A Non-Partner’s perspective of the Partners Meet
How easy it is to label things and get carried away by the implications of that label. A Partners Meet must clearly be for our NGO ‘Partners’. The themes and discussions must be beneficial to their work and from a development perspective. It would probably help them to work more effectively for the marginalized sections of the society.
Ergo, if you are not a partner or working in this field, this might probably be of little relevance.
I think this attitude probably sums up why problems never get solved in our country. .. Because we never think of ourselves as part of the solution.
This partner’s meet was about ‘Inclusive Education’ and ‘Child Participation’.
Are these really just relevant only for child rights activists? And of course the ‘government’, our favorite target for anything and everything. With the term conveniently meaning a set of people somewhere in the periphery disconnected from us of course.
Sitting over the three days at the workshop, and learning so much I never knew, I couldn’t help but wonder why I came into this thinking it would be beneficial only from a point of view of my work. I probably took away more for myself personally. I remember wishing there were more non-partners- parents, students, mentors- privy to the thought provoking presentations and discussions.
Not so we could empower others but ourselves.
How many of us, as students, have really looked around to see if our colleges and schools were/are disable friendly? While dropping off your child to school or attending a PTA meet, do you think about inclusive education? Is the same school practicing that?
Do we know what effective child participation means? Is it being practiced in our own homes with our own children?
None of these issues will be tackled effectively if we don’t stop labeling and delegating the responsibility of solving it to ‘them’. Them- the government. Them- the NGOs. Them- the activists.
What about you and me?
-Pooja
2 comments:
Excellent perspective from being a "non partner" - but you are a partner in the process the moment you think about them in these lines. The problem of Indian psyche is the attitude of indifference. We don't try to introspect or internalize. It is always easy to keep the problem and solution outside rather than inside. That process of inward looking is very essential be it development, empowerment or spirituality. Thanks for taking this up.
Ranga
I don't think it's just the Indian perspective...more like the perspective of any one who hasn't been actually involved in activism or at least awareness...starting to volunteer at ILP allows me to think of what the Ed. System is teaching and how well they'r doing it, but otherwise, there always seemed to be bigger-more personal-things to worry about.
Tharindri
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