Social Development
Perspectives
In
India many of the developmental theories and approaches remained
ineffective in alleviating problems of poverty, inequalities and social
injustice in the society. This is the stark reality and bitter
experience of the Government, and the Church as well as the non-church
organisations. During the Second half of the 20th century, the
Dependency Theory of Development with its charity approach became less
relevant and gave way to the Institutional Model of Development based on
the 'Trickle Down Theory'. In developing countries between 1950 and
1980 we witnessed unprecedented growth of Governmental and
Non-Governmental Organisations in education, health and development
sectors.
In
India, after independence, the Government initiated the five-year plans
towards the development of the country. Economic development through
agriculture and industry was the main thrust of these five year plans.
The Government came forward with many programmes most of which were
vertical and were planned at national or state capitals and many NGOs
had the same type of involvement based on the institution model. They
had a dream that increased agricultural and industrial production based
on advanced technologies and modernisation will bring changes in the
pattern of life where development was measured mostly by economic
indications. But there was no change in the society automatically.
The
failure of the many government schemes is explicit from the statement of
Mr Rajiv Gandhi that out of every rupee sent from the Rajdhani (capital)
only 15 paise reached the village for implementation of rural
development programmes. The 'trickle down' approach to development
increased the inequalities and remained confined to a few pockets and
benefited an insignificant part of the population and thereby failed to
bring about changes in the living conditions and attitudes of the people
at large, especially the poor and the marginalised.
During
the seventies many national and international agencies began to reassess
their strategies and approaches. The emergence of the justice model of
development in the late seventies promoted the values of equality,
social justice and a 'bottom-up' approach. Poverty, underdevelopment and
many hazards of life were seen as the result of man made unjust social
systems which need to be changed by the collective action of the people.
Through a process of awareness and popular education or social education
the poor began to realise the need for getting organised to regain their
stolen humanity and self dignity and collaborate to bring a just
society. Many were attracted to this model in the development activities
and in different parts of the country people's movements began to take
up various social issues affecting their health and development.
These
new outlooks had greater impact on the Church too. The different models
of development evolved in course of time in the Church could not bring
desired results in social transformation. The Charity or pity oriented
model, Institution model, the input model, the welfare model, etc., were
showing only the emptiness and inabilities of the systems to effectively
introduce social transformation. In fact these efforts only promoted a
'beggar culture'.
This being the overall picture, the conditions prevalent in
Gorakhpur division were not much different. The report of our Regional
Superior presented at the silver jubilee celebration of the CST Fathers
in the Northern Mission reads as follows:
"There
was a time when we found satisfaction in doing charitable works, and
implementing projects for the welfare of the poor rural people, in which
the participation of the people was almost nil. People looked upon us as
agents of a charitable association doling out money and materials to
make roads, to dig wells and construct houses. I remember in Domraiaganj,
some people once came to meet the Fathers there asking for 'Sahabs who
got wells dug and roads made'. These programmes did help individuals but
never made the people to change their attitudes or to improve their life
situations."
The
project approach was totally dissatisfying because programmes and
strategies were designed according to the project holder's need.
Benefits offered through these projects usually reached to those well
placed in that particular area; leader's attention was focused on
completing the programmes and thus, central concern became the projects
and not the people. No sooner the completion of the programmes, the
influence and contact in the villages came to an end. Hence, pertinent
are the words of Fr. Jean Vianney, a pioneer in this Diocese, with
experience of many years, "as long as we are giving and distributing,
people are with us, and as we stop distribution, people disappear and
stand against us as if we were their worst enemies".
This
harsh reality compelled the social workers and policy makers here in
Gorakhpur to change the methodology and approach towards an integrated,
participatory and sustainable development. It was found that all our
hard works never helped people for a qualitative social change. Hence,
we started the Justice model of development commonly known as Animation
model or Empowerment model. In this process of empowerment people are
awakened to ask radical/critical questions to themselves, confront with
the current unsatisfactory structures of oppressions and visualise for a
new society where human dignity, equality and social justice will reign
supreme. In turn, they are motivated to commit themselves to act and
create a new world of realities and a new home for themselves.
Further, animation is an awakening and action oriented process aimed at
social transformation affecting at general level, all people, and at
specific level, the poorest and the marginalised and the most
disadvantaged. It initiates the dynamics in a person to rediscover his
inner potentialities whereby he thinks, reflects decides and acts
individually as well as member of a community and generate a desire and
determination to work for the fullness of life for oneself and for the
community. Thus this process enables persons and communities to assert
their rights as human beings and struggle to change the situations of
marginalisation, exploitation and dehumanisation.
