Research and Medical Events Blog

COMMUNITY BASED SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT COURSE
(April 7 – 26, 2008)
Dear Friends,

Kindly note that Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS) of Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi, Pakistan is pleased to announce its short course on Community-Based Social Development for Women’s Empowerment (CBSD-WE) scheduled from April 7 – 26, 2008. This course is part of CHS’ Continuing Education Programme. Course information is given below for your reference. For course registration form please write to us.

Goal of the Course:
This course is designed to provide an understanding of the interplay between the determinants of health and development, self-awareness, and the importance of participatory methods in community mobilization and empowerment.

Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, the participants would be able to:
1. Understand the essential concepts and dynamics of social change.
2. Understand the essential features of participatory methodology, and its applications for facilitating social change.
3. Become aware of the relevance of self-development and importance of communication skills for community development.
4. Be able to critically engage with the different dimensions of empowerment in development
5. Become familiar with theory and research in the field of gender studies

Medium of Instruction:
Medium of instruction of the course is English. Participants are expected to be proficient enough to comprehend, and read and write in English language. However, flexibility is maintained in view of the purpose of the course, which is to advance critical understanding of development and its processes, and to acquire certain skills for facilitating people-centered and gender sensitive development. The learning environment created for this purpose allows the participants to converse in their own language. If needed and agreed by the participants, translations in other languages are also provided in the plenary sessions. For a collective learning process, such negotiations have been found to be useful, and in keeping with the participatory approach of the course, especially since one of the learning objectives is to introduce the participatory approach to the participants.

Teaching Method:
The entire course uses the workshop method, with minimal lecture sessions. Great emphasis is placed on experiential learning, and participants are required to monitor their own learning. Participatory tools for reflection and analysis, simulation-games and exercises will be used.

There is equal emphasis on individual and collective learning. Participants will be required to verbalize as well as write out their feelings and thoughts and to share them in small and large groups.

A significant feature of the course is a week of residential training in Participatory Reflection and Analysis (PRA) in an urban/rural area.
Tuition Fees:
The course tuition fees is Pak Rs. 24,200.00 (US$ 405.00) per participants, which covers classroom instructions, course material, refreshments, simple lunch during working hours, and boarding & lodging facility during one week of PRA workshop.

Travel, boarding and lodging during the course period (except PRA component), and self-care arrangements will be the responsibility of the participant( s) or their parent organization( s).

Deadline to Receive Applications:
We look forward to have participation from your intuition in this course. Kindly send brief CV along with filled registration form of the desired candidates latest by March 10, 2008 to Mr. Amin Hirani, Senior Programme Officer, Continuing Education Programme, Community Health Sciences Department. His e-mail address is: amin.hirani@ aku.edu and telephone contact is 4864839).

Course Director
Dr Agha Ajmal
Assistant Professor
Tel: (092-21) 4864853
Email: ajmal.agha@aku. edu

Please feel free to contact us for any further information you may need about the course.

Best regards,

Nadira Ashraf
Senior Assistant Manager
Educational Administrative Support Unit
Department of Community Health Sciences
Aga Khan University
Stadium Road, PO Box 3500 ,
Karachi 74800 , PAKISTAN.
Tel: (092-21) 4864802, 4864811
Fax: (092-21) 4934294, 4932095
E-mail: nadira.ashraf@ aku.edu