a) What information, tools and techniques did you use
to complete your ‘doors to diplomacy’ project?
We have
used computer, internet. e-mails, camera, tape recorder, libraries and
interviews to make this project.
Software:
·
Microsoft PowerPoint
·
Microsoft word
·
Photoshop
·
HTML
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In person:
§
The group member gave a talk informing the school
about the web project during school assembly.
§
Posters were made and put up in the Psychology lab.
§
Parents and friends were informed about the project
during parent-teacher meet.
§
Survey was conducted on school children to gain
information.
§
Media coverage
§
Interviews
of some of the current leaders
Online: Our web project hopes to create awareness
about the topic. World will be a better, safer and peaceful place only if we
have positive leadership and values.
Unless we
learn what it is, we will be doomed .With the help of this project. We have
opened our doors and we invite you all, to come and peep within.
b) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
The project tried to involve teenagers and the aim was to make them
aware about the concept of leadership. The information about the project was
circulated among schools, students and media and we sincerely hope that
students must have given a thought about the concept… after all it was made by
them and it was for them.
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Our journalist colleague Mrs. Aroma Philomen, commented in the leading
paper The Hindustan Times on the project. It was a proof
that the message has reached to all the people. We managed to interview our
state Mayor Mr. Ashok Parnami, current electricity and right to information
minister M.P., Mr. Kailash Vijayvargiy, Mr. Salil Shetty, Governor of the institute
of Developmental studies in Sussex, council member of the overseas Development
Institute, London, a member of the Advisory Council of the American – Indian
Foundation, New York and many others. Our effort was to stretch our limits and
tried to involve as many people as we could.
Outside our country, we hope if students visit our web project, they will surely have
a better understanding of Indian leadership. It may initiate a similar local project
in their country. If it becomes a chain that would be a dream come true for the
creators.
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c) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers
and volunteers?
Apart
from the core workers, this project could not have been completed without the
help, guidance and good wishes of so many people who valued what we were doing.
To begin with our school principal... Mr. Upendra Kaushik,... Vice-Principal,... Mrs. Priyadarshini Kachchwaha... who gave us this wonderful
opportunity and provided total support. The computer department of our school
especially... Ms. Sabina Franklin who helped us to give a face to what we wanted to
convey on web.
We must
mention all the parents of the team members, who were pleasantly amused to see
our growth from naïve adolescents to politically aware young adults! They
tolerated the long hours of busy telephone lines too. [In India, if people
have computer in the house, it is only one computer and that is linked with the
landline connection. Very few people work on laptops]
We also
have to thank Aradhana, our Project leader’s daughter who found her mother glued
to the net and did not mind a hurried dinner.
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d)
Discoveries, Lessons and
Surprises… HOW did it serve as an eye-opener?
Although
we are very proud of our blooming economy, we know that the political
situation leaves a lot to be desired. We also thought that we have no role to
play and can do nothing about it. But now we know. We can and we have tried! We
have tried to create awareness among people.
We also
never realized that we could use mass media so effectively. Most of us had thought that getting involved in such an
exercise will take its toll on our studies but to our surprise we found that if
we really want to do something, we do manage to find the time.
Contacting
media. taking interviews, selecting and organizing material, long brainstorming
sessions, becoming more computer savvy… it sure was an interesting journey of
self-discovery! Thank you so much for it.