O n e W o r l d S o u t h A s i a N e w s l e t t e r Vol. 2 Issue 2 April-June 2005 “ MSPs model: Dancing in rhythm or a case of two left feet! Dear r Dear r Dear r Dear r Dear reader eader eader eader eaders In the last issue of Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam, I mentioned the need for collaboration among multi-stakeholder partners in developmental efforts, especially in accelerating the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the region. Those who work towards building partnerships to achieve a common goal would say that building partnerships takes far more time than achieving end results. In this context, I recall my colleague, Richard Fuchs of The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) who at the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) annual forum this May, 2005, mentioned that it took over a year for the IDRC to forge a partnership with Microsoft–a considerably long period for two organisations to come together. Needless to say, forging multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) involving multiple partners with varying agenda is a difficult and long drawn process. One of OneWorld South Asia’s mandates is to build MSP-based communities of practice (CoPs) for achieving the MDGs. It is fitting to mention here that OneWorld South Asia’s Mis Mis Mis Mis Mission 2007 sion 2007 sion 2007 sion 2007 sion 2007 partnership with the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) was a pioneering step in this direction. As you read this newsletter, you may realise that the Mis Mis Mis Mis Mission 2007 sion 2007 sion 2007 sion 2007 sion 2007 partners are reviewing the yearly progress made by the alliance on 11-12 July, 2005 in Delhi, this time with the support of over 250 grassroots level knowledge workers. A second effort in forging strong MSP-based ICT partnerships came to fruition in Nepal last fortnight. The Ek Sansar Gy Ek Sansar Gy Ek Sansar Gy Ek Sansar Gy Ek Sansar Gy an an an an an Sagar Sagar Sagar Sagar Sagar (OneWorld’s Open Knowledge Network) project involving ten Nepalese partners, led by the Digital Divident Action Group (DigiDAG) is developing into a national lever MSP alliance for reaching out to each of the existing 210 telecentres with value-added and needs-based content that would be disseminated across all the five regions of Nepal. The task of building MSPs is not easy; living out an MSP model is even more challenging. I would like to relate the MSPs to the warm welcome extended to me and my colleagues by the Tharu community of Jhuwani, Chitwan in Nepal. The ladies who formed a circle to perform a welcome dance stopped singing whenever one of them took a wrong step, but they continued to support that member, and slowly brought her back into the rhythm. So, there was intermittent singing, but uninterrupted dancing throughout the twenty minutes of the welcome note. Is this Multi-stakeholder partnership? B. Shadrach Director, OneWorld South Asia [email protected]Guest editorial 2 OWSA partners make a difference 2 About OWSA 5 New projects 6 Reports on events 7 Awards 8 Announcements 8 Resources 9 Partners in action 9 Ek duniya kayee kahaniyan 10 (One world: Many stories) Events Calendar 12 Contents Director’s Message “ One of OneWorld South Asia’s mandates is to build MSP-based communities of practice (CoPs) for achieving the MDGs. Basheerhamad Shadrach Editor-in-Chief
Transcript
O n e W o r l d S o u t h A s i a N e w s l e t t e r
Vol. 2 Issue 2 April-June 2005
“
MSPs model: Dancing in rhythm ora case of two left feet!
Ek duniya kayee kahaniyan 10(One world: Many stories)
Events Calendar 12
Contents
Director’s Message
“One of OneWorld
South Asia’s mandates
is to build
MSP-based
communities of
practice (CoPs)
for achieving
the MDGs.
Basheerhamad ShadrachEditor-in-Chief
Dear Readers,
I feel honoured
while writing this
guest editorial
on behalf of the UK Department for
International Development (DFID), one of
OneWorld South Asia’s (OWSA) partners.
I would like to take this opportunity to
address the issue of economic growth as a
prerequisite for poverty reduction and also
explore the role of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) in
expediting the process. These are vital
development challenges which OWSA and its
members can meet successfully through
appropriate programming, research and
information sharing.
Few would question the central
importance of economic growth not only
in reducing income poverty, but also in
addressing the other Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Recent
multi-country research confirms that the
pace of economic growth is the key
determinant behind falling poverty levels.
A successful poverty reduction strategy,
therefore, would need to have at its core,
measures to achieve rapid and sustained
economic growth.
While there is an obvious correlation
between economic growth and poverty
levels; research also demonstrates that
the degree of this correlation varies from
country to country. A more favourable
outcome is witnessed where countries
practice inclusive economic policies that
encourage poor people to participate in the
growth process.
Though much has been said about whatwill enable the poor to participate more in
economic growth – for example, increasing
the productivity of agriculture, broadening
access to markets, increasing literacy
levels and developing skills for lucrative
non-agricultural jobs – I would argue
that the critical questions today are mostly
about how to achieve these objectives.
There is a growing awareness about
ICTs and their role in pro-poor development.
For example, ICTs act as enablers by
providing access to market and
technological information and by ensuring
more transparent and responsive
governments. ICTs can also facilitate
networking between virtual business
clusters, or higher remittances bothbetween and within countries.
ICT “solutions” will not automaticallybenefit poor people, however. For that tohappen, it is essential to bridge the digitaldivide initially and then develop contentand services that cater to the needs ofthe poor communities.
The South Asian experiencedemonstrates that the civil society canplay an important role in finding practicaland sustainable solutions that enhancethe livelihoods of the poor, as can theprivate business sector. In order to ensurethat the fruits of all these innovations arefully realised, it is vital that their impactsare honestly evaluated and the outcomesdisseminated widely, including topolicy makers.
OWSA in its chosen role therefore, hasan important mission and an opportunity tomake a real impact in accelerating pro-pooreconomic growth. I wish the OWSA network,and its members, every success.
Shantanu MitraSenior Economic Adviser
DFID India
Guest editorial
Lets celebrate the Girl child!
So what if I am a Dalit?What if you were raised with the belief
that the caste that you are born into is meantto lead a sub-human life forever? That youare denied the very right to a dignifiedexistence because you were born a Dalit?There are two choices. Either you continueto subject yourself to the misery and wallowin self pity or you fight for your rights.
Being a Dalit, KuntiPasi of DuhaniVillageDevelopment
committee, Mainihawa (Nepal) faced thisdilemma for long. Her eight year old son wasdenied entry to a school because she wasnever even granted a proper citizenship inthe country. Left with no other choice, hehad to work for the same landlord whocontinually exploited Pasiand many more like her. “I slogged anentire day in my landlord’s field only tobe given one kilogram of rice at the endof it,” she laments.
But now Kunti has decided to takethe second option and fight it out. Shehas become a member of the DalitEmpowerment and Inclusion Programme(DEIP) (initiated by the UK Department For
InternationalDevelopment andimplemented by theFeminist DalitOrganisation); afront that hopes tojoin forces forempowering theDalits and ensuringthat they are no longer denied what isrightfully theirs.
Do we see some hope for Kunti and hereight year old son?
But today, Tultuli is a determined girl.Her demure stature belies the latent strengththat she harbours within. Her first steptowards redeeming her life was to secure ateaching job, courtesy a well wisher. It waswhile working in the local school that shecame to know of a training programme forAnimators conducted by the Hunger Project,Bangladesh. The programme helped her turnher life around. She realised that to give upon life is to admit defeat, something that shewas not willing to do.
Putting her own tragedies behind her,Tultuli now spends her time assuaging the
pain of other distressed women. Shealso inspires them to become independentand trains the women in differententrepreneurial skills like bee-farmingand vegetable farming. In 2002, she starteda bee-farming programme, which runs quitesuccessfully today, and gives employmentto a number of local women.
Overcoming adversityLack of meaningful options, often wreaks havoc
in the lives of the physically challenged people inIndia, marginalised as they are from the mainstream.Siddagangaiah, 23 years old from Anantapur district,
hearing aids or the sign language which could help himin continuing with his education, he dropped out. Hisilliteracy compounded his problems as he could notsupport his daily wage earner parents without a job.
Hope came in the form of financial support andtraining from Relief Organisation for Handicapped(ROH). Siddagangaiah’s interest in photography wassupported by ROH and he soon set up his own photostudio. He is now able to support not only himself buthis family as well.
Quite similar is the story of eight year old Manju whowas visually challenged by birth and had even given upthe hope of a decent life. With ROH supported orientationin mobility, daily living and the Braille language, Manjurecently joined a local school and has become one of thehighest scoring students. More importantly, he hasregained his positive attitude, the absence of which isprobably the only real handicap in life!
P.G. Sundari,Relief Organisation for Handicapped (ROH), India,
waiting for a Bollywoodproducer to pounce on anddirect an Oscar winning entry.This is a reality byte that willhaunt you for times to come.
When Akbar Ansari (9)was beaten up mercilessly bythe owner of a zari (brocadework) factory in the Dabrilocality of West Delhi, India, hewas being punished for asmall flaw that he inadvertently made while embroidering on a saree.
But neither trauma nor violence was new to his life; working as a casuallabourer for more than 12 hours a day at Rs. 40 per month. “We used to get onlytwo meals a day, rice, dal (pulses) and potatoes”, he says. Food might have been scarce but there was no lack of beatings; in fact these happened quite frequently.
His story came to light in wake of a massive crackdown on the industrialunit by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a Delhi based NGO, on June 6, 2005.The crackdown was the result of a complaint lodged by one of the inmates,eight-year old Huaib Ansari. A total of twenty nine children were rescuedduring this operation.
Huaib and Akbar may have escaped the misery but there are hundreds andthousands of such children being exploited in sweatshops not just in Delhi, butall around India. Most of the children are trafficked from the BIMARU (BiharMadhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh) states, after traffickers promisetheir parents a better life. Even according to the most conservative estimates,
there are around 50, 000 children aged between fiveto 12 years bonded to the zari unit owners in NewDelhi alone.
She is an entrepreneur par excellence.Despite facing severe orthopedic problems,56 year old Mrs. Pappa meticulously followsher daily routine of preparing chilli andturmeric powder, packing it in smallpouches and then goes around sellingit in the Kattakulam village in Madhurai,Tamil Nadu.
She has successfully turned the Rs. 5000she received from the Centre for RuralEducation and Development (CRED) into aprofitable business. The CRED establishes
Ek duniya Gyan sagar (One World an ocean of knowledge)
“Don’t call me a leper!”
4
“Give a man health and a course to steer, and he’ll neverstop to trouble about whether he’s happy or not.”
NameNameNameNameName: Kamlesh Chandra LalAgeAgeAgeAgeAge:11 years oldSmear Report sSmear Report sSmear Report sSmear Report sSmear Report stttttatatatatateseseseses: + 2DiagnosedDiagnosedDiagnosedDiagnosedDiagnosed: LeprosyHis appealHis appealHis appealHis appealHis appeal: Don’t call me a leper!
Now 45 years old, Kamlesh,chose to live with his abilitiesthan mourn over one particulardisability. Still, it took him 34years to arrive at this platform.And when he looks back at hischequered life, he only sees scorn, neglect and disregard. At eleven when hewas diagnosed with leprosy; he was declared an untouchable,both by his friends and family. At times, people would cover their faceswhile walking past his house. The only one who stood by his side in this hourof adversity was his mother. Soon, his self-esteem took a major dip andplagued by hateful thoughts of leading a deformed life, he almost gaveup the zeal to live.
After a brief stint with homeopathic treatment that wasn’t toosuccessful, he was taken to the Leprosy Mission (TLM) hospital inMuzzafarpur, Bihar (northern state of India). Through a long andarduous process of rehabilitation, he has steered his life towardsmeaningful services.
Kamlesh is now a registered speaker with the Arya Samaj (a socialinstitution), delivers religious courses on a local TV channel in Bihar and haspublicly accepted to being affected by the disease. As he explains, “I realisedthat the stigma attached to leprosy would be overcome only when those whowere cured came forward and shared their experiences with all.” That said,he insists, “But still, don’t call me a leper.”
Manoj Varghese,The Leprosy Mission ( TLM) Media Advocacy, India,
A little help goes a long way!self help groups in villages around southIndia and promotes sustainable commercialactivities among its members. Mrs. Pappais just one of their many beneficiaries.Though she faced some initial hiccups, shehas trudged on with great determination.After all, this enterprise funds her dailymeals. “And my favorite betel nuts,” sheadds with a chuckle.
Alagesan, Centre for Rural educationand Development (CRED), India,
Have you ever given a thought to how communitylibraries can help in promoting development activities?If not, then READ on.
When Toni Neubauer of Rural Education andDevelopment (READ), a Nepal based NGO, dreamtof building libraries in Nepal, he had a larger visionin mind. He was envisaging these libraries to play afar greater role in the community than just beingrepositories of books that no one ever refers to.So in 1991, READ inaugurated its first communitylibrary in the Sherpa town of Junbesi in Nepal. Today,35 self-supporting community centers with libraries attheir hub are opening newer vistas for thousands ofNepali citizens.
While on one hand, READ libraries serve as astorehouse of knowledge and information, on the otherthey work to create space for the community membersto embark on a range of development activities. Fromthe onset READ was designed to not only build literacythrough libraries, but to help Nepali villagers developthe means to become socially and economically selfreliant. A typical READ library includes a computersection that trains students on computer operations, acoordination centre for the organisation of variousdevelopment initiatives like dental camps, familyplanning and reproductive health programmes, HIVAids campaigns and legal counseling for women, apartfrom a separate section that stores a wide range ofbooks catering to all age groups.
OneWorld South Asia(www.oneworldsouthasia.net) based in NewDelhi, India, is a part of the OneWorld Network(www.oneworld.net). It is an internationalnon-profit network engaged in using ICTslike the internet, mobile telephones andcommunity radio for poverty alleviation.
With more than 500 organisations includingNGOs, donors, multilateral organisations,private sector, media, academicians andgovernments as its partners, OneWorld South Asia (OWSA) is dedicated to ‘voicing thevoiceless’ and exploring the role of ICTs inachieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
5
OWSA Audio Studio launched!
About OneWorld South Asia
It’s key programmes includeGrGrGrGrGrasasasasassrsrsrsrsroots Communicoots Communicoots Communicoots Communicoots Communications,ations,ations,ations,ations,KnoKnoKnoKnoKnowlwlwlwlwledge fedge fedge fedge fedge for Deor Deor Deor Deor Devvvvvelelelelelopment, Researopment, Researopment, Researopment, Researopment, Researchchchchchand Analand Analand Analand Analand Analysis, and Pysis, and Pysis, and Pysis, and Pysis, and Policy Advolicy Advolicy Advolicy Advolicy Advocococococacyacyacyacyacysupportsupportsupportsupportsupported by Capacity Building &ed by Capacity Building &ed by Capacity Building &ed by Capacity Building &ed by Capacity Building &TTTTTechnicechnicechnicechnicechnical Servical Servical Servical Servical Services and Pes and Pes and Pes and Pes and Partnerartnerartnerartnerartnershipsshipsshipsshipsships& Netw& Netw& Netw& Netw& Networking.orking.orking.orking.orking.
OneWorld South Asia, in association withITCAN (Information and Communicationtechnology Capacity Building for AsiaNetwork) and other partners, hasannounced the launch of an e-discussion liston “Pro-poor HIV/AIDS Strategies”. The e-discussion would generate exciting andvaluable insights for practitioners to tacklemultifaceted aspects of HIV/AIDS.
Some of the issues that can possibly bediscussed and addressed are:
• Economic impact of HIV on households andthe role of micro-finance.
• Evolution of response to HIV from anessentially bio-medical model to amulti-sectoral one.
OWSA unveils its e-discussion list on Pro-poor HIV/AIDs Strategies• Feminisation of HIV/AIDS
• Stigma and discrimination among themarginalised, especially those facingdouble discrimination – gays/lesbians,sex workers and those involved insubstance abuse.
This e-discussion is being moderatedby a panel comprising of Ms Chi LaigoVallido from a Philippines based NGOCouncil fCouncil fCouncil fCouncil fCouncil for Por Por Por Por Population isopulation isopulation isopulation isopulation issues (PNGOC)sues (PNGOC)sues (PNGOC)sues (PNGOC)sues (PNGOC)based in Manila; Dr Shantanu Dutta fromEmmanuel Hospital Association, based inIndia; and Dr R Sweety Premkumar, anexpert on healthcare issues and currentlyadvising OneWorld South Asia on healthknowledge management issues.
OKN Spreads its wingsThe Nepalese chapter of the Open Knowledge
Network (OKN) was formally launched on June 3,2005 by Dr Swayambhu Man Amaty, Secretary,Department of Science and Technology inKathmandu. OKN is a platform that supports thecreation and exchange of local content in local languages among communities across South Asia.This initiative would be implemented in 20 rural telecenters of Nepal in the initial phase.
Ek Sansar Gyan Sagar (the local name for the OKN Programme) will adopt amulti-stakeholder partnership model for connecting these telecentres. The government,
NGOs, CBOs and the privatesector have joined hands toform the Digital DividendsAction Group (DigiDAG) forimplementation of the OKNin Nepal. The OKN Nepalwill use open eNRICH, atool jointly developed by theNational Informatics Centre ofIndia, OneWorld and UNESCO.
Inauguration of a RuralKnowledge Centre – a Hub atPillaiyarkuppam, Pondicherry
A new Open Knowledge Network(OKN) hub supported by the The M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation(MSSRF) was launched at Pillaiyarkuppam,Pondicherry (Union territory of India) bythe Lt. Governor, Sri M M Lakhera. Thisinitiative is a part of MisMisMisMisMission 2007—thesion 2007—thesion 2007—thesion 2007—thesion 2007—theeeeeevvvvvery village, a knoery village, a knoery village, a knoery village, a knoery village, a knowlwlwlwlwledge cedge cedge cedge cedge centrentrentrentrentreeeeemomomomomovvvvvementementementementement. . . . . A number of Indian and foreign dignitaries graced the occasion.The keynote address was delivered byDr. Lennart Bage, President ofInternational Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD), Rome.
A regional conference on‘Development Effectiveness throughGender Mainstreaming’ sought policyrecommendations to achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) that would helpbuild lives free from want, fear anddiscrimination. The conference held on10-12 May, 2005 at Delhi, India was jointlyorganised by IFAD, UNIFEM and IDRC. Over120 representatives from Afghanistan,Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Fiji, India,Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, andSri Lanka attended the conference.
Mainstreaming gender for effective developmentDr. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director,
UNIFEM, delivered the keynote address.Highlighting the importance of genderequality, she stated, “By not addressinggender inequality, we are re-generatingpoverty. Development effectiveness is an actof transformation to end violence, povertyand discrimination,” she said.
A number of gender sensitive issueswere debated and deliberated upon.Delegates felt that it was essential toimprove the conditions of women’s work,their access to markets and ownership of
income and resources, their mobility andthe right to safe migration, and theirrisk-taking ability. An important andpositive observation made by severalparticipants was that civil society activismhad influenced government actions incombating injustices against women.However, there was still an immense scopefor effective partnerships between women’sgroups and state representatives.
ARM ReportMore than 500 development professionals,
including 82 from South Asia, activelyparticipated in the deliberations. The meetingwas organised around five themes: • Povertyreduction, food security and sustainablelivelihoods • Education for empowerment• Health, water and sanitation • Combatingepidemics • Promoting good governance
The idea behind the meeting was tostart a process that would enable thedevelopment community to buildCommunities of Practice (COPs) forachieving the MDGs in partnership with
multiple stakeholders at the national level in India.This initiative is expected to give impetus to similarinitiatives in other countries in South Asia.
For more information on ARM, 2005 visithttp://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/108463/
The StockholmChallenge Award 2006 isopen for entries
The Stockholm Challenge invites ICTbased projects from all over the world to
Awards
Please don’t read this is not actual bodycopy
African SchoolNettoolkit
Aimed at African SchoolNetpractitioners, policymakers, schoolmanagers and teachers, the tool kitdocuments experiences in schoolnetworking from a number of Africancountries and recommends frameworks,tools, lessons and good practices to informand improve day to day practices.
The toolkit will serve as a basisfor a training course for AfricanSchoolNet practitioners and policymakerswhich is currently being developed by
IPDC/UNESCO prize forRural Communication
Nominations are now open forthe International Programme for theDevelopment of Communication(IPDC)-UNESCO prize for RuralCommunication. The prize is intendedto recognise a meritorious and innovativeactivity in improving communication inrural communities, mainly in developingcountries. It will be awarded duringthe twenty-fifth session of the Inter-governmental council of the IPDC, to beheld at UNESCO Headquarters, Parisin March 2006.
For more information visit:http://www.unesco.org/webworld/ipdc
World Summit YouthAward announced
The World Summit Youth Award (WSYA)is an international competition for youth-ledprojects that encourage the activeparticipation of young people in theemerging Information Society. It is part ofthe World Summit award, a global initiativeto identify the best projects in the field ofe-contents and applications. It is held in
Bangladesh Governmentand UN Body form ICT pact
The United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) has signed anMoU with the Bangladesh government,agreeing to provide US$ 2.3 million assistancefor facilitating support to ICT task force(SICT) programme initiatives of thePlanning Division.
This support will further strengthenthe government’s plan of enhancingits e-governance activities by linking keypolicy-making and monitoring institutions.
For more information visit:http://www.digitalopportunity.org/link/gotoarticle/addhit/112729/1138/27750
2005 DanDavidPrize forC N R Rao
Professor CNRRao, the honorary
President of the Jawaharlal NehruCentre for Advanced Scientific Researchat the Indian Institute of Science, India,and the President of the Italy basedThird World Academy of Sciences, wasrecently conferred the prestigious DanDavid Prize for Material Science. Thisprize is awarded to individuals orinstitutions with proven and exceptionalexcellence in the sciences, arts, andhumanities that have made anoutstanding contribution to humanity.
Times of India, June 7, 2005
ICRISAT wins Ecoaward
A collaborative project between theInternational Crops Research Institutefor Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) andthe Center for World Solidarity(a Hyderabad-based NGO), that isproviding farmers in India withcheaper and eco-friendly pestmanagement alternatives hasbeen awarded the 2005 World BankDevelopment Marketplace grant;receiving over US$430,000 in prizemoney. The Development Marketplaceis a competitive grant programme thatidentifies and directly supportsinnovative, bottom-up development ideasthat deliver results. The programmedraws together a variety of individualsand institutions (NGO’s, governmentagencies, donor agencies, academicinstitutions, and private sectorcompanies) to work in partnershipsto fight poverty.
www.cgiar.org/monthlystory/une2005.html
compete for the Challenge trophies.The Challenge is searching for the bestinitiatives that accelerate the use ofinformation technology to improve thesocial and economic conditions of citizensand communities. The awards will beannounced in May 2006.
For more information visit: http://www.stockholmchallenge.se/
cooperation with the UN World Summit onthe Information Society (WSIS) 2003-2005.The last date for inviting applications for theaward is July 31, 2005.
The winners will be announced onNovember 16th , 2005.
AnnouncementsSchoolNet Africa in partnership with theCommonwealth of Learning (COL).
For more information visit: http://www.schoolnetafrica.net/1500.0.html
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Book: ICTs and IndianEconomic developmentEdited by: Ashwani Saith , Institute ofSocial Studies, The HagueM Vijayabaskar, Madras Institute ofDevelopment Studies, Chennai
The enormous potential of ICTs tofundamentally transform the nature ofeconomic growth and development hasinduced both wide-ranging hopes andapprehensions. While debates on theseissues in the context of advanced marketeconomies are relatively old, theirsignificance for low-income economies,like India and China, is only beginning tobe appreciated now.
This pioneering volume gives acomprehensive overview of the diverselinkages between ICTs and Indian economicdevelopment. It provides an excellentanalysis of the macro-economic dimensionsof these linkages.
Authored by: Brinda Karat,Member, Political Bureau,Communist Party of India (Marxist), India
9
Resources
This book has done quite acomprehensive job of detailing the myriadobstacles faced by the women’s movementsin India. The author’s active involvement inwomen’s struggles adds to the strength ofher narrative. It weaves togetherexperiences and critical observations tocreate a work of great theoretical andpractical import. It should be of great valueto those interested in women’s studies fromSouth Asia.
Film: Harvest of HungerDirected by: Rupashree Nanda, India
The
documentary
Harvest ofHunger is a
hard hitting
portrayal of
food
insecurity
and seasonal
migration in India. Shot over a period of two
years in Bolangir (Orissa, Eastern part of
India) and Andhra Pradesh (Southern part of
India), it depicts the struggle of marginal
farmers and landless labourers, who face
hunger on a daily basis. The documentary
follows them around as they battle a cycle of
drought; migrate to brick kilns in Andhra
Pradesh and return home to barely scrape
through the following season of agriculture.
The film is based on the interviews of the
labourers, kingpins of the illegal labour
market, renowned economists including
Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, and other
social activities and administrators.
www.ccsindia.org/jeevika/
Pee (Shit)
Directed by: Amudhan R.P, India
Mariyammal, a Dalit worker attached tothe MaduraiMunicipalCorporation(Tamil Nadu,Southernpartof India)was forcedinto the
inhuman profession of manual scavengingdue to poverty. She has now been in thetrade for the past 25 years. She shares heranger and frustration with the filmmaker,about a profession which even the mostblasé ones of us would look at withunparalleled disgust.
www.ccsindia.org/jeevika/
MDGs go to special childrenin Lahore
The InsaanFoundation-Pakistan (IFP),a Pakistan-based NGOthat works forthe rights ofwomen andchildren haslaunched acampaign topromote theMillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) among differentsections of Pakistan.
To further this effort, the IFP has evolvedan innovative methodology to develop anunderstanding of the MDGS among specialchildren through puppetry. A popular art form;puppetry helps in familiarising children with newconcepts in an entertaining manner. The puppetstalk to the children about the MDGs, their relevanceand the possible contribution that the children canmake even at their tender ages.
Persistent organic pollutantsToxics Link, a New Delhi based NGO recently
participated in the First Conference of Parties(COP1) to the Stockholm Convention on PersistentOrganic Pollutants (POPs) held from 2-6 May, 2005,in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The StockholmConvention is the first global, legally bindingagreement that aims to protect human health andenvironment by controlling the production, use anddisposal of toxic chemicals.
More than 50 civil society organisations thattook part in this meeting, view the StockholmConvention text as a welcome step towardssafeguarding global health and environment fromthe hazards of POPs; a process they feel should nolonger be neglected.
Kahaniyan’ (One World:Many Stories) is anattempt to open up anew channel ofcommunication forgrassrootscommunities inSouth Asian countries.It is a platform wherepeople can comeforward freely toshare their concerns
and opinions. Further, it intends to promotea culture of asserting voices, sharingknowledge in the form of stories anddisseminating them to variouspolicy-making forums through online andoffline media tools.
Ek duniya kayee kahaniyan(One world: Many stories)
To enhance the use of ICTs as astrategic communications tool especially in
Indianlanguagesandstrengthenthe workthat is beingdone at thegrassroots indevelopment,povertyreduction andsocial justice,OneWorld
South Asia spearheads various initiativesfrom time to time. Recently, OWSAconducted a training workshop for partnerorganisations, to assist them in hosting locallanguage content on the web and use the EkDuniya platform for developmentalcommunication and advocacy.
OWSA invites partnership withCommunity Based Organisationslocated in the least developed areasof South Asian countries. Aftersigning a Memorandum of Understanding,they can nominate two grassroots people asEk DuniyEk DuniyEk DuniyEk DuniyEk Duniya a a a a fellows who would beresponsible for collecting and disseminatingpeoples’ voices in the form of stories.
Ek duniya training...A platform for development communication
Ek Duniya, customised on Plone, aContent Management System (CMS) forwebsites, entails the creation of dynamicweb-pages using custom designed content,architecture & templates; hosting English &Indic language content. Users can updatetheir websites through a simple webinterface even without much technicalknowledge. The requisite technicalexpertise is developed through a two-tiered
‘Voicing the voiceless!’
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To know more about partnershipbenefits and to participate in theprogramme write to Narendra Deo ,[email protected]
In an attempt to understand thechanging norms that govern intellectualproperty ownership, the British Council andthe Developing Library Network, jointlyorganised a talk - Copyright in the DigitalEra – by Prof. Paul Sturges, of theDepartment of Information Science,Loughborough University, U.K. Prof.Sturges, who was in India recently, spoke at
length about copyright, its history, thepresent scenario and emerging issues.
Prof. Sturges pointed out that there is animportant distinction between the treatmentof copyrights in the pre and post digital era.In the earlier ages, it was difficult toinfringe a copyright as reproducing materialonce published, was a tedious job. Thedigital era has removed such procedural
restraints as entire manuscripts and artwork/software can not only be copied butalso disseminated with the click of a button.People have easy access to intellectualresources because of photocopying, hackingand file sharing; issues that have raised anumber of controversies in the recent years.What complicates these issues is thatcopyright is a grey area.
Public outcry against copyright lawsthat protect MNCs’ profits over and aboveeverything else is gaining resonance.Prof. Sturges stressed that in the currentscenario, enforcement of copyright mayindeed not be the best way forward. Heconcluded by saying that it was importantfor the public sector and civil societyorganisations to understand the currenttrends in copyright and lobby governmentsfor changes that protect the interests of thewhole community.
Copyright in the digital age: Monopolies versus communities
The Information needs of ourcommunities are immense and continueto remain unfulfilled. Since plans at anational level are already underfoot toconnect remote rural areas throughvillage knowledge centes as a part of theMission 2007 programme, the processof developing community specific contentneeds to be expedited. Most of thecurrently available content is meant
Addressing the content needs of the communityprimarily for professionals and thereaders of the dominant global languages,mostly English.
OWSA has recently embarked upon aContContContContContent fent fent fent fent for Community Needs Pror Community Needs Pror Community Needs Pror Community Needs Pror Community Needs Progrogrogrogrogrammeammeammeammeammeunder the aegis of Mission 2007 to addressthe information needs of the community.A meeting of the interested organisationswas called on June 30 and July 1, 2005 at
New Delhi and several new partnershipswere forged.
To strengthen the process further, OWSAcalls all organisations engaged in developingcommunity content to come together to shareresources. Please join us in anotherendeavour towards voicing the voicesless!
OneWorld South Asia has comeout with the fourth issue of its bi-monthly
magazine,MainsMainsMainsMainsMainstrtrtrtrtreamingeamingeamingeamingeamingICICICICICTTTTTs s s s s focusing onhow the ICTtools cancontribute tothe task of
Mainstreaming ICTs in rural livelihoodsimproving livelihoods and alleviatingpoverty. This issue also attempts to reflectthe linkages between MDGs and rurallivelihoods.
Experts from the development sector,government functionaries andrepresentatives of the NGO sector havemade pertinent contributions to the subject.The articles cover a wide array of issuesrelated to rural livelihoods development
like poverty alleviation, employmentgeneration, increasing on-farm andnon-farm productivity, new livelihoodsopportunities, micro and public insurancescheme for the rural poor, commonproperty resource management, role ofe-cooperatives and digital SMEs ingrassroots level development among others.
Bellasap in coordination with SAPInternational and SAP Nepal is conductinga South Asian workshop on KnowledgeNetworking for Peace: Rhetoric or Reality?This workshop will be based aroundinnovative approaches of knowledge sharinglike Open Space Technology, Story Telling,Peer Assist and After Action Review.
Mission 2007HE The President ofIndia will inauguratethe two day, National
Convention on Mission 2007: Every VillageA Knowledge Centre. He will induct the firstset of grassroots academicians of theJamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy forRural Prosperity (NVA) on July 11, 2005 atthe National Academy of AgriculturalSciences, New Delhi. Nearly 150 partnerorganisations of the National Alliance onMission 2007, led by MS SwaminathanResearch Foundation (MSSRF), woulddeliberate over two days on the ‘five Cs’key to achieving the Mission 2007 goal –Connectivity, Content, Care & Management,CapacityBuilding andCoordination.
On theside lines ofthe NationalConvention,OneWorld
South Asia and NVA in technical collaborationwith PRIA, New Delhi will organise NationalParticipatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)Consultation of NVA Fellows on July 10-12,2005. Technologies (ICTs) in these issues,and therefore their suggestions on Mission2007 agenda. The outcome will be presentedat the valedictory function of the Mission2007 Convention.
Environment and Wildlife FestivalNovember 21-24, 2005;New Delhi, India
The Centre for MediaStudies (CMS) isorganising the VatavaranEnvironment and WildlifeFilm Festival, the onlybiennial competitivefestival of its kind in India.
The festival will showcase best of the Indianfilms, a Panorama of Asian films,Retrospectives of Masters, Film Bazaar, OpenForums, Screenings for Children,International Federation of EnvironmentJournalists Congress and more.
For more information contact:Alka Tomar, Tel: 91-11-24992597, 26522244,26864020, [email protected]
Second Global Labour ForumDecember 13-14, 2005; New Delhi, India
The Institute for Human Development and theIndian Society of Labour Economics andIndian Industrial Relations Association areco-organising the Second Global LabourForum on Social Security in the GlobalisingWorld. Institutions and experts from bothdeveloping and developed countries areinvited to participate and contribute papers.
Conference on right to workand labourDecember 15-17, 2005; New Delhi, India
The Centre for Economic Studies andPlanning (CESP) and the Centre for theStudy of Regional Development (CSRD),Jawaharlal Nehru University are jointlyorganising the 47th Annual Conference of theIndian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE).The Conference would be presided over byProfessor Prabhat Patnaik of CESP,Jawaharlal Nehru University. The organisersinvite papers from interested individuals onlabour and related issues. Selected papersreceived by September 15, 2005, will bepublished in the Conference Issue of theIndian Journal of Labour Economics (IJLE).
For more information contact:Hony. Secretary, Indian Society ofLabour Economics,Tel: 011-23358166, 23321610visit www.isleijle.org
International Conferenceon GlobalisationFebruary 12-16, 2006: Dhaka, Bangladesh
The conference co-sponsored by McMasterUniversity, Canada and State University ofBangladesh offers participants anopportunity to come together and sharetheir knowledge, expertise and experienceon issues that pertain to the effects ofglobalisation on children and women.
For more information contact:Andrea King,http://www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/slru/IC2006
Latest OneWorld SouthAsia partnersUnnayanNetUnnayanNet works in the field ofcapacity building, local content creationand and human rights issues.www.unnayannet.org, [email protected]
AAlians InternationalAAlians International works in the field ofchild labour, family planning and [email protected]
Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam Ekam Lokam is a quarterly newsletterpublished by Basheerhamad Shadrach onbehalf of OneWorld South Asia (OWSA),OneWorld International Foundation.
To submit items for this newsletter, sent tomore than 1,500 organisations, includingNGOs, donors, multilateral organisationsand select government personnel, pleasecontact: Mamata Pradhan,[email protected]
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