raphael. Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Confucius. (2005) The Doctrine of the Mean. (Richter, Gregory. Trans.). Kirksville, Missouri: Truman State University Press.

Freire, Paulo. (2005) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum International Publishing.

Geertz, Clifford. (1973)The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books.

Giddens, Anthony (1994) Beyond Left and Right: The Future of Radical Politics. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Giddens, Anthony. (1993) New Rules of Sociological Method. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Nussbaum, Martha. (2000) Women and Development. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Rig Vedas (2014) The Earliest Religious Poetry of India. (Jamison, Stephanie. & Brereton, Joel. Trans.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Acquinas, Thomas. (2010) Commentary on the Gospel of John.Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press.

Sen, Amartya. (1999) Development as Freedom. New York: Alfred Knopf.

Manuscript Formatting Style

As all accepted articles will be published as a book, it is not necessary to write an abstract. Therefore, it is preferred that the article starts with an introduction. The title of the article should appear in 12 pt Times New Roman font, bold, center aligned at the top of the page followed by the author’s name and designation (in the next line). The entire article should also be in 12 pt Times New Roman font (left justified). The subsections of the article should appear in bold, left aligned. The article should be followed by a reference section. The term reference (capitalized and bold) should appear at the top of this section and the entries should appear in alphabetical order. The citation in the text should appear at the end of the sentence in brackets. Please use the APA Manuscript style for citation and reference.

DON BOSCO COLLEGE, CHAPAGURI

Don Bosco College, Chapaguri is a Catholic educational institution run by the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) known popularly as Don Bosco fathers and brothers. Don Bosco Educational and Social Service Society has its presence today in over 132 countries of the world. The presence of Don Bosco Institutions in Northeast India is more than a century old. In the last several decades, these institutions have been rendering yeoman service in the educational, technical, and social service sectors with a special emphasis on young people – especially the poor and the disadvantaged.

Don Bosco College, true to the spirit of its patron, Don Bosco, is a young and people-friendly institution, where the young people are encouraged to explore their gifts, talents, skills, and creativity through organized activities. Indeed, the management has always been doing its best in order to bring out the spirit of innovation, curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills in its students.

The college is truly committed to actualizing its mission “quality education” that provides each student with a free, cheerful, and friendly learning environment in order to acquire knowledge, expertise, values, and interpersonal skills to face the challenges of life. We impart sound and quality education through an integral and holistic approach for the all-round development of the human person.

The college’s motto “Inform, Inspire, Involve and Innovate” puts succinctly the distinctive educational philosophy and processes envisaged in grooming our students into confident, competent and compassionate human beings. The teaching and the non-teaching staff are committed to the cause of the bright future of young people. We spare no effort to ensure that our students achieve excellence.

THE REGIONAL PEACE NETWORK

The Regional Peace Network is an international association that applies its concepts and principles to local contexts to establish processes for conflict reduction, peace-building, and improved governance.  We are a non-profit organization operating in affiliation with an international alliance of networked partners.

 

Project Coordinators and Advisory Board Members

International Coordinator– Dr. Leon Miller (with over 30 years of experience in peace activism and peace research. Dr. Miller is a research fellow affiliated with The Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers and Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia).

India Project Coordinator – Dr. Biswajit Das (Head of the PhD program and Professor of Marketing at the KSOM program of KIIT University in Bhubaneswar, India).

Advisory Board Members

Dr. Michaelina Jakala (Assistant Professor and Course Director – MA in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations. Coventry University, UK).

Mridul Upadhyay (Coordinator for United Network of Young Peacebuilders, Based in New Delhi).

Saumya Aggarwal (Co-founder of Youth for Peace International, New Delhi).

Dr. Rameez Ahmed Sheikh (The Executive Director at Peace Education Network Pakistan, a Visiting Faculty Member at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and specializes in the Sociology of Peace and Conflict, Peace Studies).

Dr. Dale Snauwaert (Professor of Peace Studies and Education at the University of Toledo, USA). Doctor Snauwaert has special interest in the interrelationship between moral and political philosophy and educational theory, with a particular interest in theories of justice, democratic theory, and the philosophical foundations of peace education and human rights.

Advocate Satrupa Bhattacharjee (Founder and President of the Jharna Foundation, Shillong). The Jharna Foundation focuses on human rights and establishing an inclusive society.

Ashmeet Kaur Baweja (PhD candidate in Peace Education at the Department of Policy Studies of TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi).

Researcher Jenaina Irani (specialist in youth leadership in peace building and humanitarian action, and examining the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security and Youth, Peace, and Security agendas and humanitarian action – affiliated with The Global Network of Women Peace builders).

Dr. Anita Christine Tiphagne (Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Sciences
of Lady Doak College in Madurai, India).

Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra (Assistant Professor at the Malaviya Centre for Peace Research, Faculty of Social Sciences New Building, Banaras Hindu University).

Professor Lokanath Mishra (Director of the Faculty Development Center of the Department of Education at Mizoram University – with a specialty in peace education).