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The Process of Change
Any meaningful process of
change has both internal and external dimensions that need
careful nurturing. The internal dimensions relate to the
evolving consciousness of the individual and collective
level. The external dimensions relate to methods and systems
of organisation necessary to enable democratic working
within and capacity to deal with the environment around. The
absence of either of these could easily distort the process
of change, leading to a temporary, meaningless or even
harmful outcome.
The Internal Dimension: Towards a New Consciousness
Several methods and practices
can be adopted to raise consciousness of the individual and
collective level. These would vary according to the
taste/inclination of the individual as well as the cultural
setting. Some helpful hints on 'how do we start' are
available from the brainstorming on the subject at
Manavodaya. These are presented as
Eight Steps in Action.
These are distilled from suggestions made by participants of
more than 100 brainstorming sessions over a period of almost
10 years.
These may be treated as
starting points. Those starting to engage in a dialogue for
learning/contributing their experiences may
contact us
directly by mail.
The External Dimension: Local Management and Control
Democratic decision-making,
transparency in accounts-keeping and shared responsibility
are well meaning words conveying 'values'. These require
building up of management systems at local level that can be
practised even by illiterate populations.
Delineated further, these imply
proper cash management systems, record keeping systems,
accounts management systems, credit management systems and
so on. A proper facilitation process that enables people to
adopt these systems can ensure that such values are
practised.
Challenges
Caste/colour/race biases,
gender imbalances and mental complexes of infinite
variations make the process of understanding and adopting
human values difficult. Yet a process of 'Collective
Reflection' has a very strong impact on pre-conceived
notions, attitudes and behaviour. Some value issues
discussed in Manavodaya programmes are presented in the
Values Testimonials. |
