Voluntarism has deep roots in India. Perhaps more than any other country, we have a wide range of independent organisations here which provide opportunities for people to devote all or large part of their working time to social causes. The basis of voluntary action in India extends from religious and social commitment to deep concern for national development and the environment. Institutions such as the Ramakrishna Mission, All India Women’s Conference and the Servant of India have for decades demonstrated that citizen action has a vital and large scale role to play in dealing with problems that neither government nor the private sector is able to address. Such institutions have defined a large and crucial niche for themselves, somewhere between the formal and informal sectors of society. In the fields of environment and development, the past two decades have seen the proliferation of large numbers of independent organisations. Some are small, local, ephemeral and unremarkable. Others still guided by their founders, or by successors - have had solid, broad-based impact in such fields as land and water management, agriculture and forestry, sanitation and drinking water, employment generation, education and health care. Their life span and continued effectiveness is a testimony to the value of their work and the resilience of their efforts. Examples abound: AGRINDUS, AKRSP, BAIF, BCE, Gram Vikas, MYRADA, SEWA and SWRC. Of course, it is not only the large, national level NGOs whose work has had visible impact. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of smaller grassroots groups (like Mahiti, Rural Development association, Gram Gaurav Pratishthan) whose dedicated work daily transforms the lives of the rural poor in different parts of the country. Just as important are the voluntary groups that have generated movements around major national issues such as afforestation, large development schemes and public awareness, to mention only three. Chipko, the Narmada Bachao Andolan and KSSP are powerful examples of these. But commitment to doing good is by itself not enough. The issues of sustainable development facing the nation are complex and rapidly changing. They need a high level of technical knowledge and managerial capability, in addition to the manifest sensitivity volunteers bring to their work. In short, voluntary organisations are in need of sophisticated, professional inputs. They can get these either by strengthening their own intellectual and professional capacities or by linking up with other independent organisations that have the expertise required. This growing complexity, both of the issues and the interventions needed, now demands new types of organisation. These must be capable of providing the technical and managerial supports without which voluntary action can only become marginalised over time. To fulfil basic needs and manage local resources wisely will require completely different technologies, institutions and economic policies than we have today. Designing these will require an exceptional level of creativity based on sound scientific knowledge. New organisations venturing into this field will have also to build strong linkages with field organisations and evolve networks of constituencies through whom they must act. Again, India is fortunate in having a number of independent organisations with growing professional capabilities not only for innovative thinking, but also for providing policy advice and technical field support. Some have their own branches, others network with existing organisation. These are the new “Think and Act Tanks”, outstanding examples of which include CEE, CSE, INTACH, PRADHA, PRIA, TERI and WWF. And, of course, Development Alternatives and TARA. This group of organisations, most of which are 10 to 15 years old, now have national-level expertise in the various facets of sustainable development. They have invested heavily in building up their people and infrastructure. To reach their full potential, and recover this investment, they will have to stay and be active for much longer. This means that they must be prepared to make further, and professionally more difficult, investment: in excellence of output, in staff development and above all in building stable institutions that can have a lie beyond that of the founders. It take many years, even decades, to build up the knowledge and relationships needed for effective technical and managerial action, with or without partners. As Development Alternatives approaches the completion of its first decade, we happily renew our commitment to stay the course and be counted. q |
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