Collaborative Learning through “Swayambhu Stories”: Representing Buddhism, Preserving Cultural Heritage & the Challenges and Affordances of Decolonial Digital Worlding

Details

17 December 2024/२ पुस २०८१ (मंगलबार, दिउँसो ३ बजे)
Collaborative Learning through “Swayambhu Stories”: Representing Buddhism, Preserving Cultural Heritage & the Challenges and Affordances of Decolonial Digital Worlding
Lauren Leve, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Ritu Buddhacharya, Team Member, Swayambhu Stories Project; Raj Bikram Maharjan, CEO, Galli Maps; Alina Tamrakar, Architect; and Alok Siddhi Tuladhar, Co-founder, Impact Productions Nepal

About the Speakers

Lauren Leve is a sociocultural anthropologist with over 30 years of research focusing on religion and culture in post-panchayat Nepal. She has written on topics including gender, development, human rights, identity, the rise of evangelical Christianity in Nepal, and the “Theravada turn” in Newar Buddhism, including the popularization of lay vipassana meditation. Her book, The Buddhist Art of Living in Nepal: Ethical Practice and Religious Reform (Routledge, 2016) was awarded the James Fisher Prize for First Books on the Himalayan Region from the Association of Nepal and Himalayan Studies.

Ritu Buddhacharya graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fashion design and management (BFBM). She joined the Swayambhu Stories team in the fall of 20204 as a member of the youth generation of the Buddhacharya family of hereditary Swayambhu priests.

Raj Bikram Maharjan is a pioneering entrepreneur and engineer. As Co-Founder and CEO of Galli Maps, he leads the development of innovative mapping solutions. He is also the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Airlift Technology. Raj's extensive engineering background includes work as an Aeronautical Engineer at Fuse Machine and as a Power Train Engineer at BMW Brilliance Automotive. After the 2015 earthquakes, he helped establish the heritage organization, Baakhan Nyane waa (“Come Listen to Stories), where he utilizes his skills and creativity to help support and preserve Nepal’s cultural heritage.

Alina Tamrakhar completed her bachelor’s degree in architecture and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in urban design and conservation. She has been involved in post-earthquake heritage restoration work since 2015, working with government and nongovernment organizations as well as with the stakeholders, local community, and authority bodies. She is a co-founder and vice-president of Baakhan Nyane Waa, a nonprofit dedicated to the collection, documentation, presentation and archiving of the orally transmitted culture and heritage of the Kathmandu Valley.

Alok Siddhi Tuladhar is a cultural preservation activist with a keep interest in documenting Nepal’s rich heritage. He is also a documentary filmmaker, who has created many films that explore different socio-cultural contexts. His goal is to inspire the youth to recognize the value of their legacy for a better tomorrow.