CHALLENGE 2010
preparing for
an event at a katha school
Each cell of Katha's has a vision
for itself, for 2010. Some of these are:
- No child who's ever been
in a Katha school will ever live in poverty again.
- Through quality translations,
we'll help bring a better awareness about Indian writers
and writings.
- We'll create a publishing
programme for children that will bring the best of
India to children, helping them understand BIG ideas
Through story, we'll actively
build a society that cares and shares.
THE FOUR
CAPITALS & KATHA
The power
of story in helping build a civil society
a community event in
the maidan behind kathashala
We in Katha see STORY
as the building block for linking diversities, forging
identities. Katha's relevant curricula, syllabi
and teaching/learning materials, pedagogy and lesson
plans, as well as our community revitalization and publishing
initiatives actively hone these spaces that help build
the four capitals we think are important for a caring,
sharing society, vital for our survival.
WISDOM capital is
traditionally defined as "knowledge that can be converted
into value." Or, intellectual material - knowledge,
information, intellectual property, experience - that
can be put to use to create wealth, shared knowledge.
But what should be defined as wealth? Whose value system
are we talking of? In Katha we define WC as that content
in education that helps us ask questions, stay long
enough with them till we find answers, put these into
action. So wisdom capital is not just data becoming
knowledge, but that which turns knowledge into wisdom
that benefits the larger good. It defines, hones and
strengthens the individual as a person fit to enter
the social space. This is defined for us by the Katha
Curriculum.
EMOTIONAL capital in
Katha stands for a mix of narrative imagination - the
ability to put oneself in the shoes of the other; the
strength of the emotional quotient in each one of us
which brings in a proper mix of the male and the female
principles; the emotional ties and binding that makes
us respect the other. Emotional Capital at Katha defines,
hones and strengthens the family space and helps us
realize that the world is our family - loka samastha
sukino bavanthu. Something that Tamasha! has
been focusing on for more than fifteen years now!
CULTURAL capital . Our
culture shapes and hones us, establishes the connections
of who we are with who we were, gives legitimacy to
the diversity which is India . We see this humanizing
culture enriching all living and being. Mahatma Gandhi
said, "No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive."
And ... "Culture of the mind must be subservient to
the heart." It is this living culture that we in Katha
have in mind. It is that unique mixture of beliefs and
habits that makes us members of this subcontinent. And
it is the special USP we take into the world as global
citizens. Culture Capital enriches the diversity that
is India by helping us appreciate it, and it builds
a strong sense of belonging, and hence needs to be honed
and fostered constantly, consistently, without fear
or favour.
SOCIAL capital is
a combination of the three above capitals and we define
it as "personal trust, civic engagement, and community
involvement." We believe it is " rich in a society where
we as citizens take an active interest in the well-being
of the country and its people, especially our children."
We see social capital as a force that strengthens the
fabric of society, something that we need to constantly
nurture and look after. We strongly believe that, for
India , where habits have taken a long time to make,
the story is one of the most valuable means of change.
Each one of us in Katha sees herself/himself as a change
agent.
If you'd
like to join us in our mission, write to us at katha@katha.org
or call
us at [91.11] 2652.4350 . 2652.4511
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