ASSEFA, member of the Asian Solidarity Economy Council (ASEC) and thus RIPESS, is a Gandhian Organization working in Tamil Nadu that started with the blessings of Acharya Vinoba Bhave (Ghandi’s spiritual successor) in 1968 as the second phase of Bhoodan Movement, the ‘Bloodless Revolution’, a voluntary land reform movement started by Bhave in post-Independent India.
ASSEFA has been working for the social development of rural women and the population of the rural areas of South India since its inception. They have just organized a series of workshops followed by conferences during the month of September 2024, as part of remembrance of the following great souls:
- Acharya Vinoba Bhave, 130, the father of Bhoodan Movement
- J C Kumarappa, 132, the father of Green Economy
- Prof. Giovanni Ermiglia, 120, the Italian Gandhi
- Mahatma Gandhi, 155, the father of non-violence
The conferences included:
- Sustaining the livelihoods of rural women on Sept 03, 2024
- Social security for milk producers on Sept 06, 2024 and
- Land, soil and water for improved agriculture on Sept 11, 2024.
Prior to the workshops and conferences, the team has been working on preparations for the last three months, including discussions with the respective groups (women’s self-help groups, dairy groups, farmers‘ groups) to understand the challenges and problems they face; subsequent meetings with zonal level federations (federations of self-help groups, dairy groups and farmers’ groups) to assess solutions to the problems. Subsequently, a mitigation process was designed, including roles and responsibilities at each level, partners in these noble works and their necessary support. Finally, these resolutions were finalised and timetables were agreed upon in order to reach the final phase of adopting the resolutions at the conferences.
- Outcome of WOMEN’s Conference:
The conference was attended by about 424 women leaders / representatives of the SHGs from different areas. The women leaders came up with 24 resolutions, which are revolved around the following themes.
- Economic freedom and non-dependence by the women
- Savings by women for asset creation in their names
- Improving health and well-beings of women
- Empowering women through education and strengthening community support systems.
Priority Program: ASSEFA is proposing to assist 100 vulnerable women – widows, homeless, single mothers… by constructing houses with titles in their names in a three years period.
- Outcome of DAIRY FARMERS’ conference:
The conference was attended by about 1,235 milk producers. These milk producers came up with 15 resolutions, of which some of the important resolutions are highlighted.
- Social pension for the milk producers
- Make dairy as the main occupation through promoting mini dairy by 2030.
- Establish Cow shelters to accommodate aged cows instead of disposing it for other purposes.
- Promote Institute for educating youths with diploma or degree in animal husbandry/ veterinary science and ensure that 20% of the village income should be from dairy enterprises.
- Quality and nutritive food materials for milk producers and cows through ASSEFA Food mart.
Priority Program: Help these milk producers to build the required facilites. This will enable them to use this fund for buying new animals, maintain existing animals, construct cowshed, etc., on revolving basis, to accelerate the process of reaching out 20% of village income from dairy enterprises in 100 villages in the next three years period.
Outcome of AGRICULTURE FARMERS’ conference:
The conference was attended by about 507 farmers. These farmers had come up with 21 resolutions, of which some of the important resolutions are:
- Enriching soil fertility with biological manure and through natural process
- Strengthening water bodies to harvest and store rainwater for irrigation purposes
- Promote natural farming practices
- Production for local consumption. Surplus for the neighborhood.
- Warehouse to manage price fluctuation in the market
- Establish village development service centres to assess the soil fertility, water availability and change in climate as well as to guide the farmers to cultivate suitable crops accordingly.
- Calculate the inflow and outflow of the resources from the villages at least once a year.
Priority Program: Proposing to plant 100 fruit trees in each village for 100 villages. This will enable not only farmers to earn regular income, but also improve positive environmental practices.
Conclusion:
The three sections in the villages – women, milk producers and agriculture farmers, have come out with solutions for their respective present challenges. These are presented asRESOLUTIONS in the respective conferences.
ASSEFA is designing programs other than these priority ones, based on the resolutions. They will be shared with our friends and well-wishers who want to be part of this noble task.
The full report, consisting of 30 pages of these conferences are available and will be shared based on the request to assefaho@gmail.com.
