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| Issue 07 | February 06 | ||||
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Friends of
Freedom, Goa
A very long time in the pipeline,
finally a few LSS graduates from Goa namely Rohan Thaker and Neshwin
Almeida kick started FRIENDS OF FREEDOM, GOA.
Rohan Thaker initially an LSS
graduate in 2004 introduced the whole concept to interested students
of our college to interested students of our college VVM’s Damodar
College of Commerce & Economics regarding Civil Societies and The
Liberty and Society Seminars.
With the backing of our Economics
professors Dr. Prita Mallya and Prof. Lydia Menon we initiated a
meeting in July 2005 and got around twenty members to sign up which
then included around three LSS graduates( Vibhor Keny, Rucha
Nagarshekar, Lisa Monteiro) besides Rohan Thaker.
Later in November 2005, Neshwin
Almeida applied and got selected for LSS Calicut from 10th
November to 13th November 2005.
Mana Shah and Parth Shah of Center
Civil Society, New Delhi kept us going by donating free documentaries
for viewing for our FRIENDS FOR FREEDOM meetings.
On 30th January 2006 we
Friends of Freedom, Goa not only built our strength from twenty to
thirty seven members but successfully organized a half day seminar in
our college.
The Agenda of the seminar which
was compered by Sushant Mallya (FOF-Goa member) included a talk by
Sauvik Chakraverty on Population which was termed as “Economics in One
Lesson”.
Sauvik who’s been associated with
the Center for Civil Societies is retired IPS officer and a MA from
the Department of Government London School of Economics and Political
Science was for a long time a free lance writer, contributing
regularly to leading Indian newspapers. He was formerly with the
editorial board team of the Economics Times and wrote a fortnightly
column; ‘Antidote’
Sauvik’s publications which
include FREE YOUR MIND also won the Fredric Bastiat Award for
journalism from the International Policy Network in London and
received the prize from Baroness Margaret Thatcher.
Sauvik in his presentation spoke
about how population in India is considered as a bane and one of the
causes of poverty but its not so. He put forward Malthusian’s
theory of population and how it was challenged. He justified that
population actually generates wealth in India. He compared the rural
and urban centers of India and clearly showed us which is better off
and why?? Because its people that increases trade and generates
wealth.
His presentation wrote off the old
ideologies from our minds helping us understand how every child born
contributes to the economy rather than eating into it.
His presentation was followed by a
documentary viewing LICENSE PERMIT RAJ wherein the documentary showed
how cycle rickshaw drivers and owners are harassed by the authorities
in Delhi. These corrupt officials harass these rickshaw owners for a
very basic reason to make a quick buck.
The documentary viewing generated
a discussion amongst our members, professors and the guest Sauvik
Chakraverty and Rene WilderMuth.
Everybody had varied views on the
issue some saying that the rickshaw drivers are a menace others who
spoke out against the officials who have these dirty and stringent
policies whilst issuing licensees in order to pocket something.
The documentary viewing was
followed by a talk by Rene WilderMuth who’s also associated with
Center for Civil Society. Rene an American by nationality and a some
what Singaporean resident is a senior fellow at the Atlas Economic
Research Foundation, providing assistance to groups advancing freedom
in South Asia.
Previously, he spent ten years
leading education and outreach efforts for public sector reforms and
public policy change in Washington, DC. Prior to that he managed hotel
operations.
Afresh from his trip to Nepal
wherein he tried to change or mobilize people together to improve the
current situation where the people are reeling in Economic crisis.
Rene spoke to us about organizing
and moving ahead our group FRIENDS OF FREEDOM.
Rene provided us innovative ideas
on writing articles, documentary viewings, involving ourselves in
social issues and reaching out.
His talk was morale booster to our
members to surge FRIENDS OF FREEDOM, GOA to new heights.
The seminar was wound up with a
vote of thanks by Mishna Fernandes who thanked our guest Sauvik and
Rene and also thanked our professors who backed us on organizing this
seminar.
In this FOF-GOA report I would
also like thank Parth and Mana for their support and Christopher
Lingle who actually got down to requesting Sauvik to make it to our
college, Last but not the least got to thank Sauvik and Rene for
taking their precious time out and imparting some thoughts to our FOF
members.
Our future plans is to involve
ourselves more in FOF activities like documentary viewing and
analyzing articles. We also want to get more people to attend LSS and
maybe one day get to organize a LSS in Goa itself.
May all our dreams and fight to
improve social living of people tormented by bureaucracy get fulfilled
one or at least imbibe the future generations with the thought of
liberty.
In liberty.
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Centre
for Civil Society |
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