First Steps towards a More Liveable Future

On November 30, 2010, 20-years old Chukhu Mary went to the Government Primary School, Rubdi. It was her first day in the school as a student. A dream she had nourished for years together had come true that day.

Mary had always wanted to go to school like her friends in the neighborhood, but she did not have a childhood. In 1998, when she was 10 years old, she was forced to live with her husband as his second wife. Her husband, Chukhu Kaya, whose youngest son was Mary’s age, had five children from his first wife. Mary’s father, Nabam Saha, had received eight Mithuns from Chukhu Kaya as Mary’s bride price, when she was still too young to remember. Her father had expired some 12 years back.

Mary learned to live with the Chukhu family, initially helping with the household chores. As she grew up, she spent most of the time working in the fields and jungles. She dreaded growing up, because her husband started making advances towards her. Mary, somehow, managed to stay away from him.

Since 2006, Mary had been approaching her mother and brothers requesting them not to let her stay with the Chukhu family. “I want to go to school”, she would say. She even implored her husband to let her go to school but he dismisses her, saying, “I paid your price to your father. You are my wife now and I will keep you as I wish.” Her brothers were helpless since this has been the tradition. The only way out was to pay back the mithuns to Chukhu family, but her brothers had no capacity to do that. Mary was contemplating suicide.

In 2009, Mary joined the Women Action Group (WAG) formed by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and came into contact with Punyo Rina who is working as the Project Supervisor. Mary shared her agony with her and got much needed encouragement for the first time from anybody. In one of the workshops, some women from Palin, who too were victims of child marriage, had shared their story. The story of their successful struggle encouraged Mary not to lose hope. She started participating in every meeting and training, but her husband did not like this. He started harassing Mary more than ever and started talking ill of other members of the women’s groups as well as of the FGA staff. Paradoxically, these defensive behaviors of her husband emboldened Mary to fight on with more determination. She made sure not to miss any program and managed to leave the house even clandestinely. During an exposure trip to Ziro, she shared her story and got sympathy and encouragement from everybody.

As Mary’s protests grew stronger, a compromise was made: Kaya will let go of Mary, but she had to accept Peter, his youngest son, as her husband. In return, Mary’s brothers agreed to bear the expenses for Peter’s education. As a token, they gave a cow, some chicken and traditional beads to Kaya. Chukhu Kaya, however, did not keep the agreement. He started making advances towards Mary again.

In the night of July 22, 2010 Mary had a fight with her husband when he forcefully tried to sleep with her. “I will complain against you to the women’s group and Miss Rina if you try to force anything,” Mary told him. This angered him and he snatched away her mobile phone. Mary somehow managed to escape from the house and spent the night in the house of Kaya’s eldest daughter, who was married and stayed nearby. Next morning, when she came back to her husband’s house, they had an argument again. Mary then went to Yazali to discuss about the issue with Joseph, Kaya’s eldest son. Joshep lives with his family at Yazali. Joseph could not give any concrete suggestion. “Do whatever you think is right,” was all he said. Mary then went to Yachuli to meet the local women’s leader. She allowed Mary to stay with her for sometime so that she could observe her true intention. Mary stayed at Yachuli for a month and convinced everbody that she was determined to fight against the system. It was then that they lodged a formal complaint in the court of the Additional Deputy Commissioner.


The first hearing of the case was on September 29, 2010. In the second hearing on October 16, 2010 the final verdict was given by the court. It was decided that Mary will be allowed to go to school. It was also decided that Mary will accept Peter, the youngest son of Kaya, as her husband. However, if Peter happens to marry any other girl, Mary will be free to choose her course of life. At the same time, if Mary happens to develop a relationship with any other man, her brothers will have to return the 8 eight mithuns, which was initially paid as the bride price.

Mary has got herself admitted to third standard in the village school. She attends her classes regularly, sitting with 9-year old children. She has won the first battle against the system that has oppressed women of her tribe for generations. The struggle continues.

Lets hope for the best!

On December 11, 2010 (Saturday) an emergency meeting of Master Coordinating Committee [MCC] of Future Generations Arunachal [FGA] was held under the Chairperson, Mr. Byabang Rocket to take a decision on recruitment of full-time Executive Director, FGA. At first, a letter from Future Generations [USA] & from Mr. Nalong Mize was placed in front of the board members. The members who were attended in the meeting had a long discussion on criteria for the selection/recruitment of ED and finally following decision were taken in the house.

1. A proper advertisement should be publish in newspaper. A deadline for receipt of applications was fixed up to December 31, 2010 and the recruitment process will be completed in the month of January 2011. Requisite qualities and experience was also clearly indicated in the advertisement.
2. Selection committee was formed for the recruitment of Executive Director.
3. Candidate's applications copy will be send to selection committee members for scrutiny.
   

Eco-Camp for Children

It was a welcome break from the monotonous routine of studying within the confines of the classrooms. And it was a gift on the occasion of the Children's Day!



Twenty seven students from ten government schools in Ziro packed their bags and trekked 15 kilometers east of Hapoli to the Pange forest. They were participating in the Environment Awareness Camp organized by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and Ngunu Ziro, supported by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) as a part of the project "Community-based Conservation in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh".



The ten participating schools included Tajang Secondary School, Dutta Middle School, TPD Middle School, Gandhi Middle School, Hapoli Secondary School, Hill Top Primary School, Siiro Primary School, Hong Middle School and Old Ziro Middle School. They carried out various activities designed to educate and entertain them in the forest under the guidance of the Local Coordinating Committee (LCC) members who were the resource persons.



The highlight of the program was demonstration of much misunderstood snake as a friendly creature. When the resource person caught a snake and started playing with it, the children's fear gave way to curiosity and then to pleasure when they were convinced that snakes are lovely creatures.



The three-day camp was full of explorations and adventures. Their findings in the day were presented in the evenings.




To mark the Children's Day in a special way, the students planted trees in the camp of the Forest Range Officer at Pange.



It was not all works, though. The evening camp-fires were the event the children as well the resource persons looked forward to after days activities. They danced and sang in the stillness of the forest.



When it was time to get back to the town, the children wanted more. They had to go back now, but more they will have in the coming days!

More details are here.

Community Protection of Wildlife

The Apatanis who inhabit the Ziro valley adjacent to Talle Wildlife Sanctuary are known for their expertise in management of their forests and other natural resources. Because their life is inextricably interwoven with forests and wildlife, they traditionally had sustainable way of harvesting the forest resources as well as hunting practices. With the introduction of firearms in recent years, however, wildlife in the area is being increasingly threatened.

A willife survey is being carried out in the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary by FGA with support from CEPF and ATREE. The survey utilizes the indigenous knowledge of the tribal hunters and scientific methods using GPS and infra-red motion sensor cameras. As a part of this project, an awareness workshop on community participation in wildlife protection was organized on October 23, 2010 by FGA, Ngunu Ziro, Apatani Cultural and Literary Society and the Department of Forests & Environment, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.




The participants included village elders, leaders of the village council (Panchayats) and senior local officers, Preliminary findings of the Talle Wildlife survey was presented. The participants were concerned about the dwindling wildlife and passed several resolutions to control hunting activities.

More details are covered here.

Women only Workshop (WoW)

Yachuli

(Sept. 27-29, 2010)

By: ‘Identifying Best Practices’ Project team

A 3 days women only workshop (WoW) was conducted at Yachuli circle of Lower Subansiri district from September 27 to 29 last with the program of ‘Identifying Best Practices to Empower Arunachal Family’. The main objective of this workshop was to promote and expansion of women action groups (WAGs) in Yachuli area and to empower village women or mothers through self-reliant development.

It was organized by the Best Practices team of Future Generations Arunachal, lead by Punyo Rina, Project Supervisor in Yachuli. Takhe Meena and Kago Yam, Project Supervisors from other two sites of Koyu and Mechukha have also joined as staff facilitators. Pura Aiya, Project Coordinator, Best Practices accompanied them to coordinate the program which was conducted at ADC office conference hall in Yachuli.

Two senior women, one village welfare worker (VWW) and a women group leader from Palin, FGA old site have invited as community resource person in Yachuli to share experiences and to exchange new ideas were Matin Yalu, VWW of Hill-Top, and Takam Nyani, women group leader of School colony, Palin. Both of them have empowered by FGA, experience and expert enough in motivating other women groups and mobilizing community empowerment through learning by doing.

The three days workshop was enriched with the full of excitements by the facilitators through their varied experiences and commitment towards the empowerment program in community level. Length and breadth discussions on various important topics were covered up in this workshop which has incorporated by many interesting ice-breaking as well as role play, group drama and action songs etc.

As many as 30 women participants from villages of Yachuli area including Zath, Mai, Lumri, Toon, Block complex and Yachuli centre have enthusiastically participated this three days workshop. Some women from village come with their small baby, and few ASHAs were also there.

To know about the basic problems faced by the women in villages, the first day covers the sharing of pregnancy history by the participants, where it has observed that most of the women have less idea and no knowledge about ANC & PNC, Family planning and child immunization. On the basis of learning experiences, the following two days were used to cover as many important related topics as possible to input new ideas as well as knowledge to the mothers and village women.

Pregnancy care session was taken by Project Supervisors, Punyo Rina led the session; it covers on the following important topics:

- Briefing on right age of marriage, fertile age and healthy pregnancy etc.

- Risk moment at the time of delivery

- Balance diet from locally available food

- Direction of baby in womb- month wise after 3 (three) months of pregnancy by showing pictures in the chart.

- Safe delivery process

- Warm welcome to newly baby born

- Delivery of placenta

- Process of colostomy

- Cord cutting

- Importance of immunization: Rina continue by participatory methods of ASHA participants [shown pictures to relate immunization].

- Importance of Institutional delivery etc.

Kago Yam, Project Supervisor Mechukha added with briefing the topics and moral of the pictures.

Role plays on ‘Pregnancy care’, ‘Safe delivery’, and ‘Pneumonia’ have displayed by all the trainers, two volunteers from Rubdi village, Yazali and staff facilitators including Rina, Meena, Yam, Yalu, Nyani, Yall and Yama.

Matin Yalu, VWW (trainer) shared success stories- with experiences on before and after coming of Future Generations in Palin. She also reveals on following incidental facts:

- Diarrhea and Cholera epidemics in Palin before FGA intervention

- Improvement on individual and group after receive trainings from FGA

It was followed by eals on following incidents:-nization the functioning of ys were used to cover as many important topics as possible to input Diarrhea topics, the session was taken by Takhe Meena, Project Supervisor, with the help of practical demonstration on local or home made oral re-hydration therapy system (ORS) added by Takam Nyani, women group leader, Palin (trainer). A very good response from the trainees on home made ORS as they did not practice earlier; particularly they were interested in cereal base ORS made of millet powder and rice soup etc.

Role of VWW was shared by Matin Yalu, VWW Palin (trainer) while Meena highlights and briefed on meaning and functions of VWW and Yam shared from her past experiences as some participants get interested to know more about formation and functions of women action group.

A session on formation of Women Action Group (WAG) was taken by Takam Nyani, group leader from Palin by sharing her experiences before and after join FGA women group and briefed on successes of their women group as follows:

- Bring unity and equity in the group as well as in the community

- Fund raising for an economic stability; they have more than a lakhs of amount in their group account and they have a vision or plan to open a School in the name of their group.

- Participant must feel proud for being selected either as a trainer or as trainee amongst other village women for getting opportunity to learn many new ideas.

- How an illiterate village woman become able to provide medicine and give trainings through learning by doing from training of FGA and practicing in the field.

- Cited a good example on importance of group as- to catch and hold a thing all fingers has to function or used.

Taba Yall, WAG leader from Rubdi village, Yazali shared on function of women action group started with WoW conducted at Kuch-Kuth village and formation of WAG and activities carried out so far.

Topics on Leadership quality was taken by Rina and Meena through group exercise by free listing of the leadership quality and presentation by respective group leader amongst the participants.

Yam added with different kinds of leadership quality as being sound of- mentally, physically, economically and spiritually, she also encourage the participants to acquire all those quality.

Pura Aiya, Project Coordinator, take a session on SEED-SCALE methods emphasizing the four important principles, describing the processes correlating in practical life. Rina added on four principles with examples of successes from Palin site.

Village wise work plan have prepared and presentation given by each village representative WoW participant from respective 6 (six) villages including Yachuli centre. The important work plans included such as:

• To conduct women meeting in their respective villages to share the learning experiences.
• To form as many women action groups in the village
• To conduct cleanliness drives in the village and cleaning of public water supply tanks.
• To maintain village connecting routes etc.

The participants have also cleared about the differences in functioning of government and non-governmental organization (NGO), particularly Future Generations Arunachal works.

Board Meeting

The half-yearly meeting of the board of Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) - the Master Coordinating Committee (MCC) was conducted in the SIRD Conference Hall on September 11 last. The staff implementing various projects presented their reports.

Later in the afternoon, the members discussed various issues that the organization is facing and chalked out steps to strengthen it so that the task of bringing about a sustainable development in the state is continued.

Hibu Tatu was elected as the Vice Chairman of the board. Two new members - Rakesh Shrivastava of State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) and Kabak Tani of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), who were selected in the last meeting joined this time.

Exchange Visit to Yachuli area

Best Practices team from Mechuka and Koyu Korang areas were in Yachuli area recently. They reached Itanagar from their respective villages on August 24 and on to Yazali on 25. The team from Mechuka had reached Itanagar via Along accompanied by Kago Yam, the Project Supervisor there. Similarly, Takhe Meena, Project Supervisor led the one man team from Koyu area to Itanagar via Pasighat.

The Best Practices Project Coordinator, Pura Aiya accompanied the team from Itanagar and they reached Yazali on August 26. Punyo Rina, Project Supervisor of the area was waiting for them. The same evening, they trekked the fifteen kilometer path to Rubdi where the women groups and male volunteers welcomed them. The team, dead tired after walking for hours together through serpentine jungle path was rejuvenated withe cultural programs in the Nyishi village in the evening.

The teams had extensive exchange of ideas and shared the works they are doing in their areas. They later visited Kuch-Kuth village as well and came back to Yazali the next day. The came back to Itanagar on August 28 after a brief visit to Ziro.

The teams, especially with women from Mechuka villages were quite impressed and happy with the trip. They were a bit scared crossing a dilapidated hanging bridge on their way to Kuch Kuth from Rubdi. The wet-rice cultivation system of the Apatanis inspired the women and they are determined to replicate such practice in Mechuka as well.

No woman from Koyu area could make it this time. Apparently the women were willing but their husbands were worried about the landslides and roadblocks. An energetic Gaon Bura of Kakki village represented the area.

Read this for a brief news report about the trip.

Mobilizing Human Energy

Men, women and children thronged the jungle trek from Yazali to villages of Kuch-Kuth, Rubdi, Delipaj, Komp Tab, Lich-Lith and so on. Some women with their babies hanging by their sides while they worked with spades and daos.

The cleaning and repair of the trek used to be initiated in the past by a group of young people in the past, but it was long overdue this year. With overgrowth of bushes along the narrow path and the path having broken in some places, it was getting more and more difficult negotiating it. It was especially difficult for the women and children. That is when the Women's Action Groups (WAGs) formed by Future Generations Arunachal decided to mobilize the communities for a cleaning drive.

The WAGs were formed in these villages as a part of the project "Identifying Best Practices to Empower Arunachal Families" in selected sites in Arunachal Pradesh. Yachuli area is one of them - the other two sites being Mechuka and Koyu.

PHC Review Meeting

The half-yearly review meeting of the Primary Health Center, Sille, which is being managed by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh was held in the Circle Officer’s Conference Hall at Oyan today. All the Panchayat leaders, Gaon Buras and other senior leaders of the area attended the meeting.

The leaders who spoke in the meeting representing their villages were all praise for the staff of the PHC, who have brought significant changes in the morbidity and mortality pattern of the whole area by improving the clinical services, regular outreach activities and training of mothers on basic health care. The shape of the PHC now is ten times better than that in 2005 before FGA took over the management, said Nalo Tasing, Anchal Chairperson. Okyam Gao, Zilla Parishad Member, agreed with him said that the leaders of the area should work together to get an X-ray unit for the PHC. She added that the NGOs should be working in more difficult areas and FGA should keep on improving their performance since Sille is well connected with road.

Nakek Moyong, Zilla Parishad Member (Bilat) explained about the purpose of the government’s PPP project and congratulated the people of the Sille-Oyan area for getting their PHC managed under the project. Byabang Rocket, Chairperson, Master Coordinating Committee (MCC), FGA gave an overall view of the works being done by FGA in other parts of the state. He recounted various misgivings about the organization in early days in places like Palin when it was misunderstood to have political agenda. He urged the leaders not to repeat the same mistake since FGA is working with the welfare of the people of Arunachal Pradesh as the only motive.

Aying Perme, Circle Officer, Sille-Oyan, who chaired the meeting congratulated FGA for good performance and urged the leaders to continue making contributions in managing the center.

Earlier, Dr. Tage Kanno, Executive Director, FGA explained about the purpose of the meeting and said that involving the communities in managing the PHC is one of the main objectives of the organization, and the meeting aims to elicit more participation in the project. He added that FGA hopes that the communities themselves should be able to manage the PHC whenever the PPP project comes to an end.

It may be mentioned that FGA has been managing the PHC, Sille since 2006 when it took over from the government. PPP project is one of the innovative project conceived by the government of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of National Rural Health Mission and has been nationally acclaimed for its success in improving rural health services.

Workshop on Conservation in Koyu

A day-long workshop on community-based conservation and sustainable development through community energy was organized at Koyu by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) today. Gaon Buras (GBs), members of the women’s groups, school teachers and students attended the workshop.

The workshop focused on threats of global warming and role of communities in containing it using slides shows and documentaries on melting of snow in the Himalayas leading to rising sea level. If we do not take action now all coastal areas will be submerged and it will affect the people in the hills as well, informed Punyo Chada and Hibu Tatu, Green Teachers from Ngunu Ziro who were the resource persons.

The community participants and students prepared three months work plans for their respective areas which included tree plantation, flood control activities, maintenance of drains and cleanliness drives in the surrounding areas, controlling of wild animal hunting and deforestations.

Wild life and virgin forests could be used to promote eco-tourism and generate income for the people said Marte Koyu, vice Principal, Government Higher Secondary School, Koyu while participating in the program. He referred to many species like tigers, reindeers and hornbills which are almost extinct in Arunachal Pradesh because of human hunting. Earlier, Pura Aiya, Project Coordinator Best Practices of FGA highlighted about the works of the organization. He also explained the working methods of FGA based on SEED-SCALE process and urged the participants to get involved to create a better future.

Tajir Kakki (HGB) of Kakki village and Tunya Rina (GB) of Rina village distributed tree saplings provided by Pasighat Forest Division to the participants.

Students participated in Queen's Baton Relay

After much waiting for the Queen's Baton Relay in the Itanagar-Naharlagun city finally it arrived in the city on July 22, 2010 in a warm reception at Rajiv Gandhi stadium by minister's, Public and the huge gathering of school students from VKV, Nirjuli, Govt. ME. School, D & G Sector, Naharlagun holding banners and placard prepared by the students to pass the message on "Low Carbon Practices" to save our mother earth. Under Future Generations Arunachal, the selected school students were located along the Queen's Baton Relay Route from Naharlagun to Itanagar to cheer up, pass the message on Low Carbon practices through slogan, placards & banner and to get a chance to see the Baton closely. In Itanagar, Govt. ME school (P-sector), Kingcup Public school, Govt. ME school (Nitivihar), JNK public school, Green Mount school and Govt. Hr. sec. school took part in the Queen's Baton relay programme. The students community were very happy witnessing Baton and shaking hand with "Shera" the official mascot of XIX Commonwealth games 2010.

It may be mentioned that, Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) partnering with Center for Environment Education (CEE) involving the students from various schools to create an awareness on "Low Carbon Practices" to link with the Commonwealth Games which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from 3-14 October 2010.

Environment Awareness Camp

It is not only our duty to contribute to world-wide efforts in containing global warming which threatens the very existence of life on earth, but also take actions at local levels to conserve our forest and wildlife, were the key messages that the participants in the environment awareness program in Kuch-Kuth village today. The program, organized by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA), was attended by 55 men and women from the surrounding area. Interestingly, there were more women participants than men.

“We have always depended on nature and knew we need to conserve it,” said a participant. “Today we learnt how to start taking concrete actions.” The participants discussed about the threat of global warming, the role of common man in protection of wildlife, and community participation in the government’s effort to conserve nature can make any project more effective. Facilitated by Hibu Tatu and Punyo Chada, both Green Teachers, the villagers prepared workplans for the coming three months. Their plans include plantation of saplings in the degraded forest areas, prohibition of hunting, and social services to keep the villages and the surroundings clean. Tree saplings, provided by the Hapoli Forest Division, were distributed to the participants at the end of the program.

It may be mentioned that FGA is carrying out a project entited “Identifying Best Practices to Empower Arunachal Families” in the three selected sites in the state, of which Yazali area in Lower Subansiri is one. The other two sites are Koyu Korang area in East Siang and Mechuka area in West Siang. The project explores various ways of mobilizing community energy to enable them to participate in the developmental processes and hence empower them to take locally contextual steps. The present program was carried out under the leadership of Punyo Rina, Project Supervisor, to mobilize community action in conserving flora and fauna of the area.

Community-based Wildlife Conservation

Sandwiched between the world’s two most populated countries, the tribal lands of Arunachal Pradesh, India provide a refuge for rare and endangered wildlife, including the Clouded Leopard and Red Goral. In the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary, this conservation project partners with village elders and hunters of the Apatani tribe. Local people are trained to use infrared camera traps to document and monitor wildlife. This visual data encourages community leadership in conservation activities. This project also facilitates educational programs, conservation clubs for youth, and works with women’s groups to link conservation benefits with mother and child health and income generation.

Read more.

Green Young Champions

An orientation session on the project “‘Creating Young Green Champions for a responsible Citizen’s Force to link with the Commonwealth Games’ was organized today by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) in Itanagar for the schools participating in the project to coincide with the Queen’s Baton Relay in the city on July 22 and 23, 2010. Representatives of the teachers and the students attended the session in the FGA office.

Eight schools including Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (Nirjuli), Kingcup Public School, (Itanagar), JNK Public School (Itanagar), Arunudaya Higher Secondary School (Itanagar), Government Middle School (Niti Vihar, Itanagar), Green Mount Public School (Itanagar), Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (Chimpu) and Government Middle School (P Sector) are participating in the program. The students will prepare posters on low carbon practices and take out rallies on the routes of the Queens Baton Relay in Naharlagun and Itanagar. In addition, they will plant trees in the schools and other public places in order to create awareness on low carbon lifestyle among the communities.

The XIX Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi from 3-14 October 2010. As the host of the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the Govt. of Delhi has committed itself to hosting “Green Games” by inducing behavioral change towards low carbon practices. Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Small Grants Program (SGP) partners join the Delhi Government in taking this endeavour forward. FGA is coordinating the project in Arunachal Pradesh.

Earlier in the month, Mone Gurung and Pura Aiya, both FGA staff, had attended the training program on the project in Guwahati organized by the Center for Environment Education (CEE) - North East.

The project, by involving the students and teachers, aims to create awareness on low carbon practices in the cities along the Queen’s Baton Relay Route all over India. It will also prepare students from schools across states in India to act as young environment ambassadors with a special focus on the low carbon practices and sensitizing public at large at places about sustainable lifestyle practices in cities along the route of the Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay (QBR). The participating teachers, students and the institutions will get certificates in creating the Young Green Champions (YGCs).

The Beginning

It is increasingly being recognized that sustainable development can be brought about with more active participation of the community, which effectively means by use of human energy. Having used to being passive onlookers and looked upon as ‘beneficiaries’ of various government developmental schemes, however, the communities in Arunachal Pradesh is in a state of dormancy at present. A massive exercise of community mobilization is necessary to initiate the process of sparking the human energy off. Therefore, a large-scale mobilization of human energy is the key to bringing about a sustainable development in the state.

In the 19th century, while the world was witnessing the industrial revolution, Arunachal Pradesh was complacently basking in a self-contained subsistent agricultural economy. However, the sense of community participation was alive and kicking. Be it the building of a bridge across the mighty Siang river by the Adis, construction of traditional platforms called lapangs by the Apatanis or construction of community fencings by the Nyishis, every individual made their contribution for the common good. After the 1962 Chinese aggression, the nation was jolted to the realization that the strategically located border area needs to be brought to the national mainstream. Developmental packages started coming in slowly and Arunachal Pradesh became a full-pledged state in 1987 in the backdrop of protests from many quarters on the ground that the state will not be economically viable. Various government developmental schemes came with their share of side effects too, of which making the people dependant has been the most serious one.

Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) took upon the task of demonstrating an alternate way of bringing about development in 1997 when it was registered as a society with the government of Arunachal Pradesh. It started with rural women as the change agents. The underlying principle is to mobilize the community to actively work for their future using available local resources – both human as well as natural.

Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) started working with the communities in the three sites – Sille, Ziro and Palin. These sites were selected on the basis of their differences – culturally as well as topographically. Sille in the foothills of the state by the Siang river, Ziro in the beautiful Apatani plateau and Palin in the rugged hills in Kurung Kumey district, were together seen to represent the whole diversity of the state while still strongly bounded by cultural and spiritual common links.

After multiple sessions of self-evaluation exercises in the three sites, health and education were selected as the entry points. Education could not be sustained due to examination-oriented education system in India. Health being a neutral subject and universal necessity became the entry point in all the sites. The principles of SEED SCALE were applied from the beginning, though it had not taken a concrete shape as yet. FGA is playing significant roles in perfecting the process.

This blog will trace the history of an unusual organization in an unusual corner of the globe. It will also be a forum to document how a handful of young people are struggling to beat a way for the rising sun - unknown and unsung. A sense of fulfillment of an achievement as well as exasperation of a job not well done may be expressed.