My last post

Okay so I haven’t posted in 3 months. I kept meaning too but I didn’t. So what happened over the past three months? In mid December all of the fellows got together in Navi Mumbai (read not the real Mumbai) to see how everyone was and what everyone was doing. I discovered from this that I wasn’t achieving what I could and also that maybe I wasn’t at the right NGO for me. After our 4-day conference many of the fellows headed to Jaipur so see a fellow fellow get married. It was a pretty amazing wedding, it being in Jaipur, and in a palace, and the groom coming in on an elephant. You can check out pictures here.

After midpoint I took some time to think about what I wanted to do. Should I stay or should I go. I decided I would give it 3 more months and work on the Panchayat Raj project.

In that amount of time I did some travel. I was able to visit Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Bangalore (again), Mysore, Coorg, Kannur, Cochin, Kumily, Madurai, Pondicherry, Chennai, a pilgrimage to Triputi, Hampi, Pune (again), the Ellora caves, and Hyderabad. Below are some of pictures. Unfortunately my camera went missing for some of my travels so I posted what I could.

Between my travels I was able to spend some time in the villages in northern Karnataka. Two things I learned from the village: I need a translator to understand anything, and I don’t really like the village. Second item has a lot to do with the first. It’s hard to sit through many meetings without any translation. I was also getting sick.

Between the traveling and the village visits I realized that I was ready to go home. I think that this wasn’t the time for me to be in India. I really wanted it to be since it fit into my life, but I just wasn’t ready. The work I was doing in the US was quite different than what I was able to do in India, and I liked what I was doing in the US. So that being said, I’m headed back to the good old of USA in a couple of days. That’s not to say I didn’t love India, I did and I know that I will always come back here.

South India Tour

Below are pictures from my South India tour. Places visited include-
Karnataka-Mysore and Coorg
Kerala-Kannur, Cochin, and Kumily
Tamily Nadu-Madurai, Kodaikanal, Pondicherry, and Chennai

Karnataka


Kerala




Tamil Nadu

Some pictures from the past few months

Gujurat-Ahmedabad and Bhuj-January 2007

A fellow fellows wedding

Here are some pictures from the fabulous Jaipur wedding!

Sevagram

So I’ve just returned from a 3-day conference at Sevagram. Sevagram is located in the middle of the country (in Maharasthra, nearest town in Wharda, nearest city Nagpur), and is where the Gandhi Ashram is located. Well where one of them is located. Anyway it is the site of many important meetings that happened between Gandhi and Nehru during the freedom movement so said the many signs posted there.

The conference was run by IFA (Indian Friends Association) and their partners, It was truly inspirational and it came at the right time for me. I’ve definitely been asking, ‘What am I doing here?” and this conference helped me answer that.

But first, what was this conference about? The topics discussed were broad and included things such as: the history of development perspective in India, present development models and livelihoods of poor people, community control over natural resources, and changing role of the states and fighting corruption using existing government policies, and state, corporate and other repression-the use of violence and crime for economic, political, and social ends. Some big topics right? The people who attended the conference are at the forefront of their field and have been doing this work for years, so I was extremely lucky to be there.
The conference addressed these topics but also was developing action items. One of the major goals was to bring these experts together so they can learn from each other but also so they can support one another. The other unique aspect to this conference was discussion about funding and what the relationship has been between the funder and the NGO.

Just some anonymous quotes I would like to share:

• Organizations are working in project mode, very few are working in mission mode
• A lot of our ills are due to the funds we receive
• The flow of funding decides the flow of concern
• Corruption is a disease in this country
• Weapons are for those without courage
• Nature can never be managed well unless the people closest to it are involved in its management and a healthy relationship is established between nature, society and culture.
• How do we recognize and fight a shift to corporate governance?

So, “Why am I here?” I’m here to learn.

Panchayat What?

Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile, but my internet access isn’t what is used to be! So I’ve officially been in India for 3 months. It feels like I’ve been here for a year. Sometimes I can’t believe I have SEVEN months left. I’m not miserable but exhausted. India can be extremely overwhelming, the act of buying an apple can wipe me out. I also think things I used to love are now just annoying. Food is the number one thing. I really miss American Food, primarily breakfast. Breakfast in India is like any other meal, I often have chapatti or rice in the morning when what I crave is cereal. And brunch, hmm French toast, waffles, etc. I also really miss having friends and a social life. It would be unheard of here to be out after 9:00pm.

On the bright side work is definitely getting better. I almost have a project! I’m going to study and document how one village accesses local government services through public participation. The government at this level is called the Panchayat Raj. I don’t fully understand the system yet, but the legislation was enacted in the 1970a and has very Ghandian influences. Each Panchayat has elected members and has money to allocate to village needs. I like to think of the Panchayat as a Community Board except with more power since the Panchayat has money to allocate. However just like Community Boards, there are good Panchayats and bad.

Thanks for reading, miss all of you!

Being from Two Worlds

My parent were recently in India, which was amazing. Some of you know that I cam to India on more of a personal journey. To learn the language (need to get cracking on that!), get to know my family, and learn about the Indian in me. As difficult as I'm finding this to be,its much harder for my parents. They were born in India but left to come to the US when they were around my age-so they have lied in the US longer than they lived in India. So where is there home? They have changed dramatically in the 30 years since they left India, but India has also changed! They have a harder time relating to their relatives and vice versa. At least with my relatives they know I'm from a different country. With my parents its different, they are almost two different people-not that these two versions don't have similarities. My Mom still has little patience and is the best dressed and my Dad is still every one's favorite!

Seeing them was great, the only drawback it made me miss them more than I already do. But it was amazing to see them and I hope they come again!