Radical Ecological Democracy Towards a Solidarity Society. Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh

Transcription

1 Radical Ecological Democracy Towards a Solidarity Society Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh

2 India s Impressive Growth One of world s biggest economies, high growth rates, amongst world s richest persons, 800 million mobile phones, 150 million middle class

3 Development = economic growth at all costs violence against nature, cultures, communities, and individuals!

4 Impacts: growing inequities, deprivation 1% richest own 50% wealth!!!! 50-70% people still poor ( million)

5 Structural roots of unsustainability & inequity Centralisation / concentration of power Capitalism State-dominated regimes Patriarchy Caste

6 Towards transformational alternatives

7 Resistance is part of the alternative

8 India: alternative initiatives for well-being Energy Food Water Shelter Learning Governance Urban sustainability Conservation Crafts Livelihoods Health Village revitalisation Producer companies

9 Recipe for transformational alternatives: Ecology Politics Economics Social justice Culture Key ingredients

10 Towards tribal self-rule: Mendha-Lekha (Maharashtra) All decisions in gram sabha (village assembly); no activity even by government officials without sabha consent Informed decisions through monitoring, and regular study circles (abhyas gat)

11 Conservation of 1800 ha forests, now with full rights under Forest Rights Act Earnings from sustainable NTPF use (over Rs. 1 crore in ), and use of govt schemes towards: Full employment Biogas for 80% households Computer training centre Training as barefoot engineers 2013: all agricultural land donated to village, collective ownership Vivek Gour-Broome

12 decentralised control by the poor: water, housing, sanitation Towards participatory cities information-based empowerment for participation in city planning (Hunnarshala, Sahjeevan, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, ACT, Setu)

13 : Secure livelihoods through producer companies / cooperatives (Khamir/Kasab textile coop, Kachchh; Dharani farmers coop, Andhra Pradesh)

14 Maati Collective, Uttarakhand Women s empowerment through ecosensitive livelihoods (crafts, agr. products, ecotourism)

15 Village reconstruction: outmigration is not inevitable Ralegan Siddhi and Hivare Bazaar (Maharashtra), Kuthambakkam (TN), Kudumbashree (Kerala), Jharcraft (Jharkhand)

16 Changing urban mindsets on consumption Rooftop / backyard farming (>10,000 families in Bengaluru) Organic, traditional food markets /fairs Producer-consumer cooperatives Not-for-profit shops (e.g. restore, Chennai)

17 Deccan Development Society conservation, equity, & livelihoods through sustainable agriculture Reviving traditional seed diversity Creating community grain banks Empowering women/dalit farmers, securing land rights Creating consumer-producer links (Zaheerabad org. food restaurant) Linking to Public Distribution System

18 Dignified livelihoods for urban poor Kagaj Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat & Swach (Pune)

19 Adharshila, MP Jeevanshala, Narmada SECMOL, Ladakh Imli-Mahua, Chhattisgarh Marudam, Tamil Nadu Adivasi Academy, Guj Swaraj University, Rajasthan Beeja Vidyapeeth, Uttarakhand Bhoomi College, Karnataka

20 Knowledge commons & democracy Technological innovations: pro-poor, pro-environment malkha cotton weaving, Andhra Pradesh Hunnarshala housing, Kachchh Energy: decentralised, renewable, efficient (Ladakh solar; Bihar solar/husk; SELCO Karnataka)

21 The dish that s brewing Eco-swaraj: Radical ecological democracy (RED) (Radical = going to the roots, challenging the conventional) achieving human well-being, through: empowering all citizens & communities to participate in decision-making ensuring socio-economic equity & justice respecting the limits of the earth Community (at various levels) as basic unit of organisation, not state or private corporation

22 Hey, don t forget the spices! Values & principles. Diversity and pluralism (of ideas, knowledge, ecologies, economies, polities, cultures ) Self-reliance for basics (swavalamban) Self-governance (swashasan) Cooperation, collectivity, and commons Rights with responsibilities/duties Dignity of labour (shram) Respect for subsistence Qualitative pursuit of happiness Equity / equality (gender, caste, class, ethnic sarvodaya) Simplicity, enoughness (aparigraha) Respect for all life forms Creativity, innovation

23 Alternatives from elsewhere in the world Indigenous peoples territorial struggles and notions of well-being buen vivir: sumak kawsay (Andes), suma qamana (Bolivia), kume mongen (Chile) ubuntu (S. Africa), umuntu (Uganda), ukama (Zimbabwe), eti uwem (W. Africa) Direct democracy/political autonomy: Zapatista self-governed region, Kurdish Rojava autonomous region, Venezuela s consejos comunales Economic democracy: Factory take-over and democratic running by workers, Argentina, Greece, Turkey Europe s degrowth & solidarity movements

24 Towards a sustainable and equitable society 5 pillars Ecological resilience and wisdom Conservation of nature, sustainable use of resources Social well-being & justice Equality between men/women, classes, castes, etc Direct & delegated democracy Decision-making by citizens, accountable representative institutions Economic democracy Means of production in hands of producers, localised self-sufficiency, economy of caring/sharing Cultural and knowledge diversity Knowledge as public resource, respecting cultural/ethnic diversity

25 Vikalp Sangams (Alternatives Confluences): practical collaborations, bottom-up visioning

26 Vikalp Sangams (regional / thematic) Timbaktu, Andhra Pradesh, Oct 2014 Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Feb 2015 Ladakh, J&K, July 2015 Wardha, Maharashtra, October 2015 Energy, Bodh Gaya, March 2016 Upcoming: HP, Kachchh, Kerala; Food, Youth, Learning/education

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