Reflections of Relationship Manager at CCS

Swati Chawla

It Has Been Worthwhile, After All…

I took this work up because I have, what people generously say “an unflinching optimism in people”. Having volunteered in and later mentored many youth projects, I believe that young people can change the world, as clichéd as it sounds. One year with graduates of CCS programs has reaffirmed this for me. More than the numbers and the scale of the events, two instances of how it happened:

Neshwin Almeida was a part of LSS Calicut 2005. Although he was not fully convinced with liberalism, he kept in touch. I don’t know when I became a friend and a mentor to him- telling him about places to get documentary films from, how to write book reviews and correcting his powerpoint presentations. He joined FOF Goa (which was at a very nascent stage) in 2005 and I saw a different Neshwin at CFW 2006- convinced about his place as a changemaker in society. Personal freedom and stereotypes were two issues that touched him deeply. He approached schools in Goa to conduct a session on Beyond Perceptions with their students when LSS Goa was on. Though I went with him as a “lead facilitator”, it was great seeing him coming on his own and handling most of the questions from the participants. He was then invited to do the same with NSS cadres from a college. He got cold feet on the day of the session and called me at 6 a.m. in the morning to say that he wouldn’t be able to do it. After half an hour of “of course you can do it!”, he went ahead and did!- with more than a 100 people present for the session. The organizers were so impressed that he was later invited to do the same session with two more colleges.

Titli was a quiet participant who took her time to get comfortable with the ideas that the LSS “bombarded” at the participants. In her own words, The most important thing that I learned from the LSS is that with motivation and logical approach we can change the world around us and that even one person alone can make a lot of difference. THANKS TO LSS I am now able to rationally explain to some extent the usefulness or necessity of liberty which has convinced some of my people to believe that liberty is essential!” She made a lot of good friends at the seminar and along with Siddhartha Chakraborti, she helped start a Friends of Freedom group in Kolkata. She attended the Advanced Liberty for Change Seminar in Mumbai; being one of the participants whose seminar fee was waived off because of her financial constraints. Titli also conducted the profiling exercise of LSS Kolkata participants and tried to get them enthused about joining the FOF. She also helped with the publicity of the CCS internship program. Titli wishes to be associated with the FOF in Kolkata and do a research internship with CCS. Titli was nervous about being able to do the profiling exercise but working on these programs with CCS has helped her to become more confident. As someone who has been constant touch with her since the LSS, I have feel Titli come out as a more vocal, articulate and confident person.