Construction and creativity

Reviewing and inspecting very many construction and civil works in the last three years, that being one of my responsibilities (although without any experience in this field!), I’ve begun to realise how routine or monotonous most contractors and engineers tend to be. 

For most of the contractors, construction is basically building: brick, cement, steel, and stuff. The same stuff, the same way, all the time. They don’t seem to pick up any practical – leave alone, innovative – aspects of constructions which enrich their work, over time. 

I guess, their whole concentration is on completing the work or getting the basics right, that they don’t really bother to add finesse or value or utility enhancing features to their works. Or perhaps, being an outsider to this field, I under-estimate their learning or application of their skills. 

Perhaps, they’d be wondering in similar lines (or worse) about my financial and administrative skills!

Education ... freedom and authenticity

A quote from the presentation of Mr Kurian during one of the Strategic Planning sessions.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire) and Deschooling Society (Ivan Illich) have discussed at length the politics of education.  True formation must decolonize the mind. There is nothing more damning than the illusion of a unique, singular, uncritical and choiceless identity.  "If traditionalism were proper, the prophets would merely have followed their own leaders and not come with new messages" (Akbar and his India). 

Along with Oscar Wilde, we could remember from time to time, that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.  Provided, of course, the freedom to think is at the service of the freedom to authenticity. 

Strategic Planning (2)

The tussle is always between this: modernization vs the real beneficiaries. We aim for upgrading and making 'hi-tech' our services for youth but what about those whom it does not reach. The call to move from the maintenance-mode to the innovative/creative mode is indeed novel and is needed, but without losing sight of the real target group.

... greater gospel fidelity, particularly moving towards the poor (Pope Francis)

How do we achieve that? We seem to be on two or three groups each pulling in a different direction: humanistic, spiritualistic and technical.  While each one is necessary for meaning and efficacy of our apostolate (in fact only different perspectives), the right balance too is integral! 

Master, yet a student

A few days ago, Fr Maliekal in one of his goodnight talks, referred to a tribute paid by someone on TV to Sachin Tendulkar on his retirement.  Fr Maliekal said that the one speaking highly of Sachin made this very clever observation about the 'little master':

Sachin was the master of the crease but ever a student of the game. 

That truly is a very high and apt compliment for someone who spent so many years learning and improving not only the sport but also his own quality of the game.

That's something we need to master too... mastery over things we claim to be our field and yet ever willing to learn, to adapt, to innovate and improve.