There is enough debate on the subject of development as it is largely understood today, and the trade offs that confront nations in terms of protection of environments, natural resources, and of course, human societies that may be sacrificed in order to set up large development projects.
A development project needs to be taken up in several phases. The first phase should involve informing communities and gaining their consent. Presumably, this will be the toughest part of the project and adequate time should be factored into it. These communities should be involved in the selection, planning and development of the new location well in advance so that by the time families are relocated, infrastructure such as dwellings, water, toilets, security, schools, hospitals and community recreation centres would be in place. Such steps can minimize the trauma of movement and bring great success to the government in terms of achieving its goals.
Since resettlement does not merely constitute physical movement, it is important to understand what exactly is at stake when a huge area of land is taken over for a development project. It is important for the government, the corporation that sets up the development project, and the people to understand this in terms of the numbers of people (differentiated by sex, age, caste, class, religion, as well as special vulnerabilities such as disability and disease), primary and alternative sources of livelihood (not just income livelihood, but also sources of food that are related to the habitat around), the special skills and talents of the people of the affected communities, and of course - the existing situation of health, education and governance service delivery in the region.
A well planned development project can begin to ensure development of the proposed new location well in advance. Training programmes can ensure that the community develops skills for alternative livelihoods in the new location. Formation of support groups such as women’s groups, and capacity building of such groups, can enable them to support one another and devise strategies for the process of shifting to the new location.
Benefits can accrue from government initiatives to set up schools, hospitals and community centres, so that education reaches the unreached, gaps in health services are filled with adequate hospitals or health centres, gender relations are enhanced – possibly through equal access of men and boys, women and girls to education, information, decision making and participation. The ideal situation would be when good planning enables these communities to be even more productive and prosperous than before, because of better access to basic amenities, water and sanitation, roads, transport and communication facilities, hospitals and schools.
Knowledge as a means to empower vulnerable communities
The protection and enrichment of communities requires a knowledge base that informs people about their situation, their strengths and vulnerabilities. It requires them to know the details of the proposed development plan and to understand the implications with regard to its effect on their lives. They need to understand the changing dimensions of their lives in the new context.
Already, there is increasing awareness amongst several individuals, NGOs and communities about the need to document and store knowledge about the history of villages and their existing resource base. Several community based organisations are now focusing on building capacities of rural people to collect knowledge and document it.
The availability of a rich, and comprehensive local database about a region can ensure authenticity by providing a point of cross-reference; it can also ensure preparedness of the community to debate and discuss on the proposed project plan. It follows that any proposed plan will only be acceptable if the people see, in addition to the projected benefits to the nation, some clear benefits to themselves, and if they see that the new project eliminates the possibility of losses in terms of environmental and human degradation.
Women's groups in particular need to pay special attention to the collection and documentation of their knowledge, expertise and experience. In a context where literacy of women is relatively lower compared to men, it is important that women gather and share knowledge that is relevant to their lives. They need to integrate local and global knowledge that will keep them informed about support systems and resources available amongst and around them and enable them to deal with issues relating to livelihood, legal and human rights, sexual violence, exploitation and so on. There is a need for capacity building in this direction.
Application of ICTs
The recognition of the positive role of multiple stake holder partnerships in the context of development and displacement can be critical to the success of development projects. There are various agencies who can come in as partners, contribute to the project in accordance with their mandate and strengths, and benefit in different ways.
More importantly, the centrality of the affected communities and the role of activist groups, NGOs and all of civil society will need to be recognised so that the primary objective of ensuring human rights is achieved.
The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be of tremendous use to all the agencies involved in this process. Possible ways in which they can be leveraged by communities, support CBOs and NGOs, Governments and other agencies are listed below:
- To set up mechanisms for data collection, updation and validation. The data should not only include numbers of people, but also categorise them by major determinants such as gender, marital status, age, health status, caste, economic class and religion. It should include major economic and cultural activities as well.
- To use various means of communication to open up debate and discussion on the pros and cons of the project, the status of the project and the issues and achievements in its implementation. Possible instruments are community newspaper in local language, announcements on the loudspeaker, street plays and songs, and community radio. Possible forums are religious and cultural gatherings, SHG meetings, school gatherings or Panchayat sittings.
- To collect information about other similar projects and learning from them.
- As a space for information sharing and resource mobilization. To share information and map the available resources with requirements and also to mobilize resources wherever necessary. This could include identifying the skill sets available in the community and their possible utilization in reconstruction and resettlement, and provision of training programmes for new skill sets where necessary.
- As a conduit for information to enhance transparency in governance through e-governance sites specially designed to address people’s queries and provide information, collect feedback, handle grievances and monitor action.
- As a source of information for media and other national and international agencies who may be interested in protection of human rights, conservation of the environment, sustainable development and so on.
Autor/Author: Geetha N Bhardwaj
Quelle/Source: OneWorld South Asia, 08.05.2006
