Virginia Saldanha
Educational Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts;
(Economics major). Completed courses in catechetics from the Catechetical
section of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Mumbai, and certificate course
in Theology for the Laity organized by the Bombay Diocesan Seminary.
Present Involvement: Executive Secretary of Federation
of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) Office of laity & Family &
Women's Desk. In this capacity, she organizes Asian level meetings for
Bishops and lay people on concerns of Laity, Family & Women.
Member of Board of Directors of Union of Catholic Asian
News (UCAN)
Founder member of Indian Women Theologians Forum and
continue to animate the group.
Member of Satyashodak, a Mumbai based women's reflection
group.
Member of of Ecclesia of Women in Asia and organize
their communication through the website.
Member of Pax Christi International - a Catholic Peace
Organization.
Wrote articles for Indian and International periodicals
and mazagines and have contributed articles/papers to several books.
Authored - Woman Image of God, published by St. Pauls in 2006.
Edited - Discipleship of Asian Women at the Service of Life -
Published by Claretian Publications in 2007.
Participated and continue to participate in speaking
tours in various European countries organized by Missio (Germany), and
by Pax Christi International, Broderlijk Delen (Belgium). Given talks
in the US as well.
Papers Presented:
Working paper for the Workshop on Women for the 7th Plenary Assembly
of the FABC in Thailand. (see FABC PAPERS at www.fabc.org)
Prepared a paper on The Situation of Women in India
for an international meeting on Women organized by the German Bishops'
conference in 2001.
Presented a Paper on the Human Rights of Women -
Implications for the Church at a Symposium to celebrate 60 years
of Human Rights in Germany in 2008.
Former Positions
-Catechist in regular school, Sunday School, & preparation for Sacraments
from 1978 - 1992.
-Member of Parish Pastoral Counci, Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Parish
Think Tank.
-Worked in the parish in the youth group, liturgy team, Small Christian
Communities, Parish Community Outreach Centre.
-First Executive Secretary of Bombay Women's Desk 1992-
2000Executive Secretary of CBCI Commission for
Women 1998 - 2004
-Executive Council Member of Pax Christi International
1997 - 2004- in which position I have attended many international meetings
as well as meetings of UNHR Commission, UNESCO, EU Parliament, etc.
-Member of Executive Council of Justice & Peace Commission
of Archdiocese of Bombay 1993 - 1998
-Active Grassroots experience - in organizing houseworkers
for their rights as well as organizing women into 'Mahila Mandals' (women's
groups), conducting awareness programmes for women and young people.
Nilanjana Sanyal
Educational Qualifications: Psychology (Hons.)
Graduate (1st Class, 1st in College) from the University of Delhi, India
& Post Graduate Certificate Course in Human Rights Law, NUJS, India;
Trained in "Social Changes Through Visual Media" (Niscort,New
Delhi). Bachelors Degree in Music.
Work Experience: (1997Onwards)
-1997: Centre for Youth and Social
Development (CYSD), a corporate NGO in Orissa, India (no certification
obtained) - Area of work>Media Monitoring.
-1998- 2005:
1. Associated with "Building Bridges" in organizing "Value-Education"
Programme for local children and also imparting English Language skills
to unemployed youth.
2. Freelance trainee in the Social Services and Community
Development & Social Welfare Department, Tata Steel.
3. Brief stint with a Rural Development Trust
4. Initially involved as Founder member & Chief
Administrative Officer & thereafter worked as Assistant Secretary
to "KIDS" (The Kindergarten Social Welfare Foundation), an
NGO working with underprivileged Children, among others.
5. Advisor to ROTARACT (of the Rotary), Jamshedpur Women's.
College.
-2006: Exposure to lectures in
"International Understanding for Human Unity" at Ramakrishna
Mission Institute of Culture(RMIC),Kolkata
-2007: Made two Documentaries
on contemporary social issues at NISCORT, New Delhi as a part of student
diploma project.
-Nature Community Development
and Social Welfare (particularly Education in the slums), Development
Education, Media Monitoring (Monitoring of the coverage of issues by
the media), and Fundraising and other activities, in most cases, as
a freelance social worker, currently a freelance writer/activist/media
amateur…
Special Achievements:
- Nominated for Manthan Award South Asia 2008
- Certificate of Participation in National Knowledge
Commission Online Contests
-Selected to an International
Symposium on "Mediation and Conflict Resolution" to be held
in the Hague (July - August 2004)
- Research tTheme Shortlisted for WISCOMP (Women in
Security, conflict Managment and Peace) Fellowship
- Part of a Student Diploma Documentary on Street Children
- Participated in a Documentary Project on Women
- Created & edited "Creationscapes"
-Authored Imagine…A Better World
-Published The Sexual Revolution in India - A Myth or a Reality
-Wrote articles on Population; Management; Community Development in
India-focusing on Nutrition, Health and Education; Poverty; Sustainable
Development (including trade); Corporate Social Responsibility; etc
Akileswari Sithambaram
where we invest in youth