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DIVYA DAAN NASHIK PARTICIPATES IN THE THIRTYSEVENTH ACPI MEET AT PUNE
Bro. Dilip Gnanaprakash sdb
DIVYADAAN NASHIK, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 : The brilliant learning experience of Mph students of Divyadaan at last year’s ACPI meet in Kunnoth Seminary, Kerala served as an 
incentive for them to take part in the thirtyseventh Annual Research Seminar held at Jnana-DeepaVidyapeeth, Pune from 26 – 29 October, 2012 organized by the Association of Christian Philosophers of India. The eleven Mph students were privileged to attend the meet along with four of their professors namely Frs. Robert Pen, Felix Fernandes, Nelson Falcao and Ashley Miranda. The theme for this year was Identity, Difference and Conflict: Postcolonial Critique.
The meeting commenced with an inaugural ceremony in the presence of His Lordship Thomas Dabre, the bishop of Pune, Fr. George Pathanmackel, the president of the ACPI, Fr. Johnson Puthenpurackal, the secretary, Dr. Parashuraman, the Chief Guest and other dignitaries. Dr. Nilufer E. Barucha, a professor in the department of English at the Mumbai University delivered the keynote address which set a tone to the entire meet. The meeting was attended by over seventy professors of philosophy across the country.
This year there were nineteen, including three Salesians (Frs. Robert, Ashley and Nelson) from Divyadaan who presented their well researched philosophical papers on the theme. Fr. Robert Pen presented his paper on “Globalization in the Postcolonial Era.” His paper focused on inquiring into the dynamics and effects of contemporary globalization and its varying impacts across, between and within societies from the framework of post colonialism. Fr. Robert logically disclosed the relation between post colonialism and globalization and argued that globalization can be and must be shaped and directed towards the global common good and the unity of the whole human family. He also suggested some practical ways in which the Indian Christian Church can achieve the same.
Fr. Ashley Miranda as usual presented his reflective, down to earth, practical and thought provoking paper which had a completely 
different perspective from most of the presentations. The title of his paper itself was a captivating one “Decolonization of the Indian Mind.” His reflections were based on his personal life experiences. In his paper he challenged all of us who live in post colonial times to stop blaming British for what troubles us today and to develop ‘decolonized mindset,’ to take responsibility to set right the many wrongs that strangle millions of Indians. He drew up a profile of the Indian with a ‘decolonized mind’and suggested some of the essential characteristics for the ‘decolonized Indian.’
Fr. Nelson Falcao with his proficient knowledge of Indian philosophy presented his paper on “Post-Colonial Religious Phenomena: Towards a Study of Post-Colonial Indian Christian Thought.” The main objective of his paper was to understand a post-colonial Indian Christology and to dialogue with the material given; to see whether the emerging trends in Post-Colonial Indian Christology consider seriously the multi-religio-cultural and multi-socio-cultural reality of India. His paper was aimed towards a new post colonial Indian understanding of Christ and included some of the fresh aspects of various authors adding to an Indian understanding of Christ. His paper too was appreciated very much by all.
The meeting was enriched by the presence of some of the past pupils of Divyadaan from the provinces of Bangalore, Chennai and Trichy who are now professors of Philosophy in their respective provinces. This was also a memorable experience for the Mph students to witness their interest in philosophy. The presence of the Salesians was felt as we animated the traditional get-together with sing songs.
The MPh students were very attentive and were enriched by the papers presented and the discussions made. Their conscientious participation throughout the meeting was appreciated. The brothers took initiatives to animate the get-together, accompany during Mass and other activities. “The meeting was a learning experience and we look forward for many more occasions of this sort” were their unanimous comments. The meeting concluded on 29 afternoon with the final ACPI statement on the present theme and “Development: Negations and Negotiations” as a proposed theme for the next ACPI to be held at Nagpur.
The themes
The first paper was presented by POST COLONIALISM: ANGST, AMBIGUITY, ASPIRATION
IN SEARCH OF HER: A POSTCOLONIAL/FEMINIST ENQUIRY IN TO THE IDENTITY OF INDIAN WOMAN
AFTERLIFE OF COLONIALISM
POSTCOLONIAL RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA
EUROCENTRISM
DYNAMICS OF POWER: MASTER-SLAVE DYNAMICS
GLOBALIZATION IN THE POST COLONIAL ERA
DEFINING AND CHARACTERIZING OF POST COLONIAL INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SHIFTING CENTERS OF ACADEMIC DISCOURSES: INDIAN INITIATIVES IN POSTCOLONIAL THEORIES
INDIGENOUS RECOVERY OF THE SELF: POSTCOLONIAL INDIAN EXPERIENCES
IDENTITY, SELFHOOD, DIFFERENCE
IDENTITY CORRUPTION: A PHILOSOPHICAL PROBE FROM POSTCOLONIAL PERSPECTIVE
DECOLONIZATION OF MIND
IDENTITY POLITICS AMONG SYRIAN CATHOLICS: A POSTCOLONIAL CRITIQUE
SANSKRITIZATION: UPWARD MOBILITY
NATIONALISM AND NATIONHOOD: A POSTCOLONIAL CRITIQUE
MONO- VS. MULTI- CULTURALISM
LACK, DESIRE, INSATIABILTY
DESIRE AND CORRUPTION: A POSTCOLONIAL INDIAN BUDDHIST CRITIQUE
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