Poverty and Community Development Traditional Fishing Forced out by Editorial Industry on the Mumbai-Goa Coast Prof

Autumn 2012 Building bridges in Maharashtra: a dual approach to tackling poverty 03 Passage from India: Re-imagining self-interest and common good through Self-Reliant Groups (SRGs) in Scotland 06 Community development and poverty: reflections on experience in Scotland 08 Tackling poverty in Scotland: a local view 10 Asset building in Europe: a community approach 12 Brazil and the struggle against poverty 14 Celebrating co-operatives: a global movement to build a better world 16 Community organising: the Chicago experience 19 Victory Village Forum: a partnership approach to transformation 21 About IACD 23 Issue 1: Poverty and Community Development Traditional fishing forced out by Editorial industry on the Mumbai-Goa coast Prof. Marjorie Mayo overty has been increasing in far the contributions of community- too many countries across the based strategies, such as asset Taken together these Pglobe, despite the promises of building initiatives in Europe and articles offer a range of the Millennium Development Goals. In the development of co-operatives in the relatively wealthy city of London, Africa and Canada – whilst recognising experiences, based upon in UK for example, the top 10% of the the significance of the wider policy population receive 273 times more than context as well. Others demonstrate the varying perspectives and the bottom 10%. Poverty is a major potential for building bridges between problem in relatively rich countries as different types of approach. This dual approaches amongst IACD well as in relatively poorer ones. And approach emerges from the Indian members and others. so is inequality. Neo-liberal economic case studies, for instance, illustrating strategies have been loading the ways in which communities have been burdens of austerity in Europe onto engaged in self-help initiatives, building the shoulders of the poor. It is the on community assets, whilst also being On behalf of IACD Board members and most disadvantaged who are engaged in advocacy – campaigning staff, we hope you find this publication disproportionately suffering as a result against exploitation by employers, useful and we welcome your feedback. of the financial crisis from 2008. and campaigning against so-called IACD is a vehicle for sharing experiences Meanwhile inequality has been ‘development’ projects that undermine and reflections across geographical increasing too, even when countries poor people’s livelihoods. Rather than and cultural boundaries, with the aim of Building bridges in such as India have been experiencing seeing asset-based development as identifying solutions to challenges which, overall high levels of economic being in competition with strategies despite differing contexts, have much growth. This all matters desperately, to tackle root causes, these examples in common. We invite you to join the with devastating effects on people’s illustrate ways in which these can be conversation. Maharashtra: a dual livelihoods, undermining their health mutually re-enforcing approaches. Prof Marjorie Mayo is an IACD Board and well-being and exacerbating member and Chair of IACD’s task force social tensions more widely. The articles raise important questions about the potential – and indeed the for Learning and Practice Exchange. approach to tackling poverty This publication, the first in our new limits – of locally based community She has been Professor of Community series of biannual ‘International development. The importance of Development at Goldsmiths, University Practice Insights’, explores community building alliances emerges from the of London, where she currently still development strategies in response. discussion of community organising for works part-time although formally In August 2012, IACD held its first ever Practitioner Dialogue, in Maharashtra, India. How have those engaged in community instance, a theme which emerges too in retired. development been addressing the the Brazilian context, although in very This was an opportunity for practitioners from around the world to hear from some of structural causes of increasing poverty different circumstances, taking account and inequality? How have they been of vibrant popular movements for social the strongest examples of grassroots community development and advocacy work in balancing community-based advocacy change and social justice. India, and to explore processes in dialogue with local practitioners and with each other. and campaigning strategies with the Join the network: need to strengthen communities’ own The Brazilian example also raises important questions about the ways www.iacdglobal.org/join-us survival strategies in the here and now? he Dialogue involved small construction materials, agricultural land traditions, women are those who in which local communities interact And how have communities and those group visits to urban and rural salinated by the blocking of estuaries, miss out most.” with the state, progressive political who work with them been working communities who are oganising and mangroves destroyed. Local people, Industrialisation is not the only factor with others, in social movements and in parties and structures of representative Autumn 2012 T themselves to tackle poverty. This coming from long traditions of land- or democracy. These relationships between at play. Many of the communities structures of governance? IACD’s view article focuses on one of these – a visit sea-based livelihoods, have lacked the local communities and the state emerge Sakav works in are among the is that poverty and inequality need to to a small NGO, Sakav. Some of us had education or technical skills to secure in the Scottish context too, exploring indigenous groups included in the be tackled at both ends, addressing the privilege of spending two days with employment in these industries. Rather immediate needs whilst campaigning ways in which local authorities might Indian constitution’s appended list Building bridges the Sakav team at their training centre than working to upskill the local to take on structural causes, for the support local communities, enabling in Maharashtra: a dual of ‘scheduled tribes’. (According to approach to tackling poverty 03 in an indigenous village, and with population, companies address labour people to make their voices heard. Passage from India: the Indian government’s National longer term. Re-imagining self-interest and common good through members of some of the communities shortages by importing workers from These are particularly important issues Self-Reliant Groups Commission for Scheduled Tribes, (SRGs) in Scotland 06 with whom they work. elsewhere. to address, given the wider anti-statist Community development these are communities who for and poverty: reflections rhetoric that has been characteristic on experience in Scotland 08 historical, social and geographical Poverty is a major Tackling poverty Context of neo-liberalism – arguing the case in Scotland: a local view 10 “ As communities lose reasons “were suffering from extreme Asset building in Europe: problem in relatively for cutting collectively provided public a community approach 12 Sakav operates amongst fishing and social, educational and economic Brazil and the struggle their cultural traditions, services whilst expanding the scope for against poverty 14 farming communities in the Raigad backwardness… and who need special rich countries as well Celebrating consideration for safeguarding their services to be provided for profit, via the co-operatives: district, Konkan region, along the women are those who a global movement private sector. to build a better world 16 Mumba-Goa national highway. Two- interests and for their accelerated as in relatively poorer Community organising: the Chicago experience 19 thirds of the population here are miss out most.” socio-economic development…”). Taken together these articles offer Victory Village Forum: ones. And so is a partnership approach dependent on natural resources, but Traditionally, many tribal people a range of experiences, based upon to transformation 21 About IACD 23 rapid industrialisation has in recent years The loss of traditional livelihoods has have cultivated forestlands, and inequality. varying perspectives and approaches seen these degraded or destroyed. forced workers into scratching a living some indeed have access to these amongst IACD members and others. The Large companies in the petrochemical, on the periphery of Mumbai, or lands under legislation; but title to aim is to stimulate discussion, reflecting Issue 1: Poverty and Community Development steel, plastics and other industries have migrating altogether. The knock-on lands is not clearly established and This collection of articles provides on the varying ways in which community quickly bought up land, changed its use effects include child malnutrition and an they are often evicted. This extreme illustrations of varying types of development can contribute to tackling and asserted their control over it. Their increase in domestic violence. As Sakav insecurity has naturally led to a focus approach, rooted in very different the scourges of poverty and inequality, Photograph of Vera courtesy of operations have led to environmental founder Arun Shivkar comments: on survival, rather than any more local situations. Some focus upon across the globe. Rae Manger disaster: sandy areas are plundered for “As communities lose their cultural long-term community development. 2 Practice Insights | Issue 1 Issue 1 | Practice Insights 3 Fishing communities activists

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