AID Rajasthan Cell

1

• AID Rajasthan Cell
• Background, Strategy and Plan
• AID Conference 2004
• Nishant Jain, Pranav Khanna
• nishj_at_umich.edu, pranav.khanna_at_mail.uh.edu
• AID Austin
• May 30, 2004

2
Outline

• Background (why?)
• Social and Political Status 
• Unique characteristics of the state need focused
  action
• AIDs involvement thus far TBS and MKSS
• Strategy and Vision (what?)
• Network with local organizations and community
  leaders
• Identify and focus on 6-8 districts and issues
• Plan (how?)
• Short term research, decide on issues, NGOs,
  Saathis
• Long term portfolio of projects, policy
  intervention, involve expatriate Rajasthanis,
  resource site
• Other Ideas?

3
Map of Rajasthan
4
Social and Political Status

• Past
• Rajput tradition and perennial skirmishes
• Low women status
• small divisions inhibit a singular identity
• 19 states come together to form Rajasthan
• Now
• Largest state in the union
• All development indicators are consistently below
  national average
• Women, Health, Literacy, Economic and Children
• Rise of communalist politics

5
Unique Characteristics

• Highest proportion of SCs (17) and a high
  proportion of STs (12.4)
• Agriculture and animal husbandry are the
  principal sources of livelihood
• Small landholding (50lt2 hectares)
• Sharp regional differences on account of soil
  quality and terrain.
• 23 districts of the 32 districts averaging over
  400 mm annual rainfall.
• In South Rajasthan over 60 are dependent on
  migration for their livelihood

6
AIDs Involvement thus Far

• Projects
• Samaj Shilpi with Seva Mandir
• Drought Relief with BGVS and PUCL
• Peoples Movements and Campaigns
• Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan
• Aruna Roy and Shankar Singhs visit to conf 2002
• Tarun Bharat Sangh
• Previous and current conf visit by Rajendra Singh
• Site State Visits
• Extensive visit by Tarun, Gautam and Shivani
• Identified organizations, individuals and
  districts

7
Organizations

• Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development,
  Udaipur resource and livelihood regeneration
• Seva Mandir, Udaipur large scale intervention
  programs around the district
• Sambhav, Jaipur Education and curriculum
• Vividha, Jaipur Resource group for women
• Prayas, Chittorgarh Dalit Issues
• Samanthar, Jaipur Cultural intervention in
  schools
• National Muslim Womens Welfare Society, Jaipur
  Interfaith activities
• PUCL Komal and Kavita
• BGVS education based initiatives

8
Individuals

• Samaj Shilpi Program
• Bhanwar Singh Rathod (Udaipur)
• Chennaram Bhil (Rajasamand)
• Gautam
• Khemrajji Choudhury (Prayas)
• Bhanwar Singh (Bhilwara)

9
Samaj Shilpi Program
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Short Term Goals

• Identify the key areas/districts and issues that
  need attention.
• List potential NGOs (particularly in those key
  districts) based on inputs from our partners that
  may be approached to initiate programs.
• Identify Saathis
• Start dialogue with NGOs, media, local and state
  government and other organizations that might be
  able to provide input into AID efforts.
• Technical help and guidance to create web
  presence for organizations. Example, MKSS

11
Long Term Goals

• Produce papers on key insights and share them
  with the AID and our partners.
• Identify and fund projects in collaboration with
  trusted NGOs in Rajasthan.
• Develop a resource site on the state that will
  act as repository and reference for AID.
• Develop a sense for how to improve policies
  pursued by the state.
• Develop relationships with expatriate Rajasthani
  groups in the United States and elsewhere.
• Cross-linkages with the water, women and
  pluralism cells.

12
Action Items

• Collect and collate all the relevant research
  material
• Summarize all the research
• Interface with other cells water, adivasi and
  women to find their learnings in the state
• Write periodic articles, group newsletter
• Government policy and intervention research
• Work on a portfolio of projects
• Saathi identification program
• Arts and crafts marketing

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Are you inspired?

• Email
• aid_rajasthan_at_yahoogroups.com
• Web
• www.aidindia.org/twiki/