A Ten-Day Cross Curricular and Interdisciplinary Intensive set up in a Regional Landscape

There is a rising need to revisit our approach to academia that contributes to critical awareness and sound co-shaping of our shared environment. Encouraging interdisciplinary academic discourse, Laajverd has initiated its visiting school that responds to conditions of ‘crises’. Crises are instants of shifting modalities – they mark points of change in a multilayered program. It is a specific period of time that is crucial in several ways of identification and determination of a system that is being regulated in an escalated force field. Combined systems of humans and nature are convoluted in terms of how they anticipate and respond to disturbed environments: disasters and conflict zones. The capacity to deal with the types of uncertainties and surprises requires innovative approaches, creative combinations of strategies, and the ability to adapt to the changing environment.

How does the creative and developmental faculty respond actively to shifting environments? This intensive invites the creative and developmental faculty, students and field experts to join this visiting school in chalking out a more effective academic and intervention methodology.

Locations: Swat Valley, Gumbat and the Kandak-Kotah Valleys, Udegram, Saidu Sharif, Kalam Valley

Dates: 1st to 11th September 2016

Since 2009, security operations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa created a large number of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) who required humanitarian assistance and have returned and rebuilding their lives. Laajverd Visiting School aims to investigate and generate knowledge around “resettlement, return and rehabilitation” as an autonomous process led by the communities who have undergone the trauma and difficulties of leaving home. We will investigate how cultural practices and social networks play a role in the resettlement process? Can the local heritage sites and natural environment provide essential opportunities for the communities? LVS participants will work closely with the local population in rethinking ‘rehabilitation and reconstruction’ by engaging with nature and culture through workshops, seminars and field research.

WORKSHOPS | SEMINARS | FIELD RESEARCH: Participatory Research Methods, Audio Visual Culture: Living Landscapes, Natural Environment: Agriculture, Heritage Tourism and Community Archeology, Craft Making; Lapidary & Weaving

Fee: Rs, 30,000/- (Apx $300.00), Covers Travel From Islamabad to Swat and Back, Food and Accommodation.

Eligibility and Selection

  • Postgraduates or Early Career Researchers, Graduates or 3rd/ 4th Year of Bachelor Study in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • The applicant must demonstrate interest in inclusive social and development work and show willingness to explore themes outside of their own area of study and intellectual comfort zones.The applicant should demonstrate their ability to work in teams and individually and actively engage in the inquiries of the Visiting School.

Please send completed Application Forms available on http://lvs.laajverd.org/years/application-form16/  and  CV to laajverd at gmail.com by 30th May 2016

Contact: laajverd at gmail.com | http://lvs.laajverd.org/