Sustainable Development through IT-Enabled Community Center (ITECC)

… because 80% of India’s 1 billion people live in villages and many have no access to jobs, food, energy or shelter … and little information about what they can do to improve their lives.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED COMMUNITY CENTER (ITECC) … with Modern Science and Appropriate Technology for Sustainable Development A properly designed and implemented ITECC Integrates Traditional Knowledge

A R T S (Society for Appropriate Rural Technology for Sustainability) is proud to partner with Auroville’s VILLAGE ACTION In the establishment of a rural INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED COMMUNITY CENTER (ITECC) At Auroville For the promotion of village-based programs That will lead to “Total Community Development” (TCD), By enhancing the socio-economic fabric of the rural community Through the adoption of eco-friendly and appropriate technologies that conserve Mother Nature Slide # 3

A R T S • (Society for Appropriate Rural Technology for Sustainability) • Is a member ofSankalpa Trust, Calcutta • Which also partners • Development Alternatives, New Delhi in areas that • Define sustainable developmentinitiatives, and • Socioeconomic and environmental factors that empower rural communities throughsustainable livelihoodsprograms. • Particularly for the promotion of village-based programs in: • SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS • IT-ENABLED SYSTEMS & SERVICES • RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES • SHELTER PRODUCTS Slide # 4

Sustainable Development • A popular concept after 1992 United Nations Conf-erence on Environment and Development (UNCED), and reinforced by Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration. • Addresses the complex and inter-related issues of energy and the environment • Incompatibility of present development patterns FOCUS ON METHODS GOAL: A POSITIVE AND LASTING DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PLANET’S RESOURCES AND POPULATIONS Slide # 5

Sustainable Livelihood • A work opportunity that gives: • A decent income • Some status in society and • Some dignity and meaning in life Provides opportunities for people to work in their own community instead of migrating to the slums of a big city. Slide # 6

Sustainable Livelihoods Outcome Purchasing power and lifestyle would be comparable to that of a factory worker in an urban area, where the wages are much higher than in the village to compensate for higher costs of living. Slide # 7

IT-Enabled Community Center (ITECC) Stakeholders: • Householders / rural community members • Educationists • Rural businesspersons • Media • Other NGOs and • Local government institutions Participatory practices promote total empowerment of rural communities through foundation-level developmental programs defined in the Pyramidal Model. Slide # 8

SANKALPA’S Pyramidal Model for TOTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Community development is about building active and sustainable communities based on social justice and mutual respect. It is about changing power structures to remove the barriers that prevent people from participating in the issues that affect their lives. Information Technology Center For Internet-based and IT-enabled services, including ‘Telemedicine’ Renewable Energy Center For technology dissemination Building Center For demonstration of eco-friendly products Training & Education Center For employment generation Slide # 9

Education & Training Center • A major objective is to provide a platform for the rural entrepreneur to develop the necessary technical and management skills that will be needed to be successful in the uncompromising global market place. • Currently the Sankalpa Arts & Handicrafts Center strategy is to develop the following handicraft products: • Handmade Paper Products • Bamboo Handicrafts • Jute Handicrafts (visit http://societyarts.tripod.com/12ah/hmpp.html for details) Slide # 10

Renewable Energy Center Energy, although not an end in itself, facilitates socio-economic activities and promotes human empowerment. The rampant unavailability of energy sources and services correlates closely with many challenges of sustainable development, such as poverty alleviation, the advancement of women, protection of the environment, and perhaps most importantly - the creation of sustainable livelihoods. A biomass gasifier system for cremation reduces fuel wood consump-tion from 600 kg to 150 kg - almost 75% reduction! Alternate biomass fuels like rice husks and other agricul-tural crop residues may be used. (visit http://societyarts.tripod.com/03sene/index.html for details) Slide # 11

Building Center • Functions as a grassroots level technology transfer center in rural areas to disseminate information on cost effective and environment friendly building technology for: • Skill Upgradation & Training • Manufacturing & Distribution • Design Consultancy & Services • Develop appropriate technologies Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns (VSBK) Technology represents a very energy efficient and higher quality method of firing bricks resulting in an energy saving of 30 % compared to BTK and more than 50% compared to clamps. (visit http://societyarts.tripod.com/04sshe/index.html for details) Slide # 12

IT-Enabled Services Center SARI Project in Tamil Nadu Combines ICT with native ingenuity and inherent business skills in rural communities to create new livelihoods opportunities and create new jobs for local entrepreneurs. TARAhaat.com is both, a horizontal and a vertical portal (hence a Mother portal, or ‘Mortal’), with an interactive and graphics-intensive interface, which allows semi-literate and neo-literate users enhanced access to products and services. (visit http://societyarts.tripod.com/01sinf/index.html for details) Slide # 13

The ‘Sustainability Index’ is a function of the the four foundation elements (livelihoods, energy, shelter and information). The index provides a measure of sustainability, on the basis of functionalities offered and maturity of services provided. Slide # 14

Village-based IT-Enabled Community Centers (ITECCs) • Provide a sustainable resource to demonstrate and disseminate appropriate and environment friendly technologies; • Opportunities for primary and adult education and capacity building; • Opportunities for rural people to find work in their own community, instead of migrating to the slums of a big city. SUITABLY EQUIPPED AND STAFFED ITECCs ARE THE IDEAL VILLAGE-BASED RESOURCE FOR IMPLEMENTING SDC POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. Slide # 15

A typical village-based ‘IT-Enabled Community Center’ Note: A ‘Deal Sheet’ for Social Entrepreneurs, who may be interested in investing towards the development of a typical village-based ITECC in India, will be made available upon request. mailto: subra@engr.colostate.edu Slide # 16

Typical Projects for TOTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Sustainable Development These are instances of livelihood projects that are environmentally and economically viable and sustainable. Information Technology Center Telemedicine Center Publications Center Internet services Jingle production eBook production Library Renewable Energy Center Biomass Gasifier Power Plant Energy Briquettes Solar Shop Biogas plant + accessories Biomass Gasifier Refrigerator (3TR) Building Center VSBK Auroram (CEB) MCR Tiles FC Doors & Windows FC Channels Training & Education Center Hand made paper products Silk screen printing unit Bamboo handicrafts Jute handicrafts Sewing handicrafts/toys Pottery items Food drying Energy efficient chulhas Marine products Slide # 17

The components of the Telemedicine Project—which is not directly a part of any of the four basic Sankalpa Pyramidal model—are briefly described in the images in this slide, essentially to demonstrate the superior services that are planned. Projects for TOTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Focus on Telemedicine Note: Details will be made available on request Slide # 18

Projects for TOTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (from the previous slides) TYPICAL BUDGET Note: Details will be made available on request Slide # 18

The anthropomorphic ‘human’ model of the ITECC The Operating Model of the ITECC shown in the next slide is based on the analogy of a human being - and for emotive clarity, we have used Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous sketch of a man as the central motif - to model the operational characteristics of the ITECC. The three-tiered structure of the ITECC is defined on the right side of the image, as: (a) The Think Tank; (b) The Community; and (c) The Center It has to be understood by ALL members of the target rural community, for a successful intervention. It therefore has to translated into the local language for maximizing its effectiveness. Slide # 19

The anthropomorphic ‘human’ model of the ITECC Visionaries (The Head – thinking ability): The community elders and children, teachers, media, business persons, NGOs and the Panchayat leaders, who will design and formalize the rules for running and operating the ITECC, sustainably. The Center (The Legs – motive power): The community volunteers, NGO staff and academicians, social workers and Visiting Fellows; they comprise (a) the “Learning Center (LC)” (left leg) and (b) the “Community Development Cell (CDC)” (right leg) And as in any marching regimen, we have to lead with the left first, followed by the right, and so on, so that the entire body can move forward – otherwise, it will either topple or go out of synchronism. The Community (The Body – denoting action): All men and women of the community constitute the right and left hands - to do the main work of community building through participatory approaches, and at the heart of the body are all the children of the community - for they are the future. The left/right marching analogy explains that the community must incrementally learn first and only then implement the related community development program, in a continuous cycle to achieve sustainable community development. Slide # 20

The anthropomorphic ‘human’ model of the ITECC • Key features of the ‘Human’ Model: • The ‘Visionaries’ determine the way the ITECC will function: (a) governance; (b) membership criteria; (c) way to self-sustainability, (d) learning tools; (e) development programs. • The entire ‘Community’ has to be mobilized and involved in the successful participatory functioning of the ITECC. • The ‘Center’ provides only the legs for carrying the community forward - first by ‘learning’ what has to be done, and only when all the ramifications are understood, initiate the ‘Community Development’ programs. Slide # 21

… Labpur ITECC (Birbhum) Santiniketan ITECC (Birbhum) Silla ITECC (Burdwan) Barasat ITECC (24-Pgs.) Baidyapur ITECC (Nadia) People of the community People of the community People of the community People of the community People of the community We believe simplicity is the key to success Sankalpa Sustainable Development Model First, build a suitable ITECC in the target rural community … and simply let the people of the village community use the ITECC without any hindrance. Children will study any subject of their choice Women will choose their own path to empowerment … and environmentally sound. People will choose their own preferred livelihood option … … that will be economically sustainable … Slide # 22

Labpur, in Birbhum, West Bengal, was the first village that we studied. The first experimental SDC was built at Santiniketan We have now established our Sankalpa Research Center at Village Baidyapur in Nadia, West Bengal, where we shall continue our experiments with sustainability We have also worked in other districts in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Slide # 19

Key Success Factors for rural ITECCs • Easy to access and simple to use; • Provide educational programs that children can relate to and operate without supervision; • Convince women and girls that the ITECC offers real opportunities for their empowerment; • Convince the community that the neighborhood ITECC will provide the tools to solve their own problems, in their own way and at their pace. A robust sustainable development program requires transparency, participative management and universal usability. Slide # 24

Universal Usability for rural areas • Universal usability & design of village-based IT-enabled services involve not only an understanding of how users attempt to accomplish specific tasks, but also: • A detailed assessment of the socio-economic, sociocultural and sociotechnical factors that impact the penetration of ITES systems, as well as • The externalities that apply to ITES systems. Slide # 25

Sociotechnicalconcepts Sociotechnical theory proposes that an ITES system has both, technical and human/social aspects that are tightly bound and interconnected. Stresses the reciprocal interrelationship between humans and machines, so that efficiency and humanity would not contradict each other. Slide # 26

Sociotechnical factors for sustainability Rather than individual elements, we need to study these interconnections to enhance usability and overall system performance. Slide # 27

Expected results from village-based ITECCs • Empower rural communities to eliminate any residual urge of villagers to migrate to the cities in search of a better life; • Attract people of rural origin who had once migrated to the cities, to return in droves, and thereby start a new revolution … a sustainable one … throughout the country. • A robust SDC requires a focus on scientific management for success. Slide # 28

Each intervention strategy requires its own unique set of administrative processes and scientific methodologies for success. Sustainability requires control over these administrative processes and scientific methodologies Slide # 29

CONCLUSIONS • A vigorous participatory approach between target rural communities, educationists, rural business stakeholders, the media, NGOs and the local government / political administration is needed to implement a robust plan for sustainable rural development. • Sustainability and universal usability requires, amongst other factors, an understanding of sociotechnical factors, and the institutionalization of scientific management practices and methodologies. • Appropriate village-based IT-Enabled Community Centers promote sustainable development and livelihoods. Slide # 30

Sustainable Development through IT-Enabled Community Center (ITECC)