70th National Film Awards: Aattam, Kantara, Ayena, Kutch Express (films); Rishab Shetty (actor, Kantara); Nithya Menen (actress, Tiruchitrabalam); Manasi Parekh (actress, Kutch Express); Sooraj Barjatya (director, Uunchai); Neena Gupta (supporting actress, Uunchai); Pawan Malhotra (supporting actor, Fouja); AR Rahman (music direction, background score).
It appears, in hindsight, I took a break from Anand Gurukulam, for a special 10,000+ hrs in Tribal Communities. After the break, I returned to complete investing my third 10,000+ hrs. In the commons’ world and IRMA. I was already initiated into 7R – read, write (read: language(s), speed reading, comprehension, crosswords, literature, fiction to nonfiction, literature, documenting, reporting, debates, communication, articulation), arithmetic (read: science, technology, engineering, mathematics, ICT), reflect (include: observe with all senses, meditate, analyse, connect dots), unlearn (learning lessons), practice, pursue. Tribal communities reinforced living values – hope, faith, promise, love, coexistence. Being with them makes us ‘be’ beings rather than ‘have’ beings.
Joined in National Tree Growers’ Cooperative Federation, NTGCF. For this, the Dairy board made a special exception to take back someone who left earlier. I stayed in IRMA. This time with my family. I could devote time as visiting faculty too – managing information, participatory processes, HR and OD.
Inducted into NTGCF fully with immersion in all the project locations across the country, including Himalayas, for developing, building shared vision. A ‘decade of learning’ of NTGCF, funded by the Dairy board, SIDA, and CIDA, was drawn. Commodity aid was monetized with Dairy board support. Neem biocide plant came into being. Its business plan was co-developed. Management information system, MIS, became robust. Geographic Information System, GIS lab was established. The National Resource Accounting System, NRAS, was advocated. Participatory practices, tools, skills were honed, and taken to the field. Human resources and organization development was also taken up with IRMA, Dairy board partnership. A 6-12 month learning programme to induct new young professionals into field-centric development practice, in the commons’ domain, was tested with 2-3 cohorts.
The scope of NTGCF’s work was transcending revenue land collectives. Gramya Jungles, Van Panchayats, grazing lands, watersheds, wastelands, landscapes. Meeting various needs of communities, in addition to, or otherwise, meeting the needs of poor, vulnerable, marginalized communities. The need for focus on ecologically fragile and marginalized zones was felt acutely. NTGCF was computerized, including remote systems hooked in. Project information was digitized. The debate on self-reliant sustained commons versus the embedded commons in the larger landscapes was intensifying. a 2-year long bottom-up shared visioning exercise was concluded, with facilitation support of a team led by legendary Udai Pareek. It paved the way for founding the Foundation for Ecological Security. NTGCF would remain a national federation of commons’ collectives.
On completing the third 10,000+ hrs, calling of the next 2-3 pushkars was knocking at Hyderabad. After preparing intensely for 3 pushkars. Not clear at that time. Maybe, for visualizing, realizing useful possibilities. People, Partners, Processes, Architecture, Frames, Resources, Systems on ‘scale’. In Livelihoods, Poverty Reduction, Development for Poor-Vulnerable-Marginalized. N-living. Can we?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, if we are at it, flowing. In N? Jeevayoga for 7L.
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