FOUNDATION FOR HUMANISATION
Eleventh annual report: April 2002 to March 2003

"……. Every human being is born in this world - a world in which one's own body is part of nature and a non-natural world, but a social and historical one. That is to say, a world of production (of objects, of signs), definitely human. A human world in which all that is produced is loaded with meaning, with intention, with what-for. And this intention is, ultimately, to surpass pain and suffering.

The Foundation for Humanisation – an overview

Volunteers of the Humanist Movement set up the Foundation for Humanisation, a registered public trust, on 7 August 1992, under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950.

Donations to the Foundation are exempted under Section 80G of the income Tax Act.

Mission and vision

The Foundation draws inspiration from the ideals of the Humanist Movement and is guided by its maxim and objective – “to humanise the earth”. It was set up with the following objectives:

• To promote a current of thought and action with the human being as the central value and concern.

• To orient positive changes in the human being in personal and social fields.

• To influence people from various disciplines to bring about positive changes around them and to carry out actions on the basis of physical, economic, racial and religious non-violence, built on the ideas of non-discrimination, freedom and justice, with a view to overcoming physical pain and mental suffering.

The past 11 years

The Foundation aims to realise, on the ground, the ideals of the Humanist Movement formalised in its statement of mission and vision. Over the last eleven years, it has initiated the following projects and activities:

•  Its oldest and long-standing activity has been the publication of the monthly social development magazine, Humanscape, which has been in circulation since 1993.

• It has published books, booklets and a newsletter on New Humanism since 1993.

• To promote networking among activists, voluntary organisations and social development practitioners, the Foundation has compiled and distributed a directory of 525 voluntary organisations in electronic format in 1996. The Foundation has networked with 12,000 grassroots organisations and 15,000 individuals in the course of its various initiatives across India and in other countries. Besides, it has compiled several databases of libraries, educational institutions, journalists, and electronic lists of voluntary organisations.

• The Foundation encourages all forms of communication and dissemination of messages that find little or no room in the mainstream media. Towards this end, it has coordinated numerous media fellowships & awards, nation-wide campaigns, workshops, and national meets during the period 1993 to 1998. 

•  In 1998, the Foundation launched a national campaign of building a volunteers’ cadre under the umbrella of ‘A Different India’, with the maxim, India can be different if we are not indifferent.

• The other major area of engagement for the Foundation has been the establishment of autonomous organisations – Manavta Kendras – in villages of five states of India. Manavta Kendras are autonomous village organisations, which actively employ the ideals of the Humanist Movement through human support projects for the fulfilment of the basic needs of people. The Foundation has been working with Manavta Kendras since 1999.

• Over a period, the Foundation has built a committed team of hundreds of writers, journalists, social activists, specialists in different fields, and grassroots volunteers spread over hundreds of cities, towns, and villages across the country. This has been its major strength. Its organisational team has produced effective and creative work over the years with a high degree of voluntary commitment. The strength of the Foundation lies in its ability to work with minimal resources, at the lowest possible cost, with minimum infrastructure. This has been the key to the sustainability of its various activities.

• The Foundation proposes to link two segments of people -- one with resources and the other, which is in need of the resources. It would like to fulfil the function of an intermediary between them. It would identify both the groups and facilitate the establishment of a link between them either directly or through the Foundation. Towards this, since January 2003, the Foundation has proposed Manav Sahakar Abhiyan (human support projects) to fulfil the basic needs of rural people in the areas of livelihood, health, education, and infrastructure. Through the Abhiyan it will raise material, economic and technical resources for villages, for utilisation through Manavta Kendras. In the initial phase, the proposed projects are for village development for all and by all.

Projects

Humanscape - a monthly magazine and portal

Humanscape, a monthly magazine, was started as a vehicle to promote a current of opinion formed by those who have one common concern – the individual – and to focus on ways of bringing about positive changes in the individual and in society. Humanscape has been in publication since November 1993. Through its monthly issues, Humanscape openly disseminates ideas and facts, encouraging debate and discussion on them. Often, these issues are ones that have been sidelined by the mainstream media but, nonetheless, are of great concern to society. Besides issues and ideas, the magazine features alternatives, the path-breaking work done by people who are pro-active and pioneers in their fields, the work done by groups that are making a difference. It brings together and encourages an entire range of voices including those of journalists, writers, academics, thinkers, non-governmental organisations and activists.

Around the beginning of the year under review, Humanscape uploaded its revamped development portal www.HumanscapeIndia.net. Distinct from its earlier website, which was centred around the magazine, www.HumanscapeIndia.net is an all encompassing portal for all those who are concerned about the human situation. It is an interactive forum for all those who are concerned about the human situation and would like to contribute towards a positive change. Apart from the electronic version of Humanscape magazine, it carries a compilation of development news, updated weekly, and information about other voluntary efforts.

The argument for setting up a portal carries forward from the Foundation’s endeavour to help bridge the gap between the resource-sufficient and those who need these resources. Although it is only a small proportion of people who have both, access to the Internet and an interest in helping improve the situation of the resource deficient, the Foundation believes that www.HumanscapeIndia.net could become an avenue for dialogue between the two groups (albeit indirectly) as well as within the resource-sufficient group itself. The objective is to build a sense of reciprocity, a give-and-take, between the resource-sufficient and the resource-deficient. Those who actively use the Internet as a medium will learn/become aware of the situation, the alternatives and the options for being able to contribute to those who need it.

www.HumanscapeIndia.net has an avenue for subscribers to: 

• Communicate and share with like-minded individuals their experience/effort towards making a positive difference to the world.

• Network with people who are committed to making a positive difference, in whatever way possible.

• Share knowledge, information and technology, internal literacy, books, other publications and personal experiences.

• Learn by sharing, by reciprocating, by helping others.

• Offer and seek voluntary services.

• Write about possible ways of making a concerted/joint effort to make a positive impact.

• Call for and offer support/contribution to such effort.

April 2002: Violence towards women: This issue was dedicated to looking for ways of addressing the problem of violence towards women. The articles in the issue cut across violence experienced by women in different situations. Alongside, it looked at initiatives that had been taken to address the problem and analysed their outcome.

May 2002: Child abuse and protection (guest edited by Dr Murli Desai): Recent studies show that children are far more vulnerable to abuse than we are willing to accept, as a society. This issue put together a reality check on the situation, ranging from the marginalisation of Dalit children in schools to child domestic workers. It highlighted the work of individuals/organisations which endeavoured to address the problem.

June 2002: Wasteland: a resource (guest edited by Viren Lobo): Discussions around natural resource development have invariably included wastelands and their potential for economic development. This issue looked deeper into the subject and presented the many facets of wasteland development and the politics around them. 

July 2002: Gujarat: torn and tattered: After the gruesome genocide in Gujarat following the Godhra violence, mainstream media captured much of the macabre loss and brutality. A Humanscape team visited urban and rural Gujarat extensively, four months after the violence broke out to take stock of the rehabilitation of victims. It found a community torn and fissured beyond repair, at least for some time to come. This issue put together what the team saw along with the writings of others who had seen the violence and rehabilitation from close quarters.

August 2002: Revisiting heritage (guest edited by Savia Viegas): This issue, as the theme suggests, revisited heritage in art, literature, architecture, and languages. The issue was built on the construct that heritage is inherited at birth and essentially contributes to our understanding of ourselves. 

September 2002: Communication for development: The issue on communications touched upon both, a review of the role of media & communication in the present socio-economic scenario, and on how the efforts of development organisations can be enhanced through various media -- television, theatre, radio, and so on.

October 2002: A city and its people (guest edited by Gerson da Cunha): This issue looked at cities and urban governance. It focused on how citizens have taken responsibility for the governance of their cities. It also looked at possibilities for citizens to take charge of the governance.

November 2002: The nowhere people: The issue looked at refugees and internally displaced groups in different parts of India, and highlighted their concerns, and the efforts that have been made to address them. It looked at refugees from Pakistan, those who live in the Chitmahals neighbouring Bangladesh, Kashmiri Pandits, Tibetans, pastoralists who are being sedentarised, and so on.

December 2002: Women and their environment: This issue began with the construct that natural resource management is male-centric and the balance needs to be corrected. It analysed the need for greater engagement with women in rural livelihoods, especially for those based on natural resources.  

January 2003: Where have all the jobs gone? (guest edited by Rajesh R and Depinder Singh): The issue was based on an examination and critique of a prevalent discourse pertaining to livelihood security, which states that the problem of poverty and distributive justice would be solved by economic growth. And that this economic growth would translate itself into increased employment opportunities. 

February 2003: Right to food: The issue was conceived in sync with a large public hearing organised in New Delhi as part of the efforts of the nation-wide Right to Food campaign. It looked in detail at the public hearing and at other policy and action-based issues surrounding the right to food and starvation of people of India.

March 2003: We, the people: This issue looked at the need for participation of the electorate in its governance. It brought together articles and opinions of people who have been part of the bureaucracy and others, all of who are now working towards realising the dream of participatory governance and decentralisation.

Content of the portal

www.HumanscapeIndia.net, as mentioned above, seeks to be a comprehensive portal for all those who are concerned about the human situation. It comprises the following sections:

• Humanscape news: This is a weekly compilation of news and features in four categories – quality of life, education, health, and spirituality. The news and features are sourced from other websites, newsletters, journals, magazines, and email circulations. Over time, the contribution of subscribers is increasing. They write with their experiences of making a positive change in the situation around them. It is envisaged that eventually the newsletter will be compiled with contributions of subscribers alone, and that the portal will truly serve as a platform for exchange and communication for all those who are concerned about the human situation.

• Humanscape magazine: Issues of Humanscape magazine since January 1999 have been uploaded on to the portal and are accessible to all visitors.

• Voluntary organisations: In an effort to facilitate the networking of those who believe in the need for a positive change in the human situation and are working towards it, HumanscapeIndia.net carries Humanscape’s directory of Indian voluntary organisations, as well as links to other online voluntary organisations directories. A link has also been created to enable voluntary organisations to add their names to Humanscape’s directory.

• Weblinks: Individuals, groups and organisations can establish a link to their web pages from the portal by uploading their information on the Weblinks page.

• Message board: There is space for volunteers and organisations to seek and offer services through the portal for development action.

Subscribers and contributors: Over the years, Humanscape magazine has built a large group of supporters, many of whom have access to the Internet and have now become part of the subscriber base to the portal. Apart from them, a whole new set of people, those who have not read the print magazine of Humanscape, but agree with its ideals, have been introduced to its cause through www.HumanscapeIndia.net. Many subscribers have registered themselves as contributors and write in with ideas, suggestions, feedback and articles.  

Hits and visits

Although it took some time for the number of hits on the portal to build up, by the end of the period under review, the statistics looked favourable and show a growing trend over months. In the month of March, the total number of hits were 121,856 averaging 3,930 daily. The total number of unique visits in the month was 10,729 averaging 346 daily.
The weekly newsletter on the portal is mailed out to nearly 11,000 subscribers, and receives a lot of feedback and suggestions.  

The team

Humanscape is built on the faith of its over 400 contributors, over 3,000 subscribers, nearly 10,000 readers and others who associate with it through the portal – the faith in the ability of Humanscape to be a vehicle of social and attitudinal change. Its contributors comprise senior journalists, writers, illustrators, designers, academicians, students, researchers and a range of other concerned individuals who believe in the medium of Humanscape and help keep it alive. Those who associate with the magazine do so for the joy of being part of the movement that the magazine signifies. Their contribution is purely voluntary or at rates much lower than what mainstream media offers. Five of the 12 issues brought out during the period under review were guest edited by renowned persons from various walks of life, in most cases on their own suggestion. The Foundation views this as a step forward in increasing the number of people who form the base of the movement for social change.
The portal is compiled at the Foundation by the Humanscape team, with help from a volunteer web designer. The content, however, is supplied by a wide range of subscribers, organisations and individuals. Members of the Humanscape team have been trained to handle the day-to-day technical and content needs of the portal.

Financials 

During the year, the Foundation incurred expenses of Rs 624,100 towards portal, publication, distribution and administrative expenses of Humanscape. This was covered by an income of Rs 421,943 received from subscription charge, advertisements, sale of loose copies and other miscellaneous sources. This left a deficit of Rs 202,157 which was covered by well-wishers of the Foundation by way of donations.

Synthesis

2001-2002 was a year which saw a lot of changes in Humanscape in style and content. While the focus of the magazine continued to be on addressing issues of concern to the human being, although the editorial style was more praxis than theory 2002-2003 has carried forward the same focus and editorial style. While some of the themes addressed issues which have been around for a while (violence towards women, child abuse, and so on), there were others which dealt with more contemporary themes of the genocide in Gujarat, the Right to Food public hearing and so on.
The money raised from donors for the rehabilitation of victims of the genocide was utilised for reconstructing four houses that had been razed to the ground on 1 March 2002, at Salatnagar Colony in Ahmedabad. The reconstruction was organised through the efforts of activists of Jan Sangharsh Manch.

Manavta Kendra  

The Foundation began to support the formation of Manavta Kendras, autonomous village level organisations with a local cadre, through voluntary work by members, since November 1999.

The process

The Manavta Kendras formation process is a little over three years old. It has unfolded itself during this period, achieving the growth and development potential of what it proposed; with time it has realised better synthesis and a growing model. It has fulfilled the characteristics of producing demonstration effect, multiplication, reciprocity, a non-paternalistic approach and teamwork.
In the year under review, the first half was dedicated mainly to the growth of Manavta Kendras in number, and the second, to their consolidation through qualitative improvement, by defining distinct levels of participation and specific functions in the volunteers’ cadre, and by facilitation of networking among kendras at block levels. Certain minimum criteria for participants of different levels – co-ordinators at the gram panchayat, block, district and state levels – and for different functions to be carried out by volunteer team members – administrative and support members at the gram panchayat, block and district levels. Broad guidelines have been suggested for the formation of various committees and their functioning with participation of committee members at the village level

“How to” manuals for the basic organisation of kendras, guidelines for different levels of participants and for personal work, which have been produced in different languages, have been effective for the work of the kendras.
Significantly, the Foundation has been able to consider the implementation of human support projects through the kendras at villages. Their objectives are:

• to support the basic needs of people in the fields of education, health, infrastructure, water, agriculture, food security and wasteland development;

• to develop organisational and management abilities of members willing to participate in the implementation of small-scale projects, by developing locally available technological resources and at the lowest possible cost;

• to work for the personal growth of members;

• to make a bridge between those who have and would like to share technical and material resources with those who are in need of the resources.

Ten model human support projects to address basic needs have been conceptualised and “how to” guidelines have been defined for their implementation and monitoring by the Foundation. During February and March 2003, financial resources have been raised for implementing 32 such projects.

Formation and functioning of the Kendra

• At the village, at least one person from every family comes forward to participate in the work of the Manavta Kendra; the kendra is formed with a minimum of 30 members.

• A village committee is formed with at least five members: village co-ordinator, administrative member, support member and committee co-ordinators. The village co-ordinator fulfils the function of giving direction to various activities of the kendra. The committee co-ordinators oversee the activities of respective committees. The administrative member maintains records for the Manavta Kendra -- of its weekly attendance, meeting resolutions, member’s contribution, monthly report, etc. The support member fulfils the function of support for the personal work aspects of members.

• Three to ten committees (health committee, education committee, mahila mandal, peace committee, youth club, farmers’ group, and so on) are formed and each committee carries out one tangible activity every month.

• Members make a monthly contribution of Rs 10 per family for the internal organisation of the kendra.

• Members participate in weekly meetings, which are conducted as per a prepared format. All activities of the kendra are discussed and organised at weekly meetings. Personal work is also carried out in the weekly meeting.

• Members put up a name-board in the village, giving it greater visibility.

• They open a bank/post office account operated jointly by three members.

Growth of Manavta Kendras

During the year under review, the Manavta Kendra process reached 583 kendras in 27 districts of 12 states -  Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal by holding introductory meetings and follow-up visits by members of the national coordination team.
At present, the Manavta Kendra process is ongoing in 451 villages in 13 districts of five states as given below. Of them, 150 kendras have completed over one-year process. The activities of the Manavta Kendra are possibly under way in other districts, too, but they are not in regular contact with the national coordination team.

Present Manavta Kendras

Manavta Kendra workshops and introductory meetings

The national co-ordination team of Manavta Kendras conducted introductory meetings and follow-up workshops in 36 districts of 17 states during the year. It established contact with seven north-eastern states too, for facilitating the process of Manavta Kendras.

Manavta Kendra national level quarterly meetings of co-ordinators 

The first quarterly national level meeting of co-ordinators was held from 22 to 24 September 2002 at Khandala, Pune district, Maharashtra, with 37 members from 12 districts of seven states. The first two-days of the meeting focussed on personal growth work. Works related to ‘self knowledge’ were studied from the book Self-Liberation.  The next two-days were focussed on the study of the Humanist Movement and the process of the Manavta Kendra. Participants shared their experiences of the development of kendras in their areas, and discussed future strategies. Participants formulated plans for three to six months to develop and strengthen the Manavta Kendra process in their respective areas. This meeting also helped in bringing about integration among members.

The second quarterly national level meeting was held from 19 to 22 December 2002 with the participation of 46 gram panchayat, block and district co-ordinators from ten districts of six states at Goregaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra. The first day and a half were dedicated to studying, understanding and the application of personal work practices like relaxation, the experience of peace, working on the conversion of tense everyday and biographical images, and so on. The next two-and-a-half days were dedicated to facilitating the network of Manavta Kendras within a gram panchayat and on their coordination and orientation at the gram panchayat level. Participants shared their experiences of working through Manavta Kendras and planned their work for the forthcoming quarter.

Tangible activities and achievements of Manavta Kendras

• In Balasore district of Orissa, Manavta Kendras are running 29 pre-primary school centres with more than 850 students, and 32 literacy classes for more than 600 adults.

• The kendras persuaded the construction of five primary schools with the help of local members of the legislative assembly in Deoghar district of Jharkhand.

• The active role of the education committee of Vadgraon kendra in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra has increased numbers of students going to school by 100 per cent.

• One pre-school centre was started with 30 students in Madhubani district of Bihar.

• Patwabad kendra in Deogarh district of Jharkhand has set up a free computer-training centre for students. 30 students have enrolled for the same.

• 18 kendras are running first-aid health centres at villages in Balasore district of Orissa.

• Health camps and vetenary camps were organised in villages of Madhubani district of Bihar with the support of a local non-government organisation and UNICEF.

• AIDS and anaemia awareness camps were organised with the help of government public health centres in the villages of Vellore district of Tamil Nadu.

• The kendra’s activities have resulted in increased communal harmony in villages of Deoghar district of Jharkhand.

• Peace committees of the kendras have succeeded in resolving hundreds of local conflicts amicably in Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

• Twenty-three women self-help groups have been formed in Balasore district of Orissa for the purpose of savings, internal loans and for organising income generation activities. In Vellore district of Tamil Nadu three women’s groups organised income-generation activities through skill development in candle- and soap-making and tailoring. In Madhubani district of Bihar, women’s groups have started the production and marketing of household and food products.

• Many kendras have passed a resolution for the ban on the consumption of alcohol before its meetings or during any celebrations organised by them, in Balasore district of Orissa.

• People’s experiences from various places reveal that ‘personal work’ has helped them reflect about themselves and for improved inter-personal relationships with others.

• Three two/three days’ retreats of personal growth work were held on the subjects of relaxation, psychophysical gymnastics and self-knowledge during the months of July, August and September at Khandala, Pune district, Maharashtra. They focussed on being in touch with the inner self, on understanding oneself better, and on studying ways to modify one’s own conduct. Members from different states participated in these retreats.

• A positive change among members is observed in their social action and understanding of Manavta Kendras’ work

Organisation and co-ordination at national level

The national co-ordination team comprising five members gives direction to the process of Manavta Kendras and a provisional council of block co-ordinators direct the activities at respective block levels.
The national co-ordination team provides training to co-ordinators of the gram panchayat levels and above, organises the preparation and publication of necessary literature in different languages according to need, raises required material and technical resources for co-ordination purposes and holds quarterly national level meetings for sharing experiences, better networking and providing direction to the process.

Publications
Related to organisational aspects

• Brochure: You are the Changemaker

• How-to booklet: Basic Organisation of the Manavta Kendra

• How-to CD (24 minutes): Manavta Kendra

• Manavta Kendra register (in specific format)

• Guidelines for the Manavta Kendra, for gram panchayat co-ordinator, for block co-ordinator, for district co-ordinator, for state co-ordinator.

• Fund-raising brochure, guidelines for implementation and monitoring, and application form for Human Support Projects.

• Quarterly national bulletin of the Manavta Kendras.

Related to personal work and for developing humanist thoughts

• The Humanist Movement – An introductory booklet explaining the main ideas of the movement and introduction to the subject of personal work.

• Personal Work (Guided Experiences) – This booklet contains extracts from Guided Experiences and others, of some important ‘personal work’ practices to improve one’s positive aspects.

• Formative Themes – This booklet talks about the humanist outlook on personal and social aspects.

• Introduction to the Doctrine – This booklet enumerates the foundational ideas of the doctrine of the Humanist Movement from Silo's teachings.

• Booklets for retreats on (1) Aphorism, (2) Positive virtues, (3) Formation Landscape, (4) Relaxation, (5) Psychophysical Gymnastics, (6) Self-knowledge, (7) Attention, (8) Work with Force.

Available reference books

• Humanise the Earth

• Self-liberation

• Letters to My Friends

• Silo Speaks

• Guided Experiences

Financials

During the year, the Foundation incurred an expense of Rs 785,862 towards co-ordination of Manavta Kendra activities and towards production and publication of training material. This amount was utilised out of the total grant of Rs 10,44,000 received from Give Foundation. The balance amount of the grant will be utilised during the year 2003-2004.

Impact and synthesis

The Manavta Kendra process is proposed in the rural environment vis-à-vis the present prevalent dehumanised social environment and the creation of a psycho-social phenomena. The process has been developed with a plan, which introduces new images in the present times, which counts on the motor of conviction, and introduces transforming elements. It is proposed as ‘You are the changemaker’.
The process has continuously faced resistances due to cultural backgrounds. In this situation, a new attitude is proposed and introduced through personal work practices, as individual and group work, aimed at one’s personal and social life. This new attitude is further strengthened through tangible actions by the formation of kendras and encouraging volunteers to take charge of their situation to address basic issues. It is strengthened, too, by the implementation of human support projects with the characteristics that define a new form and way of organisation & management, appropriate use of local technology available at a low cost and one that can be maintained at the village.
Such a process has the potential to bring changes in the space of representation of a larger population, beginning with one person in one place and ultimately reaching the whole environment/society. We have described here the experience on a limited scale. It is proposed, in due course, to form about 1,000 village level autonomous organisations, and to form about 200 gram panchayat level sanghathans.

Manav Sahakar Abhiyan
Human Support Projects

The national coordination team of the Foundation has facilitated the growth of Manavta Kendras for better self-managed development, and today the number of such kendras stands at over 450 with nearly 19,000 volunteers with a shared vision. Some kendras have, however, matured faster than others and have shown enterprise in dealing with issues at the village level. Problems of alcoholism, primary education and health care, for instance, have been taken up and handled very well through people’s own initiative and organisation skills in these 150-odd villages in Orissa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The Foundation has identified them to take on the responsibility of small village welfare and development projects for improving the health, education and livelihood situation. Such Manavta Kendras, though only a handful at the moment, are promising in that they will be able to undertake human support projects with a little bit of resource support. They are envisaged to take the initiative themselves to garner support for their development programmes in the future, although in the present, they need assistance in raising resources.

The concept

These human support projects address the health, education and livelihood needs of people at the most basic levels. In the initial stages, they are not very complex in their planning and implementation. For instance, volunteers/members of a Manavta Kendra could undertake the responsibility of running a balwadi/pre-school centre, with minimum required resource support from an external agency. They could also undertake the responsibility of setting up and running a primary health care centre or for improving their water resources. Projects of this nature, it is envisaged, will help the members learn organisation and management skills. They will be designed such that the dependence of the Manavta Kendra on the support of the external agency will be at the lowest level possible and will, in due course, reduce even further. These projects will be those that can be replicated and scaled up within the village by members of the Manavta Kendra as per requirement.
The approach to village development through Manavta Kendras is four-pronged: 

1.        Personal growth: The Personal Work module, complemented by interactive workshops, is geared to improve understanding of oneself and others and to develop a broader perspective on interpersonal relationships. It is meant to improve one’s life and one’s selfless action towards others. It helps the person reduce mental suffering and violence, thus gaining internal unity and coherence in one’s life.

2.        Organisation and management: The Basic Organisation module, illustrated through training workshops and field interaction, lays down the guidelines for building people’s autonomous organisations. The Manavta Kendra epitomises a model of organisation based on self-managed action and minimal dependence on external support. It is the theory that will direct the action of people towards taking charge of their situation.

3.        Economy: The human support projects proposed for Manavta Kendras under the present proposal all have a common thread of self-reliant economic growth, running through them. They are aimed at reducing the economic dependence of people on external credit agencies (moneylenders, banks, etc.) or charity/subsidy schemes and promote the habit of saving and generating resources to fund development work in the village.

4.        Technological advancement: The proposed human support projects of Manavta Kendras utilise technology that is locally available, sustainable, and cost-effective. It can be used and maintained by members (with requisite training for skills). The operation and maintenance of the technology is such that it does not induce external dependence in the long term.

The process

• At their meetings, members of Manavta Kendras discuss the common needs of the village. Their needs are usually in the area of education, health care, women’s development, natural resource management, agriculture inputs, childcare, livelihoods management and conflict resolution. The range of needs is then prioritised in the presence of all the members of the kendra, so as to ensure that all voices are heard.

• The “top priority” needs are then translated into human support projects which can be implemented by specific committees of the Manavta Kendra, to be completed within a specified period of time. Long-term sustainability is an essential criterion for taking up any project. A similar project should not be running in the village either by the government or any other organisation as this endeavour does not propose repetition, but proposes to improve the situation of resources available.

• An itemised detail of resource needs for the project is laid out. The members of the kendra then identify their contribution to the human support project in the form of capital, labour and/or cash, etc. which will vary depending on the nature of the project.

• The national coordination team of Manavta Kendras assists members of the kendra to raise the required support from individual and organisational donors. It acts as a liaison and monitoring link between the donor and the Manavta Kendra. It is foreseen that at least in the initial stages the national coordination team will have to intervene in order to build the credibility of the kendras with donors and to ensure that necessary paperwork and reporting is undertaken and submitted to the donor.

•  A donor, whether an individual or an agency, is free to support the Manavta Kendra directly or through the Foundation for Humanisation. Donations to the Foundation are entitled for tax benefit under section 80G of the Indian Income-Tax Act. An average of 90 per cent of the donation amount will be utilised at the grassroots level.

• Ten model human support projects have been identified in keeping with the commonly expressed community needs of members of Manavta Kendras. They include intervention in the fields of health, education, natural resource management, women’s mobilisation, communication and food security. The Foundation encourages kendras to innovate and propose new projects which address their hitherto overlooked basic needs. The financial support that the Foundation makes available for such projects ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000. It is envisioned that members of the Manavta Kendra will raise from among themselves the rest of the human, technical, material and financial resources required. The value of members’ contribution will far exceed the external support that the kendras receive.

Ten model human support projects

• Mobilisation of women’s groups

• Setting up and maintaining a grain bank in the village

• Setting up and running a village library

• Setting up and running a balwadi (pre-school centre)

• Installing a telephone booth

• Training of health workers in the village

• Installation of electric connection

• Repair of existing water supply system

• Soil & water conservation

• Waste-land development for agriculture purpose

Salient features of the model human support projects   

1.        All the projects developed are in keeping with the basic principles of Manavta Kendras in four spheres – personal, organisation & management, economic and technological.

2.        The ownership of assets generated through the projects will remain with the Manavta Kendra, i.e. with people as a group entity, and not with any individual.   

3.        The external agency sponsorship period for projects varies from one to three years, after which the Manavta Kendra will take complete responsibility of continuing the project.

4.        The projects will be sanctioned only in villages where similar projects are not being implemented by any government or non-government agency.

Financials

In February and March 2003, the Foundation approached individuals and charitable trusts. It also made an announcement in Humanscape magazine, in order to raise funds to support human support projects. The Foundation hopes to establish a link between those who have resources and who need them, in a partnership of significance, where both groups benefit and achieve a positive end. The response from individuals has been encouraging. Till 31 March 2003, Rs 201,759 was raised to support 32 specific human support projects.

Synthesis

The Foundation looks upon human support projects as the epitome of the humanist ideals that it would like to put into practice. Manavta Kendras are the structure and basic organisation upon which human support projects will be built. The failure or success of human support projects does not define the existence and value of Manavta Kendras; on the contrary, it is the strength of the Manavta Kendra that will determine if its members are able to implement such projects. Human support projects combine elements of self-reliance and self-management. The Foundation envisages that the first phase of implementation of human support projects will help Manavta Kendras gain confidence and pave the way for them to seek avenues to raise larger amounts of resources for bigger projects for village development, along the same lines. 

Financial statement
Extract from audited financial statement for the year 2002-2003

Income and expenditure account for the year-ended 31 March 2003

Notes:

Maximum remuneration paid to staff members/consultants is Rs 105,000 for the year and lowest is Rs 19,200. Total staff members and consultants are six.

Balance sheet as on 31 March 2002

Notes:

Excess of income over expenditure comprises a sum of Rs 229,354 towards Human Support Project expenses and Rs 230,706 towards Manavta Kendra co-ordination and publication expenses.

Future plans for the year 2003-2004

Objectives

The Foundation proposes to further the objectives of its mission and vision by building grassroots autonomous organisations in rural areas. It proposes the creation of valid reference points in the fields of voluntary work and building autonomous grassroots organisations (sanghathans). This it proposes by demonstrating and sharing knowledge of experiments made as alternatives in the fields of education, health, livelihoods, quality of life, media and personal transformation.
The Foundation proposes to link people who have technical, material & economic resources, skills, knowledge and experience, with those who want to learn and change their immediate environment. It will bring out demonstrative publications, theoretical works and organise channels of interactive communication simple enough to be used by others for reproducing demonstrative works.

Focus areas/projects

Humanscape magazine will continue to be published on a monthly basis. Some of the areas, which will be covered during the forthcoming year, are peace movements, the plight of craftspersons, rural innovators, pedagogy and its various styles, and so on. While concerted efforts will be made to increase the circulation of the magazine, it is clear that there is a limit in numbers to the circulation of the print magazine, and that the future of mass communication of information is through the Internet.

www.HumanscapeIndia.net

The growing trend in hits and visits to the portal will be kept up with specific efforts to maintain its relevance for subscribers and visitors. The target number of monthly hits is 500,000 and that of unique visits is 50,000. Individual sections will be updated periodically to ensure that the portal is indeed a place that people who are concerned about the human situation would like to visit. It is envisaged that the portal, www.HumanscapeIndia.net will address the growing area of information dissemination through the Internet. The introduction of the portal does not undermine the significance of Humanscape among the Foundation’s activities. It only implies that new and more recent forms of communication have to be utilised to achieve the ultimate objective of affecting a positive current of opinion through information dissemination.

Manavta Kendras

The Foundation proposes to support the growth of 1,000 Manavta Kendras at the national level. A council of block co-ordinators will be formed. The Foundation envisages that the work done this year will be demonstrative and will help in producing a well-experimented theoretical backdrop, which can be replicated at large by people. Manavta Kendras will also work towards bringing specific changes in the following areas:

Social and economic changes through the implementation of about 75 human support projects characterised by the fulfilment of the basic needs of health, education, livelihood and infrastructure.
Cultural and psychological changes by promoting active resistance against social evils such as alcoholism, religion and communal divide, economic divide, discrimination against women and usury (borrowings at high interest rates).
Political change by demanding to hold and participate actively in gram sabhas (four times a year) and in gram panchayat and by Manavta Kendra members participating as candidates in local elections.
Personal change through conducting personal work at all meetings and by holding specific meetings for training of the development of a new sensibility, for building homogeneity in the group, for increased individual and group capacity for reflection, for developing humanist thoughts and stands, for learning about humanist principles and ideas, and for better social action through valid action, by holding retreats for deeper reflection, mediation and study.

Projected financial estimates for the year 2003-2004

Projected expenses

Projected income

Print this article

Click to advertise here