After almost a year of reviewing our strategic plan for social training in the light of our experience visiting different parts of India, and through discussion with the newly formed alumni association, we decided to modify considerably our approach. We decided to establish a Nagaloka Fellowship programme to help prepare alumni to understand, engage and work with the increasingly complex social changes that are taking place. It provides access to and insight into the issues and questions concerning the socio-economic issues of marginalized and discriminated communities. Its individual components include:
- Workshops – to understand Human and Economic Rights
- Exposure – Short term social engagement project in various sectors
- Exchange – Interstate and community engagement among fellows.
With the funds available we decided to take four fellows from five Indian states for a year. Fellowship applications were invited and by end of September 80 forms were received from 14 States. We agreed to the following states for the first year – Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. A small stipend is being given to each of the twenty fellows.
