Children in Gajapati rally to raise community awareness on quality education

ADVOCACY

PREM has a long history of involvement in advocacy for development of Adivasi, Dalit, Fisherfolk and rural poor who are vulnerable to exploitation and marginalization. Adivasi self-rule, access to sustainable livelihood, control and management of natural resources, food security, resilience to climate change, social alienation and forced migration are just some of the issues facing these communities. PREM and its network partners independent non-government and people’s organizations and federations at state and national levels are working together to implement programmes and advocate for equitable and non-discriminatory policies concerning these groups.

Utkal Mahila Sanchaya Bikas
UMSB is a federation of 2240 women’s Self Help Groups (SHGs) with a total of 41,320 members promoted by PREM, with the objective of encouraging micro-credit activities among the rural poor in Odisha. PREM acts as the mentor and provides managerial support to UMSB. It also stands as guarantor for fund generation of UMSB.

Women from Gajapati district taking oath by standing on pre drawn International Women’s Day logo

A display of kewada products made and sold by an SHG

An Adivasi girl reads a memorandum to Odisha MP Sidhant Mohapatro at a state-level consultation on Learn Without Fear in Bhubaneswar

Dr Jacob Thundyil, President of PREM, speaking at a national convention organized by NAC-DIP

The donor agencies include SIDBI, NABARD, OXFAM Australia, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Plan India, and various commercial banks, which have provided grants and soft loans to UMSB for promotion of micro-credit programmes. UMSB is a network member of Indian Network of Federations of Micro-finance Self Help Groups (INFOS).

UMSB’s micro-credit network members are concentrated among the rural poor, specifically the Adivasis, Dalit and fisher people communities. UMSB’s approach in mobilizing the rural poor to organize SHGs has enabled members greater financial security through small savings and credit schemes, and the collective strength of the SHG network has also empowered them to bargain with the commercial banks to benefit from credit terms. Through this process of empowerment the SHGs are able to mobilise the existing financial assets for sustainable economic activities such as social forestry, cashew-nut production, community-managed livestock rearing, fishery and collective marketing.

Odisha Adivasi Manch
OAM was formed in Kandhamal in 1994 as a forum for coordinating approaches to lobbying and advocacy among Adivasi people on issues related to development and self-rule. Now networking in 15 states of Odisha, OAM has been instrumental in lobbying for passages of Indian laws such as Panchayatraj (Extension to the Schedule Areas) or PESA Act, Forest Rights Act, NREGA, Right to Information and Right to Education, and OAM continues to lobby for the full implementation of these and other laws in their true spirit. OAM is also significantly involved in promoting child rights, gender equality, food security, democratic governance and environmental protection. In 2002 OAM and NAC-DIP were invited by the Indian Ministry of Tribal Affairs to participate in a national-level policy framework for Adivasis; 75% of their recommendations were adopted by the government.

Odisha Dalit Manch
PREM is the convener of ODM which works in all 30 districts of Odisha for state-wide coordination of lobbying and advocacy for Dalits, to fight systemic discrimination, address issues of poverty and food security, demand implementation to rights and government schemes, demand access to education and healthcare, and advocate for policies for Dalits in Odisha based on the values of equality and human rights. ODM also works to strengthen local people’s organizations to work for social justice in their communities.

National Advocacy Council for Development of Indigenous People
NAC-DIP, promoted by PREM, is a national-level forum for advocating the causes of marginalized Adivasi communities in India. NAC-DIP membership consists of 192 Adivasi communities from 18 states supported through a network involving 225 independent NGOs and CBOs. It is an informal platform used by a number of Adivasi organizations to implement various forms of development programmes. Such is its prominence that it has been able to organize five national conventions and five national consultations.

NAC-DIP aims to promote the rights of the indigenous people through organizing capacity building workshops, seminars and conventions to raise awareness among indigenous groups and the general public of the situation and living condition of the Adivasi people. Through a network of CBOs and NGOs, information is disseminated and issues are raised at local, regional and national level. NAC-DIP also engineers strategies for promoting understanding and cooperation between indigenous CBOs and NGOs and local authorities through interactions involving all sectors, which will contribute towards preventing conflict between these groups. For more information on NAC-DIP visit www.nacdip.net

East Coast Fisher People’s Forum
PREM has many years’ experience in implementing development programmes among the marginalized communities of fisher people. Although its active participation is concentrated along the coastlines of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, PREM has gained experience in working with the fisher people further afield in communities of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala and West Bengal, through its network partners, and promotes the East Coast Fisher People Forum (ECFPF) which comprises 28 member groups from seven states. ECFPF initiated a micro-finance programme for achieving economic freedom of the target fisher people. ECFPF periodically organizes consultations and conventions to formulate its strategies for advocacy. It promoted the East Coast Development Forum (ECDF) for operation of relief and rehabilitation of the Tsunami-affected population in the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.

To view a list of more partners in PREM’s network, visit the Contact Us page.