Dr.$Perry$Devanesan!Associate$Professor$of$HRM!

St.$Joseph�s$College!Tiruchirapalli$–$620$002,$India.$perrydnesan@hotmail.com$

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Message&Extract!from!�IF!YOU!WANT!PEACE,!PROTECT!CREATION�!!

Message$of$His$Holiness$$$ Pope$Benedict$XVI$$For!the!Celebration!of!the!WORLD!DAY!OF!PEACE,!1!January,!2010!!

&Pope&Benedict&XVI…&�…I#would#advocate#the#adoption#of#a#model#of#development#based&on&the&centrality&of&the& human&person,# on# the# promotion# and#shar ing# o f# the# common# good ,# on#responsibility,# on# a# realization# of# our# need#for#a#changed#lifestyle,#and#on#prudence,#the#virtue#which# tells# us#what# needs# to# be# done#today# in# view# of# what# might# happen#tomorrow.�#

Pope&Benedict&XVI&…& �A# sustainable# comprehensive#management# of# the#environment# and# the# resources# of# the# planet#demands# that# human# intelligence# be# directed# to#technological# and# scientific# research# and# its#practical# applications…# in# shaping# our# efforts# to#protect# creation# through# a# better# internationally#coordinated#management#of#the#earth�s#resources,#particularly#today,#when#there&is&an&increasingly&clear& link& between& combating& environmental&degradation& and& promoting& an& integral&human& development.# These# two# realities# are#inseparable#…�!!

Development&As&Freedom&Development!is!primarily!and!essentially!a!process!of!transformation!concerning!people!–!their!freedom,!well!being,!resources!and!quality!of!life!!

�Freedom!is!the!principal!tool!as!well!as!the!ultimate!goal!of!development�.!

! !Prof.!Amartya!Sen:!!#############@#Development#As#Freedom##

In&essence&…&In!essence,!development!should!ensure:!!!an!adequate!livelihood!!that!does!not!at!the!same!time!imply!any!tradeQoff!!

in!terms!of!human!freedom!and!dignity!!as!well!as!environmental!sustainability.!

Human&Interven=on& Development!is!mediated!primarily!by!human!intervention.!!

In!the!context!of!developing!/poor!countries!where!the!divide!between!the!elite!and!the!masses!is!particularly!pronounced!on!the!traditional!(hierarchies)!and!modern!dimensions!(access!to!information,!technology),!

Such!human!intervention!on!the!part!of!those!privileged!with!better!educational!and!career!choices!is!indispensable!for!development.!

Techno@human&Approach…&Making!development!sustainable,!calls!for!a!technoQhuman!approach.!!

Therefore!a!livelihood!that!is!sustainable!and!which!ensures!human!freedom!and!dignity!needs!to!be!initiated!through!human!interventions!!

And!!educational!institutions!have!a!moral!obligation!to!partner!in!this!task!…!

Men&and&women&for&and&with&others!& Students!pursuing!higher!education!have!the!obligation!to!make!their!academic!knowledge!relevant!to!the!sustainable!development!of!their!immediate!neighborhood,!to!begin!with.!!

The!role!of!Jesuit!schools,!colleges!and!universities!in!this!regard!is!immense!and!the!responsibility!is!a!nonQnegotiable!component!of!the!Jesuit!system!of!education!as!it!proposes!to$prepare$men$and$women$for$and$with$others.$

Media=ng&Sustainable&Development&This! presentation! attempts! to! describe! the!success! story! of! the! student! –! faculty! –!people!experiment!and!experience,!!

In! mediating! sustainable! development! and!livelihood!through!Service!Learning,!!

As! practiced! ! over! the! last! 25! years! at! St.!Joseph�s! College,! Tiruchirapalli,! India,! a!Jesuit! institution! of! the! Madurai! Province,!in!South!India.!

The&SHEPHERD&Model&of&Service&Learning& Science$and$Humanities$for$People�s$Development!–!abbreviated!as!�SHEPHERD��(being!!for!and!with)is!the!Service!Learning!program!of!St.!Joseph�s$College,!!

The!SHEPHERD!is!integrated!as!a!mandatory!curricular!requirement!for!every!student!and!for!every!course!including!professional!courses!like!BBA,!MBA,!MCA!and!MA!(HRM),!!

Pioneered!and!successfully!carried!out!at!St.!Joseph�s!College!over!the!past!25!years!(since!1985)!with!encouraging!results.!

Partners&for&Sustainable&Empowerment& The! SHEPHERD! coordinates! the! involvement! of!the! staff! and! students! from! each! Department! in!partnership! with! the! neighborhood! communities!and!their!leaders,!

! Towards! ensuring! the! empowerment! of! the!adopted! village! communities! (84)! through!sustainable! livelihood!initiatives!supported!by!the!specific! knowledge! and! skills! pertaining! to! each!discipline.!!

Two&way&learning!&The! SHEPHERD! also! facilitates! two!way! learning! experience! whereby! the!students! also! learn! from! the! village!communities,!

By! way! of! human! values,! practical!knowledge,! healthy! indigenous!practices! including! community! living,!social!concern!and!solidarity.!!

Objec=ves& To! create! a! sense! of! social! concern! and!responsibility! among! the! students! and! to! inspire!them! to! be! men! and! women! for! others! in! the!service!of!the!needy,!

! To! challenge! the! students! and! the! faculty! to!transfer! any! aspect! of! knowledge! and! technology!in! the! sciences! or! humanities! to! the! rural!communities!as!source!of!sustainable!development!and!livelihood,!

Objec=ves&…& To! provide! a! systematic! interface! opportunity!between! the!people!and! the!academic!coomunity!for!mutual!learning!and!enrichment,!!

To!educate!students!to!be!effective!agents!of!social!change!and!transformation,!and!

To! promote! responsible! citizenship! and!community! leadership! among! students! and! the!rural! communities! in! the! service! of! nation!building!

!

UNIQUENESS& Application!of!Department!/!Discipline!specific!knowledge$and$skills$and$integrated$with$curriculum!

$Liaison!between!the!rural!communities!and!the!local!government!/!development!agencies!

Assimilation$of$the$ethos$and$the$values!of!the!rural!people!!

Molding!of!students!as!future!citizens!–!competent,!compassionate!and!committed!Q!in!the!�social$laboratory�!!

Uniqueness&…&Networking$of$the$various$service$organizations!in!the!college!

The!formation$of!positive$attitudes!regarding!social!responsibility!and!solidarity!!

Carrying!curricular!credits!including!additional!credits!and!awards!of!excellence!for!voluntary!additional!hours!

The&SHEPHERD&Area&Spread$over$84$villages$in$six$Blocks!with!an!overall!population!of!65,$000!

Of!three!districts!(Tiruchirappalli,!Karur!and!Pudukkottai)!in!the!neighborhood!

Involving!a!student!population!of!5,200.!Structured$on$�One$Class$–$One$Village�$approach$

!

Three&Stage&Structure&Stage&@&I&$ Stage$I:$OneWday$Initiation$Visit$$ !!!Socialization!&!familiarization!!!!With!the!people/place/!!!!!route/transport!etc!!!!For!the!entire!class!of!students.!!

Stage&@&II&Stage$II:$3WDay$LiveWinWCamp$LiveQin!experience,!direct!interaction,!data!collection!&!analysis,!!

Formation!of!functional!groups,!!Target!fixing!and!!Designing!action!plans!!

Stage&@&III&$ Stage$III:$WeekWend$Group$Visits$$Carry!forward!to!achieve!targets,!!Guided!by!the!Faculty!&!the!SHEPHERD!Coordinators.!

Transfer!of!academic!knowledge!and!skills.!

The&SHEPHERD&Coordinators&Assist!and!facilitate:!!! instructing,!accompanying,!coordinating,!monitoring!and!assessing.!

Review!the!reflections!and!feedback!as!recorded!by!the!students!in!the!Log!Book!

And!approve!/!validate!the!activities!and!the!number!of!hours!engaged.!!

The&SHEPHERD&Team& The!Program!is!managed!by!a!Director!and!9!Coordinators!in!collaboration!with!the!Department.!(Head!&!Faculty)!

This!team!plans!the!SHEPHERD!activities!semester!wise!for!every!Department!at!the!beginning!of!the!academic!year,!

With!emphasis!on!integrating!specific!academic!knowledge!and!skills!

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MAJOR&&ACTIVITIES&!& 1$Education:!!Literacy!program,!study!centre,!nonQformal!education,!supplementary!programs!for!school!children,!!

! 2$Skill$Training$for$Self$Employment:!Projects!to!train!rural!youth!and!women!in!computer!skills!&!office!management!!utilizing!the!college!resources!and!infrastructure.!

MAJOR&&ACTIVITIES&…& 3$Income$generation$initiatives;$Providing!training!and!for!SHGs,!promoting!micro!credits,!micro!insurance,!micro!enterprises,!training!in!basic!managerial!skills,!household!budgeting,!marketing,!investing,!banking!etc!

4$Environment:!En!masse!tree!plantation,!environmental!education,!sanitation!awareness!campaigns,!organic!farming!(bioQfertilizers!and!bio!pesticides,!herbal!garden)!!

MAJOR&&ACTIVITIES&…& 5$Health$&$Hygiene:!Organizing!Medical!Camps,!Health!Education,!Immunization,!Population!Education,!HIV/AIDS!Awareness!…!!

6$Promoting$People�s$Organizations:!Youth,!Farmers,!SHGs,!CoQoperatives,!Agricultural!laborers,!leadership!training!for!youth,!disseminating!information!on!welfare!schemes…!

7$Liaison:$Collaborating!with!Government!agencies!as!well!as!NGOs!at!the!local!and!national!levels.!

!IN!COLLABORATION!WITH!…!& The$Singapore$International$Foundation,$Singapore$ Department$of$Science$&$Technology,$Govt.$of$India,$ Ministry$of$Environment$&$Forests,$Govt.$of$India$ Tamil$Nadu$State$Council$for$Science$and$Technology$ Tamil$Nadu$Corporation$for$Development$of$Women$ Tamil$Nadu$Social$Welfare$Board,$Chennai$ Bharathidasan$University,$Tiruchirapalli$

Achievements&…!& 1.$Total$Literacy!$ 2825!people!were!made!literate!under!Mass$Program$in$Functional$Literacy$(MPFL)!and!Total$Literacy$Campaign!

2.$Computer$Literacy!$ 301$teachers$were$trained!in$computer$literacy!and!teaching!learning!activities!in!50!villages!covering!45!schools!(primary,!middle,!high!and!higher!secondary)!and!11751!students.!

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4.!Young!Student!Scien;sts!Program!(YSSP)&& 300$school$students!(150!boys!and!150!girls)!drawn!from!two!districts,!were!trained!in!basic!sciences!under!the!YSSP!conducted!over!a!period!of!six!years.!!

!! The!project!was!supported!by!Ministry$of$HRD$and$Department$of$Science$and$Technology,$New$Delhi,$TNSCST,!Chennai.!

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3.!Rural!Schools!Science!Exhibi;on&& 35,000$rural$school$students$benefited!under!Rural!Schools!Science!Exhibition!in!7$places$covering$5$blocks$in$3$districts.!!!

! !Supported!by!Tamil$Nadu$State$Council$for$Science$and$Technology$(TNSCST),$Chennai$and$Department$of$Science$and$Technology,$New$Delhi.!

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&!5.!Applica;on!of!Science!and!Technology!!!!!!!to!Rural!Area!(ASTRA)&!

7!000!people!of!seven!hamlets!in!Vadaseri!Panchayat!(Block)were!trained!under!the!Application!of!Science!and!Technology!to!Rural!Area!

! Supported$by$Tamil$Nadu$State$Council$for$Science$and$Technology,$Chennai.!

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!&6.!Environmental!Awareness&& 75,000$people!including!youth,!women,!SHGs,!students,!teachers,!elected!members!in$100$villages!were!trained!in!Environmental!Awareness!and!Action!Oriented!activities!(5!villages!per!year!in!six!blocks!of!three!districts)!over!the!past!20!years,!!

Supported!by!the!Ministry!of!Environment!and!Forests,!Govt.!of!India.!

1,25,000$saplings$distributed$in$75$villages!under!the!community!forest!program.!

7.!Promo;on!of!Rural!Health!and!!!!!!Herbal!Medicine& A!three!acre!Central$Herbal$Garden$has!been!established!and!as!many!as!354$rare$medicinal$species$have!been!raised,!

And!2500!people!(college!youth!and!women,!members!from!government!department!and!NGOs!and!rural!SHGs)!were!trained!in!the!preparation!of!herbal!medicines.!

Domestic$Herbal$Gardens!have!been!initiated!in!25$villages$with!the!support!of!students!and!village!community!especially!the!women.!

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8.!Training!for!Self!Employment!&&400!rural!youth!including!women!were!trained!in!computer!application,!office!management!and!artificial!gem!polishing.!

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!The!program!was!supported$by$State$and$Central$Social$Welfare$Boards,$and!Tamil$Nadu$Women$Development$Corporation.!

!!!!!9.!Panchayat!(Block)!Resource!Informa;on!System!

(PARIS)&& In!Thayanur!Panchayat!(Block)!around!5000$families!have!been!organized!under!the!Panchayat!Resource!Information!System!(PARIS)!!

! In!collaboration!with!the!Department$of$Geology$&$Remote$Sensing,$Bharathidasan$University!supported!by!the!Tamil$Nadu$State$Council$for$Science$and$Technology,$Chennai.!

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!10.!Promo;on!of!People�s!Associa;ons&&261$Self$Help$Groups$(SHGs)$$$With$3662$members$(mostly$women)!have!been!established!

!!In!72$villages!of!29!panchayats!(Blocks).!!

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!ONWGOING!PROJECTS!!& 1.!Science$Popularization$Programs,!sponsored!by!the!

TN!Statement!Council!for!Science!and!Technology,!Chennai!and!the!National!Council!for!Science!and!Technology!Communications,!New!Delhi.!

2.!!Women$Development$and$Entrepreneurship$Skill$Training$Programs,!sponsored!by!the!TN!Corporation!for!Development!of!Women!Ltd,!Chennai.!

3.!National$Environmental$Awareness$Campaign$on$Climatic$Change,!supported!by!the!Ministry!of!Environment!and!Forests,!New!Delhi.!!

The&End&Result&…&Students!are!guided!into!experimenting!and!experiencing!the!social!relevance!of!their!knowledge!and!skills!in!mediating!patterns!of!livelihood!that!synchronize!with!a!sustainable!environment.!!

This!experience!gained!from!interacting!with!people!brings!about!a!lasting!positive!impact!on!the!values,!attitudes!and!life!style!of!students.!!

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ACTIVITIES!OF!MBA!STUDENTS&& Opening!a!Community!Library!in!a!village!with!100!books!(to!start!with)!

Spreading!Computer!Literacy!among!school!children!and!self!help!group!members,!

Promoting!marketing!strategies!for!micro!enterprises,!!

Bringing!about!an!awareness!on!accounts!keeping,!household!budgeting,!saving,!investing,!banking!etc!

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REFLECTIONS!OF!MBA!STUDENTS!…!!(FROM!THEIR!LOG!BOOKS)& The!SHEPHERD!Service!Learning!Program!has!instilled!in!me!the!value!of!solidarity!with!the!people!and!with!environment!and!I!am!proud!to!be!identified!as!a!socially!committed!manager.!

I!have!begun!to!be!concerned!about!the!problems!faced!by!the!village!people.!

As!I!am!the!only!child!(daughter)!to!my!parents,!I!feel!lonely!most!of!the!time.!In!the!village!I!saw!happiness!everywhere!and!there!was!no!�ego�!in!their!hearts.!I!love!that!village!and!I!will!also!be!like!that!in!my!life.!

We!shed!our!egos!and!readily!volunteered!for!any!work.!!

• I am glad to be part of this service - learning program and I have learned self- confidence and hard work from the village people • I have learned to live and work in a team. • I have learned time management in practice. • In living with the people, I have learned the art of living in contentment even with limited resources and facilities.

• This program initiates us to the understanding and practice of corporate social responsibility. • All the three days� experience in the village enhanced my attitudes regarding adaptability, adjustability and the art of conversing with people. • I have realized the importance of goal setting and goal achievement through effective planning and team work.

• I could see the possibilities as well as the practical difficulties in starting and sustaining micro enterprises. • I learnt how to work in a team and how to tackle a situation. • I learnt the value of hard work and I have seen how people are able to live happily even with minimum resources.

• Planting of fruit saplings, herbal medicine awareness, vermi compost preparation, • Arranging bank loans for SHGs, • Organizing training program for farmers, milk producers� cooperative, • Conducting computer literacy program to school children, starting a village library ... • All these small initiatives represent our social responsibility even as business students

• We could help the people to identify the various alternatives and choices available before taking a decision • Helping the people to see a problem from various perspectives / dimensions • I developed listening skills and the skills of data collection • I understood that development is basically the development of people (HRD) • Functioning as link between the people and the developmental agencies especially the local government is a great experience in public relations

• I realized that I am also responsible for the development of the rural people • Learnt how we can live with minimum facility and without the unnecessary luxuries of city life. • Learnt to share, to adjust, to live away from home and its comforts; realized the value of even one rupee! • I got a better insight into my social responsibility as MBA student.

Proposed!Ac;vi;es!& Rural$Study$Centre$for$84$Villages$–!!! Survey,!enumeration,!reQadmission,!Supply!of!Notebooks,!Teaching!Aids!and!School!Uniform,!and!Special!coaching.!!

! Budget!estimate:!Rs.!100,!000! School$Support$Program$$ Science!popularization!for!higher!secondary!school!students!and!teachers!in!10!schools!!

Budget!estimate:!Rs.!75,!000!

Proposed!Ac;vi;es!& School!Support!Program!for!25!middle!schools!(demonstration!and!hands!on!experience)!!

! Budget!estimate:!Rs.!100,!000!$ Environmental$Awareness$Seminar$on$Global$Warming$and$Climatic$Change$$for!teachers,!students!and!rural!people!in!50$villages$ !!Budget!estimate:!Rs.!100,!000!

Proposed!Ac;vi;es& En&masse&Tree$Plantation$in!50$villages,!Nursery!raising!Q!!Quick!Growing!Trees,!Community!Plantations!in!Common!land!and!Temple!Lands!

! !Budget!estimate:!Rs.!100,!000! Herbal$Medicine$Q!Training!in!Pharmacy,!Identification!and!Conservation!of!Medicinal!Herbs,!Village!Level!Herbal!Gardens!in!25$villages,$Budget!estimate:!Rs.!75,!000!

Proposed!Ac;vi;es& Computer$Literacy$$Q!10$High$Schools$Training!school!Students!and!Teachers!in!Computer,!Provision!of!Computers!etc!

! !Budget!estimate:!Rs.!150,!000! Skill$Training$for!Rural!Youth!and!Women!SHGs!–!Entrepreneurship,!Rural!Marketing,!Consumer!Awareness,!BioQfertilizer!and!VermiQComposting,!Assembling!and!Servicing!of!Emergency!Lamp,!FM/AM,!DTP!and!Cell!Phone!Service !!Budget!estimate:!Rs.!250,!000!

Proposed!Ac;vi;es& Documentation,$Office$Assistance,$Conveyance,$Training$Personnel$etc.$

! !Budget!estimate:!Rs.!50,!000!

Total$$budget:$Rs.$10,$00,$000$$ (Rupees!Ten!lakhs!/!One!million!!only)!!

Conclusion& The! SHEPHERD! Service! Learning! Program! is!more! than!a!set!of!activities;! it! is! in! fact!a!vision,!value!and!option!for!transformation.!!

It! is! an! education,! experiment! and! experience! in!solidarity! with! and! responsibility! for! people! and!environment.!!

As! such,! the! program! is! profoundly! human,!Christian!and! Jesuit! as! regards! its! concept,!value,!content!and!methodology.!!

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•The minimum requirements of the program only serve as the entry point and there are instances of students voluntarily engaged for longer duration (up to 200 hours!) and forging long term relationship with the village community. •The experience makes a strong impact on the students, challenging and transforming their values, priorities and options.

An#Invita)on#…!# This! Jesuit! venture! obviously! needs! and! deserves!to! be! encouraged,! supported! and! sustained! and!therefore!!

! I!am!happy!to!propose!an!open!invitation!to!all!the!honorable$delegates$of$the$16th$IAJBS$and!!

! The! representatives! of! NGOs! and! other! such!agencies!assembled!here!at!the!Ateneo!de!Manila,!

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To consider the possibi l i t ies of collaboration with the SHEPHERD Service Learning Program of St. Joseph�s College, (abroad service learning program …) and Become partners in promoting this unique experiment and experience of solidarity with people and nature.

Sugges=ons&are&Welcome!& It! is! hoped! that! the! SHEPHERD! Service!Learning!model!could!mutatis#mutandis!be!adopted!by!all!Jesuit!business!schools!to!suit!to! local! situations! and! the! success! stories!shared.!

Your! valuable! suggestions! and! ideas! to!further!fine! tune!The!SHEPHERD!are!most!welcome.!

#For#further#informa)on#kindly#contact#…&& Rev.$Dr.$R.$Rajarathinam$SJ,!!! Principal,!St.!Joseph�s!College!(Autonomous),!! Tiruchirapalli!–!620!002,!INDIA!!EQmail:!rajasjcppal@gmail.com!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!info@mail.sjctni.edu!!! Phone:!+91!431!4226376,!Fax:!0431!2701501! Dr.$P.$Devanesan,!!!EQmail:!perrydnesan@hotmail.com!!