அழிவை நோக்கி கடலோரக் கிராமங்கள்
ரெ. ஜாய்சன்
First Published : 20 Oct 2009 12:15:00 AM IST
கடலோர மக்களின் வாழ்வு என்றாலே போராட்டங்களை எதிர்கொள்வதாகவே அமைந்துவிடும்போல! இலங்கை கடற்படையின் தாக்குதல், மீனவர்களுக்குத் தடை விதிக்கும் அறிவிப்பாணை, மீனவர்களைக் கடற்கரையில் இருந்து வெளியேற்றும் சட்டங்கள் என அச்சுறுத்தல்கள் ஒருபுறம் இருக்க, இயற்கைப் பேரிடர்களால் பாதிப்புகளில் தத்தளித்து மீளமுடியாமல் இருப்போருக்கு இன்னோர் அதிர்ச்சியாக வந்துள்ளது கடலரிப்பு.
தமிழகக் கடற்கரைப் பகுதிகளில் தற்போது அதிகரித்து வரும் கடலரிப்பு மீனவ மக்களை அச்சத்தில் ஆழ்த்தியுள்ளது. கடலரிப்பு என்பது ஒன்றும் புதிதல்ல.
திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் புகழ்பெற்ற சுற்றுலாத் தலமான உவரி கப்பல் மாதா ஆலயம், முன்னர் கடலரிப்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுத்தான், புதிய ஆலயம் 1970-1974-ம் ஆண்டில் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது.
தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்டத்தில் வேம்பார் புனித அந்தோனியார் ஆலயம் 20 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு கடலில் மூழ்கியுள்ளது. அப்போதெல்லாம் மக்கள் பெரிய அளவிலான பாதிப்புகளை உணரவில்லை.
ஆனால், அண்மைக்காலங்களில் 5 அல்லது 10 ஆண்டுகளில் ஏற்பட்டு வரும் கடலரிப்புதான் பெரிய அளவிலான சேதங்களை ஏற்படுத்தி மீனவர்களுக்குப் பெரும் சவாலாக அமைந்துள்ளது.
15 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு கடலில் இருந்து வேம்பார் காலனி அமைந்த இடத்தின் தொலைவு சுமார் 200 மீட்டர். ஆனால், தற்போது கடல் அலைகள் காலனி வீடுகளின் சுவர்களைத் தொடுவதற்குக் காத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கின்றன.
கடற்கரையில் இருந்து தொலைவில் கட்டப்பட்ட புனித அந்தோனியார் ஆலயம், கடலுக்குள் மூழ்கும் அபாயக் கட்டத்தில் உள்ளது. ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் பழமையான புகழ்பெற்ற கன்னியாகுமரி பகவதி அம்மன் கோயிலும் இதேபோல கடலரிப்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு வருவதாகப் பல தரப்பினரும் கூறி வருகின்றனர்.
மேலும், மாற்றுவழி காணும் கோரிக்கைகளும் எழுப்பப்பட்டு வருகின்றன. அதேபோல தமிழகத்தில் பல கடலோரக் கிராமங்கள் கடலில் மூழ்கும் அபாயத்தில் இருக்கின்றன. இதைப் பற்றிச் சிந்திப்பது யார் என கடலோர மக்கள் கேள்வி எழுப்புகின்றனர்.
குறிப்பாக, கன்னியாகுமரி மாவட்டத்தில் கடியப்பட்டினம், தேங்காய்ப்பட்டினம், இரயுமன்துறை உள்ளிட்ட கிராமங்களும், திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டத்தில் பெரியதாழை, கூட்டப்புளி உள்ளிட்ட கிராமங்களும், தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்டத்தின் வடபகுதியில் உள்ள தருவைகுளம், சிப்பிகுளம், கீழவைப்பார், வேம்பார் உள்ளிட்ட கிராமங்களும் அதிக அளவில் கடலரிப்பைச் சந்தித்து வருவதாக அண்மையில் சின்பேட் என்ற தொண்டு நிறுவனம் பின்லாந்தைச் சேர்ந்த சுற்றுச்சூழல் அமைப்புடன் இணைந்து நடத்திய ஆய்வில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது.
தமிழகத்தில் 9 கடலோர மாவட்டங்களில் புவி வெப்பமயமாதல் மற்றும் பருவநிலை மாற்றங்களால் விவசாயம், மீன் பிடித்தலில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள தாக்கங்கள் பற்றி ஆய்வு நடத்தியபோதுதான் இந்த அதிர்ச்சித் தகவல்கள் தெரியவந்துள்ளன.
தமிழகத்தில் சென்னை உள்ளிட்ட பெரும்பாலான கடலோர மாவட்டங்கள் கடலரிப்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு வருவதை அண்மைக்கால நிகழ்வுகள் படம்பிடித்துக் காட்டுகின்றன.
கடலரிப்பால் ஏற்படும் பாதிப்பின் வீரியத்தை உணராமலேயே "கரை தேய்கிறது, வளர்கிறது' என சாதாரணமாகக் கூறுகின்றனர் மீனவர்கள். இந்த பேராபத்து கடலோரக் கிராமங்களை மட்டுமன்றி, மன்னார் வளைகுடா பகுதியில் உள்ள தீவுகளையும் விட்டுவைக்கவில்லை.
மன்னார் வளைகுடா பகுதியில் 21 தீவுகள் உள்ளன. இவற்றில் விலாங்குசல்லி, பூவரசன்பட்டி ஆகிய இரு தீவுகளும் கடல்மட்டத்தின் உயரத்துக்குச் சமமாகத்தான் தற்போது இருக்கின்றன. மிக விரைவில் இவை அடியோடு காணாமல்போகும் நிலை ஏற்படும் என எச்சரிக்கின்றனர் நிலவியல் துறை ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள். மற்ற தீவுகளின் வடிவமும், அளவும் சில ஆண்டுகளாக உருமாறியுள்ளதாகவும் அவர்கள் கூறுகின்றனர்.
கடலரிப்பும், கரை வளருவதும் வெவ்வேறு பகுதிகளில் வெவ்வேறு காலங்களில் நிகழ்ந்து வந்துள்ளன. இதை ஆபத்து நிலைக்கு வளரவிடாமல் சூழியல் சமநிலை அமைப்புகளான மணல் குன்றுகள், உயிர் அரண் காப்புக் காடுகள் மற்றும் கரையோரத்தில் அமைந்த தாவரங்கள் பாதுகாத்துள்ளன.
இதற்கு மாறாக, கடலில் கற்களைக் கொட்டுவதும், கட்டடங்களைக் கட்டுவதும், கடலோரத்தில் மணல் அள்ளுவதும், பவளப் பாறைகளை வெட்டி எடுப்பதும் கடலரிப்புக்குக் காரணமாக அமைந்து விடுகின்றன.
பருவநிலை மாற்றம் மற்றும் புவி வெப்பமயமாதலால் பனிக்கட்டி உருகிக் கடல் மட்டம் உயருகிறது என்றால், அதைத் தாக்குப்பிடிக்கும் இயற்கை அரண்களும் இருக்கத்தான் செய்கின்றன. ஆனால், எரிகிற நெருப்பில் எண்ணெய் ஊற்றுவதுபோல இயற்கையைச் சுரண்டும் மனிதனின் செயல்பாடுகளே இயற்கைச் சீற்றத்துக்கு வழி அமைத்திடுகிறது.
புதுச்சேரி பகுதியில் கரையில் போடப்பட்ட கற்களால் விழுப்புரம் பகுதியில் உள்ள கோட்டக்குப்பம் உள்ளிட்ட கிராமங்களில் கடலரிப்பின் வேகம் அதிகரித்துள்ளதாக ஆய்வுகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. இருப்பினும் அரசின் முடிவு கற்கள் மற்றும் கான்கிரீட் தடுப்பு உள்ளிட்ட இயற்கைக்கு மாறான தாற்காலிகத் தீர்வை நோக்கித்தான் உள்ளது.
அரசின் கட்டுப்பாடுகள் மீனவர்களின் வாழ்வுரிமைக்கான உத்தரவாதம் கொடுப்பதாக அமைய வேண்டும்.
கடலோர மக்களை வெளியேற்றாமல் நிரந்தரத் தீர்வுக்கான வழிமுறைகளை அரசு செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும் என மீனவ மக்கள் விரும்புகின்றனர்.
அரசு, இலவசத் திட்டங்களைச் செயல்படுத்துவதில் காட்டி வரும் வேகத்தை அழிந்து வரும் கடலோரக் கிராமங்களைப் பாதுகாப்பதில் காட்டினால், இருப்பதையாவது காப்பாற்றிக் கொள்ளலாம். தினமும் விடியலை முதலில் பார்க்கும் கடலோர மக்களுக்கு வாழ்விலும் விடிவு ஏற்பட வேண்டும் என்பதுதான் அனைவரின் விருப்பமும்.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
The deep end of the ocean
Diving in the blue-grey waters of the Gulf of Mannar is an experience to cherish
Photo: R. Ravindran
Colourful The world of corals
The last time I dived was off the island of Hembadu Inolu, in the Maldives, eight years ago. And, I was quite looking forward to scuba diving at the coastal village of Vembar, on invitation of the People’s Action for Development (PAD), an NGO. Vembar is about an hour’s drive from Rameswaram on the coast of the Gulf of Mannar..
I landed in Madurai for a week’s relaxed stay in the heartland of Ramnad and was hopeful that I would get to do some good diving in the Gulf of Mannar. As our Scorpio sped past lush green paddy fields interspersed with dense coconut, palmyra and banana groves, I was already feeling rejuvenated. The weather was hot and the sky slightly cloudy. Our first stop was Rameswaram.
As we approached the town, I had a breathtaking view, from the Pamban bridge, of the blue-grey waters of the Gulf of Mannar on the one side and the Palk Bay on the other. The ocean was dotted with fishing craft — some mechanised, and some driven by sails.
Inviting waters
Our first venture into the ocean was to be a snorkelling excursion. An hour after a hearty lunch, we put on our fins, face mask and snorkel and entered the cool, inviting waters. It felt great to be back in the sea after eight long years. I was looking forward to do some real diving, of the scuba variety.
The next day, we set off for Vembar, a fairly big village with narrow streets. The next morning, we left for the sea shore for a ride in a fishing boat to do some wreck diving. As we headed towards the wreck, which was just a speck on the horizon, we encountered a rough sea, and the sea surface was murky.
As we got near the exposed part of the wreck — a metallic, rusted tower-like structure sticking out of the blue-grey water — we dropped anchor and dive master Yogesh, qualified rescue diver Beemaraj and I put on our diving gear.
At a signal from Yogesh, I hit the waters and was engulfed by a swirling greyness. Emptying the air in my Buoyancy Compensator Device and taking a deep breath, I started my descent by exhaling steadily. Beema and Yogesh followed, and at a depth of about eight feet, we headed towards the wreck. We had hardly gone 20 metres when Yogesh, whose face was just about visible in the murkiness, signalled that we surface. He called off the dive off due to poor visibility and rough waves that could knock us against the jagged metallic wreck.
The next day’s dive was also cancelled as the conditions were no better. Then, it was decided that we would attempt a dive at Rameswaram, as the conditions there might be slightly better. A day later, we set off in a hired fishing boat from a point below the Pamban Bridge. Beema got into the waters first and scouted around till he found an area with good visibility. The sea was also much calmer than at Vembar.
Yogesh and I toppled over into the cool waters, and after descending to the bottom, the three of us moved from one coral formation to another. It was a silent, beautiful world, the only sounds being the hiss of my breathing and the steady glug, glug, glug of the bubbles.
I spotted blastomussa coral, brain coral, bubble coral, trumpet coral and some other varieties. I also spotted some small fish, mostly catfish and a few cyprinids and anabantids in the 55 minutes spent underwater.
If you’re interested in scuba diving, mail padgom@gmail.com, prasadrajen@gmail.com or call 04638-262171 or 94430-41804.
K.S. RAJGOPAL
http://www.hinduonnet.com/mp/2009/09/14/stories/2009091450360500.htm
Photo: R. Ravindran
Colourful The world of corals
The last time I dived was off the island of Hembadu Inolu, in the Maldives, eight years ago. And, I was quite looking forward to scuba diving at the coastal village of Vembar, on invitation of the People’s Action for Development (PAD), an NGO. Vembar is about an hour’s drive from Rameswaram on the coast of the Gulf of Mannar..
I landed in Madurai for a week’s relaxed stay in the heartland of Ramnad and was hopeful that I would get to do some good diving in the Gulf of Mannar. As our Scorpio sped past lush green paddy fields interspersed with dense coconut, palmyra and banana groves, I was already feeling rejuvenated. The weather was hot and the sky slightly cloudy. Our first stop was Rameswaram.
As we approached the town, I had a breathtaking view, from the Pamban bridge, of the blue-grey waters of the Gulf of Mannar on the one side and the Palk Bay on the other. The ocean was dotted with fishing craft — some mechanised, and some driven by sails.
Inviting waters
Our first venture into the ocean was to be a snorkelling excursion. An hour after a hearty lunch, we put on our fins, face mask and snorkel and entered the cool, inviting waters. It felt great to be back in the sea after eight long years. I was looking forward to do some real diving, of the scuba variety.
The next day, we set off for Vembar, a fairly big village with narrow streets. The next morning, we left for the sea shore for a ride in a fishing boat to do some wreck diving. As we headed towards the wreck, which was just a speck on the horizon, we encountered a rough sea, and the sea surface was murky.
As we got near the exposed part of the wreck — a metallic, rusted tower-like structure sticking out of the blue-grey water — we dropped anchor and dive master Yogesh, qualified rescue diver Beemaraj and I put on our diving gear.
At a signal from Yogesh, I hit the waters and was engulfed by a swirling greyness. Emptying the air in my Buoyancy Compensator Device and taking a deep breath, I started my descent by exhaling steadily. Beema and Yogesh followed, and at a depth of about eight feet, we headed towards the wreck. We had hardly gone 20 metres when Yogesh, whose face was just about visible in the murkiness, signalled that we surface. He called off the dive off due to poor visibility and rough waves that could knock us against the jagged metallic wreck.
The next day’s dive was also cancelled as the conditions were no better. Then, it was decided that we would attempt a dive at Rameswaram, as the conditions there might be slightly better. A day later, we set off in a hired fishing boat from a point below the Pamban Bridge. Beema got into the waters first and scouted around till he found an area with good visibility. The sea was also much calmer than at Vembar.
Yogesh and I toppled over into the cool waters, and after descending to the bottom, the three of us moved from one coral formation to another. It was a silent, beautiful world, the only sounds being the hiss of my breathing and the steady glug, glug, glug of the bubbles.
I spotted blastomussa coral, brain coral, bubble coral, trumpet coral and some other varieties. I also spotted some small fish, mostly catfish and a few cyprinids and anabantids in the 55 minutes spent underwater.
If you’re interested in scuba diving, mail padgom@gmail.com, prasadrajen@gmail.com or call 04638-262171 or 94430-41804.
K.S. RAJGOPAL
http://www.hinduonnet.com/mp/2009/09/14/stories/2009091450360500.htm
Friday, September 4, 2009
Vembar Declaration on Climate Change
Local, National and International Communities and Govts.
Urged to take Concrete Actions to Combat Climate Change
Tuticorin August 31: The Civil Society Organisations have urged the Local, National and International Communities and Govts. to take Concrete Actions to Combat Climate Change, in an International Seminar on Climate Change in the context of the forthcoming Copenhagen UN Conference on Climate Change.
Siemenpuu Foundation, Finland, Tamil Nadu Environment Council (TNEC), Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development (SINFPAD), Joint Action for Sustainable Livelihood (JASuL), Low External Input for Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA), Tribal Organisations for Fifth Schedule Campaign (TAFSC), National Adhivasi Alliance (NAA) and South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy SADED jointly organized the seminar on Climate Change in Vembar on August 29th and 30th and made deliberations on Climate Change and has come out with “Vembar Declaration on Climate Change”, which consists of action plans for combating climate change. The following are the actions proposed in the Vembar Declaration:
1. We will work towards raising awareness, promoting and sensitizing local communities on climate change (including Tribal issues);
2. Listen to the voices of local Peoples’ their aspirations and their dreams (fisher folk, farmers, tribals, dalits and other marginalized groups);
3. Strengthening the gramsabhas (local governance body) towards controlling resources and developing action plans for addressing climate change and strategies for engaging with local and international issues;
4. Strengthening democracy at local level through collective and participatory decision making;
5. Organizing dialogues at different levels for new knowledge about climate change and other related issues;
6. Advocating and creating policies to force government adhere to alternative, pro-people and pro-community policies.
7. Addressing the local issues with global perspective and strategies;
8. Promote local consumption and avoid transporting farm products to far of places;
9. Develop a consumption index for promoting reduction of emissions;
10. Reviving , Developing and adopting eco and environment friendly technologies;
11. Ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the People;
12. Sensitize and train the local Panchayat bodies [government], local communities on issues affecting Adivasis, fisher folk, Dalits, unorganized labourers, farmers and the policies affecting these communities;
13. Build the interface and networking between Peoples’ organizations, movements and local Panchayat bodies;
14. Empowering the grassroots organizations on issues of climate change;
15. Engaging media actively for advocacy campaigns at different levels;
16. Nurturing the Ecological values, community knowledge and practices among all including youth and children;
17. Making self commitment towards reducing our ecological footprint
The Vembar Declaration also demands the international com
munities and governments to take concrete targeted measures towards combating global climate change. The basis of the Declaration is to ensure Justice, Equitable and sustainable life of the entire humanity and Mother Earth.
,
Urged to take Concrete Actions to Combat Climate Change
Tuticorin August 31: The Civil Society Organisations have urged the Local, National and International Communities and Govts. to take Concrete Actions to Combat Climate Change, in an International Seminar on Climate Change in the context of the forthcoming Copenhagen UN Conference on Climate Change.
Siemenpuu Foundation, Finland, Tamil Nadu Environment Council (TNEC), Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development (SINFPAD), Joint Action for Sustainable Livelihood (JASuL), Low External Input for Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA), Tribal Organisations for Fifth Schedule Campaign (TAFSC), National Adhivasi Alliance (NAA) and South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy SADED jointly organized the seminar on Climate Change in Vembar on August 29th and 30th and made deliberations on Climate Change and has come out with “Vembar Declaration on Climate Change”, which consists of action plans for combating climate change. The following are the actions proposed in the Vembar Declaration:
1. We will work towards raising awareness, promoting and sensitizing local communities on climate change (including Tribal issues);
2. Listen to the voices of local Peoples’ their aspirations and their dreams (fisher folk, farmers, tribals, dalits and other marginalized groups);
3. Strengthening the gramsabhas (local governance body) towards controlling resources and developing action plans for addressing climate change and strategies for engaging with local and international issues;
4. Strengthening democracy at local level through collective and participatory decision making;
5. Organizing dialogues at different levels for new knowledge about climate change and other related issues;
6. Advocating and creating policies to force government adhere to alternative, pro-people and pro-community policies.
7. Addressing the local issues with global perspective and strategies;
8. Promote local consumption and avoid transporting farm products to far of places;
9. Develop a consumption index for promoting reduction of emissions;
10. Reviving , Developing and adopting eco and environment friendly technologies;
11. Ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the People;
12. Sensitize and train the local Panchayat bodies [government], local communities on issues affecting Adivasis, fisher folk, Dalits, unorganized labourers, farmers and the policies affecting these communities;
13. Build the interface and networking between Peoples’ organizations, movements and local Panchayat bodies;
14. Empowering the grassroots organizations on issues of climate change;
15. Engaging media actively for advocacy campaigns at different levels;
16. Nurturing the Ecological values, community knowledge and practices among all including youth and children;
17. Making self commitment towards reducing our ecological footprint
The Vembar Declaration also demands the international com
munities and governments to take concrete targeted measures towards combating global climate change. The basis of the Declaration is to ensure Justice, Equitable and sustainable life of the entire humanity and Mother Earth.,
Thursday, April 9, 2009
SINFPAD Partners meeting
சின்பேட் கூட்டமைப்பின் கூட்டம் வேம்பார் பேட் அலுவலகத்தில் வைத்து நடைபெருகின்றது. அண்டச் சூடு மற்றும் பருவநிலை மாற்றம் ஆய்வு திட்டத்தின் நடப்பு செயல்பாடுகள் குறித்தும், எதிர்கால திட்டமிடல் குறித்தும் விவாதிக்கப்பட உள்ளது.
நாள் : 17. 04. 2009, நேரம் : காலை 11 மணி முதல் ...
Agenda :
Curent process of the project and Future Implementation plan
Date : 17th April 2009 (Friday) Time : 11 pm
Venue : PAD Office, Rojapalayam, (Near Cynthia school and Penthecostal Mission Church), Vembar – 628 906.
Bus Stop : Vembar
Bus Route:
Thoothukudi To Rameshwaram, Ramanathapuram, Kamuthi or Paramakudi
Kovilpatti To Vilathikulam and Vilathikulam To Vembar
Aruppukkottai To Sayalkudi and Sayalkudi To Vembar
Paramakudi To Sayalkudi, Thoothukudi, Thiruchendur or Vembar
Ramanathapuram To Thoothukudi, Thiruchendur, Kanniyakumari, Thirunelveli
நாள் : 17. 04. 2009, நேரம் : காலை 11 மணி முதல் ...
Agenda :
Curent process of the project and Future Implementation plan
Date : 17th April 2009 (Friday) Time : 11 pm
Venue : PAD Office, Rojapalayam, (Near Cynthia school and Penthecostal Mission Church), Vembar – 628 906.
Bus Stop : Vembar
Bus Route:
Thoothukudi To Rameshwaram, Ramanathapuram, Kamuthi or Paramakudi
Kovilpatti To Vilathikulam and Vilathikulam To Vembar
Aruppukkottai To Sayalkudi and Sayalkudi To Vembar
Paramakudi To Sayalkudi, Thoothukudi, Thiruchendur or Vembar
Ramanathapuram To Thoothukudi, Thiruchendur, Kanniyakumari, Thirunelveli
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Networking Participation Information
Sensitization Action Development
Sensitization Action Development
Genesis:
Peoples Action for Development (PAD) initiated this meeting inviting grassroots level NGOs from the Southern Districts of Tamilnadu – from Thiruchirapalli to down south Kanyakumari. There were 55 participants from 48 organizations participated in the initial discussion forum. These are very small NGOs who have enough time to think about globalization and its impact. They mostly work at the grassroots level and implementing lot of welfare oriented programmes. Most of them were implementing government schemes without questioning. PAD thought that these NGOs need to be waken up because of the ill effects of globalization experienced by the rural people for a decade. Therefore the first meeting was organized during last October 2002 and facilitated the discussion.
The following are the points motivated the discussion:
The network emerged after the discussion and the realization that there should be a strong linkage between Advocacy and Participatory development. It was felt that it is the high time that the NGOs analyze themselves and realize the values they had in the beginning. Whether they are Voluntary organizations, Peoples movement, Public Service Contractors, Government Non Governmental Organizations etc. The characters of each of these types of NGO was discussed and decided to repair them but few felt it is beyond repair.
The primary functions of the IMF are to ensure the integrity and the functions of the international trade and financial system. Thus it should come as no surprise that the IMF has rather consistently given priority to debit repayment over other objectives in its negotiations with debtor countries. Sometimes it interpreted, probably correctly, as giving higher priority to helping the international commercial banks recover bad loans than toprotecting in the interest of the people of the south. That is IMF’s job.
As experience was gained with SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme) and its biases became evident the World Bank moved somewhat more easily to a developmental approach that gave more attention than did the IMF to the growth and to compensatory programmes for the poor. World Bank was offering assistance to indebted countries in negotiating favorable settlements with commercial creditors.
Borrowing countries are normally assured that by generating foreign exchange to repay international debts, they can resort their credit rating and obtain new loans to finance economic growth. Indeed the multilateral have commonly held out the promise of new loans as an incentive for accepting politically unpopular adjustment prescription.
Is new borrowing a solution to the problem or does it merely postpone the day of reckoning. What is international borrowing in general? Is it the key to development progress, as the leading institutions would seem to have us believe?
Conventional development assistance must bear a substantial share of the blame for the increases in poverty, environmental destruction and communal violence experienced by southern countries. This assistance has failed to achieve the reforms that would reduce or eliminate the economic and political dualism that makes substantial contributions to creating and sustaining these conditions. To the contrary, it has all too often served to legitimate and sustain, or even strengthen, these dualistic tendencies.
Therefore the group felt that the developments during 2000s must be driven by a new vision and relay on new sources of leadership. Finally the group felt that this meeting should give birth to a network. The final session for the day was evolving a name to baptize this network. Many names were suggested and finally SINFPAD (Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development) was finalized. We were happy because SINFPAD carries PAD’s name as well. This discussion process continued once in every two months. Under SINFPAD’s banner the member organizations have expressed the ill effects of globalization, especially the MNC’s exploitation through many campaigns.
The Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development (SINFPAD) is southern districts of Tamilnadu network of several PRA practitioners, nongovernmental organizations, Peoples Movements, and whoever interested in advancing reflection and practice in the area of participatory development. Formed in 2002, the SINFPAD was established as an informal network under the concept of “winning together”.
Our vision:
Promote a philosophy of people’s participation that advocates people’s empowerment and right to define and control their own development, in order to live well and control the factors which effect their lives with the balance between socio-economic development of human potential leading to social justice and equity.
SINFPAD has the following key objectives:
1. To share field experiences are using participatory methods among practitioners, NGOs, Policy makers and academics working in this area.
2. To encourage the adoption of bottom up approaches in any development interventions.
3. To develop understanding of and capacity in various participatory methods and participatory development.
4. To exchange information about participatory development initiatives – e.g. workshops, conferences, publications, capacity building in various participatory methodologies.
5. Connecting it with Participatory Development Practitioners, International Networks, NGOs, academic institutions etc.
SINFPAD PRINCIPLES:
• Building interest in participatory development among NGOs, Peoples Movements, and with younger development practitioners
• Being open to and inclusive of new members
• Promoting transparency, the sharing of ideas and experiences
• Promoting Participatory Development as a philosophy and a transformative process rather than as a set of methods or tools
• Demonstrating a commitment to a process of social and personal change
• Encouraging individual and collective ownership of activities
• Advocating the genuine participation of people in their own developmentActivities of SINFPAD
• Networking and exchanging experience and opportunities with all its members.
• Documentation of participation development events and experiences by SINFPAD members and practitioners
• Linking to PD Forum for Global action and related networks and sites.
• Advocating the genuine participation of people in their own development
• Supporting participatory initiatives in Tamilnadu, India by facilitating small grants through the various donors.
• Support activities that help establish standardized participatory development assessment methods and share technical resources to transfer knowledge of sustainable resources activities that are livelihood related.
Peoples Action for Development (PAD) initiated this meeting inviting grassroots level NGOs from the Southern Districts of Tamilnadu – from Thiruchirapalli to down south Kanyakumari. There were 55 participants from 48 organizations participated in the initial discussion forum. These are very small NGOs who have enough time to think about globalization and its impact. They mostly work at the grassroots level and implementing lot of welfare oriented programmes. Most of them were implementing government schemes without questioning. PAD thought that these NGOs need to be waken up because of the ill effects of globalization experienced by the rural people for a decade. Therefore the first meeting was organized during last October 2002 and facilitated the discussion.
The following are the points motivated the discussion:
The network emerged after the discussion and the realization that there should be a strong linkage between Advocacy and Participatory development. It was felt that it is the high time that the NGOs analyze themselves and realize the values they had in the beginning. Whether they are Voluntary organizations, Peoples movement, Public Service Contractors, Government Non Governmental Organizations etc. The characters of each of these types of NGO was discussed and decided to repair them but few felt it is beyond repair.
The primary functions of the IMF are to ensure the integrity and the functions of the international trade and financial system. Thus it should come as no surprise that the IMF has rather consistently given priority to debit repayment over other objectives in its negotiations with debtor countries. Sometimes it interpreted, probably correctly, as giving higher priority to helping the international commercial banks recover bad loans than toprotecting in the interest of the people of the south. That is IMF’s job.
As experience was gained with SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme) and its biases became evident the World Bank moved somewhat more easily to a developmental approach that gave more attention than did the IMF to the growth and to compensatory programmes for the poor. World Bank was offering assistance to indebted countries in negotiating favorable settlements with commercial creditors.
Borrowing countries are normally assured that by generating foreign exchange to repay international debts, they can resort their credit rating and obtain new loans to finance economic growth. Indeed the multilateral have commonly held out the promise of new loans as an incentive for accepting politically unpopular adjustment prescription.
Is new borrowing a solution to the problem or does it merely postpone the day of reckoning. What is international borrowing in general? Is it the key to development progress, as the leading institutions would seem to have us believe?
Conventional development assistance must bear a substantial share of the blame for the increases in poverty, environmental destruction and communal violence experienced by southern countries. This assistance has failed to achieve the reforms that would reduce or eliminate the economic and political dualism that makes substantial contributions to creating and sustaining these conditions. To the contrary, it has all too often served to legitimate and sustain, or even strengthen, these dualistic tendencies.
Therefore the group felt that the developments during 2000s must be driven by a new vision and relay on new sources of leadership. Finally the group felt that this meeting should give birth to a network. The final session for the day was evolving a name to baptize this network. Many names were suggested and finally SINFPAD (Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development) was finalized. We were happy because SINFPAD carries PAD’s name as well. This discussion process continued once in every two months. Under SINFPAD’s banner the member organizations have expressed the ill effects of globalization, especially the MNC’s exploitation through many campaigns.
The Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development (SINFPAD) is southern districts of Tamilnadu network of several PRA practitioners, nongovernmental organizations, Peoples Movements, and whoever interested in advancing reflection and practice in the area of participatory development. Formed in 2002, the SINFPAD was established as an informal network under the concept of “winning together”.
Our vision:
Promote a philosophy of people’s participation that advocates people’s empowerment and right to define and control their own development, in order to live well and control the factors which effect their lives with the balance between socio-economic development of human potential leading to social justice and equity.
SINFPAD has the following key objectives:
1. To share field experiences are using participatory methods among practitioners, NGOs, Policy makers and academics working in this area.
2. To encourage the adoption of bottom up approaches in any development interventions.
3. To develop understanding of and capacity in various participatory methods and participatory development.
4. To exchange information about participatory development initiatives – e.g. workshops, conferences, publications, capacity building in various participatory methodologies.
5. Connecting it with Participatory Development Practitioners, International Networks, NGOs, academic institutions etc.
SINFPAD PRINCIPLES:
• Building interest in participatory development among NGOs, Peoples Movements, and with younger development practitioners
• Being open to and inclusive of new members
• Promoting transparency, the sharing of ideas and experiences
• Promoting Participatory Development as a philosophy and a transformative process rather than as a set of methods or tools
• Demonstrating a commitment to a process of social and personal change
• Encouraging individual and collective ownership of activities
• Advocating the genuine participation of people in their own developmentActivities of SINFPAD
• Networking and exchanging experience and opportunities with all its members.
• Documentation of participation development events and experiences by SINFPAD members and practitioners
• Linking to PD Forum for Global action and related networks and sites.
• Advocating the genuine participation of people in their own development
• Supporting participatory initiatives in Tamilnadu, India by facilitating small grants through the various donors.
• Support activities that help establish standardized participatory development assessment methods and share technical resources to transfer knowledge of sustainable resources activities that are livelihood related.
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