For India to be globally competitive in the
21st century, a critical factor would be our
ability to harness our knowledge potential.
With 550 million people below the age of 25,
our human capital is our greatest asset. To
best utilize this bourgeoning potential the
country needs a knowledge oriented paradigm
and focused capacity and quality building
in the field of education. The potential is
tremendous, but the task of realizing it is
daunting too. Keeping this scenario in mind,
The Research & Analysis Programmes (R&AP)
of Open Forum proposed a blueprint for reform
of our knowledge related institutions and
infrastructure which will enable India to
meet the challenges of the future.
For decades the international community
has tried to improve the lives of people
in developing countries. Sometimes it has
been successful and at other times not.
We have now reached the stage where good
intentions and optimism have to be replaced
by a development process which can bring
about radical results – both qualitatively
and quantitatively. More than 1.1 billion
people survive on less than $1 a day, and
more than half of the world living on less
than $1 a day. In most cases people are
deprived access to energy, water, health
or services, and they are left in a situation
where they cannot do anything about it themselves.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
provide a framework for action to address
these issues and across the world the governments
are committed to find new and more effective
ways to ensure that we reach these goals.
Taking the facts into consideration Open
Forum initiated a new Programme at its office
and operational area to access and analyze
the potential of development initiatives
going around. The Research & Analysis
Programmes (R&AP) of Open Forum, has
proved by its extensive researches &
analysis that the poorest regions of the
country require special development efforts
and public and private investments. Moreover,
such efforts must be focused on particular
districts within states, and within these,
the efforts have to be concentrated on SCs
and STs who usually constitute the poorest
of the poor. For us at R&AP, every activity
we undertake is focused on 1. Realizing
Demographic Dividend, 2. Reducing Social
Disparities and 3. Sustaining Economic Development.
The programme has enabled the grassroots
communities to ‘voice’ their
opinion on issues concerning them through
different ICTs, such as the radio, internet
and the print media. It has provided them
a platform to share their experiences, and
discuss and debate on various health, social
and development issues. Through this process,
they are empowered to have public discourses
on development issues; with gained knowledge,
prepare themselves for public action and
create public vigilance for their own development
and development of the communities as a
whole. At the same time, it has introduced
certain perceptible and visible behavioral
changes among the community and the youth.
They have realized their potential and are
in the process of gaining confidence in
contributing to the process of developing
and strengthening Communities of Practice
(CoPs). The initiatives of Open Forum are
helping the communities to sustain the process
in the long run and address various components
of MDGs with an integrated approach. The
process has enabled R&AP to inculcate
the practice of using ICTs for empowering
communities; strengthening the process of
knowledge sharing mechanism and realizing
that self-empowerment is the key issue of
development.
