We the 375 delegates of Alumni/ae
associations from different corners of India with the support of delegates
from Nepal gathered at the Second National Congress of Jesuit alumni/ae
in Calcutta from 22-24 January, 1999 hereby declare that we wish to follow
up the report of this Congress and the spirit of Jesuit alumni/ae with
the following resolutions and recommendations.
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Education and Reaching Out :
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Focus should not only be on competence but on developing
‘good citizenship’ in its totality. Students need to internalize deeply
core values. Alumni/ae who have lived their lives successfully as good
citizens should be honoured and be made the ‘role models’ for the young
people who are in our institutions. Moral Science as a subject needs to
be reviewed, re-examined and re-vitalized in the curriculum.
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Programs on developing confidence and courage, leadership
and the skills of impacting on society need to be offered to the students.
Also the idea that there are many areas that can offer growth and satisfaction
(including self employment, teaching etc.) and not only the current, socially
approved ones. Programs on Empowerment of Women definitely need implementation.
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In order to reach the underprivileged, we could seriously
consider more vernacular schools. If the objective is serious and
the will is there, we CAN do it. Also, more schools aimed directly
at the underprivileged - run by Alumni/ae (who could also be encouraged
to give back to society in other ways e.g. ‘Each one teach one’).
Growing communalism and fundamentalism are a harsh reality.
Given the ‘culture of silence’ of the educated classes, immediate actions
are needed to counteract these destructive forces. Some suggestions are
:
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Use of Media to share the truth, e.g. ‘Jesuits DO NOT
convert.’ Media means TV, radio, press, seminars, meetings etc. Every opportunity
should be used to remind people what being an INDIAN truly means.
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Encourage Alumni/ae to take up Public Life, be it politics
or the Public Services (IAS, IPS etc.)
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Actively intervene to combat communalism through public
meetings, signature campaigns or using available public forums.
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Consciously utilizing resources :
The National Federation itself has the potential of
being a powerful resource in all the above. If we - in a deliberate, planned
and strategic way - identify the Alumni/ae available to us (including those
who are today not so active) we will have a vast variety of intellect and
skills with which to carry out the above actions.
Furthermore, we could network with other Institutions
/ Associations / NGOs who are like minded in order to ensure that the culture
of silence turns into a loud voice of reason.
Whilst doing all these, it will be important to be groomed
in the core values and ensure the process of continuous self searching.
We cannot let our spirit become militant and adversarial for what would
defeat our very purpose.
We feel confident
that our dream will become a reality.
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