We are obliged with the overwhelming

support and encouragement received from

the professional Social Work community

for the first issue of DISHAA. The

dedication and hard work of the students

of Social Work, Amrita University,

Amritapuri campus is once again proved

here, in the timely release of the second

issue of ASWAS News letter- DISHAA.

The current issue covers special reports,

articles on various topics and pertinent

events during the period such as ASWAS

inauguration, tribal sensitisation camp,

concurrent field work placement,

Mullapperiyar issue and other items. The

editorial board expresses its gratitude to

all the contributors of the current issue.

Special thanks to Dr. Johny Augustine,

Assistant Professor, St. Ambrose

University, USA for cooperating with us

in this endeavor.

-Chief Editor

Editorial Contents

Chancellor’s message

Editorial

ASWAS

Your kind attention

plz!

Social Work Research

@ Amrita

Introduction to

Policies/Acts

My experience as a

budding Social

Worker

Picasso. MSW

Interview with a

Professional Social

Worker

Agency news: RASTA

Kabani: the other

direction

Fieldwork news

Field Work in Social

Work : Partnership

with Government

Organisations

Book review

Activities of

Department of Social

work

AMC news

Upcoming

conference/workshops

Principal’s desk

Oct-Dec, 2011 Volume 1 I ssue 2

Quarte r ly newslet ter by ASWAS,

Department of Soc ia l Work, Amrit apur i campus, Amrita Vishwa V idyapeetham

DISHAA En route to a better world…

"Your third eye will never open if, in the

name of spirituality, you close your eyes

to the world."

“Use your freedom in a manner that

benefits society."

— Amma

Chancellor’s message

2 DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

It was a dream coming true for the Department of Social work

when the inauguration of Amrita Social Workers Association

(ASWAS) took place. ASWAS is concerned with promoting

social and environmental responsibility among the public,

creating awareness against social evils and facilitation of

events to prevent them. The programs and interventions

organized were for uplifting the socially and educationally

marginalized groups and in turn contributing towards skill

development and professional enrichment of social work

students. ASWAS encompasses the group which works with

unity amid all differences for the liberation of one‟s internal

strength to make the world a better place, thereby reaching the

ultimate goal of eternal happiness.

The much awaited event of ASWAS inauguration and

AMRITIANS first Alumni meet started with the prayer at

Amritapuri campus by 10.00 am. Ms Nayana (President,

ASWAS), officially welcomed the guests. The informal

session began with keynote address by the Principal of

Department of Social work, Br. Anand Shenoy. Anandji, with

his inspiring words acknowledged and admired the efforts and

the venture of the students and faculty of Department of

Social work, Amritapuri campus.Mrs. M.C.Jaysree, District

Welfare officer, Kollam, the chief guest of the day, officially

inaugurated “ASWAS” by lighting the lamp and also

delivered the presidential address. Mrs. Jayasree explained the

welfare schemes of the government and the role of social

workers in this area. She also deliberated the possibility of

collaborating with the Social Work department, Amritapuri

campus in implementing various schemes /programmes of the

government. She proceeded with the release of the logo of

“ASWAS”.

Inauguration of AMC (ASWAS Movie Club)

Dr. Balakrishnan Shankar, Associate Dean, Amritapuri

campus, felicitated the event by pointing out the importance

of Social Work in Amritapuri campus, being in close

proximity to the International NGO Mata Amritanandamayi

Math. He also mentioned the possibility of Social Work

students in participating in the activities of the same. Dr.

Balakrishnan Shankar inaugurated ASWAS Movie Club and

released the logo.

Release of first issue of ASWAS newsletter: ’Dishaa’

Br. Anand Shenoy, Principal, Department of Social Work

released the first issue of ASWAS newsletter – “Dishaa”. The

newsletter aims at providing a platform to social work

students, teachers and practising social workers to put in their

perception on varied social issues.

ASWAS -Amrita Social Worker’s Association

Key distribution of bicycles for fieldwork

Upon the request from the student community out of

the recognition that bicycles stand as a symbol of

mobility, freedom and sustainability, the Department

of Social Work took a novel and unprecedented

decision to provide bicycles to its students for

undertaking field work. The distribution of the keys of

bicycles was performed by Dr.Sivasudan. Dr.

Sivasudan, (District Programme Manager – National

Rural Health Mission, Kollam) delivered a talk on

“NRHM”, its significance on public health aspects of

rural India and the role of social workers in the field.

Talk by Haritamitra Awardee

Before the informal session began, Mr. Sooranad Ravi

(renowned farmer in Kerala & recipient of

“Haritamitra” award from Government of Kerala)

shared his views on the present state of agriculture and

the activities of students of Department of Social Work

at Sooranad Panchayat, Kollam. Further, Mr. P K

Anand, Lecturer of the Department elaborated on the

team effort put by the Department of Social Work to

promote “Kitchen gardening” in all households of the

Sooranad Panchayat

Distribution of mementoes to achievers of

the pass out batch was also done by the chief guest of

the day. Dr.Renjith R.Pillai, Academic Head,

Department of Social Work, felicitated and expressed

his joy on the successful rendering of team effort by

the Department. Mr. Prageesh E P, Secretary of

ASWAS, delivered the vote of thanks, thus winding up

the formal session of the day.The informal session

involved sharing of experience by the alumni. The

session was a mixture of experiences, memories and

inspiration worth sharing.

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

3

Under the 1886 agreement between the former Madras

Presidency and the princely state of Travancore, Travancore

agreed to the diversion of Periyar waters to Madras

Presidency, and to lease a piece of land (8000 acres) in its

territory to Madras Presidency for building and operating the

project designed for this purpose. The curious fact is that the

lease was for 999 years. In Kerala, there is an almost

universal feeling that the 1886 agreement was an unfair one

imposed on a reluctant Travancore by a more powerful

Madras Presidency with the prestige and power of the British

government behind it; and that while Madras benefited

Your kind attention plz !

The issue on Mullaperiyar dam (Lekshmi Vimala, S2MSW)

substantially from the agreement, Travancore got little

more than a negligible lease-rent for the land leased to

Madras. In 1970, an increase in the lease rent was

negotiated by Kerala but there was no radical revision of

the totality of the agreement.

But the controversy that has stemmed up now is due to

safety concerns regarding the dam. The dam is now 116

years old, and even with all the strengthening measures, it

is not possible to be wholly confident about its safety

under all circumstances. The recent tremors in the area

might have been minor but no one can guarantee that a

stronger earthquake will not occur, or that if there is an

exceptionally heavy flood the dam will be safe. These are

extreme and perhaps improbable situations but the point is

that there can be no absolute unqualified guarantee of

safety under all circumstances. That is true of all dams and

particularly so of ageing dams and of dams in seismically

active areas.For Tamil Nadu, the Mullaperiyar dam and

the diverted Periyar waters act as a lifeline for Theni,

Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramnad districts, providing water

for irrigation and drinking, and also for generation of

power in Lower Periyar Power Station. Tamil Nadu has

insisted on exercising its unfettered rights to control the

dam and its waters, based on the 1866 lease agreement.

The Kerala government wants to replace the old dam by a

new one to be constructed 300 meters downstream in the

light of the recent earthquakes that occurred in the area

and do not support the reports produced by different

agencies claiming that the dam is safe and sound. The

construction of the new dam has been strongly opposed by

Tamil Nadu as they are not sure whether this will enable

the continuance of flows to Tamil Nadu.

The issue has crossed boundaries and created a feeling of

AMRITIANS- Alumni meet (Dept of Social Work)

Mr. Nitheesh, coordinator of Amrita Alumni Association (AMRITIANS) elaborated on the various activities of

“AMRITIANS” and welcomed the alumni of Department of Social Work to join the venture. An alumni team with two

representatives from each batch was elected for ensuring and encouraging alumni participation in the events to come in the

future. The selected alumni in consultation with the Department would later evolve a framework and modus operandi

towards organizing the Alumni meet and allied programmes in the future. This is bound to provide support to the

Department as well as the student fraternity for exploring new avenues of professional Social Work.

Mr. Anoop and Mr. Shine Vayala from the first batch, Ms. Sarika and Ms. Poornima from the second and Mr. Aswin and

Ms. Saranya from third batch were the team of representatives who voluntarily came forward. The programme concluded

by 5.45pm, after the display of a few rich cultural events performed by the present batch of MSW students as well as by

the alumni of the Department.

Recently no discussion, debate or news report is complete

without the mention of „Mullaperiyar Dam‟. At the time of

writing this report, the issue has resulted in numerous strikes

and agitations by the different political as well as other

parties.

Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar

River in Kerala. It is located 881 m (2,890 ft) above mean

sea level on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in

Thekkady, Idukki District. It was constructed between 1887

and 1895 by the British Government to divert water

eastwards to Madras Presidency area (the present-day Tamil

Nadu). It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the foundation

and length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft). The Periyar National Park

in Thekkady is located around the dam's reservoir. Though

the dam is located in Kerala, it is controlled and operated

under a period lease by Tamil Nadu. The control and safety

of the dam and the validity and fairness of the lease

agreement have been points of dispute between Kerala and

Tamil Nadu states. Mullaperiyar dam has been declared an

'endangered' scheduled dam by the Kerala Government under

the disputed Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation

(Amendment) Act, 2006.

4 DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

“Culture and Natural Resource Management: a study

among the farming community at Anicadu Grama

Panchayathu”, Dissertation submitted to Amrita Vishwa

Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri campus for partial fulfillment

of the requirement for the award of Master of Social Work

(2009-2011).

Candidate: Ms. Surya Krishna

Guide: Dr Sunil D S

Abstract

This study analyzes the role of culture in natural resource

management. This is a study conducted among the farming

community at Anicadu Gramapanchayath. It tries to pursue

three important research questions, firstly it attempt to

study the existing farming practices in that Panchayath like

the farming practices related to soil conservation, water

conservation, seed management, crop management etc.

Secondly it examines the role of cultural components in

natural resource management- that means how the culture

is related with the farming practices. Thirdly it tries to

examine the factors which affect the sustainable natural

resource management. There are some factors like state,

Social Work Research @ Amrita

The problem of Mullaperiyar is not a single faceted one and

cannot be solved by any cut and dried solution. Different

aspects need to be given due consideration before any

serious decision regarding the subject is taken.

In addition to their benefits, water projects (such as dams) in

many countries have been the source of significant

environmental change, unexpected diseases, the

impoverishment of aquatic fauna and decrease of water

quality. Local people have been seriously affected by

resettlement. Therefore the feasibility and the consequences

of constructing a new dam need to be assessed. The Kerala

government will have to think deep regarding the matter.

In the case of the Tamil Nadu government, they need to

consider the concerns expressed by the people of Kerala

more seriously and take measures to address it. On Dec 15,

the Tamil Nadu assembly had passed a unanimous resolution

that it would not relinquish its rights over the Mullaperiyar

dam under any circumstances.

Thus there are two vulnerabilities in this case: the life -

security concerns of people in Kerala and the livelihood-

security concerns of the people of Tamil Nadu. Both the

sections need due consideration. But even with the

strengthening of the dam, it has to be realized that the

dam will not last forever and it is necessary to plan for its

gradual phasing out over a period of time. Alternative

ways of meeting the legitimate water needs of the affected

population has to be explored and their dependence on the

Mullaperiyar dam has to be minimized through better

water management practices and also the recent spirit of

hatred among the people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu has to

be curbed in order to solve the crisis.

One hopes that the policy of "Water for Tamil Nadu,

Safety for Kerala" will be properly implemented and that

everyone inculcates within themselves the feeling of

harmony and cooperation that is much required.

resource management. There are some factors like state,

policy; market and technology that always affect the

farming practices.

The findings of the study help to understand that there are

some existing farming practices which affect the Natural

Resource Management. All these practices and strategies

are always linked with some cultural components. These

cultural components are related to local knowledge

system. This study also helps to understand some factors

which affect the farming practices and the conservation of

natural resources also.

The existing practices of farming like soil conservation

measures, pest management, crop management, water

conservation measures and seed management always try to

conserve the natural resources. All these human actions

are determined by a set of norms which already exist.

There are some cultural components like values, beliefs,

norms, customs and traditions which determine the

existing farming practices. . There are also some

contextual factors like state/ policy, market, human capital

and technology which affect the conservation of natural

resources

(PIO).Any person may submit a request to the PIO for

information in writing. It is the PIO's obligation to provide

information to citizens of India who request information

under the Act. If the request pertains to another public

authority (in whole or part), it is the PIO's responsibility to

transfer/forward the concerned portions of the request to a

PIO of the other within 5 working days. In addition, every

public authority is required to designate Assistant Public

Information Officers (APIOs) to receive RTI requests and

appeals for forwarding to the PIOs of their public authority.

The applicant is not required to disclose any information or

reasons other than his name and contact particulars to seek

the information. "ApplyRTI" and "Rtination" are the online

system which facilitates the filing of RTI (Right To

Information Act, India) applications online. It aims primarily

at minimizing the time taken and effort required in filing an

application. The Act specifies time limits for replying to the

request.If the request has been made to the PIO, the reply is to

be given within 30 days of receipt,if the request has been

made to an APIO, the reply is to be given within 35 days of

receipt.If the PIO transfers the request to another public

authority (better concerned with the information requested),

the time allowed to reply is 30 days but computed from the

day after it is received by the PIO of the transferee authority.

Information concerning corruption and Human Rights

violations by scheduled security agencies (those listed in the

Second Schedule to the Act) is to be provided within 45 days

but with the prior approval of the Central Information

Commission, however, if life or liberty of any person is

involved, the PIO is expected to reply within 48 hours.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Directorate of

Revenue Intelligence, Central Economic Intelligence

Bureau, Directorate of Enforcement, Central Intelligence

and Security agencies specified in the Second Schedule

like IB, Directorate General of Income tax

(Investigation), RAW etc. are some organizations which

are excluded from this act.

Introduction to Policies/Acts:

The Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI) is an Act of the

Parliament of India "to provide for setting out the practical

regime of right to information for citizens." The Act

applies to all States and Union Territories of India. Under

the provisions of the Act, any citizen may request

information from a "public authority" (a body of

Government or "instrumentality of State") which is

required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The

Act also requires every public authority to computerize

their records for wide dissemination and to pro-actively

publish certain categories of information so that the

citizens need minimum recourse to request for information

formally. This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June

2005 and came fully into force on 13 October 2005.The

Act is applicable to all constitutional authorities, including

the executive, legislature and judiciary; any institution or

body established or constituted by an act of Parliament or a

state legislature. It is also defined in the Act that bodies or

authorities established or constituted by order or

notification of appropriate government, including bodies

"owned, controlled or substantially financed" by

government, or non-government organizations

"substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds"

provided by the government are also covered in it. Private

bodies are not within the Act's ambit directly. However,

information that can be accessed under any other law in

force by a public authority can also be requested. In a

landmark decision of 30-Nov-2006 ('Sarbajit Roy versus

DERC') the Central Information Commission also

reaffirmed that privatized public utility companies continue

to be within the RTI Act- their privatization

notwithstanding. The Act empowers every citizen to:ask

any questions from the Government or seek any

information, take copies of any governmental documents,

inspect any governmental documents, inspect any

governmental works or take samples of materials of any

governmental work. Under the Act, all authorities covered

must appoint their Public Information Officer.

The researcher used both interview schedule and

observation checklist to collect the data .The data was

collected from 25 farmers. The existing farming practices

can be understood on the basis of nurturing, conservation,

allocation and distribution of natural resources. The factors

like culture, market, state and technology influence farming

practices and strategies. The study also helps to understand

the relation between the existing pattern of farming and the

role of contextual factors.

Volume 1 Issue 2

Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI) - [Deepak Suresh, S2MSW]

technology which affect the conservation of natural

resources.

Natural Resource Management can be studied based

on four things - nurturing, conservation, allocation and

distribution. The existing pattern of farming can be analyzed

based on these four factors. There are also some contextual

factors like culture, market, state and technology which affect

the Natural Resource Management practices.

The study was conducted in a thin ethnographic

framework. The study focused on the individual farmers and

from them the researcher collected the data.

ISHAA

En route to a better world…

6 DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

In the first year of National RTI, 42,876 applications for information were filed to Central (i.e. Federal) public authorities.

Of these 878 were disputed at the final appellate stage - the Central Information Commission at New Delhi. A few of these

decisions have thereafter been mired in further legal controversy in the various High Courts of India. The first stay order

against a final appellate decision of the Central Information Commission was granted on 3.May.2006 by the High Court of

Delhi.

My experience as a budding Social Worker Sooraj P.S (Batch 2009-2011)

member. Her mother was perpetually sick and her father

had left the family years back. Her husband was an

alcoholic person who used to burn her with cigarettes and

beat her up every now and then. The only son she had, a

„chhotta‟ goon of the village grabbed much of her hard

earned money quite often. Besides all these, she was

sexually assaulted several times by her neighbor and he

used to threaten her that he would kill her, if she ever

attempts to speak a word about it to anyone. I still recall

how she kept herself unruffled and composed while

narrating the most distressing events of her lifetime.

I sat still for the next two minutes. I hunted for the most

appropriate words to relieve her and found myself nose-

dived. She asked me to teach some ways to regulate her

emotional flare-ups. She was so certain about what she

wanted actually, but I couldn‟t help her. I was so

emotionally surged and finally the lady began to console

me. My ego was tarnished, realizing how theory turns

immaterial when it comes to practice. Somehow I tried my

part and then sought the help of an MPhil trainee who was

sitting next to me. She managed the situation well and

taught the JPMR techniques to the lady skillfully. It still

lingers in my mind the way the lady offered me a kind and

empathetic smile while she was leaving.

During my fourth semester, my friend and I were placed in

the Psychiatry unit of a Kollam hospital. The Chief

Psychiatrist of the hospital was so kind that he allowed us to

sit with him for his routine outpatient consultations. After

each case, he would turn back and ask us what our diagnosis

was. Some of them turned out really well, thanks to

Dr.Renjith‟s exceptional lectures on Clinical Psychiatry.

Furthermore I could play the part of a counselor pretty well

at the mock counseling sessions in the class too. All of these

made me think that I would turn out as an outstanding

clinical practitioner after my course.

I joined the Dept. of Psychiatric Social Work, National

Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS),

Bangalore for my one month block field work placement

soon after the final exams. It was a life-altering experience to

be in NIMHANS, though the field work trainees were not

allowed to meet or talk directly to individual patients.

Postings at the Department of Child Psychiatry and Family

Psychiatry went well. During the third week, I was posted at

the Dept. of Community Psychiatry. The posting was at the

Community Extension Centre of NIMHANS at Sakalawara,

a far-flung village at the outskirts of Bangalore city. The

villagers stood in long queues to meet the Psychiatrist and I

sat behind him not knowing what to do. Almost all of the

villagers were partially or fully illiterate. The only language

they spoke was Kannada in which I was totally illiterate.

Watching my clueless guises, the doctor told me he would

send any of the patients who knew little bit of English or

Hindi to me, so that I could help them with some sort of

“psycho-social interventions”.

I sat for the 1 hour that followed with certainly no patients

turning my side. Finally a thin lady came to me, who have

been undergoing the treatment for Schizophrenia for the past

so many years. Her symptoms had subsided, but she

complained of occasional emotional outbursts and temper

tantrums. I began to take the detailed case history and she

instantly shared her life events one after the other. As she

narrated, I grew fragile and pale. She belonged to a very

option less family, with herself being the only earning

member of it. Her mother was perpetually sick and her

fatherhad left the family years back.

Piccaso.MSW Anees Ashraf (S4 MSW)

4. Any unexpected/stressful situation in your life as a

professional Social Worker and your mode of handling

the situation

One major life situation I experienced which has left

significant marks on my life and career was the moment

I became aware that one of my best friends was

diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Neither the family

nor doctors could do much other than relieving the pain

as the cancer has spread to other parts of the body when

it was first diagnosed. I am very glad that I was

available and supportive to my friend in the remaining

part of her life until she passed away couple years later.

What amazed me was the fact that, despite such a

debilitating illness and the effects of treatment, my

friend was able to make others around her happy until

her death.

5. The specific goals that you have established for your

career and your plans to make these things happen.

I wish everything happens the way we plan. That being

said, I love teaching and would like to be a social work

educator as long as I continue enjoying my role as a

teacher and mentor. In terms of practice and research, I

would like to continue work in the areas of self-help,

grass root social work and community development, and

influence policy making. The collaborative project with

Amrita University to build self-help among poor women

affected by the tsunami is a starting point in this regard.

Interview with a Professional Social Worker

Dr. Johny Augustine

1. Your inspiration towards choosing this field.

This is a very frequent question I encounter from my social

work colleagues and students when they realize that I have an

undergraduate degree in Physics. My intention was not to study

social work when I graduated with a degree in Physics but

pursue a higher degree in either Astrophysics or computer

science. An array of issues including the death of my mother,

financial concerns, and a decision made by my family to

relocate to the northern part of Kerala significantly influenced

my decision to choose a career in social work. However, once I

entered the field, I embraced the profession in every respect.

2. Your philosophy of Social Work

What guides my social work teaching, practice, and research is

the firm belief that every individual, family, or community has

strengths and capabilities. This is true for any group-an

individual suffering the debilitating effects of mental illness or a

family living in poverty or a community totally devastated by a

disaster. My role as a social worker is to help such individuals,

families, and communities identify and enhance those strengths

and capabilities and live their life to the fullest potential.

3. Your current area of focus.

One of the major challenges that we face in the present world is

the ever increasing income inequality between the rich and the

poor. It is very sad to notice that, in the United States, the top

1% controls 40% of the nation‟s total wealth and 25% of the

nation‟s total income. At the global level, we see the western

industrialized world (16% of the world‟s population)

controlling 81% of the world‟s income and the developing

world (84% of the world‟s population) is left with the

remaining 19% of world‟s income. In other words, what we see

is a highly divided world economically; on one side there are

over 2 billion people working for less than a dollar a day,

women and children starving and dying without food and water

and, on the other side, you see the rich becoming richer and

richer through unfair economic and political practices. I feel

that those unfair economic and political practices that lead to

this huge income disparity between the rich and the poor should

be the target of professional social work interventions.

Currently, my effort focuses on economic, political, and

personal organizing grass root level self-help groups and

promoting sustainable employment practices among them.

Johny Augustine, MSW, MPhil, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Social Work St Ambrose University, Davenport. Iowa Email: AugustineJohny@sau.edu

8 DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

6. The effect of your Social Work practices in your

personal as well as professional life.

My social work education, practice, teaching, and

research have had tremendous impact on my personal

and professional life. At the personal level, I would say

that 6 years of my psychiatric social work experience

have shaped and influenced my understanding of human

behavior, the sources of human sufferings, and possible

solutions to ameliorate those sufferings. I have

witnessed instances where a crisis or a major trauma can

be a source for personal, economic, and political

empowerment: during my clinical practice, I have seen

families setting aside their differences and conflicts and

rally around an ailing family member; in my community

practice, I have seen poverty stricken families and

communities pulling together whatever resources they

have to support and benefit each other during major

crisis; and, I have witnessed adults, primarily women,

taking up new job opportunities and engaging in social

action subsequent to natural disasters. At the

professional level, these experiences propelled my

interest in pursuing a higher education in social work

and continue working with people who live in poverty

and/or are affected by major crisis.

7. Your opinion on Social Work profession and the

concept of professional Social Work in India and

in US.

Social work profession, with its roots in the 19th

century

Charity Organization Society and Settlement House

movements in the U.S. and U. K., has established and

asserted its role as one of the finest helping professions

in the world. Having said that, the history of social work

in the U.S. is fraught with ideological battles, the

primary one being the battle over whether individual or

social structure is the root cause of social problems.

Social work practitioners, depending on their ideological

background, worked on changing the individual (such as

teaching them coping skills to adapt to a changing

environment), the social structures (for instance

advocating for social policies aimed at improving

wages, working conditions,

welfare programs, civil rights), or both to better

conditions of people who are in distress.

In the U.S., National Association of Social Workers

(NASW) is a very powerful licensing body and has

set high standards for social work practitioners to

be able to practice in their substantive areas. With

over 500,000 members, NASW has also established

its strong presence in the policy advocacy arena. In

addition, social work education in the U.S. is

regulated by Council on Social Work Education

(CSWE), the only one accrediting agency for social

work in the country.

In contrast, professional social work education in

India has been steadily growing in terms of

increasing number of MSW graduates that pass out

of social work schools as well as substantive areas

taught and practiced within the profession. It is a

positive trend that, finally, professional social work

in India has been weaning off of its ties with its

western counterparts and has been trying to

establish its own definitive knowledge content and

practice arenas. These changes can be increasingly

seen in the syllabi taught in social work schools,

social work student placements, and growing

number of research publications that emphasize the

significance of indigenous practice methods that

are grounded in collective values and grass root

organizing. One of the major challenges for social

work profession in India is the ongoing battle for

professional status including having a professional

licensing body and an umbrella national

organization that brings in all professional social

workers under it.

8. The difficulties associated with policy making in

the field of Social Work in India as compared to

that of US.

I guess I have answered this in the previous section.

One of the major challenges is to rally all

professional social workers under one national

umbrella organization and then engaging in social

and political advocacy.

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

9

„RASTA‟ began working in Kerala in 1984 as a

replication of the parent organization SWRC (Social Work

and Research Center) Tilonia, Rajasthan. Founding

members brought the experience gained through years of

working with SWRC and returned to Kerala to devote

themselves to empowering rural communities in their

home state. In 1987 RASTA was established after it found

its own legal entity and the district Wayanad was selected

as the intervention area due to it having the higher

percentage (17%) of tribals and because it was judged to

be the most backward from a social and developmental

standpoint.

The vision of the agency is “creating a value based society

which is self reliant, ensuring sustainable resource

management, where people would be able to think and act

above sectarian priorities with due recognition, and dignity

at their levels.” The mission is “To accomplish the vision

and facilitating to empower the community through

building democratic, sustainable, people based institutions,

mobilizing local and external resources, collaborating with

like-minded institutions, individuals and government.”

RASTA activities in the beginning was of welfare in

nature but later on in 90's, its activities became more

decentralized and planning exercise - PRA was adopted in

its working. RASTA is committed to the protection of the

environment, the conservation of natural resources, the

efficient use of human resources and the reduction of all

forms of non-sustainable use of resources. Smt. Omana T.

K (Director of RASTA) and Sri Dhaneesh Kumar

(Manager) are the working hands of RASTA campus.

Agency News

The campus is situated at Kambalakkad in Wayanad district

of Kerala. It spreads over 5000 sq feet area consisting of an

administrative block, training and meeting halls, 6 twin

sharing guest rooms, dining room, mushroom spawn

production laboratory, bio-control laboratory, a community

seed bank, a village telecentre, a skill training work center,

an audio visual unit and two dormitories of 20 beds each

(separate for men and women). The campus is fully

electrified and has a 70000 litter capacity rainwater

harvesting system. RASTA serves a population of over 1,

50,000 in Wayanad and other districts of the state.

Major objectives are empowerment and enablement of the

marginalized people of Wayanad district- to make them

self-reliant, promotion and development of ecologically and

socially appropriate technologies to improve the quality of

life of the women and farmers, to complement and

synergize governmental efforts for rural change, to enable

local communities to attain improved livelihood through

sustainable use of natural resources, to enable local

communities to tackle emerging health concerns and to

attract educated youth into the field of rural development.

The major activities of the organization are done in the

following areas:

Agriculture and Animal husbandry: This involves

formation of farmers groups at village level, soil

and water conservation, promotion of mixed

cropping , training and extension, familiarization of

participatory

.

Rural Agency for Social and Technological Advancement

(RASTA)

9. Your message for the budding Social Workers.

My message to my young colleagues is that you got to believe in your ability as well as your clients‟

ability to bring about individual and social change. Given the increasing economic and social inequality

that affects the people we serve, it is important that we engage in political and social advocacy to

transform individuals and the society. One of the successful tools that we possess as social workers is our

ability to involve the clients in such change processes. This is the same tool that makes our service distinct

from other helping professions.

eco-friendly farming, participatory planning on

agriculture ,construction of checkdams for irrigation,

improved cattle shed ,fodder development and

compost making.

Housing and Sanitation: Involves construction of low

cost houses, construction of twin pit latrines and

construction of wells.

Environment/Ecology is concerned with awareness

generating seminars, conservation of traditional

seeds & medicinal plants and collaboration with

District Paryavaran Vahini.

Women's Development: This done via promotion of

savings/thrift & credit management programme,

income and employment generation, training on

tailoring, embroidery and on gender perspectives.

Technology Dissemination through providing training

to the youth in making NADEP compost,

dissemination of Micro Nutrient Fortified Compost,

conservation of traditional technologies and batch

fed biogas technology using unutilized biomass.

in the 7 day camp at Wayanad. Wayanad was apt as the camp

site due to its diverse and rich tribal culture (17% of its

population being tribes) and its pristine beauty. With a

number of tribal rehabilitation and welfare activities going on,

it was certain that Wayanad will offer a unique and once in a

life time learning experience.

The journey started on the 13thof December and terminated

on 20th December. The camping site was RASTA (an NGO

with its office in Kambalakkad). Some of the leading

organizations in the field of tribal development were visited

which included Uravu, MSSRF (M.S. Swaminathan Research

Foundation),Vivekananda Medical Mission hospital, Amrita

Kripa Charitable hospital, Priyadarshini tea plantation etc.

Every day started with rejuvenating yoga sessions followed

by wonderful cuisines prepared by the trainees themselves.

Observation visits and hamlet visits occupied majority of the

activities of the day but not without setting aside ample time

for evaluation sessions every night.

RASTA (Rural Agency for Social and

Technological Advancement)

Kambalakad. P.O

Wayanad District.

Kerala. - 673 121

Phone: 0493-686725.

Fax: 0493-602094 attn 686-725

Email: rasta_k@satyam.net.in

(Reference: RASTA at a Glance (2008)

Oct-Dec, 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2

KABANI - “the other direction”: Tribal sensitisation camp 2011

KABANI, the only east flowing river of Kerala represents

uniqueness in its “other direction” of flow. Originating

from Wayanad, it assumes a massive form to exist as river

Kavery and merges into the Bay of Bengal.

This uniqueness made us choose the name KABANI for

the departmental venture of a tribal sensitization camp for

the first year trainees of Social Work, as it is an attempt to

traverse along the less trodden paths in order to make a

difference, to strive for a just world and also towards

creating a peaceful existence where all can live together by

accepting all form of differences.

The tribal sensitisation camp was organized by Department

of Social Work, Amritapuri as part of the curriculum for

getting the first year social work trainees acquainted with

the traditions, culture and way of life of the tribals and also

to delve deep into the possibilities of positive intervention

in the field. About 32 trainees and 6 faculties participated

in the 7 day camp at Wayanad. Wayanad was apt as the

Entrepreneurship Development Programme

involving orientation training, training on rexin

bag, garments making and decentralized mushroom

cultivation.

Studies, Research & Development : Batch fed

biogas system and alternative feedstock, solar

photovoltaic systems for decentralized power,

research on composting techniques of different

biomass, action research on traditional farming

practices, PTD on bio pest repellents study on

impact of unsustainable practices on the ecosystem

Institutional Development: This includes

Participatory Interaction for Development (PID),

Promotion of Participatory Tools and

Methodologies (PRA, PME), Participatory

Organizational Analysis (POA), Institutional

Development &Organization Strengthening

(IDOS).

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

Trainees attempted to study the standard of living of rehabilitated tribals at

Priyadarshini tea Estate through a preliminary observation study as per the directions of

the Managing Director of the same, Mr. Harikishore IAS.

During hamlet visits alcoholism was observed as an issue among the tribals .The

trainees conducted an observation study on the same and presented the results to the

representatives of several organizations working for the cause. Recommendations were

given on the basis of observations.

Through the camp the trainees understood the standard of living of the tribes and also

pondered upon the methods which can be implemented to improve their present

condition. A scope for positive interventions by the trainees was also looked upon.

Several new learnings were procured during the camp and many insights illuminated

the minds of the Social Work trainees. Several queries also aroused such as the real

motive behind the tribal development programmes, the method of carrying it out, the

difference in the needs of tribal and our assumptions, the dilemma faced while

implementing tribal development projects etc.

Camp fire was conducted on 19th

Dec, giving an enjoyable closure to the camp.

Wayanad darshan conducted on 20th provided an opportunity to visit some of the tourist

spots renowned for its pristine beauty.

and line departments by designing and implementation of a

community development model was the aim of the project.

This may help in establishing a sustainable system that

provides a platform for the people, their representatives and

line departments of government to work in tandem for

achieving the project goal and maintaining / evolving over a

period of time.

A pilot project was done by the Social Work trainees

involving 30 families. Door to door campaigning was done

to make them more aware about kitchen gardening and its

advantages. Seeds were mobilized from the community

itself and were distributed in the community meeting in

Sooranad.

Based on the pilot project, a plan was created by the team of

social work trainees targeting the above said aims and after

a detailed study on the farming community of Sooranad

panchayat. According to the plan, 50 families are to be

selected, given awareness through the formation of

Field Work News Kitchen Gardening at Sooranad

(Gladson M .E, S4MSW)

People of Sooranad has a great tradition of farming (paddy

and vegetables) which is now facing the low, owing to

commercialization of agriculture and advent of cash crops.

Also the employment pattern has seen a shift from agriculture

to service oriented jobs, which is a general trend observed in

Kerala. Hence in a community which has a legacy in

agriculture, household level kitchen gardening is found to be

the most feasible and cost effective way to ensure food and

nutrition security. Kitchen gardening was identified as a

method after deliberations and consultations with farming

community.

Thus an intervention plan was taken up to make Sooranad

Panchayat self reliant in toxic free vegetable production

through sustenance kitchen gardening that contribute to food

and nutrition security. Implementation and sustenance of the

concept of kitchen gardening through people‟s active

participation and involvement of Local Self Governing Bodies

and line departments by designing and implementation of a

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

12

Field work in Social Work refers to simultaneous

training and education. Training is repetitive and skill oriented

and Education is imparted with broad perspective. Field work is

considered to be a process of learning through doing. It provides

an opportunity to students to apply their theoretical knowledge

taught in class room appropriately in different practical

situations. A successful training method requires specific

content which is suited for varied nature of settings. Field Work

in Social work education generally follows a pattern that

provides training in different social organizations in the earlier

semesters and it focus on the specialized areas in the later

semesters.

Unlike in the earlier years, the Department of Social

Work at Amritapuri, has currently identified a few

Governmental Agencies for partnership in Social Work field

work practicum besides the existing community field projects.

The ICDS project, PHC, SACS, Government High Schools

and Social Welfare Agencies viz. Children home , Observation

home, Juvenile home, After Care home, Mahila Mandiram, Old

age home - under Department of Social Welfare are some areas

identified for the partnership and providing training to social

work students in their earlier semesters.

The ICDS project, a major area of service programme

introduced by Government of India, has a wide opportunity for

Social Work students to participate and involve meaningfully

during their field work training. This scheme has been

implemented through a dedicated team of people in the

Anganwadi centers. Anganwadi centers are functioning as a

center for the delivery of all services to children and women

under the ICDS programme. The team in an AWC, comprising

one Anganwadi worker, a helper , a supervisor and child

development project officer, functions under the administrative

direction of the District social welfare department.

ward level and panchayat level committees. Effective collection, distribution

and propagation of seeds along with crisis identification and management

under various committees (involving Krishi Bhavan, Social Work trainees

and other resource persons)

A farm calendar suiting to the project requirements that will contain the list

of vegetables / fruits to be cultivated was made and submitted by the team of

Social Work trainees in consultation with eminent farmers in the area like

Mr. Sooranad Ravi (renowned farmer in Kerala & recipient of “Haritamitra”

award from the Govt. of Kerala).

Field Work in Social Work: Partnership with Government

Organisations. (Mr.V.S. Kochukrishna Kurup)

direction of the District Social Welfare department.

Almost six Anganwadi Centers in the nearby area

were selected for partnership in the last semester, in

which fourteen students were placed for concurrent

field wok training and six students were placed in two

Primary Health Centers under public health

department.

Students placed in the AWC have got the

opportunity to practice the various methods of Social

Work along with improving their interpersonal skills

and organising capacity. They have got opportunity to

work with children and „adolescent girls group‟ in

practicing case work and fine tuning their Social Work

skills. They have organized adolescent girls meet and

identified girls with varied problems through home visit

and counseling sessions. The trainees organised

community based programmes in association with

SHG‟s under Kudumbasree and Primary health centers.

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

The trainees organized various programmes in association with the agency like observance of independence day by

conducting children‟s Rally, sport competitions, mothers meet etc., which attract public attention in the functioning of

AWC‟s. Similar activities were also conducted by trainees placed in the Primary Health Centers, like organising

awareness campaign, house visits, and calendar preparation and poster exhibition beside their curriculum requirements.

The Field Work partnership between the Department of Social Work and these governmental agencies were proved

to be mutually beneficial, not only in terms of creating opportunities for students to practice the theory they have learned

but also provide platform for professional support and contribution to improve the quality of services of these agencies.

The research studies, reports and documentation by the students are also beneficial for the agencies to initiate innovative

programmes and follow up. A long term continuous partnership will certainly ensure better results in meeting the

challenges of future of social service in general and social work in particular.

*V.S. Kochukrishna Kurup, Lecturer, Dept: of Social Work , Amritapuri Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham , Kollam

This book is written by D.B.N. Murthy in the

memory of all those who have perished in disasters.

The book „Disaster Management‟ is an attempt to

include all the known facts about disasters, their

types and possible mitigation. This book serves as

a reference and a study book for students who

would be introduced to the topic of disaster and

its mitigation.

Chapter 1 “Introduction” discusses issues

pertaining to disaster management. It is designed

to make students, NGO‟s, non-specialists and the

general public aware of the nuances of disaster

management. A disaster is defined as a sudden

calamitous event bringing great damage, loss or

destruction. The first chapter also mentions about

the Tsunami and Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Disaster

Management is defined as tackling any emergency

professionally. “Disaster Management” is the

topic in chapter 2. Here a bird‟s eye view of the

concept of disaster management is given for a

clear understanding of the topic.

TITLE OF THE BOOK-DISASTER

MANAGEMENT

YEAR OF PUBLICATION-2007

EDITOR-D.B.N.MURTHY

PUBLISHED BY-DEEP & DEEP

PUBLICATIONS PVT.LTD,

F-159, RAJOURI

GARDEN,

NEW DELHI-110 027

Book Review (Sandhya S Mani, S2MSW) It also mentions about the

“Disaster Management and

Mitigation Policy” which is under

discussion in the Loksabha. It

paves the way for setting up the

“National Disaster Management

Authority”.

Disaster Prevention/Mitigation of

chapter 3 deals with the

“Yokohama Strategy” which

emphasizes the need for prevention

activities rather than concentrating

on post-disaster work. There has

to be a shift from relief-centric

activities to a holistic multi-

disciplinary approach towards

disaster management. Creating

awareness among the people and

those dealing with disaster

management is another important

topic that is discussed in this

chapter.

Chapter 4 discusses “National

Disaster Management Framework”

that has assumed importance after

the passage of the landmark bill

on National Disaster Management.

It details institutional structure at

the Centre/State/District level to

deal with disaster management and

mitigation. Human Resource

Development is another topic that is

discussed.

World Mental Health Day

(Oct 10th

2011)

Department of Social Work, Amritapuri Campus organized a

poster exhibition/awareness programme at Primary Health Centre,

Vallikkavu, and Karuangapally on 10th OCTOBER, 2011 on the

occasion of WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY.

The first year MSW students of the Amritapuri Campus, Amrita

University undertook a community based campaign on various aspects

of mental health and mental illness. The exercise was fruitful both to the

community and the budding social workers. MSW students and faculty

distributed pamphlets at the Primary Health Center in Vallikavu,

Karunagapally.

Oct-Dec, 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2

Activities of Department of Social Work

(October – December, 2011)

Chapter 5 “Natural Disasters and Management” describes the

various types of disasters due to natural causes. Sometimes a

natural disaster could be a man‟s intervention. For example, a

flood in a river could be caused by encroachment of the

banks of the river.

Chapter 6 “Coping with Tsunami and Floods” and chapter 7

“Earthquake Mitigation” deal with the types of natural

disasters that have occurred in recent times. It is heartening

to note that the people affected by the tsunami and

earthquakes are slowly regaining confidence to start afresh as

they try to forget those terrible moments that ruined their

lives and killed many of their beloved. How they are being

rehabilitated is another matter that is given some

importance.

Chapter 8 “Climate Change and disasters” is a discussion

on how climate change over the years is creating problems.

Some of these are due to manmade causes like global

warming due to industrial activities.

“Man made Disasters and Management” is the topic discussed in

chapter 9. Accidents, road, rail, air are caused mostly due to

the human element rather than mechanical failure. Of late,

terrorist attacks are taking place with frightening consequences.

Another important topic is the handling of toxic and

hazardous waste, which if not properly done could lead to

major disasters.

Chapter 10 “Coping with manmade disasters” is a topic that

is assuming greater importance. The subject of human error

is detailed that need greater study so that effective measures

could be found to minimize these to save disasters.

Chapter 11 deals with “Awareness and Motivation”. One

might have all the safety aspects in place but if they

are ignored, a disaster is likely to happen. Awareness

and motivation is the key for better disaster management.

The need of the day is training and motivation of

people. Cooperation between countries as well as

people to people exchange of ideas and strategies could

be useful in tackling disasters.

“Training in Disaster Management” is chapter 12 that

deals with the training of people at all levels. The

ability of any system to respond is determined by the

training and motivation of those involved. Modules for

training of cadres have been detailed that could lead to

better understanding and appreciation of the issues

involved in disaster management.

The final chapter 13, “Conclusions” sums up the

discussions of the previous chapters. Experts have

already expressed their fear that we are in for more

severe natural disasters, because of the climate changes

that are taking place. Manmade disasters could be too

horrendous considering the fact that we are going in

for bigger and faster vehicles and complicated

technology. We have to think and act to save

ourselves from future shocks. Human intervention

cannot be avoided but should be kept minimum while

dealing with critical processes and technology.

15 DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

Amala Bharatham Campaign (ABC) at Sabarimala

(Nov 6th

, 7th

2011)

Social Work trainees and faculties participated in „Amala

Bharatham Sanitation Programme‟ that was organized with the aim

of keeping the premises of the Sabarimala temple clean. The

cleaning campaign was organized by Mata Amritanandamayi Math

as a part of Amala Bharatham Campaign (ABC) spreading the

message on the necessity of a clean environment.

‘Orientation to the field of Social Work’ to the students

of Govt. Fisheries Higher Secondary School, Kuzhithura; at

Department of Social Work, Amritapuri

(Nov 10th

, 2011)

Social work trainees Ammu Asok, Megha MS and Vishnu K

Santhosh organized „Orientation to the field of Social Work‟ to the

students of Govt. Fisheries Higher Secondary School, Kuzhithura at

Department of Social Work, Amritapuri, as a part of their field

work practice.

Awareness program on ‘Social Stigma

towards Psychiatry’

(Nov 17th

, 2011)

Social work trainees Manu Mohan, Nayana

Prakash, Archana R.S together conducted an

awareness program on „Social stigma towards

Psychiatry‟ at Holycross hospital as part of

their fieldwork practice. Dr. Alfred Samuel

(psychiatrist), Mr.Sony(Clinical psychologist),

Mrs.Vijayamma (psychologist), Mr. Sooraj

(Faculty, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham,

Kollam) were the guests present. A role play

was performed to create awareness on the

same.

Survey Research Initiative

(Oct 21st and 22

nd, 2011)

The Department of Social Work, Amritapuri campus with the

collaboration of HelpAge India (an INGO); Institute of Palliative

Medicine, Kozhikode and Four x 4 Consulting Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi

conducted a “Survey Research Initiative” and a two day preparatory

workshop on “Research Methodology and Strategy”

for the Field Investigators and Research Supervisors (students and

faculty of Department of Social Work) at Amritapuri campus on

21st and 22

nd of October, 2011

This research is being carried out to evaluate the interventions done

by HelpAge India in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Vedharanya in

Tamilnadu and in Kollam District, Kerala. The Department of

Social Work, Amritapuri campus collaborated with the survey

research to be carried out at Kollam district. This study is mainly

done to succinctly capture the results and showcase the community-

led, managed and owned processes of providing palliative care. The

survey research relies on “World Health Organization Quality of

Life” (WHOQOL) - an international cross-culturally comparable

quality of life assessment instrument developed by World Health

Organisation. (WHOQOL assesses the individual‟s perceptions

about their culture and value systems, personal goals, standards and

concerns).

Dr.Renjith R Pillai, Chairperson,Department of

Social Work, conducted a session on „Essential

Skills for a Social Worker‟. Mr.Rajeev MM , Senior

Lecturer, explained the possibilities of „Social

Work‟ as a profession. Mr.VS KochuKrishna

Kurup, Ms Soorya Krishna, Mr.PK Anand and

Mr.Sooraj PS (Lecturers, Department of Social

Work) discussed about the fieldwork opportunities

available in the field of Social Work. The students

were introduced to the recycling unit and compost

making unit at Mata Amritanandamayi Math for

creating awareness on Sustainable Waste

Management.

Bicycles for field work

(Nov 12th

, 2011)

Department of Social work has taken a novel

approach towards providing bicycles for field visits

of Social work trainees as symbol of promoting

environmental friendly and healthy living. Social

Work trainees have started using this facility for

their fieldwork in nearby village areas.

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

16

World AIDS Day

(Dec 1st, 2011)

Department of Social Work observed World AIDS day by

creating awareness of the day through distribution of notice

describing the relevance of the day. The red ribbon, the

universal symbol of awareness and support for those living

with HIV was distributed in the campus

Training Program Held In V.V. Giri National

Labor Institute, Noida, Delhi

(Dec 12th

-15th

, 2011)

Social work trainees of Department of Social work (Gladson

M.E, Nisanth M and Vivek S) participated in the training

program held at V.V. Giri National Labor Institute, Noida, and

U.P on December 12-15, 2011 on the topic “Enhancing

competence of youth in dealing with child labour”. The

session involved discussions on combating child labor, the role

of youth in implementing the Juvenile Justice Act, Policies

and Programmes of Government of India for Eradication of

Child Labour, Gender and Child labour, Convergence issues in

combating child labour, Child Labour: Eradication and

Community mobilization for elimination of child labour. A

training session on leadership and communication skill was

also conducted for the trainees.

Personality development classes at Andganawady

(ICDS)

(Nov 17th

, 2011)

Social Work trainees Anoop P Joseph and Aswathy.R,

conducted an awareness class for mothers and

adolescent girls at Anganawady no.53,

Karunagapally.Junior Health nurse and 35 mothers

participated in the event. The class involved discussion

of topics like time management, relationship building,

home management and parenting.

Health calendar for PHC

(Nov 24th

, 2011)

The Department of Social Work has contributed a

health calendar for the year 2012 to Public Health

centre at Allappad panchayat. Social Work trainees

Deepak S, Deva Deepthi, Aswathy Ashok and Geethu

M Lal prepared the health calendar with the support of

faculties of Department of Social Work.

Oct-Dec, 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2

AMC news

Reclaimed outlets is a documentary on the sustainable lifestyle

and traditions of Kattunayka tribe.Sustainabiltiy is a key

factor observed in the lives of tribals. This is observed in their

beliefs as well as in their lifestyles.

The Kattunaykars follow sustainable use of resources while

collecting honey as they never cut down trees in order to

collect honey combs at the topmost branches unlike the

modern man who would do absolutely anything to get what he

wants. They either try to smoke the honeybees out of the hives

or apply any other method that is viable to the situation.

Women collect cheruthean, while men collect kombuthen.

They still use seeds of bamboo called ‘mulayari’ to make

food. They also collect gooseberries which go for sale though

it was once part of their diet. Wild lemon was another item of

interest among them in the past. More than 80 species of

edible mushrooms are used by them and have their own

experimental methods to test its edibleness.

But these traditional knowledge and skills are vanishing from

their midst due to the advent of different methods of

development. The new generations are actually ambassadors

of food biodiversity.

The tribals have this wonderful philosophy of life where they

live in the present and not worry about what the future might

bring. They believe in sharing the resources and have at most

respect towards nature and its inhabitants. They are an

innocent lot and everyone is considered as part of the family.

There are no orphans as the clan takes care of all the

individuals in it, much like our traditional joint family system.

This makes one wonder about the effectiveness of the so

called tribal welfare programmes.It is true that the tribals must

be knowledgeable about the happenings around the world and

should be acquainted with the latest technologies but whether

these objectives are to be achieved at the expense of their

traditional way of living should be pondered on.

AMC (ASWAS Movie club) was initiated with an objective of making the students and faculty of the Department of Social Work get

acquainted with the role of media in bringing about positive changes through exhibiting classics and other thought provoking initiatives.

Upcoming events

UPCOMING SOCIAL WORK CONFERENCES

FEBRUARY 17-Platinum Jubilee Conference on

―Globalization and Social Transform :the Indian

Experiment- TISS, Mumbai

MARCH 10 – International conference on Social

Science and Humanity ICSSH 2012- Chennai India

MARCH 20- Interdisciplinary International

conference on ―Humanism,Democracy and Culture;

postcolonial discourse in India‖.-Kaithal Haryana

MARCH 29-International Conference on HRM-

Hyderabad,Andhrapradesh

MARCH 23- 35th

- All India Criminology Conference

of the Indian Society of Criminology—TISS

Mumbai

April 8 -IRNet-International Conference on Human

Resource Management NCHRM 2012,New delhi

April 10 - International Confernce on Resettlement

and RehabilitationICRAR-Bhuvaneswar,Orissa

APRIL 17- International Conflict Roundtable

Conference, TISS MUMBAI

‘Reclaimed outlets’ MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Wayanad

Dr. Renjith R. Pillai

Assistant Professor & Chief Editor

Staff Editors:

Mr. Rajeev MM

Mr. V S Kochukrishna Kurup

Mr. P K Anand Achari

Student Editors:

Ms.Parvathy V

Ms. Lekshmi Vimala

Design and Layout:

Mr. Sijo Mathew Jacob

ASWAS executive committee 2011- 2012

Volume 1 Issue 2

Printed and published by: Chair person, Department of Social Work.

(For private circulation only)

President Secretary

Nayana PS, S4 MSW Prageesh EP, S2 MSW

Treasurer

Kala Raj, S4 MSW

Coordinator- Programmes Coordinator-Planning

Geethu M Lal, S2 MSW Vishnu K Santhosh, S2 MSW

Coordinator- Logistics Coordinator-Funding

Eldho Chacko, S4 MSW Nisanth M, S4 MSW

Coordinator- Public Relations Coordinator-Publications

Anitha S, S2 MSW Parvathy V, S2 MSW

Faculty coordinators

Mr.VS Kochukrishna Kurup,

Mr. PK Anand Achari

Ex-Officio member of ASWAS

Dr.Renjith R Pillai

Please mail your suggestions and ideas to editor’s desk: aswasatamrita@gmail.com

DISHAA-Vol -1, issue- 2

18

Principal’s Desk Volume 1 Issue 2

Volume 1 Issue 2 I wish to offer my felicitations and greetings to ASWAS

on the occasion of the launching of the second issue of the

quarterly news letter, DISHAA. I am really fascinated by

the variety, depth and diversity of the articles. I

understand that DISHAA represents a confluence of the

creative urge, academic accomplishment and intellectual

robustness of the students and faculty of the department

of Social Work. It is hoped that the news letter will be

instrumental in generating original ideas, nurturing

imagination and also in shaping the sensibility of the

prospective social workers who are indispensable for

social harmony and progress. I am sure the publication

can disseminate the lofty ideals of social service,

philanthropy and altruism and re-sensitize the younger

minds and keep them attuned to “the still sad music of

humanity”. Such endeavours, it is hoped, would infuse a

sense of professionalism, sincerity and commitment in the

students and help them evolve into social workers with

the right attitude.

Dr C Gopinathan Pillai

Principal

1 Issue 2