Vikalp Sangams (Alternatives Confluences): practical collaborations, collective visioning of futures in India

India: alternative initiatives for well-being

Water

Crafts

Shelter

Food

Energy

Governance

Livelihoods

Conservation

Village revitalisation

Urban sustainability

Learning

Health

Producer companies

Inclusion

Sexuality

Gender

Adivasi / Dalit

Objectives

• Documentation and outreach • Sharing and cross-sectoral learning • Collaborations • Collective visioning of well-being

• Greater political mass for change

Vikalp Sangams (regional)Andhra Pradesh, Oct 2014Tamil Nadu, Feb 2015Ladakh: July 2015Maharashtra, October 2015Kachchh, July 2016W. Himalaya, Aug 2016Kerala, Apr 2017

(thematic)Energy democracy: March 2016Food sovereignty : 2016 & 2017Youth visions: early 2017Adivasi livelihoods: 2018Learning and education: 2018Arts & media: 2017?

or www.alternativesindia.orgwww.vikalpsangam.org

Visioning the future, grassroots-upBreaking through rigid ideological barriers

Ecological resilience & wisdom(conservation of nature, sustainable use, respecting planetary limits)

Radical democracy(decision-making by citizens, accountable representative institutions, ecoregional units)

Economic democracy(means of production in hands of producers, localised self-sufficiency, economy of caring/sharing)

Social justice & wellbeing(equity in gender, class, ability, etc; castelessness, non-dualism; satisfaction, happiness, social relations, peace)

Culture & knowledge diversity(knowledge as commons, respecting cultural/ethnic diversity, democratic R&D)

Towards a sustainable, just and equitable society 5 interconnected, integrated spheres

• Autonomy, freedom (swaraj)• Diversity and pluralism (vividhata)• Self-reliance for basics (swavalamban)• Cooperation, collectivity, and ‘commons’ • Rights with responsibilities/duties• Dignity of labour (shram)• Respect for subsistence • Qualitative pursuit of happiness• Equity / equality • Simplicity, enoughness (aparigraha)• Decision-making access to all• Respect for all life forms

At the foundation:

Values & principles

Eco-swaraj: Radical ecological democracy

(Radical = going to the roots, challenging the conventional)

achieving human well-being, through: – empowering all citizens & communities to participate in

decision-making– ensuring socio-economic equity & justice – respecting the limits of the earth

Community (collectives of various kinds, internally interrogated) as basic unit of organisation, not state or private corporation

Other visioning processes

India’s Future: • 30 essays (academics,

activists, community practitioners)

• fictional dreams• artist’s visions

Roohi, APU

Youth visions …

Youth Vikalp Sangam, Feb 2017Sylvia, APU

Commons

Solidarity economy Degrowth

Buen vivir / sumaq kawsayUbuntu / ukama / unhu

Ecofeminism

Agroecology / permaculture

Biocivilisation

Ecosocialism

ZapatistaKurdish Rojava Kyosei

Country

Localisation

Alternative practices & visioning across the world

Other visioning processes …

Global futures: • worldviews dialogue• Post-Development Dictionary• Global Vikalp Sangam?

Vikalp Sangam Core Group Kalpavriksh, Deccan Development Society (DDS), Bhoomi College, Shikshantar, Timbaktu Collective, Development Alternatives (DA), SOPPECOM, Gene Campaign, BHASHA, Kriti Team, Centre for Equity Studies (CES), URMUL, National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM), Peoples’ Science Institute (PSI), Maati, Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), Ekta Parishad, South Asian Dialogue on Ecological Democracy (SADED), Knowledge in Civil Society (KICS), North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS), ACCORD, Centre for Education and Documentation, Centre for Environment Education, reStore, ComMutiny: The Youth Collective, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Ektha, Students’ Environmental and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT), Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO), Local Futures, Sahjeevan, Samvedana, Dharamitra, Video Volunteers, Ideosync, Greenpeace India, MAKAAM, Sambhaavnaa, Jagori Rural, Deer Park, Blue Ribbon Movement; and Sushma Iyengar and Dinesh Abrol

Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh, Vikalp Sangam, & ICCA Consortium

chikikothari@gmail.com

For continuing the dream …