AID - India Conference Summary
Day 1 - Dec 30 2001
Past experience in Indian chapters and of volunteers was discussed and future course charted:
It was decided that brochures and a Half-yearly newsletter will be launched by Feb 2002 with the Bangalore chapter taking care of the technical editing on the computer and others contributing. To facilitate better communication people felt that responding to one another's emails as well as picking up and acting on tasks initiated by each other was important.
Volunteers going to a village every weekend or month that was tried out in Mumbai and Chennai had generated enthusiasm and commitment in some but wasn't sustainable due to relocation, the hardness of the task and lack of training or skills by which they would be useful. While development skills are important and such training-sessions can be arranged, at a personal level, just being prepared for a village visit for example by taking a photo exhibition while going to a village would add to quality. Having monthly meetings and the full-timers being able to route tasks that can be handled by volunteers at work or home was pointed as a practical and useful way of using the volunteer resources and time.
Volunteers making regular donations to AID-India and raising funds was discussed as something we have not really seriously pursued yet. It was pointed out that small starting groups that can not and movements that do not accept foreign funds, as well as AID-India itself were very needy and such fund-raising therefore had an important role to play. It was decided to have bank accounts in Mumbai and Pune in addition to Chennai with the Pune chapter keeping the mailing list up to date. AIDers abroad also volunteered to ask their family and friends in India to join the mailing list. People in AID-USA and India chapters need to link with each other.
The successes achieved by AID in lending its voice to issues and movements through volunteers writing, calling and faxing to various government officials and media was presented. It was pointed out that sometimes since things come on email, there maybe laziness in taking print outs though AID/AID-India volunteers are interested. It was decided that in each AID-India chapter at least one person will take a print out of any petition letter that is circulated, call others in the chapter to see if they are interested, include all such names and send the letter. He will also send an acknowledgement to the person circulating the petition. It would be good for other AID chapters to do this too.
The work of AID-India as an organization not imposing its label on other groups was discussed. Over the past few years people volunteering for AID-India have also been directed to local NGOs and movements in their areas like TNSF, NBA, Sakti etc and have joined these efforts. Thus an individual is a volunteer for many causes and groups. It was pointed out that owing to the friendships and bridges built, even on things initiated by AID, like for example the Eco-shop, people from other groups, like NBA have volunteered whole-heartedly. In addition even where there are no groups, an AID-India volunteer may have initiated work along with colleagues/students forming a local group. It was suggested that in all such cases to make the system further effective, notes of talks/film screenings, volunteer opportunities, ongoing events etc that go on in any group be forwarded to AID-India lists and resource materials exchanged. In addition interactions with unions such as teacher's union etc should be pursued.
It was felt that some focus agendas that all volunteers can participate in be also launched every year. For 2002 people were enthusiastic about the following AID and AID-India wide campaigns, which they felt, would further stimulate them
HANDMADE SOAP: AID volunteers learning how to make soap in their homes, teaching this skill to other people and groups and help sell soaps made in rural areas. Both in the context of self-reliance, personal development and creating livelihoods in the villages and homes to counter the over 80% domination by MNCs while at the same time having a community activity that can be done by both volunteers and village folk are some of the reasons. In a village of 500 families with each family purchasing soap twice a month, an amount of Rs 4000 (Rs 4 per soap) every month that the village would lose to an MNC or outside cities, would now stay in the village. Appalanaidu from Appalagraharam village where GRASS works, kicked off the campaign by teaching the AIDers soap-making and TNSF soaps were available at Rs 8 per soap.
ECAAL: 10,000 hot-off-the-press ZERO RUPEE notes with a promise to "Neither give nor take" and carrying a vision to "Eliminate corruption at all levels" (ECAAL) were released. The Zero-notes, it was felt were something that everybody instantly related to. They touch a cord and grab the attention of people and were a good symbol. They could be useful in conjunction with anti-corruption campaigns launched by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan led by Aruna Roy, Jayaprakash Narayan of Lok Satta, Anna Hazare and many others. Ashok volunteered to bring them to the notice of Anna Hazare. In a press conference on Jan 2 Mohan Bhagat found a few minutes to release the ECAAL notes in Andhra Pradesh.
Anti-Dowry Campaign: Possibilities of AID launching such a campaign based on recent discussions in the AID-Women group were thought through. It was reported that many NRI men take dowry, and NRI women also give dowry. Examples were given to show that in fact the largest dowries were taken in such weddings. "Crashing" the dowry market by doing a campaign in the USA was discussed. As it not only relates to problems faced by volunteers, family members and their friends as well, groups such as AID are in a good position in the USA to do things like poster campaigns, dowry-free matrimonial web-sites and anti-dowry pledges. It was strongly felt that an anti-dowry campaign was much needed in the Indian diaspora community.
Internships update: Placing volunteers for short term assignments with NGOs and movements has become gradually more successful each year, thanks to improved screening and help from volunteers in India. While the program places an intern or so every month with an NGO or movement, it is yet to attract people from India and those of Indian origin from USA. Many interns and groups reported that they have mutually benifited from this program.
Additions to Summary of Day 1:
We missed out in yesterday's Summary Priya Ranjan from Maryland who wasn't to be missed at the Conference. Also thanks to Kiran Vissa and co. for making excellent lunch. There was a question that the critique of AID-US Project Review Process was not in the summary -- this will be on Day 3 summary as this session was on Jan 1. Another important point missed was that an AID-India office has been opened in Chennai (contact Balaji and Abirami) and the FCRA application is going to be re-filed on new forms.
Day 2 - Dec 31, 2001
Mundadugu: Resolution at the AID-India Conference
Night of Dec 31, 2001, Appalagraharam village, Srikakulam Dist.Learning how to make soap on the one hand and fooling around with levitating magnets on the other, the gathering of people from Indian and US cities, and Appalagraharam and nearby villages put to itself the question of an apt new years resolution. Looking at the shy faces of his brothers and sisters, one of the men said that it was important that people spoke and did things. Nobody was taking the first step. .... the Mundadugu. How about that for a resolution? 2002 lo Mundadugu vedama? Will the women take the first step? "yes" they said. The children were even more emphatic. And the men equaled the women. What about the guests from outside. The village people have resolved to take the first step. Will you too? Yes they said. So we hope do AID volunteers in all chapters.
Now for the rest of the days happenings.....
Dec 31, (i.e.) Day 2 was the GRASS village visit day. Instead of booking Tata Sumos and being tourists, people went in government buses to Tholapi in Srikakulam District. There Suryanarayana of GRASS had two village jeeps waiting that would ply us from village to village. Timing to reach at lunch we started the visit by having a great meal made by Varalakshmi and Gauri.
AID volunteers are involved in efforts of GRASS in these villages from the very first day, thus this is a very special collaboration that helps us understand how things can be initiated, are spread etc. Since our involvement on the ground is a few days every month, it helps us replicate ideas from other groups or try out new ideas here.
GRASS LANDS:
First stop was the 1.5 acres of land that has been gifted to GRASS by Suryanarayana's family. This was posed as the kind of things that occupy village-level work -- a surprise gift but also what can we do and develop here? How to integrate with rest of GRASS and AID work. It was suggested that organic farming, water conservation methods be tried as a model farm as well as a resource centre from all of AID's projects be made available here. What we do depends on bright ideas and volunteerism that people show and GRASS is open to suggestions.
JUTE WEAVING IN RAPAKA:
And from there to Rapaka about 12 Km away where the Bibi Fatima Savings group was waiting to show the beautiful jute bags, phone mats etc they made. After a round of introductions, the women taught AIDers how they plait the jute and color it and use the moulds to make the bags, vattis and other products. The prevailing wages for agriculture laborers, construction labor etc for women is Rs 20/ day, far below the minimum wage. Even in Khadi gramudyog in Ponduru near Rapaka women earn Rs 20-25 per day. How will the wage structure work out for jute bags -- this kind of depth of information is possible via the direct AID involvement with GRASS. For a bag that sells for Rs 75 in the Eco Shop in Mumbai for example, 80 metres of plaiting (1 woman day) and a 1/2 - 3/4 woman day of assembling into the bag shape are required. The prevailing wages in Jute trade are Rs 0.30 per metre for plaiting and Rs 15 for assembly. This works out to about Rs 24 a day. The jute that went into the bag costs Rs 8, color Rs 2-3, transport from village to and within city costs Rs 3-4 and the commission to the city seller would be about Rs 10 (15%). This works to a cost of Rs 62 per bag. Thus a cost of Rs 75 - 62 = 13 goes to middle-people, NGOs/profit agencies, or government. If Rs 3 is taken to be the marketing costs for finding the city markets, even then Rs 10 can still be fed back to increase the wages of the women. This will increase their daily wages from Rs 24 to Rs 30 or so. Still lower than the minimum wage. The bags will not sell above Rs 75 -- so we can see how the labour is being exploited, not only by the middle people but also by the consumers unwilling to pay the actual costs. GRASS and AID are working out a system were profits are fed back into increasing the daily wage. Already one round of iteration has increased the per metreplaiting wage to Rs 0.35 and assembly wage to Rs 18 per bag. The next round should see further increase.
CHILDREN'S LIBRARIES:
Whizzing by Balarampeta, the next stop was Appalagraharam where the children demonstrated how they handle the libraries. The libraries in nearly 10 villages are run by the village children themselves who elect a boy and girl as monitors for the volunteer work. The libraries meet every Sunday and every body who join get a page in the register books where the monitors enter the books they take and return. The adults are advised to enquire every now and then about the library to the children in case they see it hasn't opened for a couple of weeks.
The children demanded that the "Enadu" paper be subscribed. On enquiring we found that not only the children but also many adults want the newspaper. We asked for monthly donations for this and people began to pledge Rs 5-10 per month. Soon we had Rs 45 pledges from adults and about Ts 5 from children. The newspaper costs Rs 90 per month. The village people realized that with a little bit of effort they can themselves subscribe to the newspaper and AID volunteers said this would be good and pledged to help fill any short fall or subscribe to another paper so that there is at least one newspaper in the library totally paid for by the villagers themselves.
VILLAGE MEETING, SOAP MAKING, SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS.
As the sunset for the last time in 2001 and night dawned the village and city people took to the stage to discuss development and their respective roles in it. Appala Naidu gave a demonstration of soap-making while the Rapaka women spoke about jute handicrafts. Ashok from Vidyan Vahini demonstrated science experiments. All this lead to the Mundadugu New Years resolution as the count down for the New Year started.
NEW YEARS SURPRISE
Back in Vishakapatnam with a few minutes to go Susila aunty invited us to dinner on the sea-facing house. But this time the food had to wait and with "Isliye Rah Sangarsh ki..." we welcomed the New Year. A few more songs and everyone was hungry to the excellent dinner prepared by Susial aunty.
The AID-India conference was held over 3 + 1 days, Dec 30, 31, 2001 and Jan 1, 2, 2002.
Present: Mashood (Bangalore), Koshi (Vimukti, Raichur) Abirami (Chennai), Ravishakar (Austin), Balaji (Chennai), Ganesh (Taramani, Chennai), Siva (Boston), Rahul (San Francisco Bay Area), Pawan (Hyderabad), Uma Maheshwar (Hyderabad), Suresh (Vizag), Aravinda (Vizag / Mumbai) Ravi (Vizag / Mumbai), Kiran (Maryland), Kavitha (State College), Vamsi (State College), Mohan Bhagat (College Park), Susila (Kakinada), Swati (PSS, Gujarat), Michael (PSS, Gujarat), Daniel (BSFC, Mumbai), Ashok (Surodi, VV), Mahendra (Jagriti, Kanpur), Ajay Gandhi (Delhi), Ajay Kumar (Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vrutidharulu Union, Anakapalli), Rehman and friends (Natl. Fishworkers Forum), Suryanarayana (GRASS, Srikakulam), Varalaxmi (GRASS, Srikakulam), Nishit (Vishakapatnam), Srikanth (Vishakapatnam), Rajesh V (Bay Area).
Summaries of each day will be posted. Here's Dec 30... and 31
Day 3 - Jan 1, 2002 summary will follow...
Do let us know if you are reading these summaries and if they are of any use to those who missed the conference!!!
--Ravi and Aravinda
aid@vsnl.com
Association for India's
Development. P.O Box 149, College Park, MD 20741,
U.S.A