Apply now! International Summer School on Pluralism and Development

Yogyakarta, Indonesia 13 July – 7 August 2009

Tags: Uganda, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Knowledge programme

As part of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme, Hivos supports this Summer School for young academics and civil society activists from India, Indonesia and Uganda. Are you interested in learning more about human development theories? Did you always lack the time to reflect on your own work in development? Are you curious how you can contribute to the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme? Apply now for participation in the Kosmopolis Summer School!

Call for Applications

The Kosmopolis Institute of the University for Humanistic Studies in the Netherlands, in cooperation with Hivos (Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries), the Centre for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS, Indonesia), the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS, India) and the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) offers the 6th annual:

International Summer School: Human Development and Human Rights

Target groups:

1. Staff of civil society based organisations and Human Rights activists, particularly those who are associated with Hivos, policy makers and graduate students in India, Indonesia and Uganda who want to actively participate in the ‘Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme’
2. Graduate students from the University for Humanistics, with an international profile in their study programme and proven interest in globalisation and/or diversity issues

General information:

The course, taught at master level, will be conducted from July 13 to August 7, 2009 and will be hosted by the Centre for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies in Yogyakarta in Indonesia. The venue where participants will be housed and where the program is conducted is Wisma MM in Yogyakarta.
It involves a 4 week full time program of lectures, excursions, seminars, literature study, discussion, guided individual and small group work and assignments. Selected participants are required to prepare a pre-summer school assignment. More details will follow after selection.

The course will be completed with a group presentation and paper as well as a design for a workshop that participants will conduct after they return home.

Students enrolled in universities can obtain 7,5 EC study credits. Upon successful completion, participants will be offered a Kosmopolis/University for Humanist Studies Certificate in Human Development and Human Rights

Hivos sponsors the summer school and selected participants will receive a bursary which covers their participation in the course, travel costs, accommodation and meals. This year, we will select four participants from Uganda, from Holland and from India and six participants from Indonesia.

Interested individuals are invited to apply by e-mail for admission. (or fax if not possible)

Kosmopolis will admit participants after a selection procedure.

Programme

The 2009 HDHR summer school is part of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme (2008 -2010).

The summer school programme focuses on:

• Critical analysis of the key concepts of human development theories and their normative and empowering impact, especially the capability-approach
• Critical analysis of human rights, its basic values and justifications, humanist underpinning and a reflection on the claims of the universality of human rights versus Human rights as a Western invention in an era of globalisation
• Critical analysis of key issues in social theory and cultural studies with regard to civil society building and democratic empowerment
• Exploration of concrete civil society practices from the perspective of human – and sustainable development
• Theories and practices of pluralism, particularly ideas on ‘civic pluralism’
• Reflection on methods and strategies which are helpful in developing capabilities, as in educational practices of self-awareness, dialogue, personal and social empowerment; Human Rights education and civil society based community action programmes
• Philosophical and ethical discussions on the basic values of cosmopolitan ethics, e.g. theories of global civil society building and democratic participation, sustainable development and global social justice.

Staff:

Coordinators:

• Prof. Dr. Henk Manschot (Director of Kosmopolis, University for Humanist Studies, the Netherlands)
• Dr. Caroline Suransky (Chair of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme, University for Humanist Studies, the Netherlands)
• Dr. Zainal Abidin Bagir (Director Centre for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, CRCS, Indonesia)
• Prof. Dr. Sitharamam Kakarala (Director Centre for the Study of Culture & Society, India)

Additional staff:

• Ms. Dorothé van Driel (Executive Secretary Kosmopolis, Utrecht, the Netherlands)
• Drs. Connelie Klijn (Programme Officer Kosmopolis, the Netherlands)
• Mustaghfiroh Rahayu, M.A (Coordinator Research and Public Education (CRCS) – Gadjah Mada, University Indonesia)

Additional international teaching staff and guest lecturers will be announced later

Application:

Deadline for application is the 31st January 2009. Application forms can be downloaded from the University for Humanist Studies website and returned by e-mail to: dvd@uvh.nl

Should you not be able to e-mail, then you may fax your application to Kosmopolis c/o Dorothé van Driel fax + 31 30 2340738

More information?

For more general information please first consult the Kosmopolis link via the University for Humanist Studies website at or contact dvd@uvh.nl

If you have additional questions, interested applicants may also consult the regional coordinators of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme in their own country:

• Prof Ram Kakarala at ramsk@cscs.res.in
• Dr. Zainal Abidin Bagir at zainbagir@gmail.com
• Ms. Emily Drani at ccfu@crossculturalfoundation.or.ug

Please mention: ‘query 2009 summer school’