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Foreword When the severe, politically motivated riots of 1990 occurred, several concerned citizens of Hyderabad spontaneously came together to offer relief to the poor people of the city. They celebrated the selfless actions of poor Muslims and Hindus, who had saved the lives of their neighbours, with a sanman function; formed them into peace committees; and brought into being the Confederation of Voluntary Associations [COVA], a network of local groups, to work for communal harmony through empowering poor communities. Since then, such local peace activists have defused many tensions following false rumours, and maintained calm in the city. In 2002, in the aftermath of the terrible events of Gujarat, the Muslim and Hindu women and men of COVA once again prevented riots in the twin cities by forming a thin but unbreakable human chain at a critical moment. Realizing from the very start that communal harmony can only be produced through empowering the poor, developing communities, educating the young, and bringing members of different communities into productive relationships with one another, COVA has launched a variety of programmes for all sections of the community. The pages of this report contain several brief accounts of heartening success produced by the dedicated people who form COVA. But what no report can fully portray are the beautiful changes brought about in the lives of the poor through such dedicated work. The Mahila Sanatkar Mutually Aided Cooperatives [MACs] of women entrepreneurs last year sold over half a million rupees worth of artisan products. Several thousand women have been brought together under the Roshan Vikas MACT. COVA’s link volunteers now offer a community health service never experienced before by the women of the Old City. COVA’s innovative work with neglected youth, and schools of poor children, is in itself a story that should attract support and volunteers from all sectors. The COVA network now reaches out into 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh, and to communities in Kolkata, Saharanpur, and Kashmir. In 1997, to celebrate 50 years of independence, COVA organized The Festival of the Sub-Continent, with artists invited from Pakistan and Bangladesh. It has followed this initiative for peace and understanding by supporting the Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace & Democracy; the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament & Peace; and its own People for Peace, which brought people together shouting for peace during the dangerous year of 2002. COVA was a key institutional participant in a unique international action-research project on ‘Gender, Citizenship, and Governance,’ of the Royal Tropical Institute of the Netherlands, exploring gender issues of Muslim, Dalit, and BC elected representatives at the municipal level. Recognizing its responsibilities towards the marginalised, it has carried out a detailed socio-economic study into the conditions of the Muslim community in Andhra Pradesh, to be published soon in seven volumes. As a long-standing member of COVA, I find great satisfaction and hope in the work accomplished by my colleagues to bring neglected and oppressed communities into the mainstream of national life, to fulfill the founding vision of a democratic and caring India that would bring peace, justice, and prosperity to all her children. Dr. Vithal Rajan Chairman Governing Body Executive Summary COVA’s work in the old city of Hyderabad and 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh received recognition at the national level and it gave us the impetus to step out of Andhra Pradesh. In 2001-2002 COVA extended its activities to Kolkatta - West Bengal, Saharanpur - Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. These initiatives are progressing well and it is expected that strong, independent networks of organisations working across community lines will emerge in the next couple of years. Closer home the 6 district networks initiated in 2000-2001 evolved as independent organisations and work was initiated in 4 more districts. The district networks evolved their structures and by-laws through extensive discussions. Elections were held to the executive body of all the networks and the decision making function was fully assumed by these elected bodies. Strategic alliances with a number of organisations were made and joint programmes conducted. Significant among these were the Panchayat Elections Voter Awareness Campaign (PEVAC), and participation in the Shiksha Yatra when it passed through Andhra Pradesh. The research project on Socio Economic Conditions of the Muslim Community in Andhra Pradesh progressed well and the findings have been compiled in 7 different volumes, which are now ready to be published. An action research project on Gender Issues for Muslim, Dalit and BC Women Elected Representatives in Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Community Development Societies was initiated. This benefited the participants immensely by enabling them to take control of their constituencies, thus changing the earlier situation where their male family members controlled the decision making process and compelled the elected women representatives to act as proxies. Meanwhile a third research project entitled Social Responsibilities of the Medical Sector during Conflict Situations progressed well, albeit a bit sluggishly, due to resistance from doctors to respond to sensitive queries. In the old city of Hyderabad rapid strides were made in the programmes for women, youth and children. Mahila Sanatkar MACS, which caters to women entrepreneurs, moved into more spacious premises and launched its own brand - MAHAC. It negotiated a working capital loan from the Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd and successfully executed its first export order to the USA. Mahila Sanatkar expanded both in terms of membership and the sales of its products. It established linkages with A. P. Handicraft Development Corporation, Commissioner - Development (Handicrafts)- Government of India, due to which it secured space in the prestigious Dilli Haat. Roshan Vikas MACTS started its activities in August and was formally inaugurated by the District Collector in October after elections were held to the first Board of Directors in September. All efforts during the year were focused on evaluating and enrolling the SHGs into Roshan Vikas. 139 SHGs out of the 180 promoted by COVA were brought into the Roshan Vikas fold by the end of the year. On conclusion of the IPP-VIII project in June 2001, the Community Development Programme (CDP) concentrated on consolidating the progress made during the project period. Focus during the year was on linking up with different COVA programmes so that the link volunteer network created during the IPP-VIII project period could be put to optimal use. Link volunteers were involved in Basti Level Education Committees and they also helped in formation of youth groups in the bastis. CDP helped out in enrolling SHGs into Roshan Vikas, and linked up with Mahila Sanatkar to extend income generation programmes to new bastis. CDP also established contacts with women’s organisations at the national level to advocate for rights of Muslim women as propagated by the Holy Quran. A meeting of the Muslim Women’s Rights Network was organised in Hyderabad in this connection. The link volunteer network had its moment of reckoning in March 2002, when about 50 volunteers - both Muslims and Hindus - formed a human chain across the road at Charminar to stop rioting which erupted in reaction to the situation in Gujarat and Ayodhya. This averted a major riot from erupting in Hyderabad. The Governor of Andhra Pradesh felicitated the women for displaying extraordinary courage and presence of mind. The children’s programme broke new ground by linking up with CDP and Youth TRAC in the formation of Basti Level Education Committees, which helped in mainstreaming 214 out-of-school children through bridge centres and 77 out-of-school children through open schools. An enrollment campaign was also conducted, which enabled 4186 children to enroll into formal schools. The concept of Non Residential Bridge Centres was demonstrated successfully. The Urdu Learning Package developed by KHOJ was adapted for the bridge centers and a workbook was developed to go along with it. All these were achieved through the UNICEF supported Education and Empowerment of Young People Project. Meanwhile, programmes like Inter School Competitions, ‘Low Cost’ Science Exhibition and other extra-curricular activities for children of formal schools continued with more schools registering for the programme. Collaboration for the Science Exhibition was made with the Science Awareness and Promotion Trust. Programmes for youth, conducted under the aegis of Youth TRAC, concentrated on Adult Literacy at the group level and on Livelihood Programmes and Youth For Change at the central level. Youth For Change endeavors to bring together young people for leadership and personality development with the objective of sensitising them to promote communal harmony and social justice. Youth For Change worked actively in their bastis during March to prevent eruption of violent reactions to the situation in Gujarat. Initiatives for Peace COVA believes in and strives for communal harmony in the country, friendship in the sub-continent and peace in the world. In pursuit of this COVA works closely with several organizations at the national and international level – Indo-Pak People's Forum for Peace and Democracy, Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace. People For Peace In the year 2001-2002 a number of developments around the world and in our neighborhood led to a series of volatile incidents, prominent among them being the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament. This threatened to blow up into a full-scale war, which every one feared would result in a nuclear holocaust in the sub-continent. Rational forces in both the countries worked overtime to diffuse the situation. Their voices were being drowned in the war hysteria, which fed on the silent acquiescence of the confused masses. People on both sides of the border were silent. They were silent not because they wanted war. They were silent not because they did not understand the devastation of war.

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