Conducted at
MT. ABU
IN
RAJASTHAN STATE
Report prepared by
IN
RAJASTHAN STATE
Report prepared by
Specific methods used were :
Objectives
Methodology
( A combination of theoretical and experiential methods of learning)
The Settings
A total of 30 participants were selected for this camp from all over Gujarat.
The subsidized fees for the course was Rs. 200/-.
The group was taken to Mt. Abu to the camping site of Ahmedabad Nature Lovers Association (ANALA) It is about 7kms. away from downtown Mt. Abu.and is nestled in picturesque surroundings on the outskirts of village Oriya on the road to Guru Shikhar. The place does not have the distractions of a 'touristy' town and provides a retreat-like atmosphere, which is so important for a camp like this.
The participants were housed in separate tents, in groups of four each.
The Process
Day One
The participants were asked to report at Ahmedabad, except for the ones to be picked up from Palanpur en route. We left for Mt. Abu at 5.30 am. and arrived at the camp- site at 2.15 p.m.
No glitches.
After allotment of tents and general settling down, we had lunch. Rested till 3.45 p.m. An orientation meeting was called at 4.00 p.m. It was addressed by the camp site incharge and the trainer. The dos and do'nts, the general location and the objectives of the 5 day camp were explained. Special mention was made of the discipline that we would keep during our stay. No Walkmans, no tobacco products under any circumstances. Anyone spotted with any of these would mean immediate expulsion from the camp. At the same time we on our part would not be taking a policeman's approach to discipline. We would treat everyone with utmost respect and like an adult unless any participant decided to be otherwise !
It was followed by tea.
After which the group left for a beautiful sunset point. This was about 1.5 kms. away from the camp site - a spot which is secluded and not at all visited by tourists and has been discovered by us in our earlier camps at the spot.
After the sunset ,we assembled at that very spot to discuss about the participants', expectations and answer queries from them.
Expectation expressed were :
The queries pertained either to the administrative aspects or about the program for the next day. The programme was explained to them. Two exercises followed;
(We would be getting into the analyses of the processes in these exercises at a later stage in the camp.)
On the way back to the camp site they collected dead-wood from the forest for the post-dinner camp fire.
After the dinner, they gathered for the camp fire. It was a free-for-all exercise in which everyone contributed. The only rules to be followed were, firstly the language remains within the boundaries of social acceptability and secondly the camp fire ends at. 9.30 p.m.
In the last 20 minutes the exercise degenerated into an "Antakshari". The influence of T.V. !! Trainer purposely did not intervence during the whole exercise for the following reasons.
The group was quietly in bed by 10 p.m. The cold and a general fear of being picked up by some wild animals for a late dinner, though baseless, was enough to put quieten them into sleep.
Day 2
Began sharply at 6.00 a.m. with the trainer's whistle and a threat of cold water on the faces of people getting up late. An hour was given for finishing the morning duties. Reassembled at 7.15 a.m. for half an hour of physical exercises.
General assessment of their well-being, physical and mental, was done by the trainer. They all had a good night's sleep. None missed their parents!
After a leisurely breakfast, a short meeting was called. The group was to leave for a rather long and arduous trek of 4 hours into the wilds. A session on general instructions was called for,
They were :
At the end of the session, many participants were faced with a life and death issue. "Could they carry drinking water ?" They need not.
Drinking water from the natural streams in the jungle was not fatal. They are still unpolluted..
The trek began at 9.15 a.m.
The first Mid Trek Break (MTB) was taken after about an hour.
The group was asked to share their observation on the trek so far. Some of them were.
The common thing about the observation was that they were common. Nothing profound! At the most they identified a few species of vegetation.
The spot over looked a glen. The sight was breath taking.
The group was asked a few questions to facilitate a deeper understanding of the surroundings.
A discussion ensued.
The most striking thing that they saw was that most of the vegetation was thorny. Physiological, botanical and interpretive explanations were provided by the trainer.The difficult part was to make the group see the linkages among the various animate and inaminate things/creations in the surroundings. In the discussion they came up with bits and pieces of various things. Some even gave expatiatory talks on how we were being misled by the western culture or how the environment was in danger and what all we be human beings should or should not be doing for preserving it. Noble thoughts and ideal deeds but task at hand was to understand the present surroundings and see for linkages.
Further probings led to the analogy of our day to day life and living outside these 5 days of the camp. We are so concerned with the immediates of existence that many a times we do not see the whole picture. Reaching some where becomes more important than the journey itself.
To be a good leader is to see the whole picture.
The second MTB was in a big cave overlooking a gorgeous deep valley. Here the group was not subjected to any profound undestandings of leadership, linkages, etc. but the discussion was kept to topics on the surronding nature. Of course they were encouraged and motivated to ask questions. In fact a moral pressure was kept on them for the 5 days for asking questions.
Unless you question, you do not mitiate any chage. Leaders are to initiate change.
Such encouragement on our part did lead some one to pick up a blade of grass and ask for the species it belonged to !!! We had no answer. Such lightheartedness apart, a tone was set in the group that it was not only good to ask questions but also that it is necessary to question. Question circumstances, question leaders (in this case the trainer), question, question, question........ to change anything or anyone one has to question it/him/her.
Finally reached the Mini NakhiLake. Rested. Some people took a bath.
Started back for the return trek on a different route. We passed through a beautiful stream. The climb upstream was quite exciting and refreshing for the whole group, more so because the water was so cool and drinkable.
Took a short MTB for resting. Group was tired. Was now really concerened about reaching the camp site. Knowing fully well that learning is inversely proportional to the pangs of hunger, the trainer abstained from any discussions or further halts.
Reached back around 01.15 p.m. Had lunch and rested till 03.30 p.m.
Assembled at 03.45 p.m. after tea.
Started with the exercise of mutual introductions in pairs. Most of the participants had spoken in public for the first time, hence were quite nervous. The trainer intervened once in a while to diffuse tension in the group and/or some nervous individual(s). The intention was to set a tone of learning by doing, in an environment of trust and openness.
The attention was drawn specifically to the following things ;
After this the participants were divided into four groups. They were asked to discuss :
An hour was given to them to finish the exercise at the end of which the group leaders of these groups presented the gist of the discussion. The trainer abstained from any value judgements on the contents of the presentations and intervened only to,
The groups had to select the group leaders on there own. They had to decide their own criteria for selection on their own.
The process of their selection by the group was to be taken up for discussion later in the camp.)
Major issues that came up for discussion were ;
Groups contention was that " social environment" is a very vague phrase. It would be perhaps more helpful if they could see the various components of this social environment.
For clarifying the point, the trainer took up the very analogy which the group was living for the last two days.
Everyone could see that there were rocks, thorny bushes, birds, streams, lakes, "wild" trees, etc. in the environment around, but few saw the linkages and the interdependence among them. Same was the case with the " social environment"! we could see the community relegated to slums, the malnourished children, fly infested snots of dirty children, struggling rickshawallas and push cast labourers, people being fleeced by the medical quacks, mosques mushrooming up in our localities, the degree of unemployment among the youth, the lack of access to information, opportunities, health and medical facilities etc.
This and much more comprised our social environment but what is the bigger picture or the processes involved in keeping this status quo. A discussion followed. Occassional inputs from the trainer facilitated it. At the end it some clarity emerged. With clarity came the overwhelming urge, to do something to change this picture.
At the end of the session, few participants came up to the trainer and expressed a heightened sense of powerlessness and depression at the prevailing scenario. They said if this is the overall picture, where was one to make a beginning.
A begining had to be made by questionning followed by dreaming for a new set up, mobilising and planning.
There were two schools of thought on the second issue i.e. the role of religion in promoting or blocking the leadership potential. One said that we have to go back to our religion and call upon the teachings of our Prophet(SAW), his life and living to take inspiration. It should be a matter of pride for his followers, how he persevered for attaining his vision in the face of all opposition.
The second school was of the opinion that perhaps religion is not the only thing that one can centre one's life around. Along with it one has to contend with one's respectful physical survival. This will not be possible with only a single-minded pursuit of religiousity. For our respectful survival we would have to equip ourselves with information, knowledge and skills. The oft quoted saying was repeated,
Himmatey Marda to Madadey Khuda" (God helps them who help themselves and take initiatives). The stress is on the "initiative"!!
The main things that emerged from the discussion were;
Towards the close of the session, a short assessment of the time spent so far, was made. There was a broad consensus in the group that there was a good mix of physical and mental application. The group also had a positive opinion about our using the examples of our own on-going experiences, inter-personal behaviour within the group and the analogies of our own conduct within and outside the formal sessions. They also were happy that there was not much of "lecturing" or "prescription" from the trainer but more of a collective explorations of other options and the onus of accepting or rejecting any was on the participant(s).
The group dispersed around 5.45 p.m. Heated discussions and debates continued among some groups. Some went out for collecting wood for the camp fire.
After the, by now routine exercises and breakfast, the group assembled for the day's briefing.
It was going to be half a day of exercises at the campsite. The afternoon was kept free for the participants. They were to decide on their own as to how they were going to utilize the time.
we started the day with a session on rock climbing under a strict supervision of trained instructors. Before the climbing sessions they were given a short talk on the various types of rocks and rock faces. The rock face at the base of which the group had assembled, required the use of three-point climbing technique.
In the first round everyone was made to climb the rock. No excuses were accepted. All of them climbed successfully. Some did get the jitters when they looked down mid-way on the rock but finally made it.
The next round the following procedure was adopted ;
One of the groups won. Lots of emotions were generated.
{The processes involved in the whole exercise were to be taken up for debriefing the next day.}
The next exercise was of Long-Sling Rapelling. This technique is used to come down on wall formations. Before begining the exercise our instructors gave a short lec-dem on the various equipments and the technique.
The experience, though safe, can be very frightful for the an uninititated. The exercise was more for individuals to get over some of their fears, like that of ;
None failed. Though lots of them were laughed at. Some issues emerged in the whole morning session and were to be taken up the next day.
They being;
Before dispersing for bathing and ablutions the trainer gave the above questions to the group as food for thought for the rest of the day.
They had an early lunch to that the religious among them could go for Friday prayers. The rest of them decided to be generally "touristy". They went to the popular sites for sight seeing.
Only the reporting time for the group was set at 7.30 p.m.
In the evening, came 7.30 p.m. Thirteen people had still not reported. By 8.00 p.m. some participants who were at the camp site, came to the trainer - half concerned and half complaining about a section of the group being late. They were reassured.
The "prodigals", so declared by the obedient participants, reported around 8.30 p.m. The reason given was that the hired jeep in which they were coming back broke down 3 kms. before the camp site. Hence they had to walk. Valid enough reason. All forgiven.
By the time the excitement died down and supper was taken, it was 9.30 p.m.
Sorry, no camp fire.
The morning routine. Breakfast. Today was going to be a mentally taxing day.
The group assembled at 9.00 a.m. on the rock where the plenary sessions were conducted.
Started the day with the trainer initiating a participatory recapitulation of the sessions and events in the camp, so far. The list of contents started coming in bits and pieces. Even the chronology suffered occasionally. Finally the list did emerge but in bit and pieces.
Trainer went back to the analogy of the various things in the surroundings. The trees, rocks, bushes etc. Was there any connection?
Participation trickled in the beginning. Picked up on encouragment till it become enthusiastic. Picture started to emerge.
On very first day, the participants of all the tents were supposed to select a tent leader on their own. No criteria were given. How did they go about selecting leaders from among the group in a situation where people were not really very familiar with each other ?
Answers ;
Points to ponder.
In the morning session of the long trek to Mini Nakki Lake, no groups were formed. No leader had to be elected, selected or nominated. The trainer was running the show. How did everyone feel during that time? Some interesting answers that emerged.
{Everyone took it for granted that if a trainer is in charge. He is in charge. No questions. Even if the camp is about developing leadership, So what? We have a leader who will tell us how to develop it.
You as a trainer are here to TEACH (emphasis ours) and we are here to learn.}
Vibrant discussions ensued. It revolved around the processes of a child's upbringing and raising. How the lists of donts come more easily from the parents, rather than the dos or the encouragements for doing something different from the prevailing.
The parents or the visible leaders in the community are considered as the role models.
Following the established ones was easier than creating new ones or becoming one.
Someone also pointed out that on the one hand we all want a change but initiating a change was someone else's responsibility.
There comes the point in our lives when even our own parents whom we consider role models cannot be a role models in every given situation, especially the in times when they have to guide or counsel their children into meaningful vocations, in the course of the children's studies.
A change in this mindset has to be initiated, with questioning.
No trainer (or the parents) can be right in every given situation. Example cited by the trainer was the following.
When he had asked the group to walk in an Indian file in the jungle not a single person asked for the reason. The trainer is always right. Consequence - they were even climbing the naked rocks in an Indian file !!
It could have been disastrous. If one person slips, the whole group comes down. But the trainer is always right, you see !! Moral of the story - only if you think, can you question. Question the circumstances, the ideologies and/or people being or not being so.
We need to reflect on how are these values passed on from one generation to another - verbally and non verbally.
The question facing us is, "Do we want to see something different?"
The group was further asked as to why was the exercise on introducing each other kept for the afternoon of the second day? Why did we not start the camp with introductions, straight away? Was there a purpose behind it?
Some interesting answers that came :
Seeing nothing meanigful emerge, the trainer attempted initiating a discussion by posing questions. Like;
A riotous discussion followed. The picture was getting clearer.
Consensus that emerged was that to be a leader is to,
Sessions of the third day.
The group was exposed to exercises of physical and mental skill. They were not only supposed to get the technique of climbing right but were also required to chart your own path on the rock face.
Trainer chipped in with some more questions;
Issues that emerged and clarified, were the following;
The group was made to reflect on the half day given off in the afternoon of the third day.
We had only set the time for the group to report back. We did not tell them what to do in the free time, how to reach the city or any place. Why? Was there a reason? The answer was a loud "yes."
People in the group were expected to take charge of themselves.
Trainer further posed a few questions ;
Answers to the first question were more or less obvious;
People comprising the "prodigal" group thought;
The answers to the third question were interesting.
Interestingly some of the respondents belonged to the group of late reporters!
On the whole the dominant feeling of the group was that the people who reported late were at wrong. In fact so strong was the feeling that inspite of the trainer's explanation on the contrary the whole group believed that the camp fire on that day was cancelled as a disciplinary action !! "And we deserved it."
It was an issue of differing peceptions on the aspect of discipline. It is a very very important component if our child rearing practises and had to be dealt in detail. The trainer did not take it up at this stage. It was kept for the last session because we still had one more day and some other event could take place which could trigger different perceptions on the issue and could be used as one more case study.
The participants were left alone to de whatever they felt like.
Informal discussions continued upto the lunch time and in fact many groups were seen thrashing out issues over lunch. An informal interaction over lunch showed that they were not only enjoying the whole exercise but were rather taken up by the experience of it. None of them had ever sat down to think about these issues in this manner. As one of them said, " we have been mouthing these phrases - unemployment, poverty, hunger, our community is like a rudderless ship, etc. - without actually understanding them in their entirety. Now we are not only realising the enormity but also can see some hope".
The groups carried on the discussion, post-lunch, in their respective tents.
A plenary session was called at 3.00 p.m. in which a few individuals from the community were invited to share their experiences in charting out their own paths of progress. One of them, was the lone girl participant herself. The ideas behind the exercise was ;
The participants regrouped into their regional sub group and continued their group-work of the pre-lunch session.
Presentations began around 4.15 p.m. The interesting issues that were thrown up were;
Women's education
There was a consensus on the fact that special efforts need to be made for motivating the parents to send girls for formal education. Some participants actually took upon themselves to give long speeches on the issue though there was nothing new in their arguments in favour of the issue -- mother are responsible for the upbringing of children, if educated they can be more informed about the changing environment outside and accordingly be better home makers.
The lone girl participant perceptively pointed out that even when we talk in favour of girl's education we are using the traditional imagery, "that of a better home maker, wife or mother." Could we also not see the fact that in the changing socio-economic mileu it is important that women also go out to work not just because they would like to do their own thing but it also enhances the income of a family and thereby the options that it can have? This point of view raised the hackles of a some participants who believed that women's place was behind purdah - be it in office when outside, or at hearth when at home.
Energetic debate followed. Majority opinion was that the community needed to reflect on the position of women and if individuals or families take a stand to let women work then religion can not be a hindrance in it.
Enrolment rate of our childrenin schools.
The participants decided to campaign for enroling the children in the local schools of their region. They were promised assistance by us in planning and execution of such a campaign.
Non existence of proper career guidance
In fact it is a national crisis that the youth, on the whole, do not have access to any professionally managed career guidance centres where they can get help from. On the other hand most of the parents have some age old expectations from their children - that of becoming doctors, engineers or lawyers. They also are not exposed to the changing demands of the job market and consequently, new opportunities coming up.
The situation of the Muslim youth is doubly distressing. On the one hand their is already a lack of interest for formal education because of either more pressing needs of food security or they being in traditional business like butchers, dyers, darners, tailors, electricians, garage mechanics, etc. they do not see immediate concrete rewards of formal education. On the other hand the youth opting for formal education are not of "marketable quality" and/or do not know how to " sell themselves and their skills". The vicious circle is complete!
Some suggestions that came for breaking this vicious circle were ;
Towards the end some participants expressed the need to get a more detailed information on Internet and what possible uses can it have. The trainer gave a short lecture on the topic.
The group dispersed around 6.15. The feelings about the day were mixed. Most of them did enjoy the day though a few of them went through occasional phases of boredom especially when working in sub-groups. The trainer proposed a short trek at night after the camp fire. Suggestion was unanimously upheld.
The idea was to have some plain adventure, though serendipitous surprises were not ruled out !!
We could see a vigour in collection of dead wood for the campfire. The night held exciting possibilities. The group was on a high.
Some participants suggested that since not everyone was getting 'air time' i.e. a chance to speak in public, could we start the next day with everyone being alloted three minutes each for them to share their experiences in public. The suggestion was upheld.
A chirpy dinner was followed by a very participative campfire.
10.00 p.m.
The group assembled for going into the night. Preliminary and statutory explanations done, shoe laces and spirits braced up we left. Went to one of our sunset points. Sat quietly waiting for something to happen.
It happened.
A resounding cry of a leopard.
It was spotted with the torch light siting on a rock at a distance. Very few could get a glimpse because of general excitement.
the way back a couple of bears were heard but could not be spotted.
Came back by 12.00 in the night and retired.
Last Day
The day began with the routine exercises.
Everyone reported for the plenary session at 9.00 a.m. Today was the day of consolidations, mutual forgiveness and of course partings. Keeping in mind the suggestion of the previous day, the first one and a half hours were kept for giving 3 minutes of free air time to people who "wished" to speak. The last four days not withstanding, their were some persons in the group who were still reticent about public speaking. The trainer did not want to force them but planned to slowly draw them into the exercise.
asked as to what would the participants like to speak on, with surprising unanimity they all said that they would like to share their learnings from the experience of this camp. There was an air of finality about the topic. In fact they had prepared their speeches on the topic.
trainer had different ideas. Firstly he wanted to make it an exercise of speaking extempore¢. Though the group did take up the idea, some people were visibly upset and reluctant about speaking extempore¢. Secondly, he also wanted to use this opportunity to take a feedback and a somewhat realistic evaluation of the last four days by giving appropriate topics to different people.
are some interesting highlights of the session.
boy was very reserved in the large group but was rather active in his own small group of his tent. This pattern had continued till the very last day. On being told to speak on, " What prevents me from speaking in public," he stood up reluctantly with visibly trembling legs. Took some time to start but once he was into it, he had lost all self-consciousness and continued well beyond his allotted time. On being asked for the reason as to be why did this happen, he had no answer.
group was asked for possible reasons for this phenomenon. Everyone started giving his or her analysis but the net result of the discussion was that many hitherto-non-volunteers for the exercise were scrambling for their turn to speak !!
There was another participant with an obsession for discipline. Every once in a while he would express his opinion on some conduct or the other of some participant. He was asked to talk on, "If I was the trainer, how differently would I conduct the camp?" The gist of his speech was that it should have had been more "disciplined" with the time more structured and people being told at every point as to what to do and what to "learn." His ideas were thrown open for discussion.
group was in fact trying to make sense of our understanding of discipline, an understanding which did not believe in punishing people at the cost of their self-esteem but rather gave the option of "misbehaving". On being asked if anyone could cite concrete instances where people have purposely misbehaved or were indisciplined, so to say. The only example the group could cite was of the " prodigal" group reporting late at night on the third day. The trainer probed for the assumption behind such a feeling and a need to be punished for what we think is wrong.
of them said that perhaps many of us feel that the latecomers were lieing about the puncture in the jeep. That was it. A seemingly small incident but it shows how deeply ingrained in own psyche is the belief that given an opportunity people are prone to cheating for their own benefit. A long discussion followed. It ranged from how we are formed in our childhood what could be the positive fallouts of trusting people and taking them on the face value.
major negative implication of mistrusting people is that you ultimately end up mistrusting yourself and justifying every action or speech of yours to a number of people. Examples at a broader level in the community are for everyone to see. We as a community perceive discrimination even in places where it may not be, we keep justifying and proving our membership of the mainstream, we suffer self-doubt even in our successes, etc.
Leadership behaviour is also one of trusting others and visibly showing it. This results in the leader also being trusted.
Another interesting case was of one participant being given the topic, "What are the stages in the life cycle of a butterfly?" to speak on.
started with the fact that butterfly was a very beautiful creature and came in various shapes, sizes and colours. Thence forth went on to tell us how pollination takes place, fruits and vegetables are produced which are of course very important for the survival of human kind and so on till the last 15 seconds of his allotted time. He ended with lamenting that the world will be such a drab and unintresting place to live, without the butterflies !!
living testimony of our education system, this!
being asked as to how the group felt about the speech, some of the reactions that came;
Where were the stages of the butterfly's lifecycle?
if he did not know the answer he should have said so instead of taking the whole group for a ride.
in a university exam he would have scored at least 60%, given the amount of paper that he would have used up by what all he said. ( In all probability he might have!!)
this is what our education does to us. Our teachers teach us how to bluff your way through to graduation but private employers are no fools. They would look for capability in their prospective employees.
was still a small section who did not volunteer to come up for speaking. All of them were given an option. The trainer asked them that if they could not face the group individually, would they be ready to perform as a team. They all agreed. They were asked to line up in front.
snowball exercise followed. The person at one end of the line was given a sentence. He was supposed to start building a story with sentences which were meaningful and were related to the previous sentence. The next person would pick up the story where the previous person left.They all started with lot of nervousness but were at ease as the exercise continued.
the end they were asked to share what they felt before, during and after the exercises and whether the exercise helped them in any way.
session was followed by a short summing up of the camp and an exposition by the trainer on different styles of leadership that we saw in the last four days. He specifically stressed on the point that good leadership is one that balances concern for task and concern for people.
the end of it the group was administered a questionnaire to evaluate themselves in terms of task orientation and people orientation.
they had scored and located themselves on the profile sheet the trainer led a discussion on the implications that it could have on their leadership behaviour.
The session ended at 12.00 noon with formal thanks givings.
