Marta Nogareda Moreno, a teaching staff at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, visited the Faculty of Humanities at the Indian Institute of Science of Bangalore in 2019 where she gave classes on international organisations and peace processes.
This visit was very enriching in several ways: “An international exchange is always an added value to both sides. It is very important that students have the opportunity to see other ways of teaching, the opportunity to interact and ask questions to teachers coming from the other part of the world. The motivation that this experience gives is priceless. The same for the teacher: a unique opportunity to exchange with youth on crucial issues that concern everyone. The result is always the same: human beings and societies are very similar all over the planet, same worries, same different options to solve problems, same ethical issues and same challenges beyond different cultures. Erasmus + program is an essential instrument in our present world, where people need to meet in person to overcome false ideas and prejudices towards «other groups and other nationalities». And more so if we are in an academic context, where ideas need to flow freely in order to find global solutions to global and local problems that concern the whole of humanity.
She remembers particular moments of her teaching stay: “It was memorable how students answered my proposed dynamics in the classroom concerning conflict resolution, active listening, empathy, assertively, and new ways of negotiating and communicating. In India, we spoke about the conflict with Pakistan. I could confirm how willing the youth is (at least, the academic youth) to find peaceful solutions to frozen conflicts. Probably a path of experimentation for world peace could be to leave young people from both sides to lead the negotiation processes.
I would like to add that, in the case of India, I decided to stay in the country for 2 more weeks and visit what was essential for me to see: the outcast communities, in particular women and children. I wanted to see by myself this «phenomenon», that is no longer defensible in the 21st century. If there is a country in the world with an extreme contrast, this is India. That is why my pictures try to show the incredible technological and architectural development of the Bangalore Airport in front of the pariah communities.”
Marta visited the construction of houses for pariah families with disabilities by the NGO called Village Reconstruction Organisation (VRO). When she came back to Madrid, she organized a theater play in order to collect funds for this organization.
