Dear Friend- With immense joy and enthusiasm, we invite you to participate in the 9th Learning Societies unConference 2016. The next unConference will take place from December 14 - 19, 2016 at Gandhi Vidya Mandir, Sardarshahr, Churu (Near Bikaner), Rajasthan. It will be hosted in Hindi, English and regional languages. Participants are requested to join for the entire duration of the unConference so as to explore, express and nourish our creative energies together. However, those who can come for only one day are encouraged to attend the open house on December 17th. This intergenerational gathering will bring together leading "thinker-doers" from around South Asia who are active in challenging the monopoly of factory-schooling and monoculture, and nurturing diverse learning communities, vernacular traditions, intercultural dialogues, deep consciousness and swaraj. In an unConference, the participants co-create the agenda together around what matters deeply to them. We believe each participant is a resource person, even children. We believe in sharing our stories, talents and gifts from our hearts. There will be a lot of open space for participants to self-organize in groups around questions, experiences, experiments, workshops, play, music, dance, sports, cooking food, treks, art, etc., in the spirit of deep dialogue and friendship. The gathering seeks to engage the heart, hands, head and home, all of our senses and sensibilities, in a process of re-imagining our lifestyles and systems. There will be alternative educators, organic farmers, artists, artisans, activists, upcycling designers, sustainability-walas, ecologists and nature lovers, filmmakers, healers, social entrepreneurs, dancers, musicians, eco-architects, homeschoolers, unschoolers, barefoot innovators, grandparents, youth, spiritual seekers, and more. As with all learning societies events, the unConference welcomes families, youth and children. We hope to build upon the reflection, dialogue and co-motion that have been initiated in the Learning Societies network already. There will be a lot of space in the unConference to explore radical ideas, proposals and projects. This is a fantastic opportunity to not only think (and DO!) outside the box, but to decolonize ourselves from the 'mainstream box' and explore how to rebuild a world of many streams. Most importantly, the central purpose of this gathering is to build strong friendships and critical connections of people across the country who are co-creating 'alternative' systems, models, approaches and lifestyles. Previous unConferences have been held in Pune, Himachal Pradesh, Udaipur, Mumbai, Brazil, Jordan, Pakistan and Iran. You can register @ http://shikshantar.org/LSuC/welcome-learning-societies-unconference-2016 Co-hosted by: Shikshantar Andolan · Gandhi Vidhya Mandir · Swashikshan Association of Indian Homeschoolers · Vikalp Sangam· Multiversity Network · Swaraj University · Abhivyakti Media for Development · Banyan Tree · Moved by Love · Startup Oasis · Infopace · CoEvolve · Digital Empowerment Foundation Contact Us. If you have any questions, please write to us at [email protected] or call Shikshantar (Udaipur): Harsh: +919958311401, Vidhi: +919829724189. #LSuC2016
