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SUNDERBAN ADIBASHI MUNDA MOHILA SOMOBAY SOMITI Ltd.

Year: 02 SSSAAAMMMMMMSSSSSS NNNEEEWWWSSSLLLEEETTTTTTEEERRR Number: 08 Place: Jisur Nam Ashram Date: 31-08-2015

Dear readers, here on the first page we put for your convenience just the

BREAKING NEWS! Please also read the full contents of our eighth Newsletter of 2015!

Memorable speech delivered by Ms. Nilima Munda in the occasion of the International Day of the Indigenous People (August 9, 2015).

In a meeting with development workers among the tribal Munda people of the Sunderban Forest, practical aspects of the guidelines proposed by Nilima Munda in her Speech were discussed in a propositional way.

Afforestation and renovations in

JisurNam Ashram. Two new guests

gave a hand.

Replacement staff during the trip to EXPO 2015 of three lucky ladies of SAAMMS which are ready for leaving to Italy.

Comments, advice and suggestions about our Newsletter are welcome and can be sent to

mundaland@gmail.com

Our Newsletters are online at

http://issuu.com/munda.education.centre.bd

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2015 International Tribal Day

The Ninth of August is a very important day for the indigenous

community scattered around the world. Also the tribal Munda people of

the Sunderban Forest celebrate that day with due solemnity. Every year a

special theme is fixed by the UNO (United Nations Organization). The

theme of this year was: Ensuring good health and well being to all indigenous people. Ms. Nilima Munda, SAMMSS Directress, delivered a very important Speech on this theme telling the audience the various

guidelines to be followed to reach that goal.

Location: Zila Shilpokola Academy, Satkhira.

Nilima Munda speaking in front of the Authorities and a large audience.

At the bottom of this Newsletter you find the full text of the Speech in

Bengali and relevant summary (care of Fr. Luigi Paggi) in Italian and

English, and a press release by SAMS (in Bengali).

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Meeting with development workers

On August 28, 2015, a very important meeting was arranged at Jisur Nam

Ashram to discuss the guidelines of the Speech delivered by Nilima

Munda. Around 15 educated young people (boys and girls) were present.

First of all and the following agreement was reached: overall development

of the Munda people can be done only by the Munda themselves.

Father Luigi took part in the Meeting. Location: Jusur Nam Ashram.

Then, during the meeting, also this important decision was taken: all the

tribal Munda people will be invited to join the Health Insurance

Scheme. Minoti Munda (in the red circle) will be in charge of this project.

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Finally, showing us some pictures taken with his computer, Father Luigi

spoke about the correlation between two points of Nilimas Speech (also see the Summary):

(Third tip) Take advantage of information technology and communication to be well-educated and skilled.

(Fourth tip) Munda should voice their concerns by themselves, otherwise those to ensure the development of their own life will

remain just words on paper.

Stack for SAMMSS

at M.E.C. Library on ISSU.

We started in January 2014 to publish our Newsletter, of which Chompa and

Chandona write the plain text. Usually

from Satkhira or Khulna, where he can

find a broad band connection to the

Internet, Fr. Luigi sends to our Italian

friends Dino Kaka and his wife Lella

Kaki both text and relevant pictures to be

edited, and to be put online on ISSUU. We can only watch our own

Newsletter when Fr. Luigi can download

it into his computer: hard copies would

be too expensive. We watch the screen.

From Jisur Nam Ashram at present it is

practically impossible for us to connect to

the Internet, and in any case we have no

hardware, no software, and no skill like

that of Dino and Lella, of course.

They also produce since many years

movies about our Tribe to be put on

YouTube, and take care of the page of

Mundaland on Facebook.

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The page of Mundaland on Facebook.

Example of a movie on YouTube

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For most of us, it was quite impossible at first to understand what Fr. Luigi

was talking about in the meeting, and later he had also to help us in

writing this note filled with so many technological terms!

Anyway, we understood that Internet and Social Network are since long a

reality in any developed country.

So we, the Munda Tribe, must at first learn to voice our concerns

by ourselves, not only in our language, but also in English.

Soon or later technology will arrive.

Quoting the Conclusion of Nilimas Speech: It 's like when you have to pull out of the mud a mired car: you have to pull it from the front while

pushing it from behind. For that of Munda, it is desirable that the

Government will pull, and Tribals push.

One of us asked Fr. Luigi: That all seems so far to be reached! Will we ever have a chance?.

Minoti Munda in 2011

The answer came from

Minoti, who recalled her

own experience when she

was the speaker on August

9, 2011 in the same place

than that of this year. But

in 2011 the Government

forbade the Authorities to

attend the program for

celebrating the Tribal Day

in Satkhira! Actually in

2015 Nilima spoke in front

of the Authorities!

So, in just four-five years,

the Munda of the Sunderban Forest made a big step forward. Isnt it? Lets go ahead, trying harder!

Fr. Luigi did agree upon Minotis good answer.

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Afforestation in JisurNam Ashram compound

The rainy season in Bangladesh is the most suitable season for

afforestation, that is planting new trees. From Chuknagar, the previous

Mission of Fr. Luigi, we got 150 meogoni gacher chara free of cost. Our farmer will plant them, and within 7-8 years those trees will be a very

valuable asset.

Our meogoni gacher chara ready to be planted. We are not able to translate, but the picture is self-explanatory!

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Renovations

Following architect Elia and his friend engineer Fabios advice, a tin roof has been placed on the two new buildings. In this way the two new

buildings should be long-lasting, and moreover plenty of rain water will be

harvested.

The tin is placed over the roof of reinforced concrete.

From the 20th to the 25th of August we welcomed new guests from Italy:

two Italian girls named Irene and Elisa. They continued the work initiated

by Chiara and Francesca, Fabio and Elias future wives. Hope they will come again, we thank them very much!

Irene Elisa

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Suitcases ready for leaving

The three lucky Munda young ladies invited to visit the EXPO in Milan

are almost ready to leave Bangladesh and start the new adventure of facing

a world completely new and a culture completely different from theirs.

What they will tell us after their return will be reported in our Newsletter,

of course!

The Three Lucky Ladies will be Ambassadors of our Tribe at EXPO 2015!

Nilima, Shaionti and Chompa Munda will stay in Italy for almost one

month. During their absence, their work at SAMMSS will be carried out

by Bahamoni Munda (Vice Directress) and Konika Munda (Secretary).

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Bahamoni and Chandona Konika

Suitcases ready for leaving!

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NILIMA MUNDAS SPEECH OF AUGUST 9, 2015

Riassunto

2015 L'ordine del giorno:

garantire lo sviluppo dei Munda!

PROBLEMI DA RISOLVERE

Indifferenza all'istruzione

Maledetti matrimoni precoci

Alcolismo

Mancanza di unit

Mancanza di leadership

COME AFFRONTARE I PROBLEMI

Primo consiglio: Considerare come

ricchezza l'Umanit anzich il denaro.

Secondo consiglio: Rinunciare ad ogni

partigianeria ed egoismo.

Terzo consiglio: Sfruttare la tecnologia

dell'informazione e della comunicazione

per essere ben istruiti e qualificati.

Quarto consiglio: Dar voce ai pi

deboli, altrimenti quelle per garantire lo

sviluppo della vita dei Munda

rimarranno solo parole scritte sulla

carta.

CONCLUSIONE

E' come quando si deve tirar fuori dal

fango un'automobile impantanata:

bisogna tirarla dal davanti e

contemporaneamente spingerla dal

dietro. Per quella dei Munda,

auspicabile che a tirarla s'impegni il

Governo e a spingerla siano i Tribali

stessi.

Summary

2015 Agenda: ensuring the

development of Munda!

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED

Indifference to education

Cursed child marriages

Alcoholism

Lack of unity

Lack of leadership

HOW TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS

First tip: Consider Humanity as wealth

Humanity, instead of money.

Second tip: Give up on any partisanship

and selfishness.

Third tip: Take advantage of

information technology and

communication to be well-educated and

skilled.

Fourth tip: Munda should voice their

concerns by themselves, otherwise those

to ensure the development of their own

life will remain just words on paper.

CONCLUSION

It 's like when you have to pull out of the

mud a mired car: you have to pull it

from the front while pushing it from

behind. For that of Munda, it is

desirable that the Government will pull,

and Tribals push.

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NILIMA MUNDAS SPEECH 9 AUGUST 2015 (IN BENGALI)

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PRESS RELEASE BY SAMS

- - Post 2015 Agenda:- Ensuring Indigenous Peoples Health and Well-being

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