A team of students and faculty from the University of Florida (UoF), USA visited RGNIYD on 07 August 2017 as part of the Study Abroad Programme – UoF in India : NGOs and Development. Prof. (Dr.) MM Goel, Director, RGNIYD delivered the inaugural address. Dr. Goel highlighted that the development processes involve NGOs in a big manner for supplementing the efforts of the Central, State and Local Governments in India. He advocated that the Indian NGOs need to contribute sincerely and seriously for inclusive growth of cared-less and used-less in the country. He commented that NGOs could contribute in a big way in extending the reach and extent of Skill India and Clean India campaigns initiated by the Govt. of India. He also emphasised that features of good governance must be made an integral component of their functioning. Dr. M Kumaran from the UoF gave a detailed picture about the unique features of the Study Abroad programme. That was followed by the felicitations by Dr. VK Padmanabhan, Professor, Centre for Federal Studies, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Prof. Rajeswari, Dept. of International Relations, Stella Maris College, Chennai. Dr. PH Kalesh, Assistant Professor extended the vote of thanks in the inaugural session. During the technical session, Dr. K Gireesan, Associate Professor, Dept. of Local Governance made detailed presentations on: (a) Mainstreaming Youth in Local Governance – Role of NGOs in operationalisation of the project; and (b) Partnership or Alliance in Community Development Projects : Evidences from the field. These presentations were followed by detailed interactions with the delegates from UoF. In the post-lunch session, the delegates proceeded to Mudichur area, Kancheepuram District for the field visits. In the field, the delegates visited the plants for Solid Waste Management and Community Drinking Water, managed by Hand in Hand India NGO in collaboration with the Mudichur Village Panchayat. Subsequently, the delegates had detailed interactions with Mr. P Damodaran, Former President, Mudichur VP; Sri. Vasudevan, Secretary and Special Officer, Mudichur VP; and Self Help Group (SHG) members. The delegates from UoF expressed that they were highly benefited from the visit to RGNIYD and field visits in the Mudichur area in which they were made aware of the multiple modes of guidance and support systems provided by the NGOs and the collaborative mode of functioning with the Local Governments. The programme was organised by the Dept. of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, UoF, USA, and co-ordinated by the Dept. of Local Governance, RGNIYD.

The Department of Social Work, RGNIYD organised three day Workshop on Street Theater for the first year M.A Social Work students from 3rd to 5th of August,2017 at RGNIYD. The basic objective of the program was to equip the students of social work with art of performing street theater to bring transformation in the society and to address the social issues to the public .The training was handled by Dr. Kaleeshwaran and his team from Alternate Media Centre (AMC), Chennai .The training highlighted on the origin of street theater its various forms and its purpose. It equipped the students with skill of various traditional art forms such as Karakattam, Oilattam, Parraiattam etc. It triggered the creative thinking, analyzing skills and arriving at solutions to the social problems. It enabled them to come up with performance of street theater on various issues. 20 first year students (12 boys and 8 girls) of M.A Social Work participated in this workshop. During the valedictory programme on 5th August 2017, Dr.Madan Mohan Goel, the Director, RGNIYD addressed the gathering and highlighted how the traditional art forms were used during freedom struggle to create awareness to the people. He also emphasized the need of younger generation in learning the traditional art of the nation to act as an agent of social transformation. He also mentioned that the students should create awareness to the general public especially to the villagers on various social issues. The participants were awarded certificates.The programme was coordinated by Mrs.P.Leena Roseline, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, RGNIYD.

The Department of Social Work organised skill training program for first year M.A Social Work students on 8th and 10th of August 2017 at its campus. The prime objective of the skill training is to train them about the basic skills of social work such as rapport building, individualizing, analyzing, problem solving, coordinating etc and to train them to apply and practice social work methods and skills. Dr.K. Arokiya Raj, Assistant professor of Social Work Department, Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur handled session on Group Worker skills through various activities, games on 8th August 2017. Mrs.Apsy Joyson and Mrs. Rechel Victor Directors of ARUWE handled the session on skills of case worker and community organizing respectively through group activities, chart presentations etc on 10th August 2017. The students gained knowledge on the applicability of the skills in the field which will benefit in their Field Work practicum and in their professional life. A total of 19 students participated in the training.

With its mission to enable, engage and empower youth and professionals towards Gender Justice and Gender Equality through Academics, Training and Advocacy, we hope to promote the values of gender sensitivity through informed and participatory learning with a special focus on gender identities and sexual minorities. Thus, this Workshop on Gender Issues invites participants to think and dialogue on what gender or gender identity is and our outlook towards it. It seeks to provide insights on and explore concepts, problems and issues faced by members of the queer community with an opportunity for participants to learn, relearn and unlearn our perceptions on critical gender issues and help us challenge deeply entrenched gender biases and discrimination. The workshop affirms that we have the ability to influence and improve gender-balanced policies in all walks of our lives by addressing the needs of people located at the margins due to various disabilities and constraints which are socially constructed. There is a need to learn on how best we can respond to the larger question of gender discrimination and inequality in our relationships, social engagements, and policies and programmes to promote gender equality and forge ahead towards a socially inclusive and sustainable development. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world for which engaging and developing social partnerships among organisations, civil society, communities to bring about gender equality initiatives for the most disadvantaged and marginalised people is a priority. It calls for a needs analysis on gender oppression, discrimination, inequalities, in our polity, social, and economic realms and to examine critically our roles as change agents. The Department of Gender Studies, RGNIYD with its complementary objectives of academics and training, endeavours to build the capacities of state and non – state agencies, organizations, institutions, towards women empowerment, gender justice, gender equality, and produce scholars/professionals in Gender Studies with a gender and development perspective. While recognizing that our society consists of a composite people with diverse range of ideas and orientations, especially, different ideas about gender can be very challenging in a world of gender differences and diversities. Through this workshop, let us challenge common myths and misunderstandings and engage more effectively with the marginalized and other diverse communities for which the various sessions on - Diversity of Gender and Sexuality; Lived Realities of LGBTQ; and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity will help us along this line of inculcating in us greater sensitivity and to be better human beings. The Workshop has been inaugurated by Prof. (Dr) Madhan Mohan Goel, Director of RGNIYD and he delivered the Inaugural address. Nirangal organisation, Chennai, working for the welfare of LGBQ community delivered the sessions on sexuality and gender identity. Around 29 students (male-11, female-18) of RGNIYD participated in the workshop.

The Department of Applied Psychology, RGNIYD organised two days’ workshop on ‘Counselling Skills’ on 17th and 18th August, 2017. The workshop was inaugurated by Professor (Dr.) M.M. Goel, Director, RGNIYD on 17th August at 10.00 AM at Department of Applied Psychology. While delivering the inaugural address the director said that counselling skills are in-built among parents and teachers and can further be developed and strengthened by training under professional guidance of the experts which justifies the workshop on counselling skills. We need to develop the abilities of head and heart as basic qualities as skills for the effective counselling in all walks of life including consumption, production, distribution and trade, opined Professor Goel. Consumer counselling as relationship between the marketer ( seller and advertiser) with ultimate consumer ( not costumer) require professional attitude and training which is the need of the day, told Professor Goel. The skills component of the training includes imparting a wide range of skills such as listening, empathy building, problem solving, coping with feelings, ability to maintain silence, observational skills, summarizing, interviewing and encouragement etc., A counselling skills training should be informative, practical and interactive, believes the Director. Dr. Suresh Sundaram, Associate Professor and coordinator of the workshop welcomed the guests and presented saplings as part of go green imitative of RGNIYD. The resource persons of the workshop are Dr. Sreenivas M and Dr Rashmi R from Center for Psychological Counselling, Department of Psychology, Bangalore University and Mrs. Brinda Muniyappa, Faculty / Soft skills trainer, Department of Psychology, Surana College, Bengaluru and B. Elayaraja Counseling Psychologist, Kavithalayaa Counseling Centre, Chennai. There are 40 M. Sc., Counselling Psychology students participated the workshop the sessions of the workshop are on the following titles: Basic Counselling Skills, Listening skills, Role Play and Demo, Effective Counsellor Qualities, Rapport building, Counselling in Context and Telecounselling Counseling. The sessions were imparted the basic and advanced skills in counselling among the participants.