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NCAS Monthly Update
March 2008
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Advocacy Capacity Building Unit
The Sixth and last workshop with NDC REAP was orgnised by Raipur desk at Sasaram. A total of 26 women and 9 male participants from 10 villages attended the workshop. Gajendra Manjhi and Arvind Anjum facilitated the session on legal literacy for prevention of Dalit atrocities and land issues in Bihar.
The Fifth CLM workshop with NJS and JVS combine was organised by Raipur Desk on March 1-2, 2008 at Kudra. Here, a total of 62 participants (including 44 female) attended the workshop. Jagat from Seva Kendra Jamshedpur was the resource person.
The Second CLM w/s with CKMA (Sarhuja) was organized by Raipur Desk on March 7-8, 2008 at Sitapur. Shyam Bahadura Namra (a famous poet and education activist) was the anchor resource person.
Two days CLM workshop was organized by REACH in Harpanhalli. 24 women and 6 men attended the workshop. In area of REACH, the CLM process was continued from 6 years. It was decided to wind up CLM workshops and concentrate on the micro level campaigns which were initiated in 25 (CLM) villages in Davangiri district, Karnataka. It was decided that there will be a follow up meeting after every three months in one of the Panchayat where campaign has been initiated. These meetings will be conducted by the group called Kulikaru Sangh, ( Kulikaru Sangh will be formed by CLM representatives working on NREGA campaign in their own Panchayat). Kulikaru Sangh will lead, design and will do followup of the actions. NCAS will support them in this process and to develop the campaign tools. The meeting was facilitated by Dilip Kamat and Lata P.M. and coordinated by Simha.
Anil visited to the villages in Ranibennur, Karnataka to explore the possibilities of initiating CLMs in two organizations namely VRDS and Sphoorty. Vijaya and Anil worked in terms of exploring the possibilities of initiating CLM in Nepal and developed the initial contacts with the partner groups in Nepal.
A three day orientation on People- centered Advocacy was organized by the Jan Vikas Samiti (Banaras) on 3 to5th March. In the orientation, 20 karkartas of Jan vikas Samiti, working at 4 centres in 4 districts of Bihar and UP participated. Few of them were familiar with advocacy as they have been part of CLM process at Kudra.
Mr Ranjit Yadav of Banaras was co-facilitator as he provides input on community mobilization and building CBOs. Vijendra facilitated the workshop.
Advocacy Orientation program was organized by Karve Institute, Pune for MSW students on 29th March. Lata P.M. facilitated it.
Lata and Atul coordinated and organized Annual Review meeting. Preparations for the Annual Review meeting were done and the team member took initiative to facilitate it. Individual plans and Activity Budget and the Annual report was also prepared and finalized.
On the occasion of centenary of international women’s day the exhibition on women’s movements history was prepared. Research, Conceptualization and design were done by Lata P.M. Prasanna and Vijaya contributed in making cloth posters on behalf of NCAS. The interview of senior activists of Stree Mukti Andolan Samaprk Samiti was anchored by Lata and Prasanna put forward resolution to implement act against domestic violence in the public meeting at Sambhaji Park, Pune.
Lata attended the workshop on Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy organized by Samaj Parivartan Samudaya in Pune on 8th and 9th March and Lata written the report.
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Campaign and Networking Unit
Team supported and Participated in the National Meeting on Land Reform held in Delhi with Mr. K.B. Saxena on 12th March. Team presented SEZ and land rights struggle in Maharashtra. The committee decided to visit Maharashtra in April first week. Team organised "Bhusampadan & Vistapan Virodhi Jattha" in Pune district during March 25-28. Jatha was organized under the banner of Visthapan Virodhi Manch, Pune In order to build awareness about the land acquisition and resettlement in relation to SEZ issue. Team participated in action against Gorai SEZ in Mumbai on 1st March 2008. The convention was organised by the Jagtikikarn Virodhi Kruti Samiti, Maharashtra against proposed land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement bill and sent collective suggestions to the concern committee. Team also conducted and facilitated a Shivir for the farmers and activists of Sinnar SEZ on 24th March 2008. Almost 30 participants attended it. Article on Right to Food campaign was published in Daily Sakal titled Pragat Rajyaat Aanna Suraksha Dhokyat (Threat to Food security in developed state). As part of the larger network on food rights during March networking support to the right to food campaign in Maharashtra was provided. Statewide Dharana was organised on 11th March during the state assembly session in order to ensure the budget for the state and national EGS programme for the state.
Preparation for the SEZ Western Regional Consultation to be held on 25-26th April. Finalising the invite and agenda with other organizers from Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Work on the posters on issues of SEZ, Schedule Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act and Sponge Iron industry. Support to Amnesty International on SEZ- editing of film on people's struggle in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Support to Chauranga struggle group against the sponge iron industry in Raipur District, Chhattisgarh and exploration of possibility of organizing a joint meeting of CPCB, MoEF and people, raising issues against the sponge iron issue in various states, in collaboration with IAAPC.
Team also worked on review of 2007-8 plan and planning for next financial year.
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Governance and Advocacy Unit
March being the financial year ending the Unit was busy in finalising the annual reports and other programmatic reports and reviews.
The Parliament Digest-Budget Session 2007 is printed and presently being dispatched to various Social Action Groups, Movements, Parliamentarians etc. The first draft of the Parliament Digest-Monsoon Session 2007 is under preparation. Networking support was provided to CBGA for the 'Response to Union Budget 2008-09' progbramme. Campaign support to NCMP Review 2008 process. |
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Research and Documentation Unit
Several meetings between Shirish and the team were held for concretizing the components of the new project “Strengthening Adivasi Rights Initiative” (SARI).
Reworking on the project proposal for SARI was done including reworking on objectives, project operational strategies, personnel and budget.
Preparation of presentation for Annual Review and Planning meeting 2008:
(a) Review of GGG project
(b) Planning for upcoming SARI and remaining portion of GGG project
Rework on Annual Report of NCAS 2007-08, related to the collaborative work between NCAS and Harvard University.
The advocacy Internet issue for the bi-monthly period of Jan-feb 2008 on “Patents on Health and Life Forms” was finalized and readied for Publication.
Completion of the clip on SEZ Indore and MIHAN and was sent to Amnesty International.
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Anusandhan Trust organized Krushnaraj Memorial Lecture on 18 March, in collaboration with NCAS. The invited guest was Ms. Illina Sen- social worker and wife of Shri vinayak Sen, the social activist who was jailed for more than a month by Chhattisgad government under the charge of being Naxalite. Ms Illina Sen spoke on the Present Political Situation in Chhatisgadh. The MU took initiative, designed and printed invitation cards, did the video coverage of the programme.
The Media Unit designed CD covers for the old films produced by NCAS. Also the MU has done multi – copying of all the films.
The Media Unit completed the shooting of Hawkers’ film and started editing of it. It completed the film – Chengara.
The Media Unit published four issues in this month:
(a) May-June 2007: Right to Health
(b) July- August,2007: Agriculture in the Era of Globalization
(c) Sept- Oct 2008: The Girl Child: The Missing Millions
(d) Nov-Dec 2007: Implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006
The preparation of Simla Workshop (with SUTRA) was going on through out the month.
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This was a month of visits and exposure to micro-campaigns and for introspection on their progress as 'Iinterns'.
The Interns visited 'Navsarjan' an organisation working for promotion of Dalit Human Rights in Gujarat, from 7th March to 15th March. The main purpose was to sensitize The Interns about ground realities of the life of the Dalits, their struggles for survival and their struggles against discrimination. For the interns, the experience of living with and interacting with dalits, their families and also youth and children touched their hearts. The experience was not at all frustrating, but in-fact inspiring as it gave hope that things can change and the world can change through peoples struggles and activism.
This year being special, being the centenary year of the Women’s Day celebration (8th March), a banner exhibition was planned by the women’s groups in Pune. Some of the interns engaged in preparing campaign material and painting banners for the exhibition.. In the process they got insights on the history of the women’s movement.
They actively participated in the campaign against displacement 'Visthapan Virodhi Jattha' organised by the Visthapan Virodhi Sangharsha Samiti, Pune from 25th March to 28th March 08. The Jattha visited a number of villages in Pune district to mobilize people whose lands are being acquired forcefully for industries and SEZs. The interns presented a street play to highlight the land acquisition issue. They distributed campaign material, sang songs, shouted slogans, spoke to people, did video photography and other work for facilitating the Jattha, and also prepared press-notes. It provided them an insight into micro campaigning and how they get connected to struggles at the national level.
On 17th and 18 March, the interns participated in the review and planning meeting of NCAS. The interns went through a self-assessment exercise to locate their progress, identify their learning needs and plan for the remaining 4 months on in-house training in NCAS. They also attended session on “Tracking our Goals”, that was conducted by Dr. Shrisha Sathe on 4th and 19th March, for the entire team of NCAS as an initiative for team building.
The report of the National Youth Camp held in Feb 2008 at Bangalore, was prepared and finalized. Follow-up with co-organizers of the YSA is being maintained and the next steps for exposure visits are proposed to be chalked out in April.
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