WAR & PEACE - SH SoC

Aug. 26 Tuesday
From 3 pm to 6 pm or beyond the entire SoC staff and students (UG & PG) worked as a team to bring together their explorations on war and... peace! I felt very glad - almost reliving Social Work days, when I used to have such sessions with our students and faculty members.
The student presentations - especially with many of them being first year students of UG programme - were really exceptional.
It's a great learning experience - padam saha brahmacaryebhyah. Learning about oneself, learning with fellow learners, learning from them. This process of group learning should find proportionate space in every discipline. I believe students will relish it, and that will stick to them.
The theme was aptly chosen against the background of the Iraq and Gaza wars. A response of the academic community was a must; and I was feeling uncomfortable that no club, no forum was discussing these issues - then came up the SoC idea.
I believe it was Tennyson who said, 'Ring in a thousand years of peace, ring out a thousand years of war'
I had been of the view that wars are created in the hearts of individuals - the solution should start with peace education. Individuals - future decision makers - learning to live together
However, the crucial question that should be posed is : What is happening to me? What are my positions regarding war? What do I do about it?
Personally, now war has found a place in my daily prayers.
As one group has suggested - there is much of economics in war. From among the listed products that tend to help war(s), at least 'coke' could be avoided. Such products to be boycotted.
Suggestions:
The viewers' opinions/comments could be videographed and made into a document.
The student presentations could go into Digital Library.
A list of books on war could be created, and if not available, could be added to the library.  So too with movies.
Students could learn songs of peace - e.g., Make me a channel of your peace!
While the presentations were very comprehensive I felt impact on 'minorities' and 'environment' was missing. 

RESEARCH - MONSOON MEET 2014

Researchers' Meet:
Sacred Heart's initiated in 2010 a  platform to promote research - Sacred Heart Advanced Research Endeavours - SHARE. The coining was by Dr. M.S. Francis, and I too was party to that collective thinking and coining, and feel happy about that. Since then we have had rather regular researchers' meet - initially, once in a year, and since 2013 twice a year, at least one of which is mandatory for the scholars, with a presentation. The first one is termed Monsoon Meet, and the latter, Winter Meet.  They are peppered with inputs from scholars with expertise in some aspects of research.
This time, 2014 Aug., on a very wet karkidakam day, it Jasimuddeen, impressing one and all with the repertoire of his knowledge in the area of plagiarism in research. There was active participation.
As usual, I had the good fortune, to speak the opening words. My reflections for the day:
1. The progress of SHARE, and the gradual falling in place of a system, with almost 65 scholars in all streams combined.
2. The quote being projected is typical 'inspirational' one: Be a honey bee, and not a spider. Why Not? Why not a spider? The research in spider shows the great significance of the multi-legged spinner, the yarns the result of whose 'search' is now an area of our research. The research community should form a  fellowship of inquiry - with the ever ready tools of 'Why' and 'How' at their disposal.  But the world of innovation and discovery will open before you, once they are familiar with posing the question 'why not' and walk the door that opens before such question.
3. Dr. Francis shared from various newspaper clippings, areas of research being identified in various fields. As a 'seeking community' of wisdom (college motto: a righteous heart seeks after wisdom), we need to develop a habit of sensing matters around us, in the society that are linked to our research, and also the ability to find linkages with the phenomena around and our research.
4. We speak generally about R & D. Research and Development. We research and development will follow. We need to develop research and development will follow. We can be happy that research centres at SH are developing, but never be satisfied about them, as they need to develop further, not merely do research, but bring out results that would enrich the society.
5. In this context, I want to reiterate the significance of developing knowledge in our own mother tongue, while ensuring that we are skilled in presenting our findings in the link language of English. This requires a conscious cultivation of self-esteem as Indians, as Malayalees.
6. The topic of discussion to day, plagiarism, is also a matter of concern for the knowledge seeking community. One part of it is ownership of knowledge. In this connection we speak about 'copy right'.  While integrity demands that we acknowledge knowledge resources, we need to break free from the monopolistic shackles of 'copy right' and perhaps go 'copy left' beginning with ourselves. The beginning is the willingness to share knowledge produced, and not commodifying the same.
7. Lastly, but not the least, I would like to remind all the researchers and the respected guides, that the small measures of ensuring quality have to be followed for promotion in the research programme. The attendance and participation in such academic gatherings are among them, failing which the institution will not feel satisfied with the progress so as to forward their periodical reports to the university.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the source of all wisdom, inspire our fellowship of inquiry!

LEADERSHIP - A MAUNDY THURSDAY REFLECTION

It was just chance that Adv. Noble, our parent, government pleader (assistant/deputy - definitely having higher ambitions), BJP candidate for Kottayam parliamentary seat, and till election PJ Joseph faction member. Perhaps, he did not get a better option. Fr. Prior did not take the phone. The gathering was a strange fit - all BJP candidates or leaders of the locality. The district president, Mr. Thomas was there, also the stalwart candidate of Ernakulam, AN Radhakrishnan, former MLA candidate Raju, one of the sitting councillors of Kochi etc.

However, it gave me an opportunity to reflect on leadership against the passover celebrations.

On this day of Jesus' example of washing of the feet and institution of the Holy Eucharist, 3 types of leadership can be identified (the last two - indebted to Fr. Kariyil - Thiruvayassu).
1. Leadership that identifies the victim - വിരൽ ചൂണ്ടുന്ന നേതൃത്വം
Typical of Caiphas who points out and says, it is better that one dies for all. Easily adapted model in political circles. The potential martyrs and victims are identified, and created, so that the party survives.

2. Leadership that washes one's hands off responsibility (കൈ കഴുകുന്ന നേതൃത്വം)
We see this model with Pilate - who gives the verdict, does the work, but is unwilling to take the moral responsibility. However, this happens in collusion with a group, rather a 'crowd' or 'mob' which is willing to take up the responsibility, with no 'prick of conscience'. They clamour in some degree of inebriation, 'let that be on us and our children'.  The so-called quotation teams of the present mafiadom is that part of the leadership. They take up the task of annihilation and arranges for people who would own responsibility, while the real culprits, wash their hands off.

3. Leadership that washes the feet (കാൽ കഴുകുന്ന നേതൃത്വം) - Servant Leadership
Presented by Jesus. which ensures sustainability of relationships. This has to happen in every human relationship - family, faith-places and workplaces.

The political leadership aspirants have 'minister-ship' as their top level goal (if not ultimate). However, seldom, the meaning of this verb and noun, is known to them - a position implying service (ശുശ്രൂഷ). Jesus asks his disciples to wash each other's feet. If this happens among the political leadership, there would be no split, the parties would be very strong.
As a leader Jesus, shares his resources, shares his life (symbolized in the sharing of bread and wine), sacrifices his life (for the cause) and calls his followers 'friends'. The communists come closer in the last aspect, they call each other 'comrades'; however, there are always 'more equal' comrades.

As a leader, Jesus experienced his followers - disciples - friends, quite away from his spirit - power craving, sleeping (partners), show off of loyalty (ready to take up arms), deserting and denying.

For leadership to be successful, it is important that the leader is clear of the greater goal, and the followers share that. Jesus succeeded in this, by having a clear goal of 'God's Reign' - Kingdom of God. That is very pertinent today when we speak of good governance, in a very religious and faith led nation, in spite of its diversity in that respect.
A person who had a similar vision was Mahatma Gandhi, who considered 'sarvodayam' as his ultimate goal. An all inclusive development.
However, today's leadership is more concerned with sharing the crumbs with those of one's exclusive circles - thus people who wag their tail and flatter the leaders, get the crumbs, in terms of directorship, chairmanship, pilot vehicles, government vehicle, pensions etc.

Jesus' leadership was a 'welcoming' leadership - Don't hinder them, let them come! It was a leadership which demanded doing beyond what is demanded, hence 'walking the extra mile', giving without expecting (votes).

Let that leadership inspire us today!