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NCAS Monthly Update
January 2010
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Advocacy Capacity Building Unit
The unit facilitated an International Advocacy Capacity Building programme for 30 participants from 23 partners organization of Danida Hugou, Nepal from 19-23rd January. The workshop focussed on the context of Nepal, understanding the systems of governance in Nepal and tips for advocacy with them. In addition, new tools for advocacy with the systems of governance were introduced. It was facilitated by Amitabh, Vijaya and Josantony Joseph.
A capacity building workshop on advocacy was organized for CORO leaders and mentors from the 18th – 21st Jan 2010 at Telgaon, Beed on the campus of the Manvi Hakka Abhiyan. The first 3 days focused on capacity building of the 100 leaders identified from the community by CORO and the fourth day on the 44 mentors of CORO. This workshop was facilitated by Lata P.M. Prafful Shinde and Vidya Kulkarni facilitated the session on media advocacy in this workshop.
Some part of the advocacy module was translated from Hindi to Marathi by the intern Dhanaji.
The 5th workshop of the CLM 1st phase was completed with the organizations Spoorthy and VRDS from Karnataka from the 19th – 20th and 21st – 22nd Jan 2010 respectively. Mr. Vishwa Sagar facilitated the workshop and he mainly touched upon the systems of governance at the local level.
As part of the CLM 2nd phase, a skill building workshop was organized by Astitva in Sangola on 8th & 9th Jan 2010. 50 participants attended the workshop and were introduced to RTI, social audit, water audit, legislative advocacy at the local level and the water policy of Maharashtra. Resource person Lata Bhise and Lata P.M. facilitated the workshop. |
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Campaign and Networking Unit
The unit actively participated in a state level strategic planning meeting on 20th at IIE pune on the issues of Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority’s perspective paper and developed alternative demands also prepared a collective letter and submitted to the MWWRA. The unit also participated and submitted a memorandum on Right to Water to the MWRRA at Yashada Pune on 21st Jan 2010.
The unit has delivered a participatory lecture on SEZs in India for the youths of Rashtra Seva Dal at the village Saswad, district pune on 16th Jan 2010. It was the youth camp for the students of various colleges of Pune and around the blocks. It was a watershed response from the students to the programme.
The unit conducted orientation and lecture on SEZ for the interdisciplinary students of the MIT school of Government at Pune on 11th Jan 2010. They liked the film on SEZ and lecture on Anti-SEZ struggle in India.
The Unit participated in the strategic planning meeting on SEZs in Maharashtra at the S. M. Joshi Socialist Foundation on 2nd January 2010. Aim of the meeting was to discuss the current status of SEZ in Maharashtra and future follow up actions. We shared the status of SEZs in the State. Unit also conveyed suitable dates for the National People’s Audit of SEZ which will be held in Delhi in the month of march-end or April second week. |
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Governance and Advocacy Unit
One of the members of the unit was actively involved with the People's Mid Term Appraisal on Eleventh Five year plan. Mobilising resource persons was one of the key responsibility given to the unit. The member therefore attended the planning meetings organised by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability and Wada Na Todo Abhiyan.
The unit also participated in the GCAP meeting held in New Delhi to understand the plans and processes for the upcoming events.
The unit member met the Private Secretary of the Minister of Tribal Affairs to get a copy of the Mungekar Committee report which was requested by the National Social Watch Coalition. The report is also useful for the Adivasi Resource Centre.
The unit member accessed the Indian Social Institute library for getting latest data for the handbook. The second draft of the Handbook on Adivasis has been done and sent to Shirish for finalisation.
The unit memeber also met Dr.B.K.Roy Burman,and discussed various issues on Adivasi governance. The unit member also helped him by suggesting resource persons and gave him their contact details.
Most importantly, the unit was also engaged in searching for an office space and shifting as well. |
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Research and Documentation Unit
Publications
The research unit members finalized drafts of 7 GGG reports. These reports were sent for printing. A report on “Anti-SEZ Movement in Maharashtra” was finalized and sent for designing. A case story about community forest rights and a manual on the Forest Rights Act (FRA) were finalized and sent for designing.
A report on the “Ashram schools” in Raigad district was assigned to Ms. Lata Bhise and another report on “Micro-planning” was assigned to Ms. Chandrika Gupta-Singh. Te reports are expected by March end.
Symposium on Globalisation
The unit planned for the Symposium on Globalisation scheduled to be held in Pune on February 16, 2010.
Research
The research team (comprising two interns also) left for a research visit to Nandurbar on January 30, 2010. The research is about resettlement and rehabilitation of the adivasis displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Project and the Anganwadis in this area.
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During the month of January, the Media Unit focused on the planning and delivery of a number of workshops. Media advocacy workshops were conducted with communications students at two different colleges in Pune: Tilak Maharashtra Vidya Peeth and Maratha Wada Mitra Mandal. Prominent activist and academic Milind Bokil was invited to present at both of the workshops, and conducted sessions on the role of the media in social issues. The aim of the workshops was to sensitise media students about the power of the media for advancing social justice in India. The unit has also been invited to conduct workshops at Symbiosis College and Garaware College – these are currently being planned for February and March. Planning was completed for the two day media advocacy interface workshop with journalists and social activists which will be undertaken in Chhatisgarh on 20 and 21 February. This is being done in collaboration with the Adivasi Resource Centre. Members of the unit sought to develop relationships with media professionals, and this month a meeting was held with the Sakaal Times.
The unit published two English articles: one in the Sakaal Times about using the internet for advocacy and one in the UK political Journal The New Statesman. Four articles were published in the Marathi newspaper ‘The Daily Kesari’ for the Nagar Nama column, which addresses urban livelihood issues.
The NCAS film competition jury decided on the winning documentary entries on human rights and social justice issues. The unitThe is planning the prize distribution - an announcement about this will be made shortly.
The unit is continuing to work on the Media Advocacy Toolkit, which, once complete, will be distributed to social activists to provide guidance on how to use the media to advance their objectives.
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Understanding the discourse of Political Theory was the theme of the month. Through the input sessions interns could achieve the outline of political economy, Globalization, Capitalism and social movements and its changing trends. Dr. Shruti Tambe, Prof. Kalpana Dixit and NCAS staff members facilitated the sessions.
To understand the ground realities of rights of unorganized sectors interns had two field visits. - to SANTULAN that works for the rights of quarry workers and to Shramashakti – that works for rights of hawkers. The field visits provided insights into innovative education models such as Pashan Shala and India’s first credit co-operative society established by hawkers for themselves CHETANA NAGARI SAHAKARI PATSANSTHA.
Interns also actively participated in Padyatra named Mahatma to Mahatma (from Phule to Gandhi), Poster exhibition at Pune Municipal Corporation against the arrest of Himanshu Kumar- social activist from Chhatisgarh.
The interns have identified their project themes –Atrocity Act (SC/ST) with the media unit, land and livelihood issues of Adivasis with the Research Unit and Right to Food and the success story of the struggle against SEZ of Wagholi with Campaign Unit.
The internship Unit also planned a workshop with students of Sociaology Dept of Pune University, Students of Social work of the Tilak Maharashtra University and also proposes to conduct workshop with Social Sciences Dept of Solapur University in months of Feb and March. This is part of its expansive activity.
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