Networks
Lok Manch
Lok Manch (LM) is a Human Rights driven secular, inclusive platform that contributes to various social movements of the marginalized. It is a platform of community leaders and civil society organisations initiated by some like-minded people for Policy Engagement at block/district, state and national level for the rights of marginalised communities. LM engages in both types of policy engagement – firstly for proper implementation of existing policies and laws and secondly for demanding new policies, amendments in existing laws and for new laws. It is a platform for developing community leadership and community based organisations for strengthening and sustaining grass-root level movement for contributing to ‘Just, democratic and secular society’. It also promotes and strengthens collaboration and networking among secular minded people of ‘good will’ and their organisations.
It is primarily a governance and policy engagement initiative; at the local level it aims at strengthening grassroots governance and democracy with live linkage to state and national level governance, accountability and policy change initiatives. LM is envisaged as a common platform/ forum of, by and for the priority communities, the dalits, adivasis, minorities, urban poor and other marginalized communities, facilitated and accompanied by different partners and collaborators of different cultures, languages, religions and regions. Special focus is given to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as Katkari Tribes, Kutia Kondho Tribes, Pahadia Tribes, Paniya Tribes and most vulnerable Dalit groups such as the Dalit Musahars, etc.
One of the roles of the Lok Manch facilitating Partners is to put the people in the forefront and to support them to own it and make it sustainable! As a tool, the process has begun with working on accessing and claiming entitlements specifically on NFSA and SCSP / STSP / WASH, SDG. As Lok Manch has entered into its 2nd phase, along with the above issues, other pertinent issues also are being addressed. Lok Manch is present at Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Delhi, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. 92 field CSOs are Facilitating partners and 2, 70,000 households are reached out through awareness and capacity building programs.
Uniqueness of Lok Manch (USP)
- People led program (Movement) which is linked from grassroots to National level,
- Focusing on strengthening community leadership,
- People oriented program and not the NGOs oriented one. The different NGOs (partners) play the role of capacitating the leaders and the people so that they take charge of their lives,
- Has Rights Based Approach (RBA) with core values like Justice, Equality, Liberty, Fraternity, Secularism, Non-violence, Peace, Communal harmony, Reconciliation, Gender Justice that are based on the Constitution of India and Universal Declaration of Human Rights and works towards upholding such values in the day to day life of its citizens.
Who is part of the network?
- Fr. Anthony Dias SJ (Convenor)
- Mr. Jayanta Patra (National Coordinator)
- Sr. Ruby Mary (Program Coordinator)
- Ms. Kapila Guneja (National Campaign Coordinator)
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