Mangaluru: Mangalorean origin, Dr Lorna Gonsalves, Fulbright Specialist from the United States, has initiated a critical service learning project with students at one of Mangalore’s premier educational institutions. This critical service learning project uses a unique approach to inform, engage, and transform communities.
Students from the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya here took the stage and used creative expression to spread awareness about the project, during a program organized at Roshni Nilaya Hall on Monday 20 April 2015. A videotape made of this event will be shared with a global audience.
According to the organizers, it is the hope of all that this CPR project, which is seeded in Mangaluru, will be replicated in universities across India and around the world. At a time when the newspapers are filled with accounts of division, violence, and discord, it will be important for the public to hear about the work of a small group of students who are attempting to use Creative Peaceful Resistance (CPR) to resuscitate justice, restore hope, and revive the spirit.
This day, the Auditorium at the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, came alive as students delivered a dramatic presentation to explain their Creative Service Learning Project and demonstrate the Creative Peaceful Resistance (CPR) Approach. Dr Sophia Fernandes-Principal of Roshni Nilaya welcomed the gathering and also briefed about the “the Creative Peaceful Resistance’ (CPR) Approach, and also about the ‘Reflection Park” which is set up at the College premises. Dr Jacintha the Principal also expressed her gratitude to Dr Gonsalves for her courage and her conviction. She emphasized the importance of these kinds of projects especially for schools of social work.
The programme was inaugurated by lighting the traditional lamp by two institutional leaders, two employers, and two domestic workers- Provincial, Dr Jacintha D’Souza, President, Colin D’Souza, Joe and Irene Gonsalves, together with Susanny and Ranjeetha lit the diya together. This joint lighting of the diya represented the hopes that institutions and employers would join together to improve the lives of domestic workers everywhere.
Fulbright Specialist, Dr Lorna Gonsalves, the architect of this project addressing the gathering said, “We live in an era marked by divisions and conflicts and that creative service learning should be part of the core curriculum for all students.” She added that “educational institutions should groom students not only as scholars and intellectuals but also as thoughtful and humane agents of change.”
She further explained about the process of the project – Students, first had to go through a series of interactive seminars, following which they organized a meeting with domestic workers from the areas surrounding their school. Five specially trained artists from the ISIRI group attended the sessions with the domestic workers and translated their concerns and visions for change into a stunning mural. That mural was the first of many that will adorn the Reflection Park nestled in one side of the campus.
Dr Gonsalves expressed her hopes that many more Creative Service Learning opportunities would be offered to students and that these projects would produce many more works of art heralding the visions of those people who are marginalized and exploited in our communities. Students who participated in the Fulbright Project delivered a very dramatic and touching presentation which drew tears from some of the audience members. They demonstrated the power of Creative Peaceful Resistance through mime, poems, songs, dances, and a call out poem. In their presentation, they acted out the concerns and struggles of domestic workers.
Dr Jenis Mary, faculty partner in this project, delivered the vote of thanks, thanking Dr Gonsalves for her vision and her dedication and congratulating the students for their performance. After the formal function at the hall, it was time to inaugurate the “Reflection Park” which was done Dr Jacintha D’Souza, Dr Sophia Fernandes, along with parents of Lorna Gonsalves, Joe and Irene Gonsalves and other dignitaries. Unveiling of the Mural was done by ISIRI artists namely Rathan Ruby, Vikram Shetty, Naveen Kumar, Sharath Kulal and Pradeep D’Silva.
Core organizing team for the Fulbright Project were: Dr Sophia Fernandes, Dr Rameela Shekhar, Dr Jenis Mary and juliet CJ; Liaison for Logistics-Juliet CJ; Faculty partners for Fulbright Project-Dr Jenis Mary; Animator for Domestic Workers- Shanthi D’Souza; Liaison for the Reflection park- Josephine Selvanayagam; and Student coordinator for the construction of the Reflection Park- Avinand Achanahally.
Student participants who took part in the Fulbright project are : Vivek Sheel, Teresa Laldinpuri, Tara Miranda, Swarnim Sethi, Soundarya Shetty, Salome Gonsalves, Sai Shruthi PR, Nishmitha Pinto, Nirmala, Nimmi Varghese, Meryl serra, Melora Pais, Lavita D’souza, Jnyaneshwar Mane, Jinsa joseph, Jane Rodrigues, Chethan Kumar and Alisha Basheer.
Speaking to me, Student coordinator Avinand Achanahally said, “Mangalureans should not miss to visit this unique park, because it gives lots of reflection on social issues of the society put together in the form of art/painting by top artists. Very soon birds, animals and herbal plants will be added in the park. This unique project by Dr Lorna Gonsalves will bring an awareness on change in the society, and also The Creative Peaceful Resistance Approach. The support of the students, youth and general public is very much solicited”.
Speaking to me, Dr Gonsalves said, “The culmination of this Fulbright project signals the start of the follow up phase. Formation of an Employers Association, and monthly meetings for domestic workers are two of the follow up projects planned. The institution also hopes to use the mural to raise awareness about the plight of domestic workers and work with them to better their lives”. Dr Gonsalves further said that she hopes to seed this project in the U.S. and in South Africa after which she hopes to have a global summit which brings representatives from all the three continents together to discuss lessons learned.
“In a world riddled with prejudice and violence, Creative Peaceful Resistance can be a powerful tool for resuscitating justice, reviving hope, and restoring broken communities,” she said. “I am grateful for this Fulbright grant and it has given me an opportunity to seed a project in one of Mangalore’s premier educational institutions. The soil here is very fertile and I believe that faculty and staff members will carefully nurture the seedlings that we have planted together.” Dr Gonsalves added.
“As a candidate for the Specialist Program, I want to use my teaching and community organizing experience to realize all three goals of the program and in particular, I want “to encourage new activities that go beyond the core Fulbright activities of lecturing and research.” I will involve faculty and students in eligible activities such as intellectual engagement, interactive seminars, hands-on community outreach, professional development, and institutional growth”.
“Education has a special role to play in grooming leaders who are not only professionally skilled but who are humane and empathetic—leaders who are able to critically examine social issues, resist violence and injustice, and envision creative, peaceful strategies for building just communities. I am excited about using service-learning as a tool for cultivating the type of student learning and leadership envisioned by William Fulbright himself. Students and faculty members continue to express a deep concern about injustices, and a desire to improve conditions in their communities. They seek something more than the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge”.
“The Fulbright Specialist Program has the potential for playing an instrumental role in fulfilling this largely unmet need in educational institutions. To this end, I am eager to work with my global counterparts to launch service-learning projects that take students into marginalized communities to learn about the concerns and visions of otherwise ignored people and to work with local artists to herald these visions to the public. These acts of peaceful resistance serve as calls to action. They, at once, beautify, engage, and inspire campus and city communities. My interest in marrying knowledge and application, and my passion for working to link education with the promotion of justice, peace, and good will in the U.S. and abroad, have motivated me to work on this project”.
“Having taught in academe and worked in the community, I understand the value of including professionals who have both academic and community experience in any effort towards meaningful civic engagement and community outreach. We are, thankfully, moving beyond traditional exchanges that brought in “experts” who used a one-way transmission of information and focused attention solely within the confines of the classroom. Conversations with teachers/students in India, South Africa, Ecuador, Switzerland, and Mexico, point to a need for service-learning programs through which students and traditionally marginalized people can work together to address pressing social problems. I believe that my work with my counterparts abroad will constitute a step towards fulfilling this need” she added..
Concluding Dr Gonsalves said, “I feel very fortunate to work with the faculty, staff, and students at Roshni. Roshni’s progressive mission and values are very much in line with the goals of the project and I have received a very enthusiastic response from all involved. This premier institution is a fitting site to seed this project. My projects follow these trajectory: Recruitment of participants; Interactive Seminars for all involved; Investigation in the form of listening and learning session; Sketching process for artists; Creation of the mural; Building of the reflection park; Closing event—unveiling of the mural and opening of the reflection park; Debriefing and Assessment ; Follow up Process.
About Lorna Gonsalves, Ph.D. – A brief Profile:
Dr Lorna Gonsalves is an award winning educator and community organizer. She uses innovative strategies, including creative peaceful resistance, to resuscitate justice and revive hope within communities that are otherwise forgotten and left behind. She recently received a Fulbright Specialist grant and is on an assignment in RoshniNilaya School of Social Work in Mangaluru. At Roshni, Dr. Gonsalves will seed a Critical Service Learning project using her signature Creative Peaceful Resistance (CPR) approach. Students will connect with domestic workers and learn about their insights and visions for change. Local artists will translate these visions into a full color mural—the first of many to be installed in a reflection park, which is being built on the Roshni Campus. It is the hope of all that this CPR project will be replicated in universities across India and around the world.
Previously, she has worked for UNESCO and has collaborated with counterparts in South Africa and Switzerland to work with young leaders from around the world. Prior to joining the Institute, she was the architect of the Campaign to Promote Racial Justice; a project of the Washington D.C. based National League of Cities. Under her yearlong Directorship, mayors and other elected officials from more than 200 cities from 48 states joined the campaign, plotting out their anti- racist agendas in a workbook of Dr Gonsalves’ devising. Undoing Racism, a documentary video which she co-produced, won the Aegis and Telly awards.
Before heading up the Campaign to Promote Racial Justice, Dr. Gonsalves served as Associate Provost for Diversity at Bowling Green State University. Her tenure there saw her spearhead Breaking the Silence, a program that brought together members of the campus and city communities to address the largely unspoken realities of racism. She produced a documentary video outlining the yearlong initiative, and then-Ohio Governor George Voinovich publicly recognized the program for its outstanding contribution to enhancing race relations in the state.
A strong proponent of community policing, Dr. Gonsalves has worked extensively with Police Chiefs and law enforcement officials in the State of Ohio. Recognizing the futility of purely punitive and retributive approaches, she explores those that are restorative and transformative. For her activist efforts in the Northwest Ohio area, she has received such awards as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award and the Servant Leadership Award. She was raised in four of India’s major cities, and came to the United States in 1972. Her academic background includes a diploma in Opera Performance, an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology.
Congratulations Lorna! on receiving the Fullbright Specialist grant. What a great way to give back to a needy community. Your approach to connect domestic workers with students to understand the insights and translate those insights into their vision will surely empower not only the students but also the domestics and the community at large. I wish you luck in realizing your dream of taking this further into universities across the country. Women need to be empowered and what better way to get started.