Shrinking Villages and Green Cities

Most of my vacations and holidays were spent in my aunt's village. Days were spent going from one farm to the other, walking in the shades of coconut trees, playing in water, observing farm what farm labourers did, riddling them and they riddling me, sowing groundnuts, transplanting onion saplings, sitting on the cane chair outside in the evening and watching the stars...

Over the years things have started to change. Many farmers have opted to do coconut farms instead of crops. Some have stopped farming altogether. Many farmlands are being purchased by 'developers' and are plotted into 'sites' and are being sold to people who may want to build their retirement homes in the future. All these are signs of 'development' around here. Things are becoming urban. Anju had written about a similar experience about a year and a half ago.

I suppose it is inevitable. As the population increases more forests get converted into farmland, farmland into house, and on and on it goes. I also suppose it is justified as farmers aren't protected or incentivised for growing food. Urban development and industrialization seems to be the focus. Rural development, although talked about and certain things being done for the sake of having done something about it, isn't really the focus. Throw into this cauldron freebies that politicians give away to ensure strong vote-bank, we seem to have the perfect strategy for going downhill.

However, certain things give me hope. All is not lost. This article - although happening in Detroit - shows me that things are possible. Development keeps coming back to empowerment.

There's room for more...

Inclusion and exclusion are concepts that I have been toying with in my head for quite some time. I have been wanting to write about it, but the thoughts were pretty hazy and not complete. I cannot claim that I have resolved it entirely. Anyways, here goes…

In the 'The Inner Ring,' C. S. Lewis talks about one seeking to be in the inner ring. Many seek to be part of the inner ring. Many create the inner ring. The inner ring is created by exclusion. In Nineteen Minutes, this kid who is part of the 'cool clan' says something to the effect of "There can't be 'us' without 'them.'" It is almost as if the inner ring is created so that 'I' can feel special. Then, the sole motivation and the reason for survival of the inner rings, it seems, is because it acts as a crutch on which our flailing, floundering, insecure ego can support itself.

When I try to understand how Jesus lived, I found Him to be a very inclusive person. There was always room for the outcast, the sinner, the goof ball, the scum at His table. I believe that this inclusion stems from His security. He was secure in His identity. He knew who He was. He didn't feel the need to protect Himself and His ego. He didn't need to have a platinum credit card, be a member of 'exclusive' clubs, wear expensive designer clothes and accessories to make Himself feel significant*. He knew who He was and He was okay with that. And this, I guess, made people comfortable too. They didn't have to have certain 'qualities' so that they can be included in His exclusive club**.

Well, let me see what the point of this post was. Well, I was just wondering how inclusive I was willing to be… And I guess the only way I can become inclusive is if I am secure in who I am.

Social inclusion is a concept that I have come across during the course of my work. I guess for social inclusion to happen, that social institution/organization needs to be secure in what it is.

* This is not to say that it is wrong to have these things. I am only questioning the motive behind having and seeking after these things.

** This is to accept that, yes, it has been made out to be exclusive clubs these days. But I believe that Jesus did not intend it to be that way.

Child Labour

Yesterday was observed the Anti-Child Labour Day. And Child Labour is apparently illegal in India. That being the case, I wonder why I saw a 12-something kid standing in the middle of the road, trying to open a man-hole with a crow-bar. He was standing behind this Metro Water lorry.

World Vision India and NalandaWay have organized an exhibition - At the Cost of Childhood - to put on spotlight the existence and reality of child labour. It is open till tomorrow. I am hoping to visit tomorrow.

North and South

Global South was a phrase I heard quite a bit when I was travelling this time around. And all i have to say is this...

Global North and Global South are not geographical demarcations… They exist in every neighbourhood...

The dignity of giving

Giving is deglorified when the motive behind the giving is to glorify the self. Oftentimes, giving is goaded by selfishness. I give because it makes me feel good. I give because I want to stop feeling guilty. I give because I am generous - or so I think.

One does not become a true giver all at once. It is a process that is worked out in us provided we accept the challenge, be willing to stretch ourselves a bit more, to go the extra mile…

Truly selfless giving pinches. Makes you lose yourself in the process. You decrease and you let the other increase. It is something that we grow into.

It demands that you step down from the pedestal. (Who put you up there, anyways?) Demands that you not have just knowledge about the other's need and situation but to know it as your own. Demands that you stop looking at the other person and their situation, but look along with the person at the situation, at the world around. It demands that you journey with the other - walk in their shoes. Demands that you not only give, but receive - in all humility for you are poor too. It demands that you know your own inner poverty.

And when you give selflessly you do not take away the dignity of the receiver…

p.s. - The first part to this post can be found here.

The indignity of giving

Christmas season is almost a month behind now. there were certain things which I couldn't but notice during that time. Christmas season being the season of love, joy, sharing, caring and giving and all that… (Personally, I think every day should be a season of all that. At least we take out time to be 'nice' and to celebrate 'niceness' once a year.) What I observed during the season of 'giving' and before that in my work really made me think about of giving…

Why do we give? What motivates our giving? When a beggar comes knocking on your car window why do you feel uneasy? Do you give or don't you? If you do, why? And if you don't, why? When you drive past a slum, you just want to drive past it quickly. When you do slow down and stop to see, the sight makes you uncomfortable… Forces you to do something about it. To do something about it quickly. A loose change, a quick handout. Your heart is at peace. Or is it?

More often than not, the giving is done more for the sake of easing our conscience. To make us feel good about ourselves.

There are some who give in order to feel good about themselves. AND there are those who give to let others know how good they are. Sometimes, giving becomes a marketing strategy. Marketing strategy for fund-raising. More money is spent on organizing the gift-giving event than on the gifts itself.

One-size-fits-all giving is another way to give. There is no thought put into giving. There is no understanding of what the receiver needs. This is sort of easy to do. Just go to some place, buy stuff in bulk (you save on the cost of giving this way!), and give. Better still, handout money. That is easier. There is no need to worry about what the money is being used for.

And then there is the expert-giver. "I know what you need. I have done my research I have observed your condition. I'm here to better your standard of living (to that of mine). So I will give you something that I would use, even if it is irrelevant in your situation."

Honestly, what motivates you to give?

Note: 'I', 'you' and 'we' are used interchangeably here. I am talking to myself as much as to the readers. This is a post just to provoke thought.

And oh, there is a part 2 to this...

Shout it out

Cleaner kumar server aanaru

Modha moonu table in-chargu

Appavum solvaaru ammavum solvaanga

Naan romba nalla pullainnu

Palli koodam pogannumnu attha ittha vaanganumnu

Thondharavu seiya mattaennu

Nethiku cleaneru inaakku serveru

Pannendu vayasula chinoondu sayizula

[Translation:

Cleaner Kumar has become a server (waiter)

He is in-charge of the first three tables

Both my father and mother

Say that I am very good child

I don't bother them asking to be put in school or to buy me this and that

Cleaner yesterday, server (waiter) today

At 12 years of age, when he is small in size]

Taken from the song Cleaner Kumar (album: Shout it out)

I had the opportunity to attend an event on 14th Nov. An event celebrating the children of our country. A reminder that all is not well for the next generation. A voice demanding that the world pay attention to what they have to say. A ray of hope that all is not lost yet.

Organized by NalandaWay, the event was the celebration of the release of 'Shout it Out,' a music album researched, conceptualized and rendered by children. The event told stories of children. Stories of abuse, child labour, courage, dreams and hopes. It was one of the evening where you go out and participate in a celebration or where you enjoy some artsy performances. However, it was more than that. Stories were told through mimes, dances, songs and short films.

Being involved in development work one tends to be aware of these issues. It wasn't like I did not know that child sexual abuse did happen, or that domestic violence existed, or that child labour was prevalent. However, it hit me hard to hear it from children. It was reminder. It was a spark. I cannot exactly call it a wake up call, but it was something like the snooze going off again. I don't know what shape or form this is going to take. But I do hope that it remains with me, egging me on to persist in my quest for that elusive thing I am seeking to know and possess.

You can download the songs from here. There are many short films you can watch in their East Side Story project website. You can also support by becoming a part of their mentoring program for children who are from underprivileged communities.

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANJU!!

How cool is this?!

You can also read more about them here.

Battlefield

"Evil encroaches in tiny footsteps on every great idea. And evil can outrun most great ideas, but finally, in the end, there is light in the world."

"The jungle is never far from the surface of our skin. No, I'm never surprised by evil, but I'm much more excited about what people are capable of."

"Well, as you get older, your idea of good guys and bad guys changes. As we moved from the eighties to the nineties, I stopped throwing rocks at the obvious symbols of power and the abuse of it. I started throwing rocks at my own hypocrisy."

Taken from 'Bono on Bono'

The picture that we often have of the poor is 'victims'. They are victims, no doubt. They are victims of the injustice in the society, the systems that have been worked out to keep them in their place, and of the rich and powerful using these systems to oppress them.

The nagging question in my head was what if the tables were turned? If the poor were made rich and powerful? My guess is that the same struggle will continue - between the powerful and the oppressed. Only the players will be different. What I am trying to say here is that the rich aren't all evil and the poor aren't all good. This is not a comic book where the evil persons are at war with the good persons.

When this one person with the good and the evil residing in him/her has the power, they have the choice to wield the power however they choose. And it seems like there is more evil than good. The choices are more selfish. In his post on morality, JollyRoger has explored 'collateral damage'. Oftentimes, those doing the damage don't look back to see the trail of disaster they leave behind - simply because of their selfish ways.

We work to put systems in place for either of the two purposes - to keep the evil from invading and imprisoning the 'victims' or to retain the power. Again, there are two sides to this. When the systems are established with great ideals of goodness and justice, they can still be infiltrated by evil. The converse is also true. When systems are put in place to retain power and to continue the oppression, the goodness of human nature does shine through.

In the end, the hero and the villain is the same person and the real battlefield is the heart.

Note: Some of what I read in Bono on Bono prodded me along this line of thought. It gave more form and structure to proceed with this thought-wrestling process. A chat with Jude and today's message at church helped me give structure and form to it. Thanks to Roger too. I was surprised to see that he had wrestled with similar thoughts and his thoughts on this subject further provided fodder for my post.

A fistful...

The wonderful thing about my job is you get to see the hope. And hope comes in all shapes and sizes. The most recent sighting of hope came in fistfuls.

There are these three bunches of women, three groups of around twenty women, who decided to contribute a fistful of rice every week*. Thus, their giving began. A fistful a week. Fistfuls every month for a few months. In the end, they had 120 kilograms of rice. This rice, they decided to give it to a hostel run for girls with visual impairment. Girls who have been rejected by families. Girls who were considered a burden. Girls who are educated and wanting to contribute to the functioning of society.

It was a wonderful sight to see. A bunch of women gathered together in an asbestos shed put up on the terrace of one small neighbourhood. The givers and the receivers. It was difficult to identify who the givers and who the receivers were. Those who gave received and those who received gave.

This incident continued to resonate the truth that I am learning. One's ability to give does not depend on one's wealth. It all depends on one's willingness. Willingness to look beyond oneself. Willingness to look at others. Willingness to give. It all depends on one's heart size and not on one's wallet size.

Above all, giving empowers the giver. There is dignity in giving. It makes you rise above your situation of needs and wants. It makes you realise that even you can give.

*They called it புடி அரிசி திட்டம் ("Pudi Arisi Thittam" meaning "fistful of rice plan").

Note on pictures: One is a picture of one of the girls reading from a Braille Bible. The other is a picture of a couple of our clients holding fists full of rice.

Just a fistful...

...can make a difference.

My next post is going to be on a fistful of difference. I thought i will post this prelude lest i forget that i should write about this.

Torn

I'm riding on my scooter. I'm dodging traffic. I'm taking the short-cuts -- the by lanes and the side lanes. Why do I feel like I'm invading somebody else's space? It is a thoroughfare after all. Why does it feel like I am riding through people's homes? Is it because some people have to bring part of their homes to the road as they cannot contain it within the walls of their actual home?

A small two-room house. One kitchen. One bed-room-cum-living-room-cum-miscellaneous-room. One family. Five members to the family. The toilet may be in the house or the family may need to share it with the rest of the community. Water collected from the tank near the house.

I ride throught the small roads and slums to arrive in a nice neighbourhood. I go in and shut the door... To the road... To the world...

One small, cozy little apartment. Four rooms. Two bathrooms with loo attached. Running water. Two people living in it. The bedroom the size of the house described above.

I love the comfort. I like the space. I work with people who live with their family of five in a house as big as my bedroom. The disparity bothers me. I'm feeling torn.

p.s. - I have gotten past the guilt stage (I hope). I am really ok. I simply wanted to highlight the disparity that i see - not just between the worlds out there, but even between my own and the one that I interact with.

p.p.s. - Pictures have been added as suggested by Ryan and Chronicwriter

Pollution

While the big heads debate about pollution, what are you* and I going to do about it?

I'm hoping to use my cycle when commuting around in the neighbourhood.
I'm going to try to use the public transport to work more often.
I will not use my air-con if the weather is bearable.
I will turn off the lights and fans when not in the room.
I will try not to waste water.
I will ride my scooter in a way that I get the maximum mileage out of it.

Thanks, Joy for giving me the link to the article.

*If you are an Indian and are accessing the net, chances are you are a "first world Indian."

p.s. - While you are at this, you can also check out my new audio post - "I'm still searching, I'm still running..." - in my other blog.

The other side of outsourcing

I am embedding the video here. I think this is simply brilliant. If i change fields again, i think i will want to be involved in education. The future of India lies with the kids. I can watch this again and again just for the last 10 - 20 minutes of the show...

Development - in what direction?

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching this show called 'The Other Side of Outsourcing' on Discovery Channel. I don't think I will go into details on what happened on the show. Rather I will talk about my opinions - many of which were presented in the show as well. This is not a well-researched, 'objective' report on outsourcing and poverty and stuff. It is more a personal opinion on these issues.

My feelings towards outsourcing is mixed. I have come across a few blogs that speak about outsourcing from the point of view of people whose countries are outsourcing. That also came out in the show I was talking about, although only a bit. I will be talking about it not in terms of depriving people of their jobs in their own countries but from the perspective of a person who lives in a country to which such jobs are outsourced.

I think outsourcing is good. It has created a lot of job opportunities for people here. Many people are earning what was not possible in the past. The 'quality' of life has improved for a lot of people. However, the whole aspect of having to live in the time zone and simulated culture of another country is something I am skeptical about. I think that is very unhealthy and we are going to end up with a whole new problem on our hands. I think we already have ended up with many issues.

Anyways, this development is great. However, this development has not trickled down to majority of the population. 40% of Indians are still living below the poverty line - that means on less than 2 US$ a day. There has been no change in their situation. In fact, I believe their situation is taking a turn for the worse. It is these people that are shuffled around and displaced* and dislocated for allowing 'development' to take place. Like pointed out in the show, these people are contributing to the outsourcing boom - by working as daily wage-earning construction workers.

That being said, I simply want to raise some questions. This post is not about simply presenting opinions. Neither it is about providing answers. I simply wish to raise questions and to think about the issue.

We talk about development. What is development? Is it like being the West? Is it by measuring our 'quality' of life against the 'quality' of life in the West? Who has canonized what is development? This has been something that I have been thinking about it. It's when I was watching the show, this whole concept of 'canonized' crystallized in my head. Is there an alternate definition for development? Shouldn't development be inclusive and touch all people involved?

You can watch the program on You Tube. It's a 45 minutes stuff.

* I spoke a little bit about the people being displaced in this post.

Disclaimer: As said earlier, this is not a well-researched piece. Neither am I an expert in development. I am simply sounding off my thoughts regarding these issues. Most of it is based on what I have seen, heard and experienced both in my personal life and in my profession as a development worker.

Fair trade at your door steps

Fair trade's strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalised producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency. It also aims at empowering them to become stakeholders in their own organizations and actively play a wider role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.

Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the South. Fair trade organizations (backed by consumers) are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. (From Wikipedia)

The other day I had attended this Chennai City planning thing that was organized some days ago. While sitting there and discussing things, my eyes were opened to a lot of things. Not that I can do much just because my eyes are open extra wide - except to look and feel more helpless. Anyways, the thing is, I came out of the place realizing the way things are.

In order to clean up the city, we have been relocating the local slums to places that are 20 to 30 kilometers from the city - where their primary economic activities take place. Agreed that they are being given government housing, but at what cost? They cannot work anymore. If they want to work, they have to travel the distance! This is difficult enough with your own vehicle leave alone using the public transport system to get that far and back.

Their business activity is usually in the neighborhood. It is a symbiotic relationship here. The vendors that come selling our veggies in the morning, the local pavement shops, our helpers who come to cook and clean. We are dependant on them as much as they are dependant on us. And moving them out of the city means that this symbiotic relationship is cut.

That aside, I began to think of other ways that we have been putting these people out of business. We somehow prefer to shop in the new supermarket that has sprung up in the neighbourhood to the old neighbourhood store. There are vegetable supermarkets now; those snazzy vegetable places where you get all the vegetable under on roof! (Actually, I like these veggie supermarkets a lot.)

Anyways, I was trying to think of how we can support fair trade right outside our doorsteps (this is especially applicable to those in the 'developing' world). Some of this may mean sacrificing a bit of comfort and stuff. but I think it is worth it really.

Why not go to the local neighbourhood grocery store instead of the big supermarkets?

Advantage - the customer service is personal and friendly, and you can avoid those plastic smiles at the checkout counters. The service improves as the frequency of your visit increases. This is not so (usually) with the big supermarkets. They will know your preference. They will trust you and you can even have a credit account which will come in handy at the end of the month!

Disadvantage - you may not get you favourite international brand of spaghetti sauce here. But what the heck. You can buy the regular stuff here and keep those exotic stuff to your once in a way supermarket shopping. And actually, if you are going to be regular with that stuff, you can actually ask this guy to try and stock it for you!

Try visiting the local vegetable market or buy from the vendor instead of going to the veggie supermarket. (This is going to be the most difficult one for me to change.)

Advantage - If you are good at bargaining, you may get it real cheap. If you become a regular, you will get it cheap. You will be feeding a family (many of them rely on these small businesses to feed families). If you are buying it from the street hawker, you get to buy veggies right at your door step!

Disadvantage - You will have to bargain. You may get fleeced. You may have to travel a bit if you are going to the market. Street hawkers may be more expensive. But you are getting it at your doorsteps.

Window shop on the streets instead of malls.

Advantage - You will be feeding a family. You will get stuff for lesser.

Disadvantage - ah well, you may have to walk miles on end. You may end up with stuff that is of not so good a quality (but this ok with things that needn't be of great quality). Haggling.

Go in for fresh juice/tender coconut instead of bottled and/or aerated drinks.

Advantage - Really refreshing. Really healthy. Mostly cheap. No empty calories. No added flavours and colors and all that jazz. You get the real thing here.

Disadvantage - watch out for the water in fresh juice! You cannot just pull it out of the fridge and guzzle it. Alternately, you can think of making lime juice and storing it in the fridge. It is a bit of work but it is better than the artificial zing things.

Encourage small business when you see one.

Advantage - you are encouraging an entrepreneur. You may actually find a steal. You may end up feeding a family.

Disadvantage - you may end up with something you don’t want.

Well, that is all I could come up with. Let me know if you have any ideas. One warning though - please don’t buy something if you don't need it. Be it big shop guys of small shop guys, think before you buy. Do you really need it? Really, really need it?!

Happy shopping! And oh, don’t forget brand faithfulness. Be faithful to the local neighbourhood chap that has served the neighbourhood for decades!

Disclaimer: I am not saying you have to do any of this. And you don't even have to agree with this whacko idea of mine. But you are free to express your opinion.