ACTIVITIES OF CULTURAL ACADEMY FOR PEACE
TRAINING PROGRAMME
• Peace Education
• Non violence Training
• Conflict management and mediation skills
• Gender Sensitization.
The purpose of the training is to provide the skills which helps one
transform conflict into opportunity .The opportunity in mediation is to
repair/ improve relationships damaged by conflicts. The problem solving
skills help to deal with one’s own personal conflicts as well as
to work with individuals in conflict. Mediation training provides the
opportunity to:
• Gain insight into one’s own communication and conflict management
skills and styles.
• Develop listening skills that will give others the assurance that
they are being understood.
• Deal effectively with disputes that have intense emotions.
• Become acquainted with resources available for mediators.
Training is imparted to groups consisting of:
• Educationists and business people.
• Government, police and local leaders.
• Religious and secular groups and institutions.
• Students and young people.
• Motivated men and women from all walks of life.
WOMEN PEACEMAKERS PROGRAMME (WPP)
The main aim of WPP is to support and strengthen women’s
peacemaking iniatives. The programme helps women peace activists deepen
their skills in peace- making, conflict management, mediation and link-
up with like- minded activists and groups by:
• Organizing training for women’s groups in active non-violence,
conflict resolution and reconciliation.
• Face to face contacts between women especially from enemy communities
who are working for peace in conflict situations in order to exchange
strategies and solidarity.
• Promoting through consultation and publication, interfaith dialogue
and reflection among women or religious role in conflict and conflict
resolution.
• Publishing materials that document and analyze the successes and
failures of women’s efforts in reconciliation and peace making.
ASIAN REGIONAL DESK OF WOMEN PEACEMAKERS PROGRAMME
Cultural Academy is now the regional desk of the International
Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR)/ Women Peacemakers Programme (WPP).
As the Asian Regional Desk, CAP aims at the accomplishment of the following
tasks:
• Serve as resource centers on gender and non- violence.
• Conduct annual Training For Trainers and provide gender- sensitive
non-violence training.
• Translate training materials into national and local languages.
• Build networks and regional capacity to promote gender sensitive
non-violence education and training.
• Ensure the sustainability of WPP work and develop culturally sensitive
women’s programming.
SAKHI (FRIEND)
A short stay and rehabilitation home for girls and women in distress.
Sakhi is a project that gives shelter and rehabilitation for women and
girls who are suffering from mental and physical harassment, torture,
and victims of suicidal attempts, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Innumerable women of this category have been rehabilitated and supported
through counseling, police protection, legal aid and other social support
systems. Sakhi also focuses on women empowerment and self-awareness programmes.
Intensive training and counseling are given to support the children and
adolescents to face crucial situations and to protect them from further
victimization. The job- trainings ensure them self- sustainability. Provisions
are also made for women to keep their children along with them to prevent
any more trauma of separation.
Sakhi also functions as a half- way home for women who are discharged
from psychiatric hospitals but are not yet ready to resume their normal
life straight away at home as they find it difficult to adjust fast. Sakhi,
builds in them confidence, encourages them and invokes in them hope for
a better future. We offer residential craft training, recreational facilities,
occupational therapy and physiotherapy for their physical and emotional
restoration and rejuvenation, under the supervision and guidance of eminent
psychiatrists, psychologists & psychotherapists. Opportunities are
also provided for social interactions, creativity, self- help and occupational
skills.
SAKHI – Life Skill Education Center for Adolescent
girls
Sakhi offers an ambience of love and care in order to rehabilitate young
women especially those who are victims of domestic violence or oppression.
We extend counseling service, legal and vocational training etc to empower
them. We strive to inculcate a positive attitude, foster their potentials,
enabling them to be self reliant and effective instruments for change
for a just and peaceful society. Sakhi activities include awareness campaigns
and programmes of women’s rights and duties empowering them for
collective leadership and involve them in decision-making processes in
all levels from panchayath to parliament.
Our activities include:
• Emergency shelter for the victims of domestic violence
• Women’s Crises Intervention
• Legal and Referral services.
• Projects for the Economic Empowerment of Women
• Campaigns focusing on women’s issues and advocacy and lobbying
for women’s rights.
• Training in non-violence, peace education and conflict management.
Girls experience discrimination in almost all areas of life. An influence
of traditions, customs, gender biased education system all contribute
to this pathetic state of affairs. Being vulnerable girls are exposed
to different kinds of threats. Girls and young women are forced to leave
their studies and undertake domestic work due to financial constraints.
They remain as domestic servants in their own houses or work outside to
augment their family income. Sometimes both education and domestic work
are being undertaken resulting in poor scholastic performances and ultimately
leaving the schools. Facilities are not available now for the dropouts
to continue their education.
Creation of a healthy educational and living environment which fastens
moral and spiritual values would be helpful in building up healthy citizens.
In order to focus on the empowerment of girls, we are starting a one year
residential programs, exclusively for needy girls.
This training and empowerment initiative includes
• Sharpening of reading, writing and arithmetic skills
• Family budgeting
• Life skill education
• Vocational training in
1. Computer
2. Bag Making
3. Flower Arrangement
4. Food cover making
5. Legal Literacy
Self-awareness and personality development programmes also forms a part
of the curriculum.
Eligibility
• Adolescent girls in the age group of 13-19 years who belong to
the poor and marginal families
• School dropouts or those who could not complete school education
due to financial crises/broken families or girls from difficult situations.
The center will bear boarding, lodging and training expenses for the whole
programme. 25 Adolescents girls will be selected for this residential
programme from the applications we receive.
If you are actively involved in similar lines of philanthropic activities
we request your cooperation and support in disseminating this information
to the needy. If you come across any such girls you can refer her to Sakhi.
We seek your patronage and support in all our activities in future too.
SHANTHIBHAVAN
Shanthibhavan, the joint venture of the Corporation of Cochin
and Cultural Academy which aims to lend a helping hand to the women in
distress and need. Facilities also include provision of a safe and secure
night stay for women and girls Below Poverty Line who have to spend a
night in the city due to various reasons and even women who are forced
to leave their respective homes due to domestic problems. Equipped with
trained staff we intend to provide solace and comfort to the stranded
and aggrieved women through rehabilitation and counseling.
FAMILY COUNSELING AND RECONCILIATION CENTRE.
CAP’s professional staff, visiting psychiatrists and psychologists
provides help to individuals and families with psychological and family
problems in interpersonal relationships etc. We also render telephonic
counseling services. Telephone number:0484 2385188.
HOUSING SCHEME
Efforts are being taken to provide home for the homeless women and children
TRAINING CUM PRODUCTION UNITS
This unit helps impoverished women and girls from our centers,
slums and rural women. Professional trainings are imparted in various
skills with the help of professional staff to enable them to earn a livelihood
for self- sustainability.
FLORA- Floral Art Center
Training is given in making bouquets, flower arrangements and
other floral decorations of stage, cars, halls and for marriages and other
occasions; dry flower making and dry flower arrangements. Flora takes
care of the floral needs of banks, offices, shops, hospitals and hotels
as per orders. Flora offers home delivery too.
REFERRAL CENTRE
We serve as a referral center for women and girls and gives guidance
to resources such as legal services, police services, service organizations
etc
Sustainability through Participation Empowerment and Decentralization
(SPED-II) 2006-2009
SPED-II is a three-year Village Integration Development Program
Implemented by CAP in collaboration with Save A Family Plan India (SAFP)
and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The main goal of
this program is to contribute to the reduction of poverty by ensuring
the efficient management of the natural resources, improved health condition,
gender equality, improved living standard and improved economic condition
of the community people. CAP envisions the creation of a model village
as the end result of the project.
As part of the Project intervention is done in five major areas, such
as:
1) Improving health status of the communities
2) Promotion of sustainable livelihood initiatives
3) Gender mainstreaming
4) Environment consciousness building
5) Capacity building and promoting good governance
Objectives
1) To empower and strengthen the capacities of the community
and their grass root level organizations to improve access to local resources
and to address the local socio-cultural gender, environmental and other
developmental issues by participating in local governance process and
networking.
2) To facilitate the evolution of level poverty reduction initiatives,
which are community driven and local resource based; in the areas of natural
resource management, education, health and livelihood initiatives
About the Project Area
The target area of SPED-II is Elankunnapuzha Panchayath
in Vypin ,a costal area in the North –Western part of Cochin. According
to the statistics Elankunnapuzha is distinct as the village having the
highest population density in the continent of Asia. The Panchayath has
got a population of 58007, most of who belong to BPL (Below Poverty Line)
families. The educational status of the people is low and the major occupations
are fishing and other related jobs
Majority of the people live in very poor conditions with limited resources.
Economic crisis and debt has become a part of their daily life especially
at the times of rainy season. Seasonal unemployment and the related poverty,
which is common with all the costal belt communities, exist here also.
The village faces a severe problem of drinking water scarcity throughout
the year and the only means to access drinking water is the tanker lorries,
which frequently visits the village. The area is prone to communicable
diseases mainly due to its geographical as well demographics specialties
i.e. stagnation of water unhygienic surroundings, congested living pattern
etc.
Alcoholism and drug abuse highly exist among the youth. Most of the drug
abusers are IDUs (Intravenous Drug Users). This lead to a high risk of
HIV infection, as needless may easily carry the HIV virus from one person
to another.
Major project Activities
1) Gender Awareness Classes
2) Environment consciousness building
3) Awareness classes on Good governance
4) HIV/AIDS prevention programs
5) Health Awareness classes
6) Medical Camps & Distribution of medicines
7) Income Generation Program for the community women
8) Counseling services
Major Strategies
1) Awareness to people through seminars, discussions and
classes
2) Development of Gender policies and Environment policies
3) Application of Action research
4) Integrated approach in all the activities
5) Slide shows, Display of documentaries and performing arts.
6) Distribution of study materials.