[URBANTH-L]PUKAR Youth Fellowship Program (India)

Angela Jancius acjancius at ysu.edu
Tue Apr 11 19:06:04 EDT 2006


From: PUKAR <pukar at pukar.org.in>

PUKAR Youth Fellowship Program


Are you a resident of Mumbai?
Are you interested in research on Mumbai?
Are you a young person or like to work with young people in a 
participatory manner?
 
If your answer to the above questions is YES, then
 
PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research) HAS AN 
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!
 
Whether you plan to be a researcher or a teacher, go into a business or 
join the stock market, open your own shop or find a job, we believe this 
program would add skills that are important for YOU at any workplace. It 
would cultivate methodical thinking and critical analysis and encourage 
the spirit of questioning established norms. It would add value to your 
already existing capabilities by developing your capacity to assert and 
negotiate. As author of the research you would have the right to publish 
your work with acknowledgement to PUKAR.
 

PUKAR Invites Proposals for the Youth Fellowship Program
 
PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research) is an 
independent research-action organization that hopes to contribute to the 
global debate on urbanization and globalization. Founded in 2001 by 
Professor Arjun Appadurai, PUKAR makes constant efforts to create a 
common forum for debate over issues that impact the lives of the 
citizens. In these debates, PUKAR makes every effort to seek active 
participation of Mumbai's citizens in imagining and planning the future 
of this vibrant mega-city.
 
PUKAR develops collaborative projects that initiate new knowledge 
production and aims to contribute to the city's dynamism and 
sustainability.
 
With support from the Youth & Civil Society Initiative of the Sir Ratan 
Tata Trust (SRTT), PUKAR launched the Youth Fellowship Program in 2005. 
This program seeks to:
 
· Encourage youth in Mumbai Metropolitan Region to explore social, 
cultural, economic and political aspects of their neighbourhood

· Develop innovative research techniques with PUKAR's assistance

· Generate research-action projects that in turn, will generate new 
methods of inquiry

· Help the youth develop critical analysis and new perspective regarding 
their locality and community

· Inculcate values of community participation and generate new ideas for 
practice /intervention

· Build confidence in the participating youth to negotiate the city in 
more self-assured manner

· Help the youth become actively contributing citizens for the city
 
The Youth Fellowship Program will essentially consist of groups of eight 
to ten youth with one person acting as a "Senior Fellow" in each group. 
Each group will work on a research theme over a period of one year.
 
Specific Responsibilities of the Group:
 
1  Develop a research question, in a participatory manner:  July - 
August 2006.
2  Study various methodologies and choose the appropriate one for the 
data collection/field work: September 2006
3  Create individual biographies as well as group biography: September 2006
4  Data collection by various methodologies: To be completed from 
October 06-January 07
5  Analysis and synthesis of the data collection: February - March 07
6  Preparation of second set of biographies and end product: April - May 07
7  Presentation of the final analysis: June 07
 
Accountability for the Senior Fellow as well as the Group:
 
1  Meet once a week for the first three months and later every other 
week for every month.
2  Organize meeting of the group with PUKAR Coordinators once every two 
months.
3  Submission of regular narrative and financial reports.
4  Attending the workshops organized for the groups, those for the 
senior fellows and those for the youth fellows.
5  Organize six community events during the period of the fellowship.
 
Research Grant:
 
Each group will receive a research grant of Rs 5000 p.m. payable at 
trimester intervals. The Research Grant can be used for:
 
·   Transportation / visits
·   Printing and copying costs
·   Purchasing materials / equipment for presentations
·   Other activities
 
We would appreciate receiving your proposal by April 30, 2006.

It can be sent via email to:
youthfellowship at pukar.org.in
 
Or post it to:
PUKAR Youth Fellowship Programme
C/O PUKAR
1-4 Kamanwala Chambers
PM Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001
Telephone: 56053599
 
You are welcome to get in touch with us to develop your ideas before 
sending in your proposal.
 
Thank you for your time. We look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
 
Anita Patil-Deshmukh
Director, PUKAR
 
Translations of this letter will shortly be available in Marathi. Should 
you need one, please write to us with your request.
 

Frequently Asked Questions


What is a Research Question?
 
We define Research as search for new information and understanding by 
the youth group on any question about their own life, employment, 
locality, social traditions, cultural traditions, livelihood securities 
or anything else that they would like.
 
PUKAR's broad area of concern is Mumbai. Any proposal that engages with 
the city is eligible for consideration. You are welcome to get in touch 
with us to develop your ideas before sending in your proposal.
 
Some of the themes that we supported in the first year of the programme 
are listed below.
 
1  Portrayal of handicapped in the media
2  Violence on the screen and in real life
3  Home industries and their impact on lives of families
4  Microfinance and women
5  Alcohol Addiction in the community and role of AA


Who is a Senior Fellow?
 
1  The Senior fellow is any individual taking on responsibility for the 
project and the youth group
2  She/he should have an interest in research. We encourage people from 
non-academic as well as academic backgrounds to apply
3  There is no age qualification for the Senior Fellow. She/He can be a 
member of the Youth group as well.


Who can apply as a Senior Fellow?
 
1  Is resident of Mumbai
2  Is connected with youth in some capacity
3  Any youth group with a creative idea is welcome to approach us in 
order to develop a research project. Anyone from the group can be  
    identified as a Senior Fellow for the project
4  Individuals with an aptitude for participatory research and project 
idea but without a youth group may apply as long as they are able to form a
    youth group by the end of June, 2006


Who Could Be a Youth Group?
 
1  Students from colleges
2  Members of sports groups
3  Self employed or unemployed youth in the neighbourhood
4  Members of various "mandals"
5  Group of friends who may be interested in a particular theme or a subject
6  Workers from the unorganized sector, from unlettered world.

Anita Patil-Deshmukh
Director, PUKAR


More information about the URBANTH-L mailing list