School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago

Title and Précis:

Democratization in India: A Catholic Response through Positive Youth Development

     In the last two decades, the urban economy in India has grown economically, while that of rural India has continued to struggle with poverty, illiteracy, disease, and malnutrition. The LIFT (Leading India’s Future Today) program, founded by Fr. Jamels James and three other Indian priests, has presented a challenge to these inequalities by developing leadership excellence among rural Indian youth. LIFT has fostered inter-religious dialogue and emotional and intellectual sharing, and is modeled after the “Servant Leadership” philosophy. This project aims to continue the development, implementation, and evaluation of the mentoring program, which includes the teaching of democratic principles. This project also aims to strengthen the relationship between LIFT and various Jesuit institutions around the world.

Biography:

     Julia Pryce is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago. She has partnered with the Leading India's Future Today (LIFT) organization over the last three years in the development and implementation of a mentoring program that includes the values of democracy and children's rights as core elements of the curriculum.  Her domestic work is focused on the role of mentoring and other positive youth development approaches among system-involved (i.e., child welfare or juvenile justice) youth.