Educators for Teaching India welcomed high school teachers from around the country to their fifth annual conference “Democracy in India: Past, Present, Future,” on April 12. Since it’s founding five years ago, EFTI’s primary goal has been to build a network of enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers who understand the complexities of teaching India.
Ananya Vajpeyi (left) and Amy Enright, EFTI organizer and chair of the history department at the Rivers School.
The aim of the day’s conference was to explore India’s commitment to pluralist democracy and the myriad forces – including religious nationalism, socio-economic inequality, and endemic corruption – that threaten it. They also considered why the lessons learned in India are important ones for America’s own pluralist democracy and for newly established democracies around the world.
Ananya Vajpeyi, Associate Fellow with the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi; Senior Fellow with the American Institute of Indian Studies, delivered the keynote address. Her first book Righteous Republic: The Political Foundations of Modern India, was published in October 2012 by Harvard University Press.
During the day, Primary Source and SAGE: Studies Abroad in Global Education were on hand to promote their programs on and about India for students and teachers, alike.
EFTI is sponsored in conjunction The Winsor School, Phillips Academy, and the Groton School. SAI is proud to host EFTI’s annual conferences at Harvard University.
Learn more about EFTI at www.teachingindia.org