Draft
Title:
"The Boddhanath S
tupa, Island of Peace"
CAIRN Consortium: Euro-Asia Network for Cross-cultural
Awareness Certificate, including Humanitarian Assistance &
Applied Psychology
Component :
Curriculum Development or HRD in Humanitarian Assistance
Area(s) : Cross-cultural Awareness Cultural Immersion Training
Modules,
International Relations, Social/Health Anthropology, (Post-)
Prospective Development Studies, Humanitarian Assistance,
Crisis Prevention, Ethno-medicine and Psychology (Himalayan
Tibetan Medicine Psychotherapy)
Lead Applicant:
CAIRN/SXC Nepal (RWL © 2004-0)
Partners :
(open... )
Project Location :
Nepal (LDC), Belgium, United Kingdom, more...
Introduction:
The HumaNet / NOHA EU- experts meeting, held with the support
of the EC-/ ECHO, Erasmus- Mundus and Asia-Link at the UCL/POLS/LLN
(on March 04-07 2005), has been instrumental through multiple
exchanges between Humanitarian Assistance INGOs intervenors,
diplomatic representatives, donors and European academic
units, in providing us with the motivation and insights for
the envisioned creation in KTM - Nepal of the first
Inter-Faith “ Island of Peace “ (Peace Zone), to be situated
in the famous Himalayan pilgrimage target-site : Boddhanath
Supa (KTM Nepal).
The concept: 'Zone of Peace' or “Island
of Peace”
(ie: Les Isles de Paix, du Pere
Pire, Belgium)
has already been used by various NGOs, donors and humanitarian
organizations around the world. It appears in Africa, Central
America, Philippines, the United Nations and elsewhere. As the
concept of what constitutes a Zone of Peace, indeed, differs
from place to place, it can be expanded, as in this case, to
include the preservation of a Spiritual and/or Cultural
Heritage, such as in the Boddhanath Stupa Pilgrimage Site
(UNESCO Heritage Site).
An “Island of Peace” is a strategic site, with a sacred,
religious, historic, educational, cultural, geographical
and/or environmental importance, protected and preserved by
its own community and officially recognized by a governmental
and/or international authority. It is not merely a
"Demilitarized Zone", but a sanctuary that operates with
ethical principles of non-violence, free from weapons*,
acts of violence, injustice and environmental degradation.
It is seen therefore a suitable and potential base-camp
(safe-heaven or logistics platform) for gathering training
data and prepared intervention resources, in other words to be
acting as an EU observatory for Humanitarian Assistance
Postgraduate Training, including data analysis for strategic
decision making and the subsequent launching of humanitarian
assistance or intervention.
The present CAIRN strategic initiative (RWL) follows the long
list of previous detailed discussions held during the period
1999 to 2005, both in Europe and in Nepal, on how to bridge
the opportunities offered in theory by the EC- Asia-Link and
Erasmus Mundus Programmes, with viable and self-sustainable
projects meeting the actual needs diagnosis and consensual
remedials for KTM Valley and Nepal in general, and Boddhanath
target-site in particular. There remains nowadays a very
urgent need to promote in the EU more awareness and
understanding on the current Himalayan political crisis, on
its important (but seldom known) ethnic refugees migration
flux and related geo-political and economic fragile equation.
Meetings were held with the EC- Representation in KTM (Giap
Dang, Ch. Touwaide), as well as with the Belgium Consulate in
KTM NP, the EC- / Asia-Link desk in Belgium (BRU) and selected
EU academic units (such as UCL/POLS/LAAP: Singleton, P-Jo, P.O,
the UCL/NOHA: B.P, the UWS/CDS Center for Development Studies
Wales University : Ian Clegg, the UWS/DACE: HMJ, the
University of Nice Anthropology Unit: Devos, University of
Genoa Ethno Scarpa: Guerci, etc…), as well as other CAIRN
Consortium EU and Nepal partners, on the urgency to set-up an
European academic observatory online allowing more relevant
data gathering and strategic analysis, for conflict prevention
and humanitarian assistance training, despite the fact the
heavy EC- administrative tools often seldom permit
self-sustainable bottom-up commitments, per se.
This draft wants to link the existing local resources in KTM
Nepal (SXC) with potential EC- fundings of an non competitive
biding access, if any. It wants to approach the structure of
Asia-Link and Erasmus-Mundus with an innovative approach,
which is not money first, but commitment and relevance,
rather. It has been discussed with reputed intervenors and
educators at SXC, as being of relevance. It has been submitted
for appreciation at the
European Commission (EC) Representation in KTM Nepal (M.M.
Giap Dang and Ch. Touwaide), in direct relation with its deep
concern at the worsening security situation in Nepal.
Considering the possibility of EU external mediation to help
resolve the present Maoist conflict, it also assesses that too
often, INGOs imported slogans seminars and/or Western driven
initiatives are plagued by superficial misrepresentations,
leading to irrelevant decision making in mediation, efforts
while facing the abyss of Nepal/Himalayan/Tibetan ethnic,
religious and geopolitical complexity…
As a reminder, let us quote Mr. Rudiger Wenk, Chargé
d’Affaires of the EC delegation in Nepal in 2004, who, while
addressing a one-day symposium on the Buddhist Approach for
the Solution to the Present National Conflict, said that the
conflict has escalated despite all the efforts undertaken by
donors, NGOs and the civil society. He expressed the fact that
it did jeopardize the EC- assistance programmes, among others,
and was of the opinion that Nepal was not any more in a
position to solve the conflict without external mediator.
However, he was quick to add that any mediator, in order to be
efficient, had to be accepted by both parties.
It is, similarly, CAIRN’s position, that relevant resource
persons could contribute to lessen the exacerbation of this
conflict, provided that such people were trained to digest the
equation and its contradiction, at all level of crisis.
References of the above CAIRN quoted material are presented
at:
https://cairn-erasmus.tripod.com/
https://cairn-erasmus.tripod.com/huma.html
https://cairn-erasmus.tripod.com/boddha.html
and other related links…
The recognition of a Boddhanath Stupa “Island of Peace” by
local religious elites, HMG agencies, donors, NGOs and
academic units, would be the expression of their commitments
to preserve the peaceful integrity in the designated sacred
site. Its custodians, members, participants and visitors would
exemplify mutual respect and non-violent behaviour while on
the site, and share their resources with expatriate
intervenors and trainers for furthering peace, education and
defining remedials, in inter-cultural/disciplinary
intervention schemes.
It could provide a model of excellence, acting as a culturally
appropriate reference of possibilities to put the Peace
efforts and related Humanitarian Assistance into genuine
practice in Nepal. The conditions required are simply those of
mutual and self-respect that most thoughtful people and
leaders would like to see in their own communities, throughout
the world.
The online platform will be an occasion for participants to
interact with the concerned community, NGOs and academics, on
selected themes of discussion and analysis:
(A) Socio-Cultural Analysis of the Nature of Nepal's
Continuing Conflict;
(B) Potential Roles of Religious and Civil Society Elites for
Peace;
(C) Humanitarian Assistance Training, for effective Work in
Conflicts;
(D) Minimising the Impact of Violence and Creation of Peace
Zones;
(E) The Role of ICT- Database Information and Media in
Conflict.
This platform will link comprehensive reading online materials
and video stream docs, with a selection of articles and
scriptures by Nepali academics, intellectuals, religious
elites and social activists on various aspects of Nepal's
history, politics, development programmes for solution to the
root causes of the ongoing conflict.
Duration:
either Erasmus-Mundus Asia and/or Asia-Link three years (36
months), if applicable...
Nepal Sit-Rep:
News from Nepal
are not good! On date 10.08.05,
the United States warned
Nepal's king Gyanendra to return the country to democracy or
face a slide towards chaos. The comments came as the bodies of
40 soldiers killed in fighting with Maoist rebels in the
remote western district of Kalikot were recovered. The rebels
said they lost 26 men in the attack on an army camp late on
Sunday.
A BBC
correspondent in Nepal says the fighting seems to be the
bloodiest since King Gyanendra seized power more than six
months ago. Unverified claims by both sides suggest the number
of people killed in the clash may be much higher.
The US
ambassador to Nepal, James Moriarty, accused King Gyanendra of
reneging on reforms he had promised to introduce after he
dismissed the government and assumed absolute control in
February. "Unless the principles of freedom, civil rights and
democracy once again take root through a process of true
reconciliation among the legitimate political forces, I fear
Nepal will inexorably slide towards confrontation, confusion
and chaos," he said.
More
than 11,000 people have been killed during the nine-year
insurgency, which aims to replace Nepal's monarchy with a
communist republic. Just when it seems that revolutionary
communism has all but disappeared in the world, Nepal's Maoist
rebels seem to grow stronger and stronger. It is estimated
that they now have between 10,000 to 15,000 fighters, and are
active across the country, with many parts completely under
their control.
So how
did the rebels transform themselves from a small group of
shotgun-wielding insurgents in 1996 to the formidable fighting
force they are today?
The
disillusionment of the Maoists with the Nepalese political
system began after democracy was re-introduced in 1990.
Shining Path
Many who
are key figures in the rebel movement today played a role
alongside mainstream political parties in over-throwing
Nepal's absolute monarchy. Although they participated in the
country's first parliamentary elections, their disenchantment
with ceaseless political squabbling - and their anger at the
plight of the rural poor - prompted them to take up arms. In
doing so, there is little doubt that the two key rebel
leaders, Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai, derived their
inspiration from Peru's Shining Path rebels.
Maoist
military strength has increased considerably in recent
years
|
Both men
wanted to emulate the Shining Path's stated objective of
destroying government institutions and replacing them with a
revolutionary peasant regime.
As with
the Shining Path, Nepal's Maoists deal with dissent
ruthlessly. Human rights groups say that like the security
forces, they are guilty of numerous summary executions and
cases of torture.
The
Nepalese Maoists have also made some "homegrown" modifications
to Maoist ideology.
Caste resentment
They
argue that what makes them different from other communist
parties in the country is that they want a complete revamp of
the multiparty democratic system as part of a programme aimed
at turning the country into a Marxist republic.
But on
this issue there is some ambiguity, because in the past Maoist
negotiators have hinted that they will abandon this demand so
that the peace process can be kick-started.
In fact
the only area where they have stayed consistent is in their
demand for an end to Nepal's constitutional monarchy.
Another
key grievance of the rebels was the resentment felt by lower
caste people against the authority wielded by the higher
castes.
The
Maoists say that the reason they have so much support is
because most of their supporters have traditionally been
treated as second-class citizens or worse.
Many
analysts say this is the real explanation as to why such a
seemingly anachronistic movement has made such dramatic
headway.
The
rebels can now threaten Kathmandu itself
|
Unquestionably there is a substantial number of people in
Nepal who see the Maoists as the only genuine alternative to
the old, repressive social order.
The first
Maoist attack is believed to have taken place in 1996, when
six government and police outposts were attacked
simultaneously in mid-western Nepal. Similar attacks took
place on a regular basis in the same area over the next few
years.
Initially
the rebels were not taken seriously at all by the government,
diplomats, journalists or the all-pervasive aid agencies that
dominate Nepal's economy. They were lightly armed and not
considered a genuine military threat.
Rebel
abductions
But since
then they have become one of South Asia's most potent rebel
groups, rivalling the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. Today the
Maoists are well organised, and the firepower at their
disposal greater than ever.
Rifles
and explosives have been stolen from captured police outposts
and it is believed that the country's open border with India
has made it easier to smuggle arms and money.
While
many support the Maoists, others are fearful of them
|
So
powerful have the Maoists become that few dare defy them when
they call a general strike in Kathmandu. The rebels' threat to
cut off the city from the rest of the country can no longer be
considered an idle one.
In the
summer of 2004, the rebels abducted hundreds of school
children for a week-long "re-education" course on Maoist
ideology right under the noses of the security forces on the
outskirts of Kathmandu.
The
Maoists may not yet have the strength to win their "People's
War" but they are too strong to lose it.
As one
analyst put it, the government appears to be caught in a
classic catch-22 situation.
Until
there is substantial social and economic development in the
areas of the countryside where the Maoists hold sway, the
insurgency will continue.
But
development cannot happen until the government gains even
limited access to these areas, and access can only be achieved
by using highly unpopular and potentially counterproductive
military means against a well-organised guerrilla army.
Such a dangerous and strategically volatile political scenario
will require major efforts and political commitment to put and
end to the ongoing conflict revamped in various regions of
Nepal.
EU
Sitting Resources:
In
preparation for the worse to come, the St- Xavier's Campus and
Social Services,
Cairn umbrella INGO partners in KTM, now sit on Humanitarian
Assistance strategic health and logistics resources that have been
gathered in the last three years by St-
Xavier's (SXC/SXSSC) and the local Belgium Consulate related paramedical
expatriate community. These resources are on stand-by!
Meanwhile, the European Commission Representation in KTM is
contributing to confidence building measures a crucial step to
re-launch on more solid basis the interrupted peace process.
EC assistance to Nepal dates back to 1977. Current aid
activities operate within the 1996 EC-Nepal Framework
Co-operation Agreement. Development assistance has been
granted in areas such as irrigation and watershed management,
animal health, reproductive health, primary education,
refugees, and institutional capacity building.
A previous EC strategy document expired in 2001. In order to
have a coherent presentation of the overall EC new strategy,
the period covered by this document is 2002-2006.
The 2002-2006 EC strategy supports HMG/N development efforts
as defined in the Agenda of Priority Reform Actions and the
PRSP/10th Five Year Plan (2002-2007). It addresses Nepal’s
foremost objective of poverty reduction including: broad-based
economic growth (development of agriculture), social sector
development, targeted programmes, good governance and
decentralisation.
The EC’s co-operation strategy is linked to the economic and
political situation in Nepal through appropriate initiatives
in favour of the country’s lasting development. Long-term
support for the rural sector will focus on the Mid-Western
Regions while the development of renewable energy
(photovoltaic) will concern Nepal's rural areas with no access
to electricity. Considering Nepal’s instable situation,
special attention will be given to the finalisation of a
coherent Poverty Reduction and Conflict Mitigation Strategy
aimed at consolidation of democracy. While support for
sustainable development remains the long-term objective,
conflict mitigation and consolidation of democracy emerge as
important corollaries of the long-term strategy, with
short-term (RRM-Rapid Reaction Mechanism) support of local
communities, local media and conflict monitoring and
medium-term initiatives (extension of RRM, support for the
Judicial system and promotion of Human Rights). Assistance for
the legislative elections is, for the time being, on standby
and humanitarian assistance for refugees will also be
considered on ad hoc basis.
Other areas of co-operation will include Nepal’s integration
into the International Economy with provision of technical
assistance to facilitate Nepal’s compliance with the rules of
WTO and to promote economic activities.
Throughout the proposed strategy focussed on poverty
reduction, great attention will be paid to cross-cutting
themes such as reforms and governance and to an increasing
participation of disadvantaged social groups in development
initiatives. Similarly, promotion of the rule of law and human
rights will help to sustain the national reconciliation
process, and thus contribute towards the ultimate goal of
peace.
The EC's overall indicative allocation to Nepal over the next
five years is estimated at €70 million. One of the latest
related initiative consists in a so-called: Conflict
Mitigation Package – I, Nepal, (ref- Publication Reference:
EuropeAid/121817/C/G/NP) from which the European Commission
(EC-) is seeking proposals for projects in support of a)
Confidence Building Measures for Local Communities in the Mid
Western and Far Western Region of Nepal and b) Mass
Communication and Media throughout Nepal, with financial
assistance from the EC budget line 1910.01 ‘Financial and
technical cooperation with Asian developing countries’.
The objective of the programme is said to address the needs
and constraints of the most vulnerable and poor, particularly
in the far western and mid-western region of Nepal, through
improvement of the socio-economic conditions, and by
increasing the general awareness about root causes of the
conflict and means to address them appropriately. Considering
that imported development corruption recipes by NGOs have been
amongst the major development errances in KTM these last 20
years, there obviously is therein enough food for thoughts....
Within the package, Conflict Mediation and Dialogue is amongst
the aims proclaimed.
Erasmus Mundus:
European
universities are to welcome almost 1000 third-countries
graduates and academics to study and teach in the EU in
2005-2006 (EC- : Brussels, 4 July 2005). The European
Commission has selected 803 third-country students and 133
third-country scholars from all over the world to receive
Erasmus Mundus scholarships for the next academic year
(2005-2006). The students will study in Europe for one or two
years to obtain a European masters' degree from one of the 35
Erasmus Mundus masters courses. They will follow their courses
in at least two universities in two different countries,
giving them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with
European lifestyles, cultures and languages. The scholars will
instead spend an average of three months in Europe working for
one of the Erasmus Mundus masters courses.
The 35 existing
Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses - which cover a wide range of
disciplines [1] - received thousands of applications from
students and scholars from all over the world. The university
consortia assessed the applications and selected the best
ones. This selection was then submitted to the European
Commission, which established the final list of successful
candidates on the basis of a set of eligibility criteria.
Of the 803
students, 455 were selected in the framework of the general
Erasmus Mundus programme. The remaining 353 fall within the
country-specific Asian "windows" in Erasmus Mundus. As for the
scholars, 112 were selected under the general programme and 21
under the "China Window".
The 455 students
selected under the general Erasmus Mundus programme come from
84 different countries, with Brazil (35), Russia (31), Ukraine
(23), USA (20), China (18), Mexico (18), and Nigeria (18)
ranking in the first places. The 353 students selected under
the Asian windows come mainly from India (133), China (67),
Pakistan (31), Thailand (28), and Malaysia (23). The USA (24)
and Brazil (12) are the best ranked countries (35 in total)
for scholars.
Nearly EUR 30
million (of which EUR 17 million under the general programme
and EUR 13 million under the Asian "windows") will be used to
fund the 803 Erasmus Mundus students. More than EUR 1.5
million (of which EUR 270 000 for the China "Window") have
been set aside to fund the scholars. The student grant will
vary between EUR 21.000 and EUR 42.000, depending on the
duration of the courses. Scholars'grants will be on average
EUR 13.000 for a period of 3 months.
For
further information, including a geographical breakdown of the
Erasmus Mundus third-country students and scholars selected
under the 2005-2006 Call, see:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html
Project Abstract
Cairn Erasmus is a three- to five- years Asian-European
partnership PILOT project, aiming to setup and implement
cultural immersion postgraduate curriculum options coaching
with and distance learning mixed-mode coaching in the field of
cross-cultural awareness and field-research support
e-management. The emphasis is on establishing a relevant
network for Humanitarian intervention and strategic issues
field- research analysis methodologies, with technical
guidelines and tools to develop further Open Learning &
Tutoring for Capacity Building in Humanitarian Assistance
Rapid Intervention and other sustainable options answering
local needs and priorities in times of crisis...
One of the clear intention is to use e-learning Dbase systems
as facilitation tools to strengthen long-term partnership
co-operation based on existing curricula in home university
partners and accordingly develop a cross-cultural and flexible
menu, as a foundation for future interventions and related
multimedia products.
Depending upon the final consensual policy with partners, this
project may also be considered as a HRD (human resource
development) project in the field of capacity building for the
setup of a Nepal KTM based centre of excellence NETWORK for
Humanitarian Assistance NGOs training, itself within the
Cross-cultural Awareness Curricula Options overall platform.
General Description
The CAIRN Network for Euro-Asia Cross-Cultural Awareness
Psychology and Humanitarian Intervention joint- post-graduate
diploma was launched in 2004 after extensive monitoring of the
Asia-Link and Erasmus Mundus Asia, as well as detailed
discussions with selected partners and the EC- relevant
services.
This three-years multidisciplinary post-graduate diploma
programme, is divided into three components of one year
certification each. The diploma is organised under the ECTS/ECDL
guidelines and in close consultation with ongoing EC- funded
Asia-Link, Erasmus Mundus and SOCRATES-ERASMUS partners. As a
cultural immersion mixed-mode multi-disciplinary curriculum,
CAIRN is designed to raise professional standards in the field
of Euro-Asia cross-cultural strategic decision making,
including humanitarian assistance. It comprises an intensive
introductory home-base programme, general e-learning options,
followed by an extensive cultural immersion internship or
field-research module in Asia.
Main Objective
The main objective is to give a general and multi-disciplinary
overview and to train students capable of gathering grassroots
data, pursuing local NGOs and institutional linkage, utilizing
relevant methodology and data entries, analyzing at a local
and at the global level the needs diagnosis, challenges and
potential remedials, to be defined as strategic decision
making at policy level of international agencies, as well as
the practical level of rapid intervention, crisis remediation
and humanitarian aid operations.
The synergy consists in a networking with current existing (or
previously already funded) EC- Asia-Link and Erasmus Mundus
Asia projects in Nepal, as added-valued self-sustainable
approach to Asian LDCs high education market-niches and actual
needs & priorities in target-sites.
The operational objectives are to develop specific measures
for strengthening the co-operation among European and Asian
academic units with Mixed-mode Cross Cultural Awareness
Immersion Certificate Options, in order to further enhance the
integration and strategic impact of such awareness projects as
a critical mass in strategic decision making and increase the
EU cross-cultural credibility.
This draft only gives an overview of current activities and
possible options hereunder presented for a discussion with
concerned partners, at first stage...
Operational Objectives
The project aims to establish a network of selected
universities, HEIs and possibly TOT NGOs to enhance
Cross-cultural Awareness Curriculum Options exchanges in the
fields described hereabove. Through academic exchange Cultural
Immersion, Field-research, focused-group workshops and
interfacing with non-academic actors, it is planned to
establish and to train a cohorte of intervenors, postgraduate
students, staff and scholars from (or linked to) European and
Asian Universities. The teams will be able to expand the
expertise chosen, make it available to a wider public and
practitioners, especially in order to strengthen the efficacy
and credibility in situ of EUROPEAN INTERVENTION AID POLICY
DECISION MAKING... More...
Activities: ...
Logframe:
...
Originality:
Cultural Immersion Coaching cum Mixed-mode Dbase support to
field- research initiative and HA intervention. Flexible menu
of options for personalized training or research projects.
Certification options from One Year eq. ECTS/ECDL 60 credits
Posgraduate Foundation Certificate upto Three Years eq. ECTS/ECDL
180 credits as a Specialization Diploma. Curriculum options
entirely focused upon NEPAL CASE-STUDY! The three specialized
integrated modules of 1 year each may be cumulated upto 3
years (3X60= 180 ECTS/ECDL credits). Participants may choose
Options based on the existing ECTS/ECDL certification
arrangements with their own EU home-university. if none so far
exist in the particular EU home country, interested
participants may register directly online with CAIRN SXC Nepal
HQ. Cairn is a platform open to personalized research cultural
immersion projects coaching, as a priority. It also seeks to
be self-sustainable as a joint-venture based upon current
needs and priorities in Asian LDCs Nepal, and on the high
education market-niches in the EU.
Nepal case-study
What happens when a highly segmented, traditional society like
Nepal Himalayan region begins to experiment with imported
modern, basically alien political concepts in order to
accelerate development? The current Maoist insurgency in
Nepal is a case-study of donors and NGOs attempts to promote
Development Aid recipes and related Democratic Institutions in
the feudal castes driven society of the Himalaya. The various
country strategic reports produced by the EC, DFID and GTZ
(amongst others) provide a detailed and objective examination
of the failure of imported development mechanisms, as shown in
the last fourteen years following the early 90s Nepalese
revolution.
While there is no- way Nepal can go back in time, it remains
that much could be done using EU academic platforms to
increase more awareness in the West on the reality of current
Himalayan issues, to fight some of the prevailing
misrepresentations inducing in the West irrelevant
decision-making at policy level, and consequently to try and
promote remedials using the recent innovative Internet
technology huge appeal to the Youth for promoting "stepwise
culturally appropriate" remedials.
Nepal can’t resolve this crisis by itself and it desperately
needs the help of the international community. Nepali
politicians have failed the people, the palace has failed in
its duty, the security forces have failed and for sure the
Maoists do not provide an attractive alternative if we judge
them by their actions. It is important that the international
community is unified in pressuring all sides in this conflict
and bringing an end to the abuses, which are very much at the
base of the conflict. Both the Maoists and the security forces
are targeting and using civilians in their war effort.
But what we see is a deep split within the international
community. There are some like the European community which
have taken a strong stance against the abuses by the
government but they have been hampered to some extent by the
much greater silence on the part of the US and, to a lesser
extent, the Indian Embassy, which are major players in the
country.
States providing weapons, like USA, UK, India and ...
Belgium!, should inform their public opinion and pressure the
Nepali government to abide by its commitments under
international human rights and humanitarian laws, the Geneva
Conventions. And EU universities should promote more awareness
and training in various knowledge building remedials...
How to do this - very practically - could be from an Open
Learning Portal / Cultural Immersion Mixed Mode
platform, focused on core issues of Nepal / Himalayan Region
strategic relevance, which may be the experiential substance
for Cross-Cultural Awareness in Humanitarian Assistance and
for Open Menu Cultural Immersion Awareness Research Options.
The achievements of the project could highly contributed to
the current EU- Delegation KTM/Nepal efforts in fostering
Peace, Awareness and Understanding of the Himalayan Region /
Nepal current issues, from a genuine grassroots academic
units, HEIs and NGOs networking for Peace and Awareness
Building co-operation, while providing participants with
tailored project-based knowledge, skills and know-how for a
practical exchange outcome.
While this project aims to integrate awareness components of
target- grassroots KABPs into sustainable crisis resolution
management from a Asian/Nepal perspective, the desired strong
partnership between the EU and Asian partners, could help
Nepalese to give Peace a better chance... More...
Cross-cultural Awareness Postgraduate Options
The Cairn Erasmus Cross-Cultural Awareness
Postgraduate Project is an Action-Research based,
multilingual, interdisciplinary, inter-university postgraduate
programme, that will provide genuine inputs of quality high
education and NGOs cross-cultural awareness professional
competences for students, researchers, personnel working or
intending to work in the areas of social, health, education
and crisis intervention in Nepal and Asia.
The overall programme is divided into three parts of one year
certificates:
-
Part One consists first in an intensive serie of courses and
meetings course, organised each year in one of the EU
network universities to give students from the partner
universities a basic understanding of the different aspects
of Euro-Asia-relations focused cross-cultural awareness
strategic decision making, operational data gathering cum
analysis, as well as crisis remediation and humanitarian
aid.
-
Based on the Mixed Mode Pedagogy, students are taught by
local and foreign teachers as well as by field experts. They
refined their personal project under a suitable expertise
e-Coach at this stage.
This is followed with Mixed Mode e-learning shared elements,
which review core issues of cross-cultural awareness
immersion and related humanitarian aid. Continuous
e-coaching and interdisciplinary seminars will cover the
practical ways into these different branches.
-
Part Two is the participant chosen specialization in one of
the three main subject areas mentioned hereunder and
includes a personalized project preparation for internship
or field-research in
Asia.
-
Part Three is the traineeship, internship or field-research
(«stage»), undertaken in Asian strategic sites with
international NGO coaching.
This programme is accordingly structured in three (3) main
components which are integrated and continuously updated (Case
Study Nepal) :
- (i) under Applied Psychology : all issues linked to
Applied Psychology, Rehabilitation Counselling, Crisis
Prevention, Education and Vocational Counselling, HRD Capacity
Building training and behavioral change within Health/Social
and Professional Development promotion,
- (ii) under Development Studies : all issues related
to Nepal priorities (see country reports) in good governance,
social/health policy strengthening, crisis remediation and
Humanitarian Assistance NGOs capacity building,
- (iii) under Prospective Health Anthropology: all
issues related to Dbase in Himalayan Traditional Healing
training management, including traditional healing forms of
Energotherapy and Psychotherapy
e-Media: Mixed Mode Cultural Immersion & Dbase e-learning
management.
CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS OPTIONS
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EU-Asia Joint-curriculum |
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Cross- Cultural Psychology |
Development Studies & |
Prospective Anthropology |
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Cross-Cultural Awareness |
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Cross-Cultural Awareness *1 |
Country Strategic Report *8 |
Prospective Anthropology *16 |
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Traditional Healing KABPs *2 |
Development Studies *9 |
Clinical Anthropology PSP*21 |
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Himalayan Region KABPs |
International Management |
Ethnomedicine *18 |
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Traditional Philosophy *3 |
Inter Communication *10 |
Tibetan Medicine Syst ** |
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Applied Psycho Counselling |
Crisis Resolution *11 |
Tibetan Medicine Tantras |
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Applied Psycho to HRD *4 |
Humanitarian Intervention § |
Chinese Medicine System |
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Organization Management |
Post Development Aid |
Ayurvedic & Yogas System |
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Rehab & Psychotherapy *5 |
Revised Donor Policy NP *13 |
Traditional Med Psychology ** |
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Prospective Psychotech *6 |
Nepal LDC Priorities *12 |
Energo-therapy Healing *** |
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Coaching *7 |
EC- Policy Himalaya *14 |
Himalayan Region History |
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China - Tibet - Nepal KABPs |
Investigation & Analysis |
Adult Continuous Education |
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Needs Diagnosis & Remedial |
Hermeneutic - Symbolism |
Focused Group Sessions |
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e-Learning Dbase System*15 |
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Humanitarian Assistance |
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NOHA (§) |
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Anthropology-Psychology § |
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Humanitarian Law § |
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Epidemiology § |
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Geopolitics § |
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Management § |
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Case Study |
Case Study Practicum |
Case Study only: ** *** * |
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ECDL ICT-/VLE Syst Training |
Multimedia Dbase R&D |
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Internship R&D |
Internship R&D |
Methodology |
NOHA (is it still a reference? quote)
In brief:
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This European Master’s Degree was created in 1993 as a
result of concerted efforts on the part of the Network On
Humanitarian Action (NOHA) Universities, working in close
collaboration with the European Commission’s Humanitarian
Aid Office (ECHO) and Directorate-General for Education and
Culture. This initiative was a response to a growing need
from the humanitarian assistance community for higher
educational qualifications specifically suited to addressing
complex humanitarian emergencies.
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In addition to collaboration and support from the European
Union, the programme has the backing of non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), inter-governmental organisations (IGOs),
and other actors of the humanitarian relief community with
whom the Network has strong collaborative links.
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Ten years of experience have proved the Network’s capacity
to educate and train highly committed, interdisciplinary
persons who can act at all levels of humanitarian relief
operations and who can function in a variety of ways to
enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance and
sustainable actions.
Over 1000 NOHA graduated professionals work in the field of
humanitarian relief and international co-operation as
managers, administrators, researchers, evaluators, monitors,
consultants, and representatives of international
organisations and institutions. They hold positions of
responsibility in all kinds of national and international
inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations both in
the field and at headquarters all around the world
Masters 180 ECTS/ECDL Credits Layout (draft-only) :
Y01
1) Intensive Introduction Programme Component (05 ECTS/ECDL
credits),
2) Core Course (25 ECTS credits) in the university where
graduates registered,
3) Online Courses & Database Tutoring, Analysis and Reporting
(25)
4) Prior-formulation of students personalized Action Research
Project (05),
Y02
5) Orientation Period (25 ECTS credits) in another EU
university of the Network, or already in Asia, depending on
Applicant's personal project status.
6) Preparation to Nepal Cultural Immersion Field-study (05
credits), and preparation of final Essay under Supervision or
Tutoring Online (30)
Y03
7) Asian Cultural Immersion Research and Internship Component
(25 ECTS credits) in Asian/Nepal Network university and/or HEI/NGOs
international organizations, focused groups sessions (05) and
final Essay (30) delivery.
Quoted reference from Humanitarian Assistance NOHA Components
The NOHA programme is structured around four main
sub-components:
Projection
Such a Pilot- programme could bring together selected staff of
academic units and NGOs, as well as some (120 to 150) students
(an average of 10 per university or HEI) with both academic
and/or professional background for a duration of three years
case-studies programme (Y2005-2008). Each modules could value
a one year 60 ECTS credits certification, which will combine
the theoretical knowledge gained either on the EU Campus(es)
site or online, with the practical skills acquired and tested
through Cairn Cultural Immersion Research and Internship in
Nepal. The concerned EU academic units should now undertake a
detailed analysis of the ECTS credits to be provided by each
EU Unit, based on their core discipline inputs, as well as the
professional profiles and related cross-cultural competences
they seek from the joint-certification for their home
graduates.
Mixed-Mode Stepwise Culturally Appropriate Approach
The Mixed-Mode approach is the integration within a single
platform of three main inputs, namely : e-learning multimedia
database tutoring & coaching (1), cultural immersion &
field-studies (2), open learning flexible menu personalized
research projects (3: adult continuous ECTS/ECDL).
The Stepwise Culturally Appropriate Approach is an early
1990's WHO Health Education / Prevention methodological
concept, which has been used successfully to address local
target-groups HRB (High Risk Behaviour) in the interlinked
Qualitative / Quantitative Drug-(Ab)use & HIV/AIDS Prevention,
and its Treatment Case Reporting System R&D. It simply
emphasizes the methodology for cross-culturally relevant
intervention.
In the same way, as far as Nepal pressing priorities are
concerned, there are some avenues which are "open" to a
European/Western constructive academic collaboration, and some
who are obviously "not that open" to having students or
scholars exchanges, in situ, and without high risks.
Accordingly, and bluntly stated from local testimony, a Crisis
Resolution Investigation of the Maoist Insurgency may not be
one that is an healthy option...
There are others, though, more conducive to Erasmus Mundus
answering a consensual documented needs diagnosis, in a
mutually beneficial way.
Back to a Cross-Cultural Awareness Pilot Project First
The importance of Cross-cultural Awareness (ethnic)
target-sites/groups expertise for EU relevant Humanitarian
assistance Intervention and Policy Decision Making is
seemingly something rather obvious. More even in Nepal...
A Pilot-project joint-curriculum (with Open Menu of ECTS/ECDL
credits) using background core disciplines in : Development
Studies, Prospective Anthropology, Ethno-medicine and Applied
Psychology to answer some of the current priorities in
Himalayan Traditional Health R&D, may be one Option to be here
chosen, as much for its long-term market sustainability, than
for the richness of its various outcomes.
Himalayan / Tibetan Traditional Medicine Materia Medica,
Philosophy and Psychotherapy Training Seminars are HEIs/NGOs
self-sustainable niches. They could give valuable SYNERGY
inputs in the local community itself, with a reasonable
forecast of positive outcomes and impact in terms of Herbal
Medicine production, CHOW TOT Training, Health Awareness,
Research on the potentiality of main Tibetan Medicine concepts
and remedials to needs such as: HIV/AIDS or Drug- (Ab)use.
This is confirmed by WHO reports on the related ethnic-groups
HRB and HIV/AIDS epidemiology in Nepal and in the Himalayan
Region (TAR China), including the recent and increasing
migration of refugees and labourers diaspora. It also makes
sense on the purpose of Synergy in promoting Alternative
Healing in the West...
Cairn Network of Excellence and Working Groups
Cairn Network of Excellence
aims at bringing together a critical mass of academic and NGOs
research groups to co-ordinate their research or other
activities in order to advance towards common strategic goals.
Networks of excellence can provide opportunities for training,
technology transfer, dissemination of information and access
to expertise and resources. Working groups based in home EU
academic Units may aim at improving the systematic
exchange of information and the forging of links between teams
which share a common theme in R&D or take-up activities.
It is a pre-requisite for going further that local coordinator
in each EU Unit be actively engaged in the various
administrative, conceptual, Log-frame rationale and local
coordination tasks being envisioned. Failure to which, efforts
will be blocked in the whole system.
Potential partnership inputs
While the inputs provided in Asia/Nepal, per se, would be
those specific to the Cultural Immersion Research & Internship
Resources of the Cairn/SXC NEIs/NGOs local network in KTM/Nepal,
the EU part of the programme will be jointly offered by the
Cairn Consortium Network and affiliated Academic Units
existing core expertise and options, such as hereunder, ie:
- UCL/NOHA Humanitarian Net?
- UCL/ANSO/LAAP, UCL/FOPES, UCL/PSP/ARAC,
- Swansea e-learning Pedagogy and Development Studies Mixed
Mode,
- Nice (Applied Psychology, Psychotherapy, Health/Social
Anthropology)
- Genoa U (Hermeneutic, Ethno-medicine Virtual Dbase)
- more units ...
With the existing EU Units assets, the draft could cover areas
of relevant disciplines and topics to be linked with Nepal
pressing needs, such as: Crisis Prevention, Good Governance,
Development Policy Theory and Practices, Prospective
Anthropology, Humanitarian Intervention, Conflict Resolution,
Crisis Prevention & Counselling, Education & Vocational
Counselling, Social/Health Anthropology, Peace and Conflict
Research, Euro-Asia Geopolitic Hermeneutics, Peace-building
and Development, Relief Aid Management, International
Institutions & Organisational Management, Sustainability of
Education Online Systems in LDCs, Country Strategy Reports
Data Gathering & Analysis, Security, Comparative
Ethno-medicine and Epidemiology, Interlinked
Qualitative/Quantitative Case-study Method, Case Reporting
Systems, Investigation Methodology, Strategic Analysis of
Operational Environment and Psychology (KABPs), Applied
Psychology to Cross-Cultural Awareness, Psychotherapy,
Himalayan Region Contextual Values and Philosophy, Traditional
Medicine R&D, Methodological Study of Cross-cultural Teaching
Styles and Learning Styles, and the ICT-VLE e-learning
tutoring system methodology applying thereupon...
Therefore the issue of studying the design and implementation
of an Integrated Cultural Immersion Research & Internship
platform in Asia, linked with relevant/sustainable e-learning
systems and courses to be managed in the EU, can be seen as a
challenging venture which may benefit from the envisioned
draft-proposal for HRD or Curriculum Development Options in
Learning and/or Teaching Styles R&D (GrazU).
Tibetan Medicine Three Sub-Options (Open Menu)
* : Courses here listed contain sub-options, as open menu in
home unit.
** : Cultural Immersion / Courses in KTM/Nepal or India > pls
click here:
https://cairn-erasmus.tripod.com/boddha.html
Modus Operandi
After successfully completing all programme components,
students will be awarded the degree of the university where
they registered as well as a the Joint-Master Degree in Cross
Cultural Awareness delivered by SXC in KTM/Nepal. The study
periods will provide students with the possibility of using at
least two EU and one Asian Languages. To ensure quality,
enrolment could be limited to about 20 students per
university. A minimum of ... places are to be reserved for
third-country students.
Admission criteria: a) Participants must have completed a good
level first cycle degree in a discipline of relevance to
crisis prevention, counselling, development studies or
humanitarian action, b) Candidates are required to have a
recognized level of proficiency in the EU language(s) of
instruction, c) Motivation and research/work experience proven
on Biodata file.
Enhancing ICT-/VLE Dbase for Traditional Healthcare
Professionals
The added value hypothesis to provide Nepal local PHCs and
Traditional Healthcare Professionals with Online Dbase systems
for Ethnomedicine Materia Medica, Psychotherapy and PHC/THC
Training, as well as with services to access online core
information for clients on available best medical practices,
can bear with the identification of two subsequent resultances
which will apply directly to documenting the insights and
experiential data relevant in a Cross-cultural Awareness
Certification. These are accordindly two thematic sub-cluster
options, which can be considered attached to the draft itself:
I) Online Dbase System for Traditional Health Clinical
Anthropology, Ethno-medicine, Professionals Training and
Treatment access may focus upon:
a) harmonizing database, references, procedures and legal
guidelines for achieving relevant training curricula and
certified marketable options,
b) developing and validating local traditional health clinical
procedures,
c) providing visibility and networking to the core concerned
HEIs & NGOs.
II) KABPs listed within the Traditional Health Care praxis may
focus on:
a) defining and documenting KABPs found in target-population
in situ,
b) discussing most appropriate approach to thematic needs,
remedials and organization support for future grassroot
intervention and data exchange,
c) promoting Applied Psychology Counselling applications at
users end.
(more under discussion...)
RWL© 2005
END DRAFT HERE
