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- Convenor:
-
NEETU CHOUDHARY
(Transformatory Research Collaborative)
Send message to Convenor
- Format:
- Thematic Panel
- Theme:
- Social solidarity, grassroots approaches, and collective action
Short Abstract:
The proposed panel includes three papers capturing three grass root experiments based on solidarity, partnership and collective action in varying Indian context. These papers illustrate how solidarity in action can invoke expansion of collective capabilities and resilience, in context of a crisis, day to day governance as well as in context of specific vulnerable group.
Long Abstract:
The unstable, unequal and atomistic characteristics of capitalism has caused much disenchantment, followed by debates and developments surrounding alternative forms of organizations. These developments, in particular, emphasize the importance of solidarity and partnership in various socioeconomic activities, for example - in the form of social and solidarity based economy - a term increasingly used to refer to forms of production and exchange that aim to satisfy human needs, build resilience and expand human capabilities through social relations based on cooperation, association and solidarity (UNRISD 2012). However, irrespective of a formal recognition as such, solidarity and partnership based initiatives have mushroomed as a means to address various development challenges. Although solidarity economy is often described as being autonomous of the state and the market (Neamtan 2002), this may not be the case with broader solidarity-based initiatives. In fact, these initiatives do not necessarily impair any integration into the market, and are like a common strategy for escaping adverse integration into the capitalist sphere of the market (Hespanha 2010 ). Although solidarity economy seeks to articulate an alternative form of economic system, the actual act of solidarity and collective action may be embedded in prevailing institutional structure. Solidarity based initiatives often function in close association with the state and the civil society but function with elements of solidarity and mutuality (Hespanha 2010). Democratic solidarity in particular works on the basis of reciprocity- voluntary social relations between free and equal citizens and redistribution - service drawn up by the state to reinforce social cohesion and to redress inequality (Laville 2013). Democratization is not possible just by developing a new model for the ideal society rather one needs to look at actual experiments that have been made around the world (Hart et al 2010). This proposed panel may be seen as an attempt in that direction. It comprises of three papers capturing experiments based on different forms of solidarity and collective action in India. These papers illustrate how solidarity in action can invoke capability expansion and resilience. The papers show that solidarity and collective action have much potential in context of a crisis, day to day governance as well as in context of specific vulnerable group.
An important aspect of solidarity based action is that it can enhance collective capabilities and achieve more than the sum of individual capabilities. This dimension of solidarity is highlighted in the first paper in the proposed panel. As an illustration of the case of community-university partnership, this paper depicts how through a university course, communities can be enabled to fight for their rights to access various social protection schemes with the help of clinical legal education. This paper shows how the community can collectively claim its rights to public support programmes, while also contributing to achieve inherent educational goals. This case is an example of solidarity between civil society and community and within community itself.
Often solidarity based actions may not be pre-designed as such and emerge as an organic response to certain crisis or situational development. The second paper in the proposed panel captures the dynamics underlying solidarity that fosters in response to the attempt to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. The paper shows how a civil society organization (CSO), as representatives of street vendors, and the state express solidarity with each other and how this solidarity iteratively leads to evolution of PMSY [Pradhan Mantri Svanidhi Yojna]- a nationwide social protection scheme for unorganized street vendors. The implementation of the scheme involves another level of solidarity between the local administration, the CSO and the community. Coping with the pandemic invoked cohesion within the street vendors as a community, which acted in solidarity. This paper presents solidarity based action as a convergence between the state, civil society and the community.
Finally, the third paper in the proposed panel uses the concept of informational capabilities built on Sen’s Capabilities approach (1999) to explore how a network of persons who use drugs (PWUDs) utilize information and technology as collective capabilities to facilitate improved harm reduction care for the individual user. This paper examines three different cases. The first case demonstrates how technology is used as an information relay to avoid potential deaths due to drug overdose in the community. The second case demonstrates how the collective use of information feedback loops facilitates change within the daily practices of the harm reduction program as well as policy for the good of the individual PWUD. The third case depicts how the use of information technology creates gains for female PWUD by ensuring their participation in an international information network for women. These three cases in this paper underscore the role of digital technology in promoting collective informational capabilities.
All the three papers in the proposed panel capture real world experiments and lived experiences involving solidarity and collective action both in rural and urban areas. Emerged in different contexts, all of these experiments cause marked increase in collective capabilities of the communities concerned. These experiments do face certain challenges, but they can be easily addressed to achieve the larger community oriented goals. Taken together the three papers are an attempt to render recognition to some of the innovative grass-root initiatives and to the dynamics underlying them. These initiatives do not confront the prevailing economic regime, rather are embedded in them. Yet they empower the community to establish their spaces and claims in an explicit and organized manner. As such they imbibe an optimism that through solidarity and cooperation, communities can take charge of their lives at least to some extent. Now and then, the state surfaces up as an ally despite its commitment to market. This also explicates the changing configuration between state and non-state actors and among non-state actors themselves.
Accepted papers:
Paper short abstract:
This paper studies the evolution, implementation and impact of Pradhan Mantri Svanidhi Yojna, as an outcome of solidarity at different levels. Based on a study conducted in three cities and a case study of NASVI, the paper identifies three levels of solidarity based action involved in the process
Paper long abstract:
The Covid-19 pandemic evidently had massive repercussions for informal street vendors across the world including India. The civil society has played a remarkable role in the entire relief process targeting the poor especially urban poor, street vendors and migrants. It was in such a context that the Government of India, upon advocacy from the National Association of Street Vendors in India [NASVI] started the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s SvaNidhi Yojna [PMSY] for providing easy and collateral free loan to street vendors. This paper studies the evolution, implementation and impact of PMSY, as an outcome of solidarity at different levels. The key questions that the paper reflects upon is ‘what worked in terms of the genesis and implementation of the PMSY’. The paper is based on the findings from a study conducted in three cities in the state of Bihar in India and a case study of the National Association for Street Vendors in India [NASVI]. On the whole 1088 street vendors were surveyed including 793 male and 295 female street vendors selected randomly. Street vendors’ survey, ethnographic interviews and NASVI’s case study are utilized together to analyse how PMSY evolved, got operationalized and contributed to the recovery and resilience among street vendors in the aftermath of Covid-19. The effect of PMSY was found to be limited but effective with majority of street vendors reporting some gain from the scheme. This clearly espoused for social transfers as an important means of building community resilience. What worked in terms of PMSY was solidarity based actions that facilitated the entire process spanning the formulation to its implementation at the grass root level. The paper identifies three levels of solidarity based action that were involved in the process behind PMSY; First, between NASVI and the Government. of India, second, between NASVI, local administration and street vendors and third, between street vendors themselves. NASVI and its affiliates were among those Civil Society Organizations that mobilized support for street vendor workers after the pandemic. Taken together these processes unveil potential role that solidarity can play in institutionalizing the rights of the poor, promoting their bargaining strength and enhancing their collective capabilities. They exemplify that solidarity between the state, civil society and community can manifest into interventions that can work in low income context. This is despite the systemic barriers that constraint the interventions such as PMSY, from reaching its potential.
Paper short abstract:
The law school course, "Rural Governance, Justice, and Citizen Participation", is an experiment with methods of Clinical Legal Education that suggests ways for university-community engagement to build capacities of rural citizens to participate for empowerment and good governance.
Paper long abstract:
Rural India is replete with situations of denial or violation of fundamental provisions like right to education, right to health, social security, nutrition and food security etc. Effecting good governance is the way to address these issues. Citizens need to participate effectively to secure good governance and their participation in doing so will strengthen democracy and rule of law. These determinations guide the experiential teaching and learning course, “Rural Governance, Justice and Citizen Participation at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University (the course).
The Seventy Third amendment to the Constitution of India aims to restore the dignity in panchayati raj institutions that they deserve. Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), striving to achieve social justice and economic development in villages, requires Gram Sabha’s participation in its evolution and realisation. Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats are not empowered enough to build their village development plans and do not have adequate resources to carry them out. A recent report highlights that Panchayats earn only one percent revenue through taxes. Most of their revenue comes from the centre and the states as grants. Because of this dependence on the centre and states, most panchayats suffer from interference from the top, the report says.
The course aims to engage students in preparing rural citizens as effective participants in democracy. Students learn values and skills of community engagement and community mobilisation, realising the importance of leadership roles that they can assume to build a momentum for citizen participation at the village level. The course, while experimenting with methods of Clinical Legal Education, manoeuvres the realm of university-community engagement and tries to create and congeal its various avenues and ethos. Students partner with panchayats, civil society groups, local authorities, and the media in strengthening capabilities of citizens to participate in effecting good governance. This is achieved through a continuous dialogue with a select group of volunteers from villages. Through the dialogue, these volunteers act to resolve issues of denial of entitlements that they and their fellow citizens have. This becomes learning by doing for the volunteers resulting in a sense of empowerment. When these volunteers act and see results of their action, they have an enhanced sense of their capabilities. These processes and involvement of local authorities, civil society groups and students in the efforts of volunteers build collaborative responses to problems and everyone's abilities to work together.
Paper short abstract:
Networks provide opportunities to belong, volunteer and speak in public. This qualitative study demonstrates how drug user networks use technology as collective informational capabilities to advocate for harm reduction care for the individual marginalised person who uses drugs.
Paper long abstract:
Background: National HIV programs deal with consequences of the illicit drug crisis by providing harm reduction services and social support to persons who use drugs (PWUD). Reaching individuals within their drug use environment is challenging; programs often rely on collectives to generate information to deliver health services and inform reporting and policy. These collectives also encounter information concerning unaddressed issues, such as deaths due to overdoses in the community, harm reduction clinics as spaces of stigma, discrimination and violence towards PWUDs; also for women who use drugs. In this paper, I use the concept of informational capabilities, built on Sen’s Capabilities Approach, to explore how a network of persons who use drugs apply information and technology as collective capabilities to advocate for and facilitate improved harm reduction care for the individual user.
Methods: This qualitative study is set in a Northern and Northeastern state of India. 17 interviews and 4 focus group discussions were conducted with PWUDs, and harm reduction staff, managers and experts. Data were collated and analysed using NVivo. Essential ethical considerations made are detailed in the paper.
Results: Three cases demonstrate how the drug user network, an established entity in the state, facilitates harm reduction care for the individual PWUD. The first case demonstrates how real-time responses in smartphones create an information relay through network chains, resulting in the timely administration of the antidote nalaxone and a life saved within the PWUD’s natural environment in the community. The second case demonstrates how PWUDs use WhatsApp messaging channels to share concerns of daily care practice - clinics closed during working hours, stock ruptures or incidents of discrimination. This informational feedback loop with officials at higher levels on a transparent platform, overcomes gatekeeping barriers, replaces oral conversations, and provides evidence for accountability, protocol and policy change for the good of the individual PWUD. The third case demonstrates how women who use drugs gain from online platforms and informational components of hashtags, infographics and community blogs, to become part of an international information network creating movements, demanding health rights, and advocating for gender equity.
Conclusion: Technology can be used as a collective capability to advocate for enhanced care for the individual, through opportunities to belong, volunteer and speak in public. Where hierarchy and judgment prevent the marginalised’s voice to be heard, the collective makes this possible.
Collective, informational capabilities, marginalised, harm reduction, India are some of the keywords.