Role of NGOs in the Empowerment of Marginalized Communities in Rural Nepal PRESENTER GANGA ACHARYA PhD STUDENT (COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT)
Presentation outline Background Aim of the study Study Community Methodology Study Location Results Conclusion PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 2
Background Community Development in the post-washington Consensus era; Participatory approaches as means of empowerment of the traditionally marginalized communities NGOs: key players in the development landscape PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 3
Background cont.. NGOs have been recognized widely as efficient means for poverty alleviation and empowerment of the marginalized peoples through participatory, bottom-up practices PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 4
Background contd.. NGOs create aid dependency, diffuse dissenting voices, dilute transformative agendas and distort collective action (Shrestha, 1993; Jad, 2004; Batliwala, 2007; Govinda, 2009; Choudry & Shragge, 2011; Shrestha & Adhikari, 2011; Sharmeen, 2013; Morgan, 2016) PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 5
Aims To explore how the interaction between marginalized communities and NGOs has influenced their inclusion and empowerment in rural Nepal. To elucidate the extent to which NGOs- supported activism contributed to structural transformation in favor of a traditionally marginalized community. 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 6
Study community -DALITs One of the economically poorest and socio-culturally oppressed communities of Nepal. Comprise nearly 15% of the country s approximately 30 million population. More than 80% of them are landless agricultural workers, scavengers and bonded labourers. Treated as untouchables by other caste and non-caste peoples. PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 7
Study community contd.. Pure Brahmin, chhetri high caste Newars High caste groups (Hindu) Non-caste indigenous peoples - Non-enslavable - Enslavable Medium caste groups (Non- Hindus) Impure Water unacceptable but touchable (Western foreigners and Muslims) Water unacceptable and untouchables (DALITS) Low caste groups (Hindu) Fig: The Caste Pyramid of Nepalese society PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 8
Study methodology Case Study in two villages of a Nawalparasi District in South Central Nepal Key informant interviews : (25 male, 10 female) Community members (15); Community Group executives(8), NGO staff members (5), rights activists (7) 2 Focus group discussions 1 among women's cooperative executives (n=7) and 1 Dalit Youth activists group (n=9) Observation Document review Data gathered during February-July 2015. PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 9
Study methodology contd Thematic data analysis Participation, capacity development, local leadership development community organization, collective action Assessment of peoples perspectives on empowering/ disempowering aspects of community development 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 10
Results Participation People felt dignified while participating in various activities of social mobilization at community level. I feel good when the NGOs invite us in programs. It was just a dream for Dalit people until 10 years back. It gives me great satisfaction now that at least people have started to recognize us as human being. ( A man in his late-50s) The participatory spaces and processes enabled Dalit groups to access several kinds of resources and opportunities and fostered social mobility to some extent. PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 11
Participation. We have received training and other supports to start vegetable farming, poultry keeping or embroidery. Though, I do not see any significant changes in life of majority of the villagers, a few sisters however have done well from these programs (A woman in her late 40s). Nevertheless participatory spaces and the opportunities are not readily available to everyone in the community. PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 12
Barrier 1: Time constraints NGOs provide talks in the meetings but we need cash to feed our family. Without going for the wage works, we can not feed our kids even a single day, how can we afford time to attend the meetings of NGOs? (A Dalit woman) It is one of the hardest parts for us to motivate peoples to participate in development programs (staff member, local NGO). PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 13
Barrier 2: Relevance of participation I went to participate meetings couple of times, but I did not understand what was the issue of discussion, nor I was asked by anyone to say something. I just sat and listened others and signed the minute at last. I did not find any relevance to attend such meetings. (Dalit man) Last week a group of us attended a training on the mushroom cultivation. They ( NGO staff) advised us to grow mushrooms in a room inside the house. We are living in such a small reed-hut that it is not even enough to live for our family. Where can we grow mushrooms inside our house? (Dalit woman) PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 14
Barrier 3: Psychological barrier Although our people are invited to participate in development meetings and workshops, they are just the silent listeners. Most of the time they do not speak at all as they think they do not know what and how to speak. If someone even attempts to speak, generally non-dalit members in meetings ignore or stop him/her from speaking as they consider that Dalits do not say anything meaningful and their attempt simply ruins the meeting. (Dalit youth, a university graduate) PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 15
Capacity Development NGOs focused primarily on Individual behaviour change of the poor Dalits for their development through awareness raising, and /or skill improvement in their traditional occupation as part of the capacity development initiative. Devising technical measures to enhance economic status of the Dalits at household level. 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 16
Capacity Development. However no any substantial evidences immediately revealed to what extent the community benefitted by these interventions in terms of their increased voices and dignity. Rather, NGOs over- emphasis on individual as unit of change discouraged collective struggle against caste-based oppression in the community and failed to achieve both the dignity and economic goals PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 17
Capacity Development.. The disconnection was clear Most of the NGOs intend to uplift economic status of poor through enhanced knowledge and skills but they rarely take into account the fact that we are the victims of the systematic discrimination, oppressions and exploitation based on our caste status; that resulted into limited access to resources, culturally isolated and socially submissive. Without addressing these crucial issues how can we achieve the economic progress? (A Dalit rights activist) 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 18
Local Leadership Development NGOs emphasized local leadership development - community group leaders emerged at local level. Some of the group leaders improved their own economic status and were depicted as role model by the development agencies. They largely acted as cultural brokers for the development agencies and patron to their own community- (Co-opted by the mainstream). 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 19
Local Leadership Development. Our cooperative chairperson is apparently the leaders of our community as she represents everywhere, wherever Dalit woman is required. She always keeps herself busy engaging with different NGOs and rarely gives time to the cooperative. She is dismissive with us but very good for outsiders, like you. None of the members likes her, but no one can challenge as she has good connection with the NGOs, administration and politicians. (A member of women s cooperative) 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 20
Community Organization and Collective Action NGOs mostly organized community for the implementation of specific project activities. NGOs generally encourage us to organize in saving and credit groups or other community groups like vegetable growing or poultry keeping. We organize in such groups and involve in programs as per their advice. As soon as the program ends our group activities also terminate. (A woman in her mid 30s) 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 21
Community Organization and Collective Action. NGOs tended to fit social change agenda into time-bound projects The projectization led o NGOs to design programs for the Dalits and advocate on behalf of Dalits. odetachment of the campaigns from wider participation oentrenchment of power of the professional elites and monopoly of knowledge. ofinally, discouragements to sustained campaigns required for social transformation. 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 22
Community Organization and Collective Action. We started our campaign to organize, sensitize and mobilize the entire community against caste-based domination and resulting apprehension in part of our people. We would want to make it a sustained campaign, but it proved hard to get continued support for this cause. So we forced to abandon this campaign in a few years. Now most of our groups are working on saving and credit schemes. (A Dalit rights activist). 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 23
Conclusion Spaces for participation were available to the villagers, however, it was limited to few and just symbolic in practice. The spaces were offered rather than claimed, and so the villagers got limited chances to speak their mind or influence the development decisions. Caste-based domination, though in subtle forms, and resulting apprehension is still prevalent. This reinforced the psychological barriers to more assertive participation. PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 12/06/2017 24
Conclusion contd Focusing on individual capacities, NGOs implicitly blamed poor villagers for their inability to advance, as if it were personal deficiencies and ignored the structural issues of the discrimination, domination and oppressions. This encouraged marginalized people to become a success within their existing socio-cultural and economic contexts rather than to focus on transforming it. 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 25
Conclusion contd.. The community members who achieved partial success at personal level from the development support of the NGOs, turned out to be the role model of the existing system rather than becoming an active agent of social transformation. This discouraged community organization and collective action for the common good. 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 26
Conclusion contd NGOs generally operate in a de-politicized system and ignore the power dynamics at local level but the poverty and marginalization of the Dalits is essentially associated with political processes and unfavourable social relationships of power. All these factors, though unintended, resulted in reproduction of the unjust social relationships of power at local level. 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 27
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Thank you Co-authors/Supervisors Prof Helen Ross Prof Jim Cavaye Email: g.acharya@uq.edu.au Dr Gomathy Palaniappan 12/06/2017 PRESENTATION AT CDS/NACDEP CONFERENCE (11-14 JUNE 2017), BIG SKY, MT, USA 29