The HOPE and IDEA behind DEVELOPMENT COMMUNE

Although the concept of what is Development Commune has been there, the shape in the form of words evolved when Theoder and John met in Loyola College on 26^th February. Later joined by Francis and by Saravanan at the stage of rewriting this post

The point here is not to elaborate the kinds of problems (social, cultural, political, environmental, moral, economical etc) the world is facing in vague terms. Everyone in the society must have experienced those problems in their everyday life in one way or the other. Thus, nothing new about the issues which have direct, yet very strong impact on our family, community and collective life is brought to your attention. While we commit ourselves unavoidably to face the brutal realities of these problems, they affect us sometimes so personally. This compels us, as groups, as friends, not only to share it with each other but to find a plausible solution to these problems or how we initiate response at our level. At the same time, other concern here is that our sharing confines within the level of sharing among ourselves only and is not taking any form of development model to find solution to the conditions both  in our personal /family and community life.   

You may not have any difference of opinion in converting our concerns and sharing into some distinct and perceptible actions.  While thinking about this, some of the friends who are part of Development Commune (DC) felt the necessity of creating a space where friends with social concern come together and contribute in any form convenient and possible for them.  Through DC we would like to seek your opinion upon which way we all can contribute so as to enable a model for the entire humanity.  For example Theoder who had  a good career with a voluntary organization in a form of permanent executive job, left his job and has taken the initiative of focusing on NRM process (Air, Water, Land - of course the entire eco system in which we live).  His concerns ,like all of us, are to serve, protect the resources of the nature and use it in such a manner that it becomes sustainable; in other words, leaving the world in a shape which is recognizable to our children, their children and the generations to come. Of course, now you must have understood that the one of the crucial problems as well as the causation behind many other manifestations of societal breakdown we face today is the fear of losing our natural resources due to the callous approach towards our environment, ecology and lack of knowledge about sustainable development. 

This initiative, so far, has been in its incipient stage for a year with the presence and contribution of friends and their friends.  Now this ‘friends- circle’ needs to expand itself in order to become a vibrant movement which gives a platform for people to share their social concern and convert it into action.   

As a beginning, DC has started engaging with palm tapers in Sayalkudi area of Ramanathapuram district.  Now you may ask why palm tapers?  Ramanathapuram District is a drought prone district where palm tree thrives naturally.  Palm tree is a “karpaka virucham” (celestial tree)– to say, throughout the year all its parts support human needs and maintain ecological balance of the area which is visibly getting eroded due to socio economic changes took place in this area as in the case of many  places in the country for the last 20 years. Due to the absence of attention and support from the government, a holistic community which was surviving on palm based products lost its hope and moved to other livelihood ventures which were not as profitable as they thought. And resultantly, those who were into tapping are still sticking to tapping process not out of choice. Tapers community involves in this business as a family. It is this community, which we believe, is likely to embody the ideal behind this initiative if empowered- a model for sustainable growth with economic viability. The palm tree, a gift of the nature which is preserved by these communities hence, they need our immediate attention and support for getting the benefit from the tree.   

This is just to inform you all, one of the initiatives of Commune members. There are few more in their incubation stage. When it is ready for everybody’s view, it will be shared for your feedback and will be conceptualised and executed.  Coming back to DC and its initiative with palm commune, these communities need support and attention for many reasons. This support may come in many forms. For instance, to share this idea in the form a web site, Mr Anand and Mr Ganaseakaran have designed the website being software professionals.  Mr Elanchezhian, an educational consultant based in Pondicherry extends his contribution to the initiative through his creative writing.  Dr Pavananthi , working  with Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu has agreed to share his expertise in research, Mr Francis,  teaching in Loyola college has agreed to send some of the social work students for placement, Dr. Prakash and Dr. Kumari who work with BITS (Birla Institute of Technology and Science), Goa campus in fact mooted the idea that any engagement with community should be economically beneficial in the form of a social enterprise.  Thus each one of them has agreed to devote their time, energy and resources in myriad forms.  At this juncture this friends circle needs to expand itself to emerge as a dynamic social process leading to real transformation of community.   

During the last one year, DC was very loosely and informally engaged with few tapers:

• To instil and infuse confidence and hope in communities. There is a need to make them feel happy of what they are doing and enjoy their livelihood without any inferior attitude.
• To make their livelihood (taping palm juice, making jaggary, sugar and other palm based products) profitable, economically viable and an instrument to pull these families out of poverty.
• To facilitate credit linkages, technological innovations, market chain analysis and value chain analysis and thus developing an ecologically sensitive social enterprise.
• To create awareness and sensitize the community in maintaining the ecological balance of the area through promotion of palm trees with holistic farming.

In the subsequent steps taken in this direction, we have received  some contributions from  friends[1] to mobilise the tapers (so far seven tapers are there in Palm Commune), help them to adopt, practice better jaggary making process, ensure quality and explore the market for  better price. This is to ensure that we make some profit out of it and would be in a position to share the part of the profit with the tapers. Gradually this would help these tapers to free themselves from the clutches of traders and middlemen who usually charge usurious rate of interest for the amount borrowed. These tapers will also be supported during the lean season and with other livelihood choices based on palm products. But to sustain this initiative in different forms, DC is in the process of tapping other resources. The attempt is just begun. Soon through another posting in the blog you will be welcomed to know about it.

Meanwhile we request you all to contemplate the noble ideals behind this initiative and forward your valuable comments on how we all can take it forward and what role each of us could play at this crucial stage.

A new thinking, new energy and new action of course will ensure a new world!

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[1] So far DC has collected 135000 rupees. Theoder has contributed 100000, John 25000 and Pavananthi 10000. Friends like Saravanan, Srinivasan, Francis, Prakash have promised that they would also contribute financially in the next couple of months.