Help Chase Meet the Dalai Lama!

Chase DiBenedetto Start Date: Jun 27, 2017 - End Date: Jul 31, 2017
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Professional Development
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • New Delhi, Delhi, India
  • Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India
  • Kerala, India

My Travel Story

by: Chase DiBenedetto Start Date: Jun 27, 2017 - End Date: Jul 31, 2017
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Professional Development
  • Study/Degree Abroad
Hey there! My name is Chase DiBenedetto and I'm a recent graduate of UC San Diego with a degree in International Studies- Anthropology and a minor in Human Rights. As the culminative end to my undergraduate degree, I will be spending 5 weeks (August 5-September 10) in India learning about global development, poverty, environmental justice, and human rights. These have been at the core of my undergraduate studies and include some of my greatest passions-- I will finally be able to take what I have spent the last three years learning about into a real world context! There are three major legs of this journey-- the first week will be spent in the capital of Delhi, the next three weeks will be spent in various parts of Kerala (southern India), and the final week you will find us in Dharamsala, where my group and I will get to personally meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama! 
I have already been awarded a $1500 scholarship from UCSD to cover a small portion of the fees, but still need to raise enough money to pay for the rest and other living expenses while abroad. With this campaign, I hope to raise at least the $300 for cross country travel while I am in India!
I am so thankful for any contributions you can make to my trip abroad and am more than willing to bring you back a souvenir of your liking and keep you updated while I am in India! 

From the program overview: "The highlight of this program will be a unique opportunity to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, in a day-long audience in Dharamsala, India. Professor Nancy Postero will teach two courses connected to themes that are relevant to the Dalai Lama's teachings and her own interest in human rights and environmental justice. The program will be divided into three parts, an orientation in New Delhi, a service learning project coordinated by Amrita University in Kerala Province in southern India, and a final week of lectures and excursions to understand Tibetan culture in Dharamsala."
  • New Delhi, Delhi, India
  • Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India
  • Kerala, India

Updates

2

  • Summer Reading List!

    Summer Reading List!
    My current mission is to get through all of our assigned reading prior to the trip... which means hundreds of pages of reading to get done in a month!! If any of you have any suggestions of good reading places let me know ahh
    *The picture is the cover of "Playing With Fire" by the Sangtin Writers Collective and Richa Nagar. This will be the second time I read this book and would highly recommend it if you are interested in feminist theory but cant sit through a super academic text! I also got a chance to meet Richa Nagar and she was the sweetest human, gave me a hug and everything :)

  • Indian Visa Application Has Been Sent In!

    Indian Visa Application Has Been Sent In!
    One step closer to India! The US embassy has received my Indian student visa application and will be sending back my passport (complete w/ cool new visa page) within a month!

More Travel Information

Adventure Registry

  • Typhoid Vaccine!

    $ 90

  • Indian Visa!

    $ 100

  • Bug Spray :0

    $ 10

  • Flight from SD to Fresno!

    $ 100

  • Reusable Water Bottle!

    $ 20

  • Food ;)

    $ 20

  • Malaria Preventative!

    $ 10