Does language also have rhythm? from adivaani on Vimeo.
adivaani‘s language building through reading initiative in collaboration with the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The passion to give something back to her community drives this young tribal woman to venture into an unknown terrain. Ruby Hembrom gave up a well paid job in the IT sector in Delhi five years ago and returned to Kolkata to preserve the dying Santhal language.
Ruby Hembrom had already worked for big names like IBM when she quit the IT-BPO sector. She had eight years in Training, Learning and Development, and she went straight to the villages of Jharkhand. But now, she is known for her publishing concern for tribal literature, Adivaani, which she has put up with her friends, Joy, Boski and Luis. Ruby speaks on Adivaani, life and more.
We are happy to announce that Rejina Marandi’s proposal tentatively titled: And I came to know…! is the one.
Congratulations Rejina!
Rejina is a Ph.D student at Pondicherry University, Department of Philiosphy. She is a Santal from Gosaingaon, Kokrajhar District, Assam.
Rejina proposes a novel of an Adivasi girls’ journey of witnessing, understanding, and rediscovering being Adivasi in the wake of the communal riots of 1996 in Assam and up until now.
The work of putting the book together starts now. The book will be released on International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples, August 9th, 2014 at Rejina’s hometown.
We thank everyone who participated and sent in entries and everyone who has supported this venture.
Why does adivaani do books?
Books keep history, heritage and identity alive; books reinvent, reinterpret and make relevant voices, thoughts, ideas and dreams. In the words, language, imagery and pages that books are made of are the threads of ourselves that each one of us contributes to build the Tapestry of traditions for our children.
This bit of yarn from adivaani and the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation is to help strengthen skills of communication in English a principal link language today.
Most Adivasi children with the opportunity at education are learning English at some level and in some form or the other. But there’s still a gap between them and other children in India.
We’d like our two illustrated books on the Santal Creation stories series to be the instrument to achieve this mastery of English and on another level accomplish something more critical– re-initiating the children to these wonderful stories of Adivasi origin–stories families or communities may have forgotten themselves or may not have had the time to re-tell.
Supplementing the books are two special simple animations to help the children practise English grammar and pronunciation.
The partnership with the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation has enabled us to circulate copies of the books and animations for free to schools, hostels, libraries, NGO’s and other agencies preserving and promoting Adivasi cultural heritage in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Assam.
But we now need you to add to the yarn. To facilitate the actualisation of the ‘language building through reading’ exercise we’re conducting a workshop on the 30th of November, 2013 and the 1st of December 2013 at Johar, HRD Centre, Dumka.
We need Adivasis to come forward to assist us with spreading the ethos of the project.
We can only accommodate 10 people at the workshop from where adivaani will host one of you to travel with the project to the centres identified to disseminate the learning.
The 2 day workshop on Language, Publishing, Books and Communication skills is sponsored, so if you’re willing to attend and commit to seeing the project through, just send in your names and contact information to info@adivaani.org by the 20th of November, 2013 and we’ll take care of the rest.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
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Tapestry of traditions for our children:
A language building through reading initiative in collaboration with the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The Santal and the Biblical Creation Traditions: Anthropological & Theological Reflections
Language: English
Pages: 304
Rs. 200
In this book Timotheas Hembrom offers a brief and lucid introduction to the lifestyle and belief system of the Santals, showing that though they are a people of no scripture, they have as much knowledge about God the creator as the people of Scriptures. Hembrom also conducts an exegetical study and compares the Biblical and the Santal’s creation narratives. His findings and conclusions prove to be relevant for any reader interested in faith and the origin of religion.
Rev. Dr. Timotheas Hembrom has over 40 years of Theological teaching experience and is an ordained Priest of the Church of North India. He has taught at Chera Theological College, Cherrapunji, Bishop’s College, Kolkata, Gossner Theological College, Ranchi and The Santal Theological College, Benagaria.
A writer, editor, singer-musician, and songwriter, he wears many hats.
This book is a reflection of his love for words and language, and what he is at the core–a Santal, an Adivasi and a Theologian.
Just a heartfelt thank you…
On International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples, August 9th, 2013 adivaani instituted Adivasi PICKLE: a prize for Indigenous Ideology, Thought and Knowledge.
We thank everyone who sent in entries, everyone who promoted the event, those who sought out Adivasi brethren and friends and egged them on to participate.
We now wait on our jury to make their decision.
For those of you who would’ve missed who they are:
1) Dakxinkumar Bajrange: An award winning filmmaker, playwright, director and activist from the Chhara De-notified Tribes of Ahmedabad. He’s currently working at the Budhan Theatre as a director.
2) Sophia Pde: A Khasi academic from the Meghalaya. She is Assistant Professor at Central Library, University of Delhi. She has special research interest in Folk literature of North East India and is working on Khasi folklore.
3) Gladson Dungdung: An Adivasi human rights activist and writer. He is based in Jharkhand and is from the Kharia Tribe. He’s the author of Whose country is it anyway? and other books about Adivasis.
The next date to look out for is the 15th of November 2013 when we announce THE BOOK– the culmination of our first call to celebrate Adivasi being.
But don’t stop at that. This is just the beginning…
See you next year, at the next edition of Adivasi PICKLE!
For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about–Adivasi PICKLE: a prize for Indigenous Ideology, Thought and Knowledge is a call to tap stories, narratives and accounts of Adivasi being. So if you’ve had ideas of a story brewing in your head and you’ve had words marinating, it’s time to serve them.
We’re taking bulk orders for them until the 30th of September 2013.
To participate:
1) Send in a proposal with a working title for a book in English within 5000 words, by the 30th of September 2013 at pickle@adivaani.org
2) Attach proof of your being Adivasi/Scheduled Tribe.
3) Fill in the cover form and send it along with the above two.
For further details view the information on the following links:
We’ve been receiving enquiries from people who are intimidated by the requirements of the participation for the prize. It appears that we are requesting for the new masterpiece or the most innovative way to view ourselves and our ways of life–we are. But that’s not all.
We know who we are. It continues to be a long struggle, living in the margins, getting accustomed to unfamiliar ways, cultures, languages, in a world where we aren’t really welcome. English might not be the language you are most comfortable with but we want everybody around (the world) to know us. So come as you are–we’re here to help your narrative take shape.
There is no small idea, no small dream, no insignificant voice and no trivial story!
Share your bit of yarn to complete the tapestry of Adivasi writing by partaking of some Adivasi PICKLE: a prize for Indigenous Ideology, Thought and Knowledge.
Be the story, the narrative, the legend, the chronicle!
3 steps and you are part of this beautiful loom.
1) Send in a proposal with a working title for a book in English within 5000 words, by the 30th of September 2013 at pickle@adivaani.org
2) Attach proof of your being Adivasi/Scheduled Tribe.
3) Fill in the cover form and send it along with the above two.
For further details view the information on the following links:
What is Adivasi PICKLE?
Application Details
https://adivaani.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/picklepickle.pdf
adivaani 