Curriculum Vitae

 

Name :  Siddhartha.
Current address: Pipal Tree, Fireflies ashram, Dinnepalya, Kagalipura P.O., Bangalore-560062.
Permanent address: 139/9 Domlur Layout , Bangalore-560071.
Email: sidd@vsnl.com

Date of birth: 17th March 1948.

Languages spoken: English, French, Hindi,Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada.

 

Academic profile:
B.A. ( Bachelor of Arts) in English Literature, Madras University. 1969
BGL. (Bachelor of General Law), Madras University. 1974
M.A. Social Anthropology ( Diplome de Ecole des Hautes Etudes), Paris. 1980
DEA. Social anthropology. ( Diplome des Etudes Approfondies) Paris.1982

Theses submitted to Ecoles des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris.

  1. Study of the changes in inter-caste relations as a result of the impact of the international fishing industry in a Tamil village in South India. 1980
  2. Study of the development of an Unotuchable ( Dalit) caste social movement in Maharashtra. 1982

Books published:

  1. Lettres du Ganges ( in French), published by L’Aube, Paris, 2001
  2. The Birdwoman, Dronequill publishers, Bangalore, 2002.
  3. Private but Public, The Third Sector in Latin America, By Rueben Ceasar Fernandes), Edited and Introduced by Siddhartha. Civicus and Network Cultures, 1994, Bangalore,
  4. Kabir is back, a comic book on inter-religious harmony, published by Pipal Tree, 2002
  5. Singing in the Prison Shower, ( Life in a Chilean Prison)edited and introduced by Siddhartha, Pipal Tree publications.
  6. Edited and introduced book on Religion and Social Liberation, published by Asian Cultural Forum for Development, Bangkok, 1994.

 

Articles published in books:

  1. Saris and Men (Indian  Male attitudes to women),  by Siddhartha in book  Masculinities and Womens empowerment, edited by  Bob Pease( Zed Books,  

      London) 1999.

  1. Cultural Renewal in India, in Religion ands counter-culture. edited by  Ajit Murickan and Philip Mathew.
  2. Gandhi and Ambedkar, in Images of Asia, Edited by D.R.Nagaraj,  Asian Cultural Forum for Development, Bangkok, 1991.  

Poems published in Bread and Breath, Edited by T.K.John,, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash,          
            India, 1990.

 

Articles published in newspapers and journals; media activities:

  1. Over fifty articles published in leading Indian newpapers like the Hindu, The

      Indian express, Deccan Herald and journals like Humanscape ( Mumbai),             
      (Rome), Butterfly Futures (Bangalore), Caravan (Paris). 

  1. Editor of the Journal Butterfly Future, Bangalore,  an international journal on development issues   

      and social movements.

        -    Coordinated the international network of journalists The Transforming Word, from 1998 to 2001.

Teaching experience:

  1. taught for  eight years ( 1975-83) as a faculty member of INODEP-International       ( an international institute of  Development education founded by Paulo Freire) Paris.
  2. taught an Alternative Education course for five years (1976 to 1981) at the Development Studies Course, Kimmage Manor, Dublin.
  3. taught courses on  Devlopment Education at the United Nations University, Tokyo in 2003 and 2004.
  4. Taught  Critical Education at the annual Development Training Course organized by the Institute for Cultural Research and Action , Bangalore, 1980 to 1985.
  5. Lectured at the Five college seminar, “Betond Paulo Freire”, University of Massachussets, Northhampton, 1999.
  6. Lectured at Ramapo College, New Jersey on ‘Paulo Freire’s Method of Education’, 1999.
  7. Lectured at University of Valladolid, Spain, 2004.
  8. Lectured at Bangalore University, on Dalits and Alternative Paradigm of Devlopment, Ambedkar Bhavan, 2001.

 

Other lectures and training sessions

  1. Given talks at International workshops on the theme of Culture and   

      Development at:
       -   Asian Cultural Forum on Devlopment , Bangkok, each year from 1980 to 2000.

  1. Given talks on the theme of Cultures and Development at two international conferences organized by Asian Rainbow, Manila.
  2. Lectured in Tokyo on Culture and Ecology in 1999 at a Conference organized by Environment Plan 2000.
  3. Conducted training sessions in the Paulo Freire methodology of Alternative Education at INODEP-Paris from 1976 to 2003.
  4. Conducted training sessions in the Paulo Freire methodology of Alternative education at training sessions in Nepal, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, France, Belgium, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and  Seirra Leone.
  5. Was the co-director of the 3 month semester programme organized by Ramapo College, New Jersey in 2003.
  6. Was the co-director of one month study abroad programmes for Amereican Academics and students in India in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

 

Key responsibilities.

  1. International coordinator of Inodep International , Paris, founded by the educationist Paulo Freire 

       ( 1980-82)

  1. Asian Coordinator on Inodep International, Paris, (1976-80).
  2. Founder board member and  Asian Coordinator of South North Network Cultures and Development, Brussels ( 1982 to 2003)
  3. Founder board member of Asian Rainbow, Manila, concerned with Religions, Peace and Conflict Resolution.
  4. Founder of well known NGO’s in India like Institute for Cultural Research and Action  ( training for development) 1981;  Foundational for Educational innovations in India (Fedina), which has over twenty field programmes in the villages of South India, 1982; and Pipal Tree, an organization that is concerned with culture, education , and civil society.
  5. Member of the international committee of World Social Forum, 2002.
  6. Organised the first international meeting of the World Social Forum in India  ( Bangalore) in 2002.
  7. Founder and Director of the international cultural research centre, Fireflies, located outside the Southern city of Bangalore. www.fire-flies.net