Plus 3 more must-catch events
Plus 3 more must-catch events
On Saturday (May 28), 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm
Where TISS Convention Centre, new campus, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), opposite Deonar Bus Depot.
Call 65748152 / 65053302
If you thought child labour was no longer a reality, wake up and look around. Better still, walk up to the Dadar flower market on an early morning. Going by the statistics of the group that conducted research in this area, 42% of kids selling flowers here have been doing so since the age of 1 to 5, 75% of them have had no schooling whatsoever and 60% of those who could've or have gone to school dropped out because they were 'fearful'. Alarming statistics? 
Several wake-up calls might emerge from the research findings of these 'barefoot researchers' of PUKAR (Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action and Research), an independent research collective and an urban knowledge production centre. The 323 researchers who hail from all walks of life have been conducting year-long research in various areas, with financial and mentoring help from those at PUKAR. These researchers are displaying their findings for the public this weekend.
"This year, topics range from water problems in Govandi to the reason behind girls dropping out of school, from the hurdles faced by middle-class kids in developing friendships to the relationship between youth and their mobile phones," shares Rajendra Jadhav, director for Youth Fellowship Programme. "Many of them select topics that directly concern their lives. For example, a group of women who have dropped out of school have investigated on the reasons behind their situation."
Another group that has done research on women who work in brick kilns in the Pen region has found that though about half of them earn about Rs 1,000 per month, most had borrowed money from the kiln owners, and now lived in a perpetual cycle of bonded labour and poverty. "Such research leads to change in knowledge skill and attitude of the researchers as well as those around them," says PUKAR executive director Anita Deshmukh.
"Guddu, who worked with us last year, was an orphan who was so quiet that we wondered whether he knew how to talk at all. On his graduation day, he suddenly spoke up and declared that being an orphan was not his fault. The research instilled a sense of self-dignity in him. It also leads to larger societal transformation in image and perception, like it did in the case of a group of young Muslim men and women who were tech-savvy. They are sending out a positive message to their community by setting an example."
Play mindgames with this brit guy
On Saturday (May 28), 5 pm
Where Crossword, Mohammedbhai Mansion, NSP Marg Kemps Corner.
Call 66272100
Tony Buzan is a man with a mission. The British self-styled guru of mind mapping has landed on Indian shores with an aim to show us how to tap into and use our creative genius to improve our everyday performance. The author of over 100 books, Buzan will explain what mind mapping (or a 'Swiss Army knife for the brain', if you please) is, and teach you its usage and techniques. Wikipedia describes a mind map as a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualise, structure and classify ideas, and as an aid to studying and organising information, solving problems, making decisions, and writing. Look at them as a graphical method of taking notes, and add colours and symbols to distinguish words and ideas. We aren't sure if Buzan's claims of his 'ultimate mind-power tool' and a 'revolutionary system' might be all true but you sure can take home a valuable tip or two to increase your 'mindfulness'. 
Drum Maaro Drum
On Sunday (May 29), 5.30 am to 8.30 am
Where Carter Road Amphitheatre, Bandra (W).
Call 9820816965
Disclaimer: this isn't restricted to musicians. A drum circle is, in fact, open to all who are willing to make magic by tuning in to other people's rhythms, and thus discovering others and yourself, as well as a group consciousness. It is made of a group of people who do not necessarily know each other, playing (usually) hand-drums and percussion instruments in a circle. Empowerment, communication, confidence, community and team building... these are some of the words that will emerge out of this Drum Circle evening that takes place under the stars. Says Aarti, a music therapist who works with the mentally ill and who has been instrumental in organising this event, "We eventually aim to provide a platform for underprivileged/differently-abled children and adults, explore their creative side using music and rhythm, channelise their energy and potential into something constructive, and give them an opportunity to improve areas of emotional, psychosocial and cognitive development."
Walk the talk to fight hunger
On Saturday (May 29), 8 am
Where Starting point: Hotel Ramada, Juhu Tara Road; end point: near Amitabh Bachchan's bungalow, Pratiksha.
This Sunday, an estimated 1,50,000 people will take to the streets in 70 countries around the world to show their support for the work of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in the fight against global hunger. End Hunger: Walk the Worldu00a0-- an annual event, now in its ninth year, is inspired by millions of poor children across the world, who walk several kilometres to school every dayu00a0-- often hungry and barefoot, yet determined to get an education and improve their future. The walk is a 24-hour relay with participants in each of the world's time zones walking five kilometres. It begins in Auckland, New Zealand and ends in Samoa. Apart from raising awareness, it also raises money to fight hunger and malnourishment. To show your support, join the walk that kicks off in Juhu.
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