Life for most of us takes sharp 'u' turns at one point or the other which is often professed as "Man proposes God disposes". All development interventions are principally aimed at serving weakest of the weak in the system, but somehow our attempts touch only the layer which is more visible and more easily accessible and we feel successful when we find better results coming out for this layer. BUT DOES THAT NOT MEAN THE DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION DIDN'T MEET ITS BASIC OBJECTIVE OF ASSISTING THE WEAKEST. I was reviewing the objective with which my naive experiments with reforms started and course they followed while being established.
Drishti-"My first experiment with reforms" was pioneered as an organization which will support all the students at SVNIT and promote their technical endeavours. More so it was an attempt to specifically guide and nurture students with low inclination towards tech things because fundamentally students who were already motivated for tech endeavours could attain good results even in absence of Drishti. In nutshell Drishti's existence was with a mandate that it will prove prowess of SVNITians in technical arena by ensuring that everyone in the institute is involved in some way or the other. We got best results in almost all tech competitions and there is no doubt about it but if give a micro look did Drishti really create platform for "so called less technically inclined students" I personally don't get a satisfactory yes. All the people involved in the noble endeavour of transforming NIT-Surat to a technical hobby centre of excellence did best job and year after year results are shining like anything. BUT IS THIS THE REAL CHANGE WHICH WE FROM DRISHTI WANTED? DO THESE RESULTS REPRESENT THE WORK OF THOSE WHO REALLY NEEDED DRISHTI?
This is not to judge past but to join it with the next experiment "Disha". Our team dreamt of serving the weakest, through a model of organization which is not dependent on charity for doing development interventions. Therefore after much deliberation we undertook a midway path and attempted to keep in virtues of market driven organizations (for profit), NGO's( not-for profit) and Co-ops (sharing of profit/surplus with original producers i.e. poor).
We started our journey 8th august 2007 and explored all possible options to set in this model. As a mode we principally agreed to create what Mahatma Gandhi calls "production by masses" and that too in sync with not disturbing environment ( any intervention which disturbs ecology will not be sustainable). We decided to begin our work from one of the poorest state Jharkhand (known as sudan of India). As a part of curriculum of IRMA, we stayed their for two months in a tribal village "Supa" and tried to asses how people there can be involved by building upon their strengths. As area is not getting investment (possibly bcoz of naxal problem) and there are no alternatives other than to migrate during non-farming season, we thought we should start some productive work in which every one in the village can be involved, so first option before us was to give training to people (alike NGO's work) for very basic handwork (what we popularly call as handicraft) and then provide market linkage (alike for-profit organizations )so that they can earn a decent livelihood by remaining in the village itself. Our objective was to share back the profits with the original producersi.e. rural poor (alike Co-ops but not democratically as naxal problem is hindrance to democratic process) and our team serving as employees of the organization with producers as owners of Disha. Along with this we attempted to take up rural innovations with support of NIF, Ahemdabad so that innovation at the grass root can be brought forward.
But as its said "Man proposes God disposes" today i see things not going the way we thought of. Bcoz we couldnt convince venture capitalists to support us (as equity & not grant) our attempts have stuck up. The cause for which our team is moving is what we never want to leave in between, so an alternative way we are planning- we are now thinking ( not sure yet ur valuable views will help us decide) to begin with a for-profit venture on e-waste recycling (which fulfills only one social objective of caring for environment) which will make organization financially sound and then will carry forward the mission of serving the weakest.
But as it happened with the first experiment "Drishti" i sometimes apprehend will WE BE ABLE TO FULFILL THE BASIC OBJECTIVE OF SUPPORTING THE REAL NEEDY. This drift is bit more sharp WILL WE BE ABLE TO JOIN BACK THE STREAMS?. Only one answer i find coming from the heart "If the feeling for the cause is true this drift will not hinder the mission and we will be able to contribute our best for the REAL needy"........
The quest is on.... with all actions being filtered on Gandhiji's talisman
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Disha Moves Ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Every thing takes time .. people take years to change. Predicting about the whole system should be left to God. I feel it is our expectations that make us think if we ave achieved something. Our motive should be to put in our effort and refining them. Everything takes time.
ReplyDeleteYa very true Shailesh.
ReplyDeleteEverything will happen in its due course but probably we need to try and out things in the right direction wherein we r putting passionate efforts. And that direction is what will define where time will place the result.
Well, I do not claim to have such noble ideas as yours, sir. But to achieve a larger objective, I think one needs to get the larger picture as well. The job you are doing is highly commendable, and really a great source of inspiration. Its really a daunting task to create awareness among the masses and to toil on one's own. Only the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa are capable of doing that. Such people are aptly titled as 'Saviours of Mankind'.
ReplyDeleteHowever, this approach, though certainly exemplifies humanity in its highest form, still misses the bigger picture. If an organization (or an individual for that matter),in today's completely economized world, wishes to pursue reforms in the society, it MUST, first and foremost, be self sufficient.
Motivating the people is a very powerful method of initiating a noble task, as you must have realized through DRISHTI. However public memory is very short lived. The 'vision' is often lost in the realm of 'cult'. Just like religion. Idols replace GOD and rituals become practice instead of thoughtful action. (As was MY experience with DRISHTI.)
The question "WHAT" soon replaces "WHY ?" as originally intended.
The only way I have been able to figure out to counter this rut is 'professionalism'.(of course I do not claim to have much of that) Your effort towards 'profitable' recycling is laudable. A genuine concern for any educated person. However, to put it in a larger perspective, any such endeavor shall necessarily require considerable investment, research (both technical and financial) and time. On the philosophical side, if a person nurtures a dream to achieve something, he or she 'can' (I am not saying 'should') consider an alternate approach. An organization may not necessarily pursue what is called the 'green approach' to everything. Generating resources is one of the primary and foremost necessities. So it must be handled with utmost professionalism and competitiveness.
The concept of 'Seperation of Concerns' is very important here. The process of resource generation should not be burdened with the philosophy of the higher objective. Let them be two mutually exclusive factors. The choice of this profession must be objectively chosen to deliver the maximum. It should not be allowed to be influenced with one's conscience. It is one's conscience that negates the thought of a 'money-minded' approach. But then, we get to live only once. So it our choice to make, whether we wish to cater to our 'self-conscience' or to the 'masses' as we originally intended. A billion dollars earned by clever business can feed more more mouths than a hundred dollars earned in a pious, sanctimonious profession. The question basically boils down to the point whether we can still maintain the sanctity of the ultimate goal till the end.
Well these are my own thoughts, and may not necessarily be acceptable to everyone. However, in the spirit of DRISHTI and DISHA both, I find them quite relevant. So I felt like sharing them. All the best !!
Dear Sharda,
ReplyDeleteFirstly Commendable work by all of you!
Here are two video's which are somewhat related to the problem you are facing, both of them are connected.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jacqueline_novogratz_on_patient_capitalism.html
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jacqueline_novogratz_invests_in_ending_poverty.html
Having Money with Oneself as you can see isnt a prerequisite to be able to make a big difference.(It is if one wants (Expensive?) Cars, (?Big) Houses, (Lavish?) Dinners, (Posh?) Weddings and...)
More than 60 Crore indians will call a having a Maruti 800 Posh living! Rich! Excessive living.
Maybe we need to look at the Houses we want to live in, the Kind of food we want, The kind of wedddings one wants, and ...
I sincerely believe that once one gets into the work of helping people (read: deciding to help the weakest, going to a particular place and finding out what the problems are and then working on them) as a friend rightly said.. if ones goal is in the right direction and one has the will, perseverance and 'patience' to pursue it, all the rest will fall in place.
Well said shailesh, i totally agree with what you say, as the cliche goes, try try and you will succeed.
Should one expect success in one try and one year?
Once work starts the right people/connections and resources will come to you.
Money is PLUSH, Not just thanks to the likes of Gates but because of the recent awareness of the developed world about their responsibility(or their insecurity if they dont?)of helping Africa,India,Pakistan and other poor nations if we are to live in a balanced world.
I personally believe money is not the problem, it is good leadership and lack of enough people who want to serve SELFLESSLY.
Why dont you create a Wiki/Website(with the proposal/Business plan you have)?(can help you there) for your Idea about helping people in Jharkhand so a whole lot of people can contribute their brain power.
Apart from the Ideas itll also help get funding.(may be able to help you there too)
Regards,
Well Wisher.
PS - www.ted.com
check it out, it has some mind bending ideas.
Heartfelt thanks Navneet,
ReplyDeleteYour reply has given me a slight indication towards moving ahead with the apparent change.
I fully appreciate ur concern of socalled conversion of vision to symbolic culture . Well to be frank every organization like human beings has its own life cycle. One of the means as u have suggested is professionalism others are more of soft skill based.
Any organization can remain focused if people there in believe that Organizations must be viewed conceptually as “Whole systems”.Viewing organizations as Whole systems requires the creation of Dialogue among all organizational stakeholders.Organizations do not exist, but organizing process and procedures do.What we perceive as our collective organizational reality becomes the organization that is created.Individuals within organizations have the capacity to self-organize and redefine their reality.Humanity shares a set of universal values that are inherently “good” and these values will ultimately influence voluntary collective action.
With Disha our intention is to keep in the realities of what u call as "market driven" economy. Infact that is why our focus is on creating income generating activities for rural poor. But somehow begining is a trouble as on date.
Possibly i will be going by ur advice of continuing with recycling project atleast to begin with.
Will keep ur valuable advice. Thanks once again.
Hello Das,
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with your reply.I guess i was unable to clearly put myself in the post but still i request you to read it again.
My endeavour is not to earn money for myself but to create self sustaining organization which is dedicated for the cause of serving weakest. Thats why we have adopted an approach which posseses virtues of what u call as corporates, NGO's and cooperatives.
There is a phenomena called pump priming- for starting the pump one needs to put in some water and then later on pump continues to deliver water. This is what we are in need of. We need funding as pump priming and then our organization of which we will be employees and rural poor as owners will be self sustaining.
Since all of our efforts for getting this priming funding couldnt move to reality, we for arranging it are trying for altogether different option. But believe me its no where related to earning money for self other than the salary which as an employee i should get since i have taken social service as my profession.
I request you if you can provide us some links to agencies/people who can support us in terms of initial funding it will be a great help.
Thanks one again for ur valuable reply.
Hi Sharda,
ReplyDeleteYou all r doing gr8 job...in this mean world of today's scenario u r trying to improve people technically and hence ur making our country to move one step furthur.
I dont have words to appreciate u all.Well just can say 'All The Best' to achieve ur goal.