What is Really Happening in Gujarat Today?
A Talk by Grassroots NGOs from Ahmedabad
Gagan Sethi
Managing Trustee of
Janvikas
Martin and Gagan will give a talk and screen a short documentary on the status of reconstruction.
| Date |
Sunday, July 1st 2001 |
| Time | 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. |
| Venue [directions] | Cubberly Community Center (Auditorium)
4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto |
| Sponsored by: | Indians For Collective Action (ICA) and Bay Area chapters of AID, Asha for Education and CRY |
Martin
and Gagan will attempt to answer many of the troubling questions on our minds,
such as:
Reconstruction
and Rehabilitation Efforts:
Equity
in relief: myths vs. realities on the ground
Prospects
for temporary shelters for all prior
to the monsoon
Role
of the government so far
Role
of the private sector: pros and cons
Situation
of artisans, weavers, and salt workers
Situation
of Dalits and other marginalized communities
Role
of Non-Sectarian Grassroots NGOs:
History
of Gujarat NGOs vis-ŕ-vis the rest of India
Their
role in relief operations
Their
role in reconstruction and rehabilitation
Prospects
for coordination with religious/corporate sectors
Historical
funding sources vs. fundraising for e/q work
Outreach
efforts during normal times
Forging
long-term partnerships
Partnering
in disaster management planning
Linking
volunteers from India and the U.S.
Please pass this on to others who may be interested. For details, call 510-559-1049 or email rajagop@pacbell.net (Speakers' visit to the Bay Area is sponsored by StreetEdge Foundation of San Ramon, CA)
Navsarjan and Janvikas (along with Kutch Navnirman Abhiyan and other NGOs) spearheaded the relief operations under the banner JANPATH CITIZEN'S INITIATIVE, and are now playing a pivotal role in reconstruction and rehabilitation of affected peoples in Saurashtra. Navsarjan Trust is a membership-based grassroots organization working in over 2,000 villages of Gujarat, covering 34 talukas in 11 districts. Its historical focus has been Dalit rights; however, in recent years it has expanded its work to cover all poorer communities that have demonstrated their belief in social equality. Navsarjan conducts its activities through 187 full time activists (87 of them are women), who have a local base, have been trained professionally, and have established their credibility with local communities. Navsarjan is the largest organization in the State addressing Dalit rights, and its experience has been the source of inspiration for the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights. Although Navsarjan is only ten years old, its Founder/Managing Trustee, Martin Macwan, has over two decades of experience in the field of human rights and social justice. He has recently been honored internationally with the Robert F. Kennedy Award for human rights and the Gleistman Foundation Activist Award for the year 2001. For more information, please go to www.google.com and search under Navsarjan Trust or Martin Macwan. Janvikas provides training and support to NGOs and other institutions in the field of social justice, and has done pioneering work in the field of legal education and human rights. It also provides core support to fledgling grassroots organizations, many of which have been groomed into independent organizations over time (e.g. Kutch Navnirman Abhiyan in Bhuj).
JanVikas provides training and support to NGOs in the field of Social Justice and Legal Education. Janvikas and its affiliated organizations also work in the field of water management, primary education, housing, and support for traditional arts and crafts. It operates its programmes through community volunteers as well as through professional staff in various parts of Gujarat and other states. For more information please log on to www.janvikas.org or go to www.google.com and search under Janvikas or Gagan Sethi. Navsarjan and Janvikas were core members of Janpath Citizens Initiative (JCI), which was created in the days following the Gujarat quake and successfully spearheaded the relief operations. (The Indian media, NGOs, international donor agencies, and even the government, have commended JCI's no-nonsense, systematic approach to relief.)
Navsarjan and JanVikas together
The two organizations are now very actively engaged in long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation of affected communities in the districts of Saurashtra. Their jointly operated Vocational Training Center (VTC) in Sanand, Ahmedabad District--which normally trains youth, men and women from the marginalized communities to eliminate their dependence on exploitative traditional occupations--is now playing a key role in training master masons to build disaster-resistant housing for the poor.
Highway 101.
Interstate 280.