LA BANQUE DU PEUPLE / THE PEOPLE'S BANK

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LA BANQUE DU PEUPLE - 

VECTEUR DE CHANGEMENT SOCIAL ?

                              

        EW travaille aux cotes de Leon Henson et de l’equipe d’animateurs sociaux de GRACE-NGO depuis le tsunami meurtrier qui a ravage les zones cotieres du sud du Tamil Nadu il y a maintenant 10 ans.  Notre association a, tout d’abord, fourni des medicaments et a contribue aux efforts de reconstruction.  D'autre part, EW a participe au developpement des communautes affectees par la tragedie : tutorats pour les enfants pauvres, “ateliers verts” pour ameliorer les conditions de vie des familles de pecheurs de Kanyakumari - mal relogees a des kilometres de la cote - et microcredit pour les aider a creer de petites entreprises afin d’augmenter leurs maigres ressources.

      

La Banque du Peuple - Debut des travaux / Beginning of Construction Work for the People's Bank 

          Debut 2014, EW a eu le plaisir d’accueillir Henson – Proviseur de lycee et President de GRACE – a Poitiers.  Au cours de conferences publiques, Henson nous a fait comprendre ce qu’est la pauvrete dans la region de Kanyakumari (TN) et ce qu'il a fait pour la combattre.  En retour, l’association lui a consacre une dizaine de jours pour lui permettre de faire le tour des organismes d’entraide socio-economiques qui tentent, ici a Poitiers (France), d’aider nos concitoyens en difficulte.

         Deux decisions  importantes ont ete prises a cette epoque.  D’une part, on pouvait aller au-dela du microcredit en creant une veritable “Banque du Peuple”, basee a Nagercoil.  EW a investi des milliers d’euros - sur ses fonds propres - pour creer un fonds de roulement pour les pauvres qui ne sont pas en mesure de fournir des garanties et desirent neanmoims emprunter, dans le but de creer une petite entreprise.  Les benefices qu’ils en tirent suffisent a rembourser leur pret.  D'autre part, EW s'est engagee a envoyer a Nagercoil un stagiaire dote d'un tres solide bagage en finance, en comptabilite et en informatique pour aider a demarrer toute l'operation.  Alex s'est donc rendu sur place et y a passe pres de six mois - notamment pour creer tous les outils informatiques lui-meme dont la banque allait avoir besoin.  EW est tres fiere de son engagement et de ses competences.

Une "colonie" - quartier des plus pauvres / A "colony" of Dalits - Nagercoil 

          Au cours de sa derniere visite a Nagercoil (mars 2015), EW a pu mesurer le travail accompli en un an.  Les travaux de construction sont termines, et les locaux sont pimpants et bien accueillants.  Une petite equipe de trois professionnels suffit a suivre tous les besoins des nombreux clients actuels.  Pres de 1,000 personnes ont deja montre leur entiere confiance, en ouvrant des comptes.  

          Le fonctionnement de l'institution peut, toutefois, etre ameliore.  Bien entendu, nous avons tous besoin d'argent pour vivre, mais la poursuite du gain comme seule valeur est souvent assez incompatible avec la justice sociale...  Le nouveau Pape Francois lui-meme, dans Envangelii Gaudium ("Joie de l'Evangile") lance cet avertissement : "le culte du Veau d'Or est de retour, sous une forme impitoyable.  Il s'agit de l'idolatrie de l'argent et de la dictature d'une economie impersonnelle". C'est le meme message qu'il a adresse au Parlementde l'Union Europenne a Strasbourg (France) en novembre 2014.  Il faudrait donc prendre garde a ce que la nouvelle Banque du Peuple ne soit pas un simple Mont-de-Piete, ou des deposants laissent leurs bijoux en or en garantie - pour courir acheter des ecrans plats et les derniers gadgets de Samsung...    

     

Directrice de la Banque / Head if the New People's Bank

          Il faudrait sans doute proposer aux futurs clients des ateliers educatifs afin de mieux expliquer des concepts qui peuvent etre nouveaux ou compliques.  Comment la macro-economie influe-t-elle sur le monde de la finance ?  Quels pourraient etre les risques encourus ?  Que sont les "bulles speculatives", les taux d'amortissement et les etudes de faisabilite en vue de creer une micro-entreprise ?  Comment elaborer un budget et gerer l'endettement ?  Nous esperons qu'un citoyen competent de Nagercoil pourra assurer benevolement une telle formation.   

Boucles d'oreille en or - cela donnerait droit a un pret de 540 rps (8 euros) /
Gold earrings - which would enable a loan of 540 rps (8 euros)...

          Enfin, EW et GRACE-NGO doivent s'assurer que le fonds de roulement existant fonctionne a plein regime, pour que meme les plus pauvres s'en sortent.  Notre ONG a investi des milliers d'euros et a renonce au benefice des interets y afferents.  Ceci permet de faire fructifier le montant global disponible pour les prets en faveur des clients pauvres - qui n'ont a offrir que leurs idees innovantes et leur dur labeur.  EW continuera a suivre ce projet avec le plus grand interet.    

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VERSION :

THE PEOPLE'S BANK- AN INSTRUMENT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE ?

Livre de comptes - une version papier est toujours necessaire a cause de nombreuses coupures de courant / Bank ledger - a paper version is still necessary, due to numerous power cuts

          EW has been working, side by side, with Leon Henson and his team of social animators at GRACE-NGO ever since the murderous tsunami that devastated the South Tamil coastal areas just 10 years ago. Initial EW activities focused on medical supplies and rebuilding efforts and then, in a larger sense, on overall community development : school tutorials for impoverished pupils, "Green Workshops" to improve the living conditions of the displaced fisherfolk, and microcredit to facilitate entrepreneurship and  provide supplementary income for the stricken fishing families. 

Une "Dalit" d'une des colonies de Nagercoil. Apres le deces de son gendre, sa fille s'est suicidee - donc elle eleve seule sa petite-fille / A Dalit woman from one of the Nagercoil colonies. Her son-in-law died and then her daughter committed suicide, so she is raising her grand-daughter alone

          In early 2014, EW had the pleasure of welcoming Leon Henson - School Director and head of "GRACE" - to Poitiers.  He greatly contributed by giving several public conferences on poverty and on relief programs in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu and, in turn, EW provided him with a 10-day fact-finding mission and crash-course about the socio-economic problems faced by citizens in our own area around Poitiers, France.

          At that time, two major decisions were in the making.  Microcredit alone was not enough - so it would be necessary to "upscale" the entire process by creating an actual "People's Bank", based in Nagercoil (TN).  EW invested thousands of euros of its own money to serve as a revolving fund for the indigent who could provide no real collateral, but who were interested in procuring "productive loans".  The ensuing increase in their personal revenue would be more than enough to repay the amount borrowed.  Secondly, EW agreed to provide an intern with a solid background in finance, accounting and computer skills to help get the new institution off the ground.  Alex flew down and lived in Nagercoil for nearly half a year and he single-handedly did all the software programming that the new financial institution would need.  EW is extremely proud of his huge and highly professional contribution.

Environ 30 familles habitent dans cette "colonie" / There are about 30 households living in this "colony"

          During EW's latest visit to Nagercoil (March, 2015), it was possible to assess first-hand the work achieved in just a year.  The bank construction itself has been completed, and the new facilities are spotless and welcoming.  A staff of three is able to oversee the daily needs of current clientele.  Nearly 1,000 community members have already opened accounts...

     There are still real improvements to be made, however.  While we all need enough money to live, monetary gain in and of itself is often incompatible with real social justice.  Even Pope Francis, in his recent Evangelii Gaudium (or "The Joy of the Gospel"), has warned : "The worship of the ancient Golden Calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy.  We can no longer trust in the "invisible hand of the market".  This was the same message he delivered to the EU Parliament in Strasbourg (France) in November, 2014 - when he exhorted European leaders to go beyond a "simple welfare mentality" - and  to attack the structural causes of inequality.  So we should all endeavor so that the new People's Bank in Nagercoil does not become a mere Pawn-Shop - where depositors leave all their dowry gold as collateral so as to splurge on plasma TV screens and the latest Samsung gadgetry...

 Preteur sur gages - pesee de l'or /  The Gold Assessor 

          Educational workshops should be offered to all prospective borrowers and depositors.  What is the current macro-economic situation and how can speculative bubbles burst, creating ripple-down effects throughout all financial institutions ? How to budget ?  How to assess the market feasibility of a possible new micro-business undertaking ?  What is debt load ? Amortization rates ?  Compound interest ?  Hopefully, one knowledgeable individual in the community could step forward and provide such a little course for all potential clients...

La Banque en construction / Construction of the Bank

         And EW and GRACE-NGO have to ensure that the existing revolving fund is being used to its fullest, to help uplift the poorest of the poor.  Our NGO has provided a substantial revolving fund and has forsworn any interest that that account might ever accrue.  EW preferred that such annual gains simply be added to the total amount available for loans to those clients who have nothing to offer but their good ideas and hard work...  When they repay their loans, the reimbursements never return to EW, but rather are put back into the general kitty, to be used by other poor borrowers.  This thus amplifies the beneficial effects for the downtrodden themselves and the community at large.  EW will continue to follow this new program with great interest.

INTERCULTURAL ASPECTS OF TEACHING IN SOUTH INDIA / INTERCULTURALITE ET ENSEIGNEMENT DANS LE SUD DE L'INDE

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INTERCULTURALITE ET ENSEIGNEMENT DANS LE SUD DE L'INDE

          Lors de sa creation en 2003, EW se penchait en tout premier lieu sur les questions educatives.  Au cours des 12 dernieres annees, cependant, notre association a beaucoup elargi l'eventail de ses activites : developpement durable, protection de l'eau et de l'environnement, micro-credit, restauration d'infrastructures...

         Le role educatif d'EW reste neanmoins d'une importance capitale et, lors de nos missions sur le terrain, nous nous efforcons toujours de repondre aux demandes exprimees par nos divers partenaires pedagogiques.  Le systeme indien etant bien different des modeles en vigueur en Occident, toutes les parties prenantes doivent faire un effort d'adaptation mutuelle.  Mais - contrairement a l'adage de Kipling - l'est et l'ouest peuvent se rencontrer.  Chaque intervention, chaque cycle de cours, chaque conference EW sont negocies a l'avance avec les partenaires institutionnels, et notre association est toujours ravie de se trouver en situation avec les jeunes Indiens en formation.

Une partie des etudiants MBA de Francis-Xavier College / Some of the MBA students at Francis-Xavier College in Tirunelveli (TN)

                    

           Nos partenaires indiens ont exprime le desir que nous partagions notre savoir-faire, y compris nos methodes assez differentes.  Ils s'interrogeaient tout particulierement sur notre approche pedagogique qui est, dans l'ensemble, plus souple, plus centree sur l'apprenant lui-meme.  Celui-ci assume d'emblee plus de responsabilites dans la construction de ses propres connaissances. 

De futures Professeures de BEd. College - Cheranmahadevi / Future secondary-school teachers at BEd. College

          Notre premiere intervention a eu lieu a l'Universite de Madras, (Chennai), a la demande du Docteur Chitra Krishnan, Doyenne du Departement de Francais.  Nous avons anime des cours et des conferences-debats sur la civilisation et la culture de la France actuelle pour des etudiants, niveau M1 et M2.  A cette occasion, nous avons, bien sur, evoque longuement les recentes attaques terroristes a Paris (janvier 2015).  Invites a poser des questions et a faire part de leurs reactions, les etudiants, manifestement peu habitues a ce genre d'exercice, ont surmonte leur timidite pour librement prendre la parole.  La discussion s'est averee fort interessante - d'autant plus que nous nous adressions aussi bien a des Hindous, des Chretiens qu'a des Musulmans...

Professeure d'Anglais - ITT / English Teacher at the Institute of Teacher Training - Cheranmahadevi

          A Tirunelveli, deuxieme etape de notre sejour, EW assurait un cycle de cours intensifs pour les etudiants  de F-X College, inscrits dans un programme bien cote de "MBA" ("Master's of Business Administration").  Le cursus abordait des sujets tels que l'impact des realites macro-economiques actuelles sur le developpement economique en Inde, les effets durables de la crise "sub-prime" sur l'economie mondiale depuis 2008, le developpement durable et les nouvelles exigences en matiere ethique pour les chefs d'entreprises.  Le tout suivi de tres riches discussions. 

     A 30 kilometres au nord, sur le campus de Cheranmahadevi, EW a largement participe a la formation de futurs enseignants - niveau Ecole Normale ("Bachelor of Education College" et "Institute of Teacher Training" - l'equivalent de l'IUFM).  Chaque intervention se passait devant des groupes d'environ 100 etudiants.  Malgre le nombre qui incitait plutot au cours magistral, il a ete possible de les faire travailler en petits groupes, de les faire participer a des ateliers creatifs et a des jeux de roles.  EW a propose une palette d'activites d'eveil et un rapporteur par groupe a presente le travail de celui-ci a l'ensemble de la promotion.  L'ambiance etait tres bonne, et les jeunes tres receptifs a des pratiques plutot inhabituelles pour eux.

La promotion de jeunes inscrites a l'Institut de Formation des Professeurs des Ecoles / Students enrolled in the College of Education - future elementary-school teachers

          C'est a Nagercoil - a 25 kilometres de l'extreme pointe de l'Inde - que nous avons encadre, par petits groupes, des lyceens de 1ere pour des seances intensives de pratique de l'anglais oral et une introduction aux methodes audio-visuelles.  Ils sont, en effet, beaucoup plus habitues a l'anglais ecrit et a la traduction en tamoul, qu'a la langue parlee.  Une maitrise de telles competences linguistiques est cependant indispensable dans un pays avec plus de 20 Etats differents et ou la seule lingua franca reste la langue de Shakespeare.  C'est egalement le "ticket d'entree" pour n'importe quel emploi qualifie.  EW reste persuadee que toutes ces experiences sont aussi enrichissantes pous les uns que pour les autres.

Eleves de 1ere a Nagercoil / A group of 11th-grade girls during Study Hall in a Nagercoil high school

ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VERSION :

INTERCULTURAL ASPECTS OF TEACHING IN SOUTH INDIA

          When EW was first created back in 2003, it was heavily oriented towards educational development in the Third World.  In the ensuing years, however, our NGO has greatly expanded its scope to include a more integrated approach to community development - including issues such as water management, environmental protection, micro-credit for the impoverished and the renovation of vital aspects of village infrastructure.

          Nonetheless, EW's educational role remains of great importance.  Whenever we are abroad, in the field, we always make a huge effort to respond to the pedagogical needs expressed by our different partners.  The Indian educational system differs greatly from those in Western Europe, so that everyone involved must exercise some degree of intercultural gymnastics.  But, in all our years of experience, we have found Kipling's saying to be incorrect : East and West may meet indeed.  Each intervention, each intensive course, each conference is first discussed with our institutional partners - so as to best meet their specific needs. EW is always delighted to work with young Indians at all levels of training.

Les etudiantes en derniere annee d'IUFM - Students in their last year of Teacher Training

          During this 2015 mission, EW's different partners asked our association to share both its know-how and its various pedagogical methods.  They were particularly interested in how teaching is done elsewhere.  They generally perceive that Western education is globally more supple and more "student-oriented", but perhaps a bit overly permissive...  Whereas Indian students are expected to take little or no personal initiative, our partners were keen to see how they might be more encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning processes.  

Sabina - Professeure d'Anglais a Nagercoil / Sabina - English teacher in Nagercoil

          EW first intervened at the University of Madras - Chennai, in order to work with the graduate students under the tutelage of Dr. Chitra Krishnan, Dean of the Department of French.  Seminar courses were offered in contemporary French culture and civilization - and this was the opportunity to discuss at length the recent terrorist attacks in Paris (January, 2015). The students involved were invited to interact and freely ask questions.  All were able to overcome any residual shyness and the discussions were rich - all the more so, given that the graduate-school audience included Hindus, Christians and Muslims... 

B.Ed. College - Une Responsable de Groupe faisant un compte rendu de travail a l'ensemble de la promotion / a Group Leader Reporting Back to the Full Student-Body

         
        Then, in Tirunelveli, some 600 kilometers to the south, EW offered an intensive course for the MBA students enrolled in F-X College.  The program covered such issues as the impact of current macro-economic realities on Indian development, the lasting after-effects of the 2008 Sub-Prime crisis, sustainable development, and the new demands for enhanced corporate ethics.  Each session was lively and led to keen debate and discussion.

          30 kilometers outside of Tirunelveli, on the Cheranmahadevi campus, EW was called in on numerous occasions to provide lectures and seminars for those enrolled in the two local Normal Schools : The Bachelor of Education College and the Institute of Teacher Training.  Course-loads were heavy - with nearly 100 in attendance.  Although such numbers generally lend themselves solely to a straight lecture course, it was nonetheless possible to divide the attendees into groups.  Thus they were able to participate in creative mini-workshops and engage in role-playing activities, for example.  Each group had a spokes-person who then reported back that group's findings to the full student-body.  The overall atmosphere was both studious and relaxed, and the college students involved were highly open and receptive to techniques and methods that were new to them.  

Un groupe d'etudiantes en classe de 1ere /  a Group of 11th Graders in Nagercoil

          In Nagercoil, within a stone's throw of the extreme southern tip of the Sub-Continent, EW provided an intensive course in oral English and an introduction to A-V methods in the classroom.  High-school students are familiar with written English and with English-Tamil translations but oral English is really not part of their usual syllabus...  However, such oral skills are of the utmost importance in a country which counts well over 20 different States (each with its own language) - so that the only real lingua franca remains the language of Shakespeare.  Total fluency in oral English is also a must in order to get any real highly-qualified job... Students were very eager to take advantage of these new opportunities, and EW is sure that all these varied educational experiences were very mutually beneficial.