vikalp sangam (alternatives confluence)
TRANSCRIPT
Vikalp Sangams (Alternatives Confluences): practical collaborations, collective visioning of futures in India
India: alternative initiatives for well-being
Water
Crafts
Shelter
Food
Energy
Governance
Livelihoods
Conservation
Village revitalisation
Urban sustainability
Learning
Health
Producer companies
Inclusion
Sexuality
Gender
Adivasi / Dalit
Objectives
• Documentation and outreach • Sharing and cross-sectoral learning • Collaborations • Collective visioning of well-being
• Greater political mass for change
Vikalp Sangams (regional)Andhra Pradesh, Oct 2014Tamil Nadu, Feb 2015Ladakh: July 2015Maharashtra, October 2015Kachchh, July 2016W. Himalaya, Aug 2016Kerala, Apr 2017
(thematic)Energy democracy: March 2016Food sovereignty : 2016 & 2017Youth visions: early 2017Adivasi livelihoods: 2018Learning and education: 2018Arts & media: 2017?
or www.alternativesindia.orgwww.vikalpsangam.org
Visioning the future, grassroots-upBreaking through rigid ideological barriers
Ecological resilience & wisdom(conservation of nature, sustainable use, respecting planetary limits)
Radical democracy(decision-making by citizens, accountable representative institutions, ecoregional units)
Economic democracy(means of production in hands of producers, localised self-sufficiency, economy of caring/sharing)
Social justice & wellbeing(equity in gender, class, ability, etc; castelessness, non-dualism; satisfaction, happiness, social relations, peace)
Culture & knowledge diversity(knowledge as commons, respecting cultural/ethnic diversity, democratic R&D)
Towards a sustainable, just and equitable society 5 interconnected, integrated spheres
• Autonomy, freedom (swaraj)• Diversity and pluralism (vividhata)• Self-reliance for basics (swavalamban)• Cooperation, collectivity, and ‘commons’ • Rights with responsibilities/duties• Dignity of labour (shram)• Respect for subsistence • Qualitative pursuit of happiness• Equity / equality • Simplicity, enoughness (aparigraha)• Decision-making access to all• Respect for all life forms
At the foundation:
Values & principles
Eco-swaraj: Radical ecological democracy
(Radical = going to the roots, challenging the conventional)
achieving human well-being, through: – empowering all citizens & communities to participate in
decision-making– ensuring socio-economic equity & justice – respecting the limits of the earth
Community (collectives of various kinds, internally interrogated) as basic unit of organisation, not state or private corporation
Other visioning processes
India’s Future: • 30 essays (academics,
activists, community practitioners)
• fictional dreams• artist’s visions
Roohi, APU
Youth visions …
Youth Vikalp Sangam, Feb 2017Sylvia, APU
Commons
Solidarity economy Degrowth
Buen vivir / sumaq kawsayUbuntu / ukama / unhu
Ecofeminism
Agroecology / permaculture
Biocivilisation
Ecosocialism
ZapatistaKurdish Rojava Kyosei
Country
Localisation
Alternative practices & visioning across the world
Other visioning processes …
Global futures: • worldviews dialogue• Post-Development Dictionary• Global Vikalp Sangam?
Vikalp Sangam Core Group Kalpavriksh, Deccan Development Society (DDS), Bhoomi College, Shikshantar, Timbaktu Collective, Development Alternatives (DA), SOPPECOM, Gene Campaign, BHASHA, Kriti Team, Centre for Equity Studies (CES), URMUL, National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM), Peoples’ Science Institute (PSI), Maati, Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), Ekta Parishad, South Asian Dialogue on Ecological Democracy (SADED), Knowledge in Civil Society (KICS), North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS), ACCORD, Centre for Education and Documentation, Centre for Environment Education, reStore, ComMutiny: The Youth Collective, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Ektha, Students’ Environmental and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (SLC-IT), Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation (LAMO), Local Futures, Sahjeevan, Samvedana, Dharamitra, Video Volunteers, Ideosync, Greenpeace India, MAKAAM, Sambhaavnaa, Jagori Rural, Deer Park, Blue Ribbon Movement; and Sushma Iyengar and Dinesh Abrol
Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh, Vikalp Sangam, & ICCA Consortium
For continuing the dream …