EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS
Hare Krsna Gurudeva
Please, accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Missing very little [time until] for your arrival to Lima. After a horrible summer, at last, winter appropriates the city. You asked me about my work on the last letter you answered. It is going well, progressing, I'm working in an institute dedicated exclusively to the training of professional photographers. However, the profile of these photographers is mainly artistic and documentary. In that sense, I take care of some courses concerning the theory of the image, from the structural aspect to its conceptual background. It is a very prestigious and demanding school. I have already 10 years in it and I have left other universities and schools to focus on this. It is a good educational project because it insists a lot on the development of the critical sense in the students and this awakens a rational nonconformity of the world, a natural vehicle for spiritual development, I consider.
HpS - ASA -- Psychology and the Sacred!
In these days of uncertainty in the field of education, I dare to propose a couple of ideas based on the time I have been working in the private educational sector. An aspect we can learn and imitate from non-devotional educational projects is precisely its capacity to get organized, be profitable and become operative. For this to happen, we have to optimize the communication channels . I am surprised that educational initiatives in this yatra depends on small fiefdoms, interested in their own purposes, with very little possibility of engaging in a dialogue feedback and articulation of efforts for the common good.
ASA - Ja! Ha! Ga! But is it not the same with Univesidad Garcilazo de la Vega and Allas Peruanas??! Is it not the norm in much of the world??? Is there really so much, "honor amogst thieves" that the business sector can see how to work together with others for even economic common profit, what to speak of a very generous renunciation for the welfare of all people? We see it that way. ISKCON Peru is very much a product of Peru, just like ISKCON Los Angeles is a product of their ambience, but we do not know the situation like you, so we want to learn from you.
Has ISKCON made so little progress to being above these things? Are we all chanting 16-enthusiastic rounds a day????
At least we are still here! Ooof. We have outlived the Soviet Union!
But let us go ahead, no! The new ISKCON, Peru, me and you! (And the ASA Blogerines)
It would be important to restore a functional and efficient educational commission, to be in charge of identifying common points between the different proposals and that, with the time, aim at the creation of a national curricula model that serves as a basis for the educational development of the region. If we aspire, or even, we wish to imitate Christian institutions that have universities and advanced systems of education, we should start by implementing at least one operational management body.
HpS - Jaya! We have been trying, trying, trying for years, and many problems have come up, but we feel that we are making progress. We are not selling hamburgers or heaven with Indra so it is harder.
Now with visit of Mathuresa Das as Regional Supervisor and Karuna-krsna Das as ISKCON Peru secretary of education we feel that we can move ahead. Is practical idea?
On the other hand, pedagogy continues to focus on the teacher, while the TTC courses (Teacher training GBC Course) have developed updates that are focused on the learning experience. Most of peruvians come from an education system oriented to memorization and sterile learning of data, and very few develop critical capabilities. These teacher-centered models do not always guarantee learning, unless the students have their own learning skills, but they are very few. If we smartly adapt the new models proposed by the GBC, students would be formed with greater capacity of realization of the learned content and, therefore, capable of being educated to face the onslaughts of the mind and the duality of the world. Some devotees continue to think that these imported implementations of modern pedagogy are "mlecchas".
In short, much to do. What I tell you is based on the little experience I have about it. I would like to know your point of view about the need to organize and technify education in Peru. I have some faith in these management tools, but many times, I do not find partners to work in them. Perhaps my approach is very pragmatic and I do not know the details of education in spiritual terms. It's just my point of view. Meanwhile, Indira Sakti an I are offering puja to Sri Sri Gaura Nitay and Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra during sunday mangalaratik, twice a month in Wilson. We're happy doing this seva and we ask you for your blessings to continue and find our yoga in this way.
See you soon Gurumaharaja
Your servant
Gandharva dasa
HpS - You see our perspective. Talk with Karuna-krsna Das, please. Give us your report here. We be in Peru in less than one month. Let's do some work together then. Join all these NIOS projects with Psychology and the Sacred etc. In that we are pushing ahead on the fringe of the Yatra and there is no objection by the Yatra.
O.K?? Respects to Mataji and everyone!!
