Partners

Current Partners

Northeast Resource and Social Work Network (NERSWN)

The Northeast Region Research and Social work Network NERSWN is a professional organization of Bodo social workers. NFI has begun a partnership with NERSWN to work in a relief camp for victims of the long-standing armed conflict between Bodos and Santhals.

This work is carried out at various levels: first, strengthening the school for the Adivasi children by recruiting youth teachers from among the relief camp community and constant handholding in the running of the school. The second level relates to introducing self help activities among the women in the relief camp. The third focuses on seeking out ways and means of bringing together youth and children, men and women of diverse communities of Adivasis, Muslims and Bodos through various activities like friendly football matches and drawing competitions between Adivasi schools and schools where Muslim children go, and bringing Bodo and Adivasi women together in self help group activities such as weaving, vegetable vending and making handicrafts. It is hoped that such interactions will pave the way for reconciliation and ultimately, a shared vision for a peaceful society.

Film on grassroots organizations in the Northeast by Pankaj Butalia

NFI has engaged Mr Pankaj Butalia, a filmmaker of repute, to capture through his lens the challenges experienced by partner NGOs in making social change happen.

This partnership has made significant headway. Pankaj visited the SNEHA school in November, and brought to the table the viewpoint that it is indeed possible to run a  school of high quality in one of the remotest and most alienated areas of the country. Pankaj is contemplating a detailed report on his observations along with the digital film.

He also participated in the seminar hosted by the ANT and NFI in the Northeast in December to develop a better understanding of civil society dilemmas in the region. One of his earlier films, Manipur Song, was made with support from NFI and has been telecasted by a prominent national media channel, the NDTV.

Old Partners

Grants were made to study the impact of conflict (OKDISCD, Assam) and examine the existence of local peace building initiatives (Centre for Peace Education, Manipur) in areas that are affected by armed conflict. The program also supported an International Seminar (Council for Social Development) and a colloquium (DCRC, Delhi University). NFI on its own also conducted a national level seminar to understand civil society’s perspectives and responses as a critical stakeholder in the negotiations for peace and justice in a highly fragmented society.

The OmeoKumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development (OKDISCD),Assam

The Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development reported from Assam that “the inter-ethnic conflict between Bodos and Adivasis has led to many ‘negative’ changes’ in the sphere of social interaction (which includes social as well as economic relationship) among the two communities. The findings suggested that there has been gradual erosion in the inter-community amity over the years. It was felt that the problems of hostility, deep rooted hatred, fear, anger, biased views, stereotyping, lost empathy and compassion prevented communities and groups from achieving a just and durable peace. The study suggests ‘peace education’ to address this problem.

Centre for Peace Education, Manipur(CFPEM) and Aman Trust, Delhi

A grant was given to AMAN Trust and Centre for Peace Education (CEPE) located within the Department of Political Sciences, Manipur University to conduct workshops in Manipur with NGO leaders and peace activists from diverse communities. The final workshop was held at Imphal from 28th to 31st May 2008. The workshop traced the political, social and cultural history of Manipur. Participants made a district wise presentation of the political and social problems, activities of their respective organizations and future needs. Conversations also brought out interesting accounts of various movements that Manipuri women have launched, either in history or in contemporary times, the ethnic profile of the state that has as many as 33 ethnic groups alongside Muslims, Caste Hindus, and Sikhs.  It is not difficult to imagine how the state and diverse ethnicites reel under low-intensity, armed conflicts.

Interestingly, a research conducted by AMAN Trust under NFI’s Elementary Education programme in Manipur and Nagaland also talked about the need for a Peace course in the Northeastern states that could focus on a specific target group, exploring possibilities of devising special curriculum for victims of conflict, making participation of the whole community in the process of education for peace and training of teachers on peace education,etc.

NFI was keen to translate the recommendation of AMAN and OKDISCD’s research work into action. Thus, NFI is now going to support education and livelihood work for children and women of ‘Adivasi’ (Santhal) community, who are still languishing in the relief camps in Bodoland, some 13 years into the violent conflicts between them and Bodos.

Council for Social Development

Council for Social Development organized an international seminar to mark the 100th year of publication of Mahatma Gandhi’s seminal work, Hind Swaraj. Titled ‘Social Development and the Human Civilisation in the 21st Century”, this seminar was jointly organized by CSD, Delhi University, JNU, Jamia Milia Islamia and India International Centre. Peace was the theme for one of the five panel sessions.  In this three days conference the questions ranged from development, democracy and self-determination to freedom and equality related to gender, caste, ethnic identity and class. The vision of peace and world order arising out of the values of swaraj at every level formed a major arena of discussions at this event. Around a hundred grass-roots movement activists shared their experiments in Gram Swaraj. Many scholars presented as many as eighty papers that attracted the interest of College and University students who showed up in large numbers.  The diversity of backgrounds and orientations enriched the quality of debates.

The Developing Countries Research Centre(DCRC), Delhi University

The Developing Countries Research Centre at Delhi University held the twentieth colloquium on February 28 and 1 March 2009.The colloquium centered on the issue of Grassroots Politics: Reflections on the Past and Visions for the Future.  Of the character of grassroots politics, the significant dimensions identified were those of agenda, agency, arenas of action, relationship with mainstream politics and the new forms of action. Of the relationship between social science and social movements, the Colloquium began and ended with discussions on the ideas that guided the work of the DCRC so far and what is envisaged for the future.