Achieving community – designed

social development by breaking down

the intervener/beneficiary divide

Making Every Voice Count:

Creating Safe Spaces for Young
People to be Heard & Heeded

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 1

 The Big Problem & Its Root Causes
Big Problem
Social development initiatives
NOT designed/owned by
community members & NOT
SUSTAINABLE therefore. YOUNG
PEOPLE FROM MARGINALISED
COMMUNITIES – LEAST HEARD.
Relevance Sustainable Development is the global
goal for 2016 – 30 and the ultimate aim
of all social developmental initiatives
Scale This problem affects all marginalised
communities globally - most of all,
children from such communities

Root cause 1 Root cause 2 Root cause 3

Global/ Indian assumption
that educated urban middle
class social development
professionals know best –
saviour role – with
beneficiary communities
being viewed as victims.
ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA
Prevalent Indian/ south Asian
culture of denying young
people’s agency, choice and
consent – leading to
negligible role of young
people in decision making
with regard to their own
lives.
Token presence of young
people from marginalised
communities in child related
policies & programming –
their felt needs and
experiences not voiced/
heard/ addressed.
Our focus
2
 “
We are the ones
we've been
waiting for
“
Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 3

 A Case-Study of Successful Sustainable Change through
Community-led Intervention:
A Departure from the Big Problem
Kalighat Red Light Area, Kolkata, West Bengal
Before DIKSHA
1. Forced second/ third generation entry
into the sex-trade for girls
2. Inevitable sucking-in of boys into
bootlegging, drug-peddling and pimping
3. Child Sexual Abuse: ‘normal’ and
‘inevitable’ for girls, ‘non-existent
for boys
4. More than 90% children would drop out
from school between classes VI and IX
5. 70% children engaged in labour
6. High rate of underage marriage for girls
ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA
After DIKSHA
1. Forced entry into the sex-trade for girls entirely
eliminated
2. Not a single male youth from the generation with
whom the initiative was started is into pimping
3. Child Sexual Abuse: 100% reporting and
community-level prevention for both girls
and boys
4. More than 90% children passing the tenth
standard exam at least and many enrolling for
higher studies
5. Children engaged in labour reduced to 23.18% -
some of them in family run businesses
6. Not a single case of underage marriage for girls
after 2009
4
 How this Change has been Achieved
Youth Leadership Development
• Community youth have been
educated about their rights
and responsibilities; enabled to
identify situations of rights
violations; and prevent,
challenge, resist and redress
rights violations through
direct participation.
ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA
Building Bridges
• Direct connection has been
established between
marginalised youth and bodies
of power (police, elected
representatives at the local
level, school teachers,
employers of child labour . . .)
• Community adults have been
sensitised to form backup
support teams for young
leaders
The Significant Departure Points
• Marginalised young people are
educated and empowered to
chart out the development
goals for their own
communities
• Role of NGO is changed to
‘facilitator’ from ‘saviour’
• Inevitable snowballing and
sustainability – visible through
change of intervention focus
5
 Lessons from this Success Informing the Current Vision
1. When aiming at systemic change, young people from marginalised communities constitute the
most suitable population segment to work with – because they are marginalised by age, in
addition to all the other marginalisations like economic class and social status that their
community as a whole suffers from; also because behaviour change is more effectively achievable
among the young since values, attitudes and practices are still at a formative stage.
2. Sustainable change deeply entrenched in the community’s changed practices and behaviour can
be achieved only when the wall between the NGO intervener/ saviour and the beneficiary
community/ victim is broken down to allow a system of the beneficiaries becoming the
interveners themselves. When applied to young people, it implies creating safe spaces for them
to be heard and heeded.
3. The role of NGO personnel needs to change from the intervener to the facilitator offering
marginalised youth:
a) The information about their rights and responsibilities
b) The tools and techniques to map how and where the violations happen, as also to prioritise
which areas need to be addressed first and which later – on the basis of which interventions
need to be designed
c) Leadership skills with which the youth will implement the programme and influence
behaviour change
d) The non-negotiable values of equity and justice that must guide the implementation

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 6

 “
Whatever you
can do or dream
you can; begin it.
Boldness has
genius, power
and magic in it.
Begin it now.
“
Goethe

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 7

 Ensuring Sustainable Change through
Community-led Initiatives
By Empowering Youth from Marginalised Communtiies to Lead Social Change

OLD SYSTEM: NEW SYSTEM:

Interventions for Youth UNINFORMED by their
Concerns & Voices Marginalised Youth-led Interventions
Actors: Actors:
• Grassroots level CBOs & NGOs
• INGOs & NGOs
• Bigger NGOs & INGOs
• Donor agencies • Donor agencies
• Relevant Government Departments/ Bodies • Relevant government departments/ bodies

Relationships:
• Saviour/ Victim dichotomy between
interveners and beneficiaries
Purpose:
• Long-term/ permanent role of INGOs & NGOs
as interveners with no sustainable change, and
no exit policy, therefore
Relationships:
• Beneficiaries co-create their future along with
NGO interveners – dichotomy eradicated
Purpose:
• Social development solutions sustainable as
co-created by marginalised youth
• The role of NGOs change from saviours to
facilitators

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 8

 The Proposed Scale-up Venture
Skilled in mapping Informed about their Grassroots level NGOs
areas of violations rights & responsibilities working with youth ICPS Structures
UNICEF
Skilled leaders 12 – 21 year old Partners to
able to negotiate Schools
girls and boys Influence
and influence Directorate of
others Child Rights &
Trafficking
Marginalised Youth
Having direct leading their own Donor agencies
access to bodies of supporting child
power development agenda related initiatives

Relevance to the Big Problem:

No intervener/ beneficiary divide
Interventions designed & implemented
by beneficiaries Youth-led Sustainable Change
Programme Focus & Strategies tailor-
made for the beneficiary community

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 9

 KEY STEPS to achieve VISION.
All CPCs are led by youth
Capacity Building of Youth representatives across West
Representatives in all Ward Bengal in 5 years
level Child Protection ‘Making Every Voice Count’
Committees in West Bengal in becomes the new mantra to
the next 2 years guide child rights related Breaking down the
policies and programming
intervener/ saviour
& beneficiary/
Started in select ward level
Advantages of enabling young victim dichotomy
CPCs in collaboration with
people to drive their own by empowering
agenda proven marginalised youth
another nodal agency to
Space created for further to drive their own
generate evidence
influencing
development
agenda
Other nodal agencies in other
New avenues for influencing
ward level CPCs ready to
and exploring fresh
collaborate
collaborations and
Advocacy with government for
partnerships open up for
replication across all ward
national level scale-up
level CPCs

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 10


The Core Ingredients of this Approach
Element 1
Leadership Development of Youth from
marginalised communities through
a) Awareness building by sharing information
on their rights & responsibilities
b) Skill development for mapping violations,
prioritisation of issues and working out
steps to prevent and redress such violations
THESE ARE NEEDED FOR THEM TO DRIVE THEIR
OWN DEVELPMENT AGENDA
Element 3
Youth facilitators from DIKSHA & its alliance
partners to conduct the first series of Training
of Trainers workshops to create a pool of
Master Trainers
NECESSARY TO ENSURE QUALITY CONTROL IN
THE INITIAL STAGES
ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA
Non-negotiable, absolutely
necessary for Vision
Other elements
Element 2
NGO personnel and youth from beneficiary
communities to participate together in
workshops on mapping areas of rights
violations, prioritisation and strategisation
for prevention and redressal
NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT
INTERVENTIONS ARE DESIGNED TOGETHER
Element 4
Continued handholding support by DIKSHA
and its alliance partners over a period of 12 –
18 months
THIS WOULD ADD VALUE TO QUALITY
CONTROL MEASURES, BUT NOT
INDISPENSIBLE
11
 The Inter-connectedness of the Big Problem &
the Scale-up Strategy

Intervener/Saviour: Beneficiary/Victim Dichotomy

Tokenistic community presence Surface level/ incremental changes only

Scale-up model to break down the dichotomy

Leadership development of Young people drive their own
marginalised youth development agenda

Strategy: Influencing Child Protection Committees

Utilise nodal agency status to Build alliance with other nodal agencies
create a model for replication

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 12

 Partnership Approach: West Bengal – 2017 - 2020

Direct action through capacity building & model

creation in wards where DIKSHA is nodal agency
for Child Protection Committees

Influence other nodal

agencies, UNICEF & key Influence youth related
government outfits Marginalised Youth programming by other
through Coalition for drive their own donor agencies to focus
Children’s Right to development agenda on CPCs through
Protection of which consulting
DIKSHA is a key member

Launch ‘Making Every Voice Counts’ as a campaign

using social media, online/printed journals to
address mindset issues at a larger level

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 13

 Detailing the Partnership Approach: 2017 - 2020
Already engaged
Plan to engage

Praajak: NGO leading Rupantaran: NGO

CCRP & nodal agency for working with rural
some CPCs marginalised youth

Kolkata District Child

Protection Unit:
DIKSHA
Vision: Statutory body in charge
Marginalised Youth drive their own of rolling out CPCs
development agenda
Key Step:
Directorate of Child Influencing statutory bodies in
Rights & Trafficking, West Bengal, India Social media, online &
Government of West printed journals
Bengal

UNICEF & other donor

Nodal Agencies in other
agencies supporting
CPCs spread across
youth related
different districts
programmes

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 14

 The Envisioned Process as a Whole

+ +
Vision Solutions Delivery Models Partnerships
Marginalised Youth Empowering Direct action on CPC members &
drive their own marginalised youth youth leadership nodal agencies
Development Agenda through leadership building in ward level CCRP members
Hierarchy between development CPCs where DIKSHA
Directorate of Child
interveners & workshops together is nodal agency
Rights & Trafficking,
beneficiaries break with NGO Influencing through GoWB
down as the youth representatives networking and
UNICEF
take leadership roles Getting these youth consulting
Other donor agencies
Sustainable change is to be part of Child Campaign to address
achieved Protection mindset issues Social media &
Committees journals

In 10 years time, all CPCs in India will adopt this approach

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 15
 Scale-up Strategy 2017 – 2027

Phase 1: Jan 2017 – Dec 2020 Phase 2: Jan 2021 – Dec 2024 Phase 3: Jan 2025 – Dec 2027
1. Direct action milestone: 1. Direct action milestone: Key milestones:
Ward level Child Protection DIKSHA working in 5 1. The DIKSHA approach/
Committees recognised as additional red light areas ‘Making Every Voice Count’
model CPCs 2. Influencing milestone: adopted nationally through
2. Influencing milestone: DIKSHA approach adopted integration into the
Adoption of the DIKSHA by two other states Integrated Child Protection
approach by the Directorate 3. Larger action milestone: Scheme
of Child Rights & Trafficking, ‘Making Every Voice Count’ 2. Neighbouring and other
GoWB campaign adopted by non- countries adopting the
3. Consulting milestone: At social development sector DIKSHA approach in youth
least 3 major donors agencies such as schools related programming – 3
supporting youth related (30 schools in three states) countries at least
interventions in West Bengal
adopt the DIKSHA approach
4. Larger action milestone:
‘Making Every Voice Count’
campaign is launched

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 16

 Organisational Readiness
Structures and processes
• REQUIREMENT 1: All legal
requirements in order
• REQUIREMENT 2: Networking &
Alliance building processes started,
but need to be enhanced;
government liaison especially weak
Tools and capabilities
• REQUIREMENT 1: Training of
Trainers manuals to create a pool of
young master trainers – in process
• REQUIREMENT 2: Youth facilitators
– available, but more facilitators &
additional capacity building required
ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA
Culture
• REQUIREMENT 1: Willingness to learn
& experiment; spreading the approach
rather than organisational expansion –
in place
Overall
readiness • REQUIREMENT 2: Willingness to work
in a mixed team – to be developed
Team
• REQUIREMENT 1: Team in place for
direct action areas
• REQUIREMENT 2: New team members
for liaison, networking & alliance
building; campaign launching &
documenting; and fund raising to be
recruited
17
 Major Requirements & Challenges

1. We need to diversify our donor base and double our income to

start with.

2. Since the approach is process-oriented where the numerical

coverage and the cost benefit is difficult to measure – donor
influencing is a challenge. So – efficacy & impact measurement by
a recognised agency could answer this. But again – where is the
money?

3. We need to design the ‘Making Every Voice Count: Creating Safe

Spaces for Young People to be Heard & Heeded’ campaign in a
manner that captures public imagination beyond the social
development sector – that would ease the above challenges.

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 18

 Glossary of a few Technical Terms

1. ICPS: Integrated Child Protection Scheme – being implemented by the Union and state
governments in India with financial and technical support from UNICEF India.
2. CPC: Child Protection Committees – statutory bodies being set up under the ICPS at
various levels starting from villages in rural areas (VLCPCs – Village level Child Protection
Committees) and municipal wards in urban areas (WLCPCs – Ward level Child Protection
Committees) upwards. These statutory bodies are constituted by a mix of government
and local community representatives, including children. A locally situated civil society
organisation is the nodal agency for each VLCPC/ WLCPC. DIKSHA is currently nodal
agency for Wards 82 and 83 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
3. CCRP: Coalition for Children’s Right to Protection – an alliance of civil society
organisations and individuals such as teachers, doctors etc variously connected with
children – working as an advocacy body for influencing child related policies and
programming with a focus on protection. DIKSHA is an active member of this coalition
spearheaded by Praajak, an NGO, and supported by CRY: Child Rights and You, a donor
agency.
4. CBOs, NGOs, INGOs: Community based Organisations; Non-Governmental Organisations;
International Non-Governmental Organisations
5. GoWB: Government of West Bengal

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 19

 “
Start by doing
what’s necessary;
then do what’s
possible;
and suddenly
you are doing the
impossible.
“
Francis of Assisi

ORGANIZATION – Ashoka Globalizer & DIKSHA 20