nstitutions form the bedrock of the quality of life of the citizens of every nation. Since India attained independence, the country needed new robust institutions to facilitate the wellbeing of the citizens. In fact, institutional and organisational development has been one of the key thrust areas of the Government as well as NGOs striving to attain the goal of sustainable development. Organisations such as Development Alternatives believe in a development paradigm that is just, socially equitable and ecologically sustainable, while providing the framework for intervention in institutions, finance and technology. Such an approach calls for the transfer of appropriate ecologically sustainable and energy efficient technologies.
With the growth in technology ushering in more and more instruments of comfort, there are ecological stresses felt across the world. There is growing recognition for the sustainability of development processes within and between the nations. Various development agencies are getting disillusioned with the current development paradigm that has not worked for the poor and has led to the over-accumulation of money in the hands of a few corporations and financial organisations. More and more people are turning poorer not only in terms of income, education and dignity, but in terms of access to ecologically sustainable habitats and livelihoods as well.
Post 90’s economic, social and cultural policy, following the globalisation of economic, political and cultural forms, has witnessed a marked change that has been captured by organisations and people’s movements. Institutional reforms were suggested in many sectors (encompassing macro-economic factors) like agriculture, environment, labour, finance, industry, administration, personnel, insurance, pension and others. To this, a mixed reaction was expressed by development networks, CBOs, political and religious groups. Deprivation faced by the masses and the loss of ecologically sustainable habitats have been reported frequently, along with true stories of suicide by the farmers burdened with heavy debts. The gulf between the rich and the poor continues to widen.
In the backdrop of all these developments, nations have agreed on realising the millennium development goals for children, women, poor and environment. One of the key concerns is promoting ecologically sustainable and socially equitable consumption and production patterns embedded under the goal for environmental sustainability. Considering the interconnectedness of the issues, it would be useful to have an approach where all the issues get addressed while maintaining a vigil on the priorities that get defined and defended in different contexts. It would be important to prioritise on the issues having cross-cutting impact but have still not been addressed so far.
Development Alternatives’ Institutions Systems Branch endeavours to work for strengthening, defining, analysing and prescribing institutions in consultation with civil society organisations, government agencies, bilateral and multilateral organisations as well as media at local, regional, district, block and cluster levels that help in generating large scale ecologically sustainable and socially equitable livelihoods. We have created models of ecological sustainable habitat and are in the process of multiplying them through a wide array of networks and partnerships.
We, at DA, truly believe that promoting renewable (and perennial) resource based livelihoods globally is the key to ensure ecological safety.