Revive: Mumbai was created after the November 26^th, 2008 attacks in South Mumbai to address issues concerning terrorism by promoting co-existence and communal harmony. We believe a global face of terrorism requires a united response. 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 in its founder’s words views “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.

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.

In Fall 2009, the students will be required to make a presentation based on their experience to the Brandeis community. Additionally, there is an option of writing research paper in Fall 2009 with the help of a Brandeis faculty mentor.

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. The attached document contains a detailed outline of the internship program.

For more information please contact Richa Sahay at rsahay@brandeis.edu and Tathagatha Sengupta at tsg@brandeis.edu.

Thank you,

Richa and Tathagatha

Revive: Mumbai

Update: More from Rabbi Holtzberg.

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Brandeis University
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Gifts may also be made online at https://alumni.brandeis.edu/makingyourgift/.  When you get to the GIFTS tab, you should write HOLTZBERG SCHOLARSHIP on the line that reads “enter the name of another University fund”.

Details available here. Click on Philanthropy.