The members of Revive: Mumbai, believe that a global face of terrorism requires a united response. Created after the November 26th, 2008 attacks in South Mumbai, we continue to address issues concerning terrorism by promoting co-existence and communal harmony. As citizens of a university that reflects the ideals of social justice, we wish to mobilize a group of students that can delve further into the underlying dynamics of conflict and intolerance.
Revive: Mumbai believes that conflict has many interplaying causes, including lack of social and economic empowerment. Education and communal dialogue are means of facilitating this empowerment. To achieve this, we have collaborated with the Experimental Theatre Foundation (ETF) and the Parivartan school. The Experimental Theatre Foundation is, in its founder’s words, “art not for art’s sake but one that caters to human needs and provides itself as a platform for expression.” Parivartan school strives to informally educate underprivileged children in Wadala slum in Mumbai. We have envisioned a project that harnesses the power of street theatre in deepening social understanding amongst the children of Parivartan.
At this stage, we are looking for students interested in exploring the dynamics of co-existence and conflict within the Indian social context. The group of Brandeis students selected for this program will work with the children of Parivartan and their families to identify and explore these relevant social issues through workshops supported by the ETF. The Brandeis students will also meet with experts in the field of social science to substantiate this fieldwork. This will culminate in a street play created by the Brandeis students and ETF. The play will be performed by these families for the local slum community.
The internship experience will expose the Brandeis students to the complex realities of marginalization in India. As the only pre-requisite is an interest in exploring conflict and co-existence, undergraduate students of any academic background are encouraged to apply. For more information please contact Richa Sahay At rsahay@brandeis.edu and Tathagatha Sengupta at tsg@brandeis.edu.
