NGOs, Social Work & Social Transformation in the era of Twenty
20 Match!
- Vasudeva
Sharma N.V.*
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oday we have Twenty 20 Cricket match. We have fun and it’s thrilling. And it’s over in a few hours. You are famous overnight. Very much result oriented. Social Work is also increasingly being seen in the same manner by many – individual donors or CSR-Corporate Social Responsibility or govt or even a bilateral organisation. In this context, Michael Reisch aptly says that ‘social work practice is forced to shift from long term sustainability to short term outcomes’ (Michael Reisch, 2011)[1]. The face of ‘Social Work’ is forced to change by other agents who are behaving as ring masters than the wish of the stake holders. If we, the professional social workers succumb to this, soon all our theories of conscentisation, Community Organisation, Case work, etc may have to be restructured to suit the quick fix approach!
Social
Work and Social Workers are considered as change agents, catalysts and
facilitators who steer social change and transformation among individuals, groups
and society at large. Social Work is said to emerge in a crisis to ease
tensions and solve problems and sustain the effort. Social Work is also a
profession that maintains social order, by institutionalising preventive
measures[2].
Radical social Work
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he
very term Social Work in itself was termed as radical a few decades ego.
The moment one started thinking about the sad state of the society, its
status, situation, necessary interventions, problems faced, etc., you are
looking and thinking different. You are not in the normal situation, you are
questioning the authority, you are trying to inform the uninformed, motivating
the people who don’t have to struggle to have, and you are questioning the duty
bearers and encouraging or engaging the right holders. You are talking about
structural changes addressing the needs and requirements of the oppressed, and
then you are radical. Thus collective campaigns and collective activism were
recognised as radical social work. [These
are normally (going with the dictionary also) recognised as fundamental work,
essential, deep seated, sweeping, thorough, drastic and some time extreme,
extremist, uncompromising, militant, revolutionary, die hard...]
It
is very difficult to capture the application of radical social work for social
transformation in a definition. Again radical social work is highly contextual
and situation based. A person who advocates fundamental political, economic and
social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods is recognised as a
‘radical person’. [So, don’t miss read
it as ‘rash’ person. Many individuals who take rash actions tend to crown
themselves as radical]. Dictionary defines ‘radical’ as ‘thorough going or
extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms; a
radical change in the policy of a group or a company’[3].
·
The Social Work Dictionary defines radical
social work as, ‘An orientation in
social work that focuses on the injustices in institutions, culture, and social
practices that cause further disadvantage to the poorest and most vulnerable
groups. (Barker, R.L., (2003). The Social Work Dictionary. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.:
NASW Press.)
·
Seek to change
oppressive institutions and practices primarily through social and political
activism and organizing communities rather than through case-by-case
interventions. (Barker, R.L., (2003).The Social Work Dictionary.
5th ed. Washington, D.C.: NASW Press.)
The most
important aspect here is that radical social work looks at fundamental changes
and addresses the issues at a macro level, than addressing individual cases at
micro level. E.g, as and when the state
tries to shirk its responsibility of welfare, services to the people, the need
for thinking differently becomes inevitable. You can engage yourself in providing
services to a child, a family or a group or to a community. But, when you start
questioning the system, ‘why’ this situation is and address the root causes,
policy, programme, and target the law makers and the administration in a
strategic manner, you enter the sphere of radical interventions or radical
social work demanding for equitable social development.
There is a
slight difference between what we studied in social work classes to what we are
observing in social work practice. By this I am not undermining the social work
studies. The schools of social work are teaching us about long term sustainable development plans as a core
value. But the Govt and the NGOs are getting satisfied by short term gains, I
mean short term benefits. The terms like sustainability, long term vision,
sustained development, etc., are slowly disappearing in the so called one year
development plans. (From 5 day test cricket matches, we found results in one
day matches, now more than the result you want thrill. So enters Twenty 20!).
So also the murky tripartite understanding of Corporate, Govt and NGOs in fixed
(match) developments in short durations! They are misrepresenting social
dependency models as ‘social work’. Social Work should be seen from Paulo
Freire’s conscientization point of view, ‘the process of developing critical
awareness of one’s social reality through reflection and action’ for social
transformation.
Look at
some of the recent development political mantras
that said to bring change in the society! ‘Cash transfer and doling of ration
to family’ is forced on the people, who would not even question it now. They
see the money in their account and provisions at their door steps, but not the
consequences they may have to face in the coming days - shrinking allocations
by the Governments to social welfare.
You question this as a responsible social worker, with a radical mind,
but get branded as anti-establishment, so anti social! So also when you
understand that there is some fishy dealings in the Anganawadi food procurement and supply and raise it in an
appropriate platform, you are actually risking your life! So, most chose
otherwise. (Satyam brooyat, Priyam
brooyat, Na brooyat satyamapriyam!
Let Mahatma, probably the most radical social workers of the last
century rest in peace).
Social Work for Social
Transformation
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hile
respecting the need for service delivery in some sectors we have experienced per se social work being largely
misunderstood as social service in the current context, has largely compromised
with the ruling class and community. Such groups also fall in line to take ill
designed and under budgeted Government programmes and projects and struggle to
meet the so called goals and objects. I strongly feel that such sub contracting
of Govt. Projects and programmes are responsible for slow growth and puts off
the fire of ‘rights’ based approach.
Rajaram
Mohan Roy raised a question on the situation of widows and said that they too
are human beings. Basava, a 12th Century thinkier, questioned the caste
class structure and saw a radical possibility of equality. But, many of these
could not be digested by the then society.
Dr.Sudarshan,
who initiated Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra-VGKK in Biligiri Rangana
Hills, Chamarajanagara, Karnataka, raised the rights issue with respect to
tamarind trees ownership in the tribal habitats in the forests. He argued that
the tree patta/ownership title deed
should be of the family and the man of the family cannot be the sole decision
maker. This questioned the very fundamental belief of the social system. The
Government, tribal jury, leaders and the middlemen who were making the most
profits by deceit practices were shocked. Dr.Sudarshan’s perspective towards breaking
the cycle of exploitation and ending impoverishment, indebtedness, gave a radical touch to the whole development social
movement in the region.
Most
radical social workers are not from schools of social work Dr.Sudarshan,
Mr.Hiremath or Ms. Aruna Roy or Mr.Aravind Kejriwal. There are exceptions like
Prof. HMM or Ms.Medha Patkar who are from schools of social work but continued
to question and took radical steps in upholding the rights of the people.
Going with
the good old Social Work terms, these are efforts to reduce structural
exploitation; reduce inequality and societal transformation, through
questioning, thinking about an alternative, finding a new perspective and
organising people around an idea. For that matter Gandhi could be the best
example for ‘radical thinking and radical approaches to address an issue’. The
radical social work approaches once opposed are now part of the ‘new society’;
order and the way of living. But, still there are very many areas which need
intervention, rather radical intervention, using social work methods.
Radical approaches
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n the midst
of several theories on radical social work and social development, there is
also an approach which claims that ‘radical social workers criticise the
state’s intervention’ (Braverman, 1970’s). I beg
to differ with Braverman’s statement.
Child
related social problems are endless. Government, NGOs, international bodies,
now CSR all are attempting to address them: homelessness, orphans, destitute,
disability, cruelty, discrimination, malnourishment, deaths (IMR U5MR), child
marriages, child labour, devadasi
system, trafficking, infanticide, what not? When the Govt or international
bodies are failing to solve the problems, the societies apathy towards the
burning issues, local governments and peoples representatives (MLAs and MPs),
media are not bothered about them who should raise voice? Do you expect
children to come up in groups and masses to come out on streets to demand?
Who raises
voice for them? Most NGOs indulge in providing
services in a ‘piece meal approach’.
You just treat the symptoms or the wounds seen over the skin and feel good
about it. Even the victims will praise you. The govt just wants this and
provides inadequate (sic) funds in
various names. Corporate Social Responsibility also echoes the same mantra. Only few look beyond the
symptoms. What are the causes? Here you start Questioning. Question the
inadequacies and demand for rights and the privileges to live as human being in
the society. There you enter the sphere of Radical thinking – radical social
work and development.
Raise
questions on the fundamental aspects, the root causes, take a step to straighten
the law makers, catch hold of the media to write on real issues, pull up the
local government and wake them up with real facts... and make the system work,
move the rusted wheels turn to act. If need be, oil them... that is radical and
such social work interventions are needed to bring social transformation now.
For our
discussion, I have taken methods in radical social work as referred by Ana
Miljenovic[4] Radical Social work for
social change- a. Demonstrative
Activities; b. Cooperative
Activities; c. Formative
Activities; d. Transformative
Activities. I also connect some of our works and
experiences from the field to them.
1.
Demonstrative Activities: We had a
long standing question, about Grama Panchayats, the village level local self
governments: why they are not taking responsibility of the children in their
jurisdictions? (Bellary district, 2003)[5] This was a new and amusing
question to the Panchayats and the
Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, GoK. We asked them some
obvious questions, ‘do you know that there are children in your villages?’ This
followed by, ‘can you tell how many children are there in your Panchayat?’
Although the GP members accepted the existence of children, they were not aware
of the number of children, male female break up or the status of the children –
health, protection, birth and death rate, school drop out, child labour, Sc/St,
minority, etc. What followed was a demonstration of data collection and
analysis about children in about 15 Grama Panchayats and presentation of the
same to the Panchayat community, comprising of elected representatives, service
providers, children and adults. A startled GP members and service providers
found that given a chance, with information, community and children can
participate and raise issues for solutions.
What followed was getting a Government approval in the form of a
circular to conduct formal, ‘Child Rights Special Grama Sabhas’ in every Grama
Panchayat of Karnataka (RDPR, 2006). Today you find children actively
participating in the special Grama Sabhas and getting solutions to the problems
they are facing.
From Panchayats, let us move to the State level. Can you expect
the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to talk about children passionately
in Assembly meetings? It is happening now in Karnataka. Legislators not only
raise questions and ask the Govt to take stands on child rights issues, they
are now organised into Karnataka Legislators’ Forum for Child Rights. They show
interest and seek information to protect the interests of the children.
These are examples from radical demonstrative activities where
such an intervention was not in existence considering children as citizens of
this country and also confirmed that people, including children have capacities
and with information can take responsibilities too.
2.
Cooperative Activities: We keep
hearing about people and organisations coming together for a cause or a purpose.
Such coming together for a common cause or purpose is also referred as
networking. Building alliances, collaborations, coalitions and forming into
groups is a legitimate method to apply pressure to demand justice. Alliances
are formed for a wide range of issues now a day at local level and national and
international level. What is radical in this is holding on to the network and
its cause for a sustained period and moving ahead from one level to another.
With groups having a child rights perspective, we initiated KCRO-Karnataka
Child Rights Observatory.
Another example in this
sector is the Annual Children’s Parliament and interaction with the Chief Minister
of Karnataka at Vidhana Soudha. This
is a cooperative effort between NGOs with KCRO network and the Karnataka
Legislators’ Forum for Child Rights.
3.
Formative Activities: In our
pursuit to spread awareness and educate the concerned stake holders, we go on
our own (self invited) to various forums and educational institutions to share
our experiences. Motivating the students (social work, women’s studies, media,
sociology and political science) to learn about the situation of children from
rights perspective and take up evidence based studies in the society and document
the learning for better action. Although it is not rocket technology, it is a
special and specific knowledge transfer to put an element of rationale in the minds
of the future professionals.
4.
Transformative Activities: The
activity which need long term follow up and patience to see that legislative
reforms are brought in. In the last 25 years we have seen several laws formed
and changed in the interest of children. eg., RTE, JJ Act, Child Marriage
Prohibition Act. All these were possible due to radical thinking and approaches
by some individuals or groups. This also includes legal activism. Taking the
right questions to the courts on the situation of children. I can also cite the
‘Question Hour Analysis’ of the business of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly
and Council of Karnataka to fix the responsibility of the legislators for the
welfare of children, who are the most oppressed and voiceless.
Conclusions
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ith all
these, if you think radical social work has found its place among social
workers, you are wrong. Almost all the radical social work approaches for
social transformation are seen as ‘trouble making’ (who throw stones into still
waters). Radical is right based approach. When you question the system, which
is in order (!) from many decades the system refuse to change. If we have to
have social development in a sustainable manner, the only way now is to go on questioning
the exploitative, oppressive order.
You are not
liked by Government, but media loves you momentarily (as long as you give them
juicy news), support agencies or funding agencies distance themselves away from
you and even the social work associations keep you at bay! The Association is
very weak and does not recognise the radical social work approach as important.
Police are not happy if you desperately come on the street questioning their
authority or inability to protect; courts sulk when you doubt their ability in
some obvious cases when they delay justice; media is unhappy when you want more
space for real social issues!
Similarly,
even now not all social work education institutions have taken practitioners to
teach the social work students on practical and radical social work approaches.
Mere theoreticians will not be equipping the future social workers, rather the
most required radical social workers. With
these discussions, I foresee in the near future schools of social work
documenting the experiences of radical social work in India and thereby
evolving theories to equip the budding social workers.
###
[1] Being a Radical Social
Worker in Reactionary Times, Michael Reisch, Keynote Address to the 25th
Anniversary Conference of the Social Welfare Action Alliance Washington, DC –
June 10, 2011
http://www.socialwelfareactionalliance.org/reisch_keynote_110610.pdf
* N.V. Vasudeva Sharma, Executive Director, Child Rights Trust,
4606, 6th Floor High Point IV, Palace Road, Bangalore 560001 Mob.
09448472513 vadeshanv@gmail.com
Former
Member, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Former
Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee, Bangalore
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