The Precis

Here's a link on how to write a precis.  And here's a sample one.

This is a tool I use in my class when a good deal of new information needs to be communicated through the writings of different authors.  I want to make sure the students are 1. doing their readings, 2. comprehending the articles, 3. able to contribute well to class discussions on the material.

Students are also able to synthesize the ideas from different authors/change agents into something from their own minds.

I often ask the students to write a precis for each reading and include a short one paragraph reflection of the group of articles at the end of their submission.

OPENing Development

Sanjay Pradhan, native of Bihar, India, talks about how global south to south idea inspiration is changing the accountability of development and governance through technology ultimately creating a voice for the underserved in many communities.  This is a clear balance to the north-south 'traditional' development practices championed by the Brettonwoods institutions over the last 60+ years. 

It's Already Happening

I came across Paul Hawken's synthesis in an article by David Loy on Huffington Post.  This is something I've thought about for a long time - How to define a counter-culture movement in order to inspire and educate others that change is happening, and there are so many ways to be involved. Paul seems to do that.

How will you contribute?

Sulak Sivaraksha on 'Engaged Buddhism"

"In America and Europe, everyone is very active. But if you become too active, you lose the essence of Buddhism. You only have the Buddhist labels. One must cultivate peace to be compassionate. Without this, what you do, even as an 'engaged Buddhist' is just a lot of activity with no good purpose."

- Sulak Sivaraksa, “In Exile from Siam”

Felix's article on Dr. Ariyaratne and Sarvodaya movement in Sri Lanka
published in Buddhadharma

Water Water Everywhere

Loadshedding is not a mystery to anyone living in the Kathmandu Valley.  It's a daily reality, even during monsoon when the rains come pouring down.  I have often wondered, with so many hydro-power projects established and in the works along the gravity-fueled rivers of the Himalaya, why does the Kathmandu populace suffer with 14 - 20 hours of power-outages per day in the dry winter/spring time?

Journalist Kunda Dixit sheds some light on this issue with these two articles in the Nepali times - White Gold  (2007) and No Light at the End of the Tunnel (2011).  Complications cited are lack of government, political instability, and poor implementation of energy development strategies.  Nepal is often compared to Bhutan who sells 80% of their generated hydroelectricity to India - many see Nepal's rivers as a gold mine when considered from this angle.  There seems to be a leak somewhere, however, as the fountains are hardly able to produce enough energy to support the existing consumption levels in the Kathmandu Valley alone.  The numbers do not seem to add up.

Another mystery linked to this issue is the interaction Nepal has had for years with foreign aid funding hydro-electric projects in the name of development.  Though now a few years old, this short paper by Kundan Pokharel Majagaiya sheds some light on Nepal's dependency but reticence to foreign aid.  

B&D - Course Content Resources - Thailand and Sri Lanka

Articles that may have relevance to course content....
Trying to develop more of a Theravadin perspective as we move along... starting from the begining (8-fold path, establishment of Buddhist Ethics... Maybe I should have started with that rather than jumping in to Ashoka.  But we can do this in a backward-buildup sort of way)

Susan M. Darlington -Rethinking Buddhism and Development: The emergence of Environmentalist Monks in Thailand.   This article might fit well with the book Greg gave: Socially Engaged Buddhism by Sulak Sivaraksa.

Tessa Bartholomeusz - In Defense of Dharma: Just-War Ideology in Buddhist Sri Lanka.
Also possible to draw more and more context - I need some resources on the history of the conflict rather than just throwing these articles out to the students. 

I need more grounding.  :/

Book Reviews: Socially Engaged Buddhsim

Here are some relevant book reviews that might be good for the course.