Changers' Foundation Paribartak (CFP)
Encyclopedia
Changers' Foundation Paribartak (CFP) is an NGO situated in Howrah, India
. It was established on May 18, 2005 following the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961
. In the name, the word "Paribartak" is originated from Sanskrit
, it means "Changer".
The content that follows below is extracted from the CFP website.
A batch of youngsters formed into an informal organization
in December 1988; the location was around the present office of CFP. Since then, they organized a number of programs in which they performed individually and as a group in accordance with their excellence.
In 1992, the organization took the name "Paribartak Sanskritik Sangha" (PSS; means Changers' Cultural Association) and with this name, they worked until May 18, 2005.
There are two phases in the History of PSS - 1992-2001 and 2001-2005. In the first half, they organized only once in each year to arrange one program at different places in Howrah and Kolkata
. In the second half, PSS reorganized itself to something that CFP claims to be bearing now. At this half, it arranged some seminars and programs, and started working on cognitive development through discussions, exchange of views
and information
, study circles etc. Within 2001-2005, most emphatic of its several units was the wing for Theatre
.
Theatre Formation Paribartak
was a wing of this informal organization Paribartak Sanskritik Sangha. It produced several theatres like Waiting For Godot
(following the Waiting For Godot written by Samuel Beckett
), Godot Waits For Homeland Security
(written by Martin Kimeldorf), Piano (following the short story O Piano written by Anibal Monteiro Machado), Pedro Páramo
(following the novel Pedro Páramo written by Juan Rulfo
) and Danawala Ekta Buro (means An Old Man With Wings; following the short story Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes written by Gabriel García Márquez
).
Another wing of Paribartak Sanskritik Sangha was the Education Formation. This Formation organized four seminars in this period. The topics of the four seminars were -
Number of Members in CFP at this period reached to 54 (this piece of information is collected from elsewhere).
of Culture
as -
CFP has three sets of objectives -
According to them, the Compact Form is an extension of the Legal Form and the Details Form is an extension of the Compact Form. The Legal Form is actually the set of objectives with which it was registered. The two extensions, according to CFP, do not contradict with the Legal Form.
An extract of the Legal Form is provided below (this is collected directly from the Memorandum of Association
of CFP):
From a section in the Details Form, the objectives of CFP seem vast -
Another section in the Details Form indicates existence of some political purpose -
However, another section in the Details Form directs the CFP as below -
Observing these statements issued by CFP, one can think them to be Anarchist or Communist. But, in one section in the Details Form, they declare that they do not like a label. It seems that if they are not Anarchists or Communists, they are at least Anti-Capitalists.
on Cognitive Development and Human Rights.
In the year 2005-6, their activities were as follows —
Howrah, India
Howrah or Haora is an industrial city, a municipal corporation in the Howrah district, West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the district, and also the headquarters of Howrah Sadar subdivision of the district. Located on the west bank of the Hoogli River, it is a twin city of Kolkata....
. It was established on May 18, 2005 following the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961
West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961
The West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961 is the West Bengal Act XXVI of 1961. West Bengal is a state in India. The said Act was passed by the West Bengal Legislature. It was an act to provide for the registration of societies or NGOs whose head office had to be situated in the state of West...
. In the name, the word "Paribartak" is originated from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, it means "Changer".
The content that follows below is extracted from the CFP website.
History of origin
There is not much in the history of CFP as it has been established only on May 18, 2005. But, CFP claims a span of 17 years to be identified as their "History of Origin" - 1988-2005.A batch of youngsters formed into an informal organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
in December 1988; the location was around the present office of CFP. Since then, they organized a number of programs in which they performed individually and as a group in accordance with their excellence.
In 1992, the organization took the name "Paribartak Sanskritik Sangha" (PSS; means Changers' Cultural Association) and with this name, they worked until May 18, 2005.
There are two phases in the History of PSS - 1992-2001 and 2001-2005. In the first half, they organized only once in each year to arrange one program at different places in Howrah and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. In the second half, PSS reorganized itself to something that CFP claims to be bearing now. At this half, it arranged some seminars and programs, and started working on cognitive development through discussions, exchange of views
Opinion
In general, an opinion is a subjective belief, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented...
and information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
, study circles etc. Within 2001-2005, most emphatic of its several units was the wing for Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
.
Theatre Formation Paribartak
Theatre Formation Paribartak
Theatre Formation Paribartak is a group of theatres situated in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India. Prior to May 18, 2005, it was a unit of another organization that now goes under the name of Changers' Foundation Paribartak. After that date, it became a separate entity.Theatre Formation...
was a wing of this informal organization Paribartak Sanskritik Sangha. It produced several theatres like Waiting For Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
(following the Waiting For Godot written by Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
), Godot Waits For Homeland Security
Godot Waits For Homeland Security
Godot Waits For Homeland Security is a play written by Martin Kimeldorf of Washington DC, USA in 2003.This play is not a prequel or sequel of the Waiting For Godot written by Samuel Beckett. It consists of only two characters - AmbiMan and ProtoMan; and it sets a time when USA has been invaded by...
(written by Martin Kimeldorf), Piano (following the short story O Piano written by Anibal Monteiro Machado), Pedro Páramo
Pedro Páramo
Pedro Páramo is a short novel written by Juan Rulfo, originally published in 1955. In just the 23 FCE editions and reprintings, it had sold 1,143,000 copies by November 1997. Other editions in Mexico, Spain, and other nations have sold countless more copies...
(following the novel Pedro Páramo written by Juan Rulfo
Juan Rulfo
Juan Rulfo was a Mexican author and photographer. One of Latin America's most esteemed authors, Rulfo's reputation rests on two slim books, the novel Pedro Páramo , and El Llano en llamas...
) and Danawala Ekta Buro (means An Old Man With Wings; following the short story Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes written by Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
).
Another wing of Paribartak Sanskritik Sangha was the Education Formation. This Formation organized four seminars in this period. The topics of the four seminars were -
- Mental Problem is Not Necessarily Mental IllnessMental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
(March 2002, Howrah) - PoliticsPoliticsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of KnowledgeKnowledgeKnowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
(August 2002, KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
) - Self & Other: Conditioning by HegemonyHegemonyHegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
and Political Dicta (March 2003, KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
) - 'IllusionIllusionAn illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
' and 'InterpretationInterpretation (aesthetics)An interpretation in philosophy of art, is an explanation of the meaning of some work of art. An interpretation expresses an understanding of a work of art, a poem, performance, or piece of literature.- One or many :...
of RealityRealityIn philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
' (August 2003, KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
)
Number of Members in CFP at this period reached to 54 (this piece of information is collected from elsewhere).
Objectives
This NGO prefers to identify itself as a "Cultural Organization". To define itself precisely, it has provided a DefinitionDefinition
A definition is a passage that explains the meaning of a term , or a type of thing. The term to be defined is the definiendum. A term may have many different senses or meanings...
of Culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
as -
-
-
- A CultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
is a particular combinationCombinationIn mathematics a combination is a way of selecting several things out of a larger group, where order does not matter. In smaller cases it is possible to count the number of combinations...
of an array of knowledgeKnowledgeKnowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
and
degree of usage of scienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
to use that knowledge.
- A Culture
-
CFP has three sets of objectives -
- Legal Form
- Compact Form
- Details Form
According to them, the Compact Form is an extension of the Legal Form and the Details Form is an extension of the Compact Form. The Legal Form is actually the set of objectives with which it was registered. The two extensions, according to CFP, do not contradict with the Legal Form.
An extract of the Legal Form is provided below (this is collected directly from the Memorandum of Association
Memorandum of Association
The memorandum of association of a company, often simply called the memorandum , is the document that governs the relationship between the company and the outside...
of CFP):
- To encourage cognitiveCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
development of people through attainment and nourishment of KnowledgeKnowledgeKnowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
and Scientific Procedure of Thinking as two basic elements of cultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
; - To spread awareness on Social and Cultural Rights as essential Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and as rights integrated to all other kind of Human Rights; - To promote Cultural Exchange by formation of access for all to Foreign Culture, Global Culture and IndigenousIndigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Culture; - To promote tolerance towards and assessment on CustomsCustomsCustoms is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
, Rituals & Beliefs of different cultures, religions and communities; - To promote, practice, present, study and train different kinds of Fine Arts & LiteratureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
... ...
From a section in the Details Form, the objectives of CFP seem vast -
-
- No person suffers from hungerHungerHunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
- No person is without a shelterHouseA house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
- No person is without required clothingClothingClothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
- No person is without access to educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- No person is without medical support
- No person suffers from natural environmental degradationEnvironmental degradationEnvironmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife...
- No person suffers from emotionEmotionEmotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
al or material exploitationExploitationThis article discusses the term exploitation in the meaning of using something in an unjust or cruel manner.- As unjust benefit :In political economy, economics, and sociology, exploitation involves a persistent social relationship in which certain persons are being mistreated or unfairly used for... - No person is without access to healthy entertainmentEntertainmentEntertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
- No person is without access to informationInformationInformation in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
- In brief, all the recognized Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
are exercised in a social system where the probabilityProbabilityProbability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
of further violation of any such act becomes negligible
- No person suffers from hunger
Another section in the Details Form indicates existence of some political purpose -
-
- The two pillars of the modern social orderSocial orderSocial order is a concept used in sociology, history and other social sciences. It refers to a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving....
are CapitalistCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
DemocracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and Free MarketFree marketA free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
system - Democracy has been mixed up with the dictumDictumIn United States legal terminology, a dictum is a statement of opinion or belief considered authoritative though not binding, because of the authority of the person making it....
of profit-seekers and/or with the desires of unlearned and undisciplined people who may be honest - The dictum of profit-seekers by which Democracy is exercised in modern time is Capitalism
- Capitalist Democracy has failed to ensure developmentEconomic developmentEconomic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
for all, to ensure sustainable developmentSustainable developmentSustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
and to ensure human rights in a sustainable manner - The system of Free Market is bearing in one hand the problem of Consumption FetishismFetishismA fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others...
and on the other the problem of WealthWealthWealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
Fetishism - Mere increment in consumption and wealth cannot solve most of the problems like distributionDistribution (economics)Distribution in economics refers to the way total output, income, or wealth is distributed among individuals or among the factors of production .. In general theory and the national income and product accounts, each unit of output corresponds to a unit of income...
of wealth, health hazards, environmental degradation, gender-bias, child-abuse etc. - Thus most of the problems cannot be solved by the Free Market System
- When the two pillars of the modern social system have jointly failed, and failed to secure each other, there is no reason to put confidence in what is being done while nothing is being done more than nourishing or developing the same two pillars
- The global culture that has emerged and still is emerging is the culture transmitted by profit-seekers with profit-motive
- Thus, in one hand the indigenous cultures are being suppressed in hegemony
- On the other hand, the fusion of cultures cannot lead to welfareQuality of lifeThe term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...
of the adopting people as what is being imported in one-way is partial and thus illusive
- The two pillars of the modern social order
However, another section in the Details Form directs the CFP as below -
-
- Let’s first act on cognitive development of people so that they can feel what is bad for them and so that they can realize what they want
- Let’s then act on cognitive development of people so that they can analyze their environment and draw conclusions
- Let’s then act on cognitive development of people so that they can achieve the technical abilities to pave their way towards what they want
- Let’s then act on cognitive development of people so that they can identify themselves as one in diversity and as one in unity
- Let’s then move to safeguard rights of people
- Let’s then act on facilitation for people when they move to achieve and sustain their rights
- And so let’s move to change culture
- In due course, let’s not say what is a right choice and what is a wrong choice without showing reasons
- In due course, let’s not school people and label them again
- In due course, let’s not ourselves to be formed into an establishment that cannot change itself
- In due course, let’s not cause our organization exist after our objectives are fulfilled
- In due course, let’s know we are doing nothing more than nourishing our own individual streams of life which are interwoven in society, so if we sacrifice anything we are not sacrificing for any so-called ‘great cause’
Observing these statements issued by CFP, one can think them to be Anarchist or Communist. But, in one section in the Details Form, they declare that they do not like a label. It seems that if they are not Anarchists or Communists, they are at least Anti-Capitalists.
Activities
From the objectives of CFP stated above, it is difficult to define the scope of their activities. However, it seems that they concentrateConcentrate
A concentrate is a form of substance which has had the majority of its base component removed. Typically this will be the removal of water from a solution or suspension such as the removal of water from fruit juice...
on Cognitive Development and Human Rights.
In the year 2005-6, their activities were as follows —
- They started two Projects on July 1, 2005 - Project Paribartak and Project IBLM. Project Paribartak integrates mass in general with the self-developmental activities of CFP. Project IBLM (Internal Bengali Liaison Magazine) produces a BengaliBengali languageBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
quarterly. - In August 2005, they started a WorkshopWorkshopA workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
naming Workshop on Project ManagementProject managementProject management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
in NGOs with only three participants. It has still not been closed. - On October 2, 2005, they organized a cultural program at the premises of a school near their office in Howrah. Theatre Formation ParibartakTheatre Formation ParibartakTheatre Formation Paribartak is a group of theatres situated in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India. Prior to May 18, 2005, it was a unit of another organization that now goes under the name of Changers' Foundation Paribartak. After that date, it became a separate entity.Theatre Formation...
presented two of their theatres in the program.