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.
