Collectives for Locality Development

Transforming Rural India Foundation (www.trif.in) and Brainstem Consulting bring together deep expertise, experience and knowledge on locality development. In our understanding locality-based approach, a convergent community-local government compact is fundamental driver to regenerative resilient transformative change across different socio-economic dimensions, governance issues, addressing climate induced stress such like; powering this approach the central piece is strong vibrant community collectives for example Self Help Groups (SHGs) or micro mutual-help solidarity groups of women; constitutionally mandated local self-governance bodies (Panchayats), traditional communitarian systems like caste/jati panchayat, other relevant collectives like Forest Protection Committee (FPC). The locality approach is central of community-centric solutions engagement : keeping people and communities as the focus, building relationships; focusing on and developing strengths; realising aspirations and ensure truly community-led approach.

The vision for the locality approach is that a locality is the natural node for convergence and synergistic actions where various interventions on quality life, social care, self-governance, prosperity, ecosystem restoration and multi-stakeholder coordination can happen, this represents a fundamental shift away from government facilities/services, private sector development into community led compact. A locality is a place, a natural socio-economic-cultural and politico-administrative geography and locality development looks on that place as a community. The process is meant to build the community – their institutional and organisations systems and processes towards common purpose, implementation mandate and delivery, its a co-generative process that includes all sectors of the community, local government, local market and is based on finding common ground and defining and pursuing a common meaningful and productive vision. It is focused on action and results that make difference to lives that foremost includes augmenting the development envelop of norms, practices, infrastructure, services to expand opportunities for communities to accelerate inter-generational mobility. Central to the community engagement is an agenda of social action and systems advocacy engage communities in understanding and building power, and using it to advocate and negotiate for the interests of the community. In our understanding locality development is the springboard, a secure base for multiple actions, prepares a community that's ready for any aspiration.