Siddhartha

Current address : Pipal Tree, Fireflies ashram, Dinnepalya, Kagalipura P.O., Bangalore-560062, Karnataka, India

Permanent address : 139/9 Domlur Layout, Bangalore - 560071

Email : sidd173@gmail.com

Date of birth : 17th March 1948

Languages spoken : English, French, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada

Academic profile :

  • B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in English Literature, Madras University. 1969.

  • BGL (Bachelor of General Law), Madras University 1974.

  • M.A. Social Anthropology (Diplome de Ecole des Hautes Etudes), Paris 1980.

  • DEA Social anthropology (Diplome des Etudes Approfondies) Paris 1982.

Theses submitted to Ecoles des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris :

  • Study of the changes in inter-caste relations as a result of the impact of the international fishing industry in a Tamil village in South India 1980

  • Study of the development of a Untouchable (Dalit) caste social movement in Maharashtra. 1982

Books published :

  • Lettres du Ganges (in French), published by L’Aube, Paris, 2001.

  • The Birdwoman, Dronequill publishers, Bangalore, 2002.

  • Private but Public, The Third Sector in Latin America, By Rueben Ceasar Fernandes), Edited and Introduced by Siddhartha. Civicus and Network Cultures, 1994, Bangalore.

  • Kabir is back, a comic book on inter-religious harmony, published by Pipal Tree, 2002.

  • Singing in the Prison Shower, (Life in a Chilean Prison) edited and introduced by Siddhartha, Pipal Tree publications.

  • Edited and introduced book on Religion and Social Liberation, published by Asian Cultural Forum for Development, Bangkok, 1994.

Teaching experience :

  • Taught for eight years (1975-83) as a faculty member of INODEP-International (an international institute of Development education founded by Paulo Freire) Paris.

  • Taught an Alternative Education course for five years (1976 to 1981) at the Development Studies Course, Kimmage Manor, Dublin.

  • Taught courses on Development Education at the United Nations University, Tokyo in 2003 and 2004

  • Taught Critical Education at the annual Development Training Course organized by the Institute for Cultural Research and Action, Bangalore, 1980 to 1985.

  • Lectured at the five college seminar, “Betond Paulo Freire”, University of Massachussets, Northhampton, 1999.

  • Lectured at Ramapo College, New Jersey on ‘Paulo Freire’s Method of Education’, 1999.

  • Lectured at University of Valladolid, Spain, 2004.

  • Lectured at Bangalore University, on Dalits and Alternative Paradigm of Development, Ambedkar Bhavan, 2001.

Key responsibilities :

  • International coordinator of Inodep International, Paris, founded by the educationist Paulo Freire (1980-82).

  • Asian Coordinator on Inodep International, Paris (1976-80).

  • Founder board member and Asian Coordinator of South North Network Cultures and Development, Brussels (1982 to 2003).

  • Founder board member of Asian Rainbow, Manila, concerned with Religions, Peace and Conflict Resolution.

  • Founder of well known NGO’s in India like Institute for Cultural Research and Action (training for development) 1981 ; Foundational for Educational innovations in India (Fedina), which has over twenty field programmes in the villages of South India, 1982 ; and Pipal Tree, an organization that is concerned with culture, education, and civil society.

  • Member of the international committee of World Social Forum, 2002.

  • Organised the first international meeting of the World Social Forum in India (Bangalore) in 2002.

  • Founder and Director of the international cultural research centre, Fireflies, located outside the Southern city of Bangalore. www.firefliesindia.org.in.

  • Chairman of In-Dia Forum (India Dialogue Forum); a forum for networking for Dialogue in Action.

Has participated in the following dossiers:

  • Témoignages de Paix / Testimonios de paz / As Said by Artisans of Peace

    Entretiens réalisés auprès d’Artisans de Paix, tous acteurs et protagonistes par leur engagement quotidien, de la construction d’un Art de la paix / Entrevistas realizadas con Artesanos de Paz, cada uno actor y protagonista en su compromiso cotidiano, de la construcción de un Arte de la paz / Interviews conducted with Artisans of Peace, all actors, through their daily commitment, of the construction of an Art of Peace.

  • Panorama des conflictualités actuelles: Asie, Afrique, Amérique latine et Europe.

    Ce dossier est issu du Conseil d’Orientation d’Irenees, qui s’est tenu au Costa Rica, du 25 au 28 novembre 2009 et dont l’objectif était de définir les orientations fondamentales pour le travail d’Irenees dans les prochaines années. Les différentes contributions des participants sont retranscrites ici dans leur langue d’origine : ce dossier est donc multilingue.

A participé aux ateliers :

Author Files