Transcript p1099_sl_upd... - AID Projects Database

Souparna Lahiri’s Saathiship
Update for 2010
Nov 21, 2010
Overview (2006 to 2010)
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Has been a Saathi since April 2006
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Concerned with the rights of the
weaker communities
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Working with movements – local,
national & international & bringing
them together
…contd.
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Building new national fronts
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Working in remote parts of Northeast
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Dissecting & understanding of national
& international policies (Climate
Change)
…contd.
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Working against disproportionate
leverage of IFIs (World Bank, IMF etc.)
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Documentation thru writing & films (1
book & 3 documentaries so far)
SL’s Work 1st Half of 2010
1. Movement building around Forest Rights
Act through NFFPFW
2. Northeast Focus on Arunachal & Sikkim
3. Climate Justice: Natn’l & Intn’l
4. Alternatives to IFI (World Bank, IMF..)
SL’s Work 2nd Half of 2010
Work on Forests Rights Act
Working in Forest Villages
Meeting with the community
Forests Rights Act, 2005
…contd. Forest Rights Act
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Ensure right to live in forest land for people
living for generations
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Collect and use minor forest produce
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Communities living before Dec 13, 2005
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Rights are heritable but not alienable or
transferable
…contd. SL’s work on Forest Rights
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Visited forest villages in North Bengal,
Jharkhand and Dibang valley in AP
Developing community rights and
governance in context of Act in Duars
region in North Bengal
Initiating interest in groups in AP to
look into their rights & implementation
of Act.
Documentary on Yazli, AP
Town of Yazli
…contd.
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Documentary Yazli released in
Itanagar, meetings with good media
coverage
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Arunachal Citizens Rights has already
distributed 1000 copies.
Work on Hydro Power Projects in Arunachal
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Working to coordinate
efforts of groups
opposing dams in AP &
Assam
Ensuring proper EIA,
Public Hearing,
Community
Participation, using RTI
etc.
SL’s Work 2nd Half of 2010
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Continuing to work on Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation in
Developing Countries (REDD)
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Tracking developments internationally on REDD as well
as other climate change issues
Trying to create awareness about the implication of
commoditization of forests for people living in these forests
Trying to facilitate a group of trade unions
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To organize implementation of core labour standards in
major infrastructure projects – power, transport, urban
development
So far there is no such effort, and no union presence in
such projects
SL Plans for the Future
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Forest Issues
Climate Change
Doing in depth studies on Weaver,
Leather Tanning, Tea industries
Arunachal Dam issues
AID’s Expectations from SL (2006)
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Northeast and Environmental Justice
Focus
Tribal Focus
Project Affected Communities Focus
Efforts to learn about policy
intervention
Bridging intellectual/policy world &
grassroots wisdom
VOTE

AID Boston votes to continue
Souparna Lahiri’s Saathiship for 2011
and approves Rs. 2,00,000