This is a brilliant book, rich with insights on leadership, development, true democracy, and citizen engagement. Dr. Balasubramaniam draws on his personal experience on the frontlines of addressing poverty, education, healthcare, and corruption. His stories and wisdom are illuminating and allow the reader to see what is required to make communities and nations succeed. Indeed, anyone interested in making the world a better place must read this book! DEAN WILLIAMS Faculty chair, The Global Change Agent Program, Harvard Kennedy School, USA
i, the citizen is any one of us and all of us – privileged or marginalized, rich or poor, man or woman, young or old, powerful or vulnerable. To further the evolution of democracy and development, there is a need to transform our identity from anonymous nondescript onlookers to citizens who pro-actively and consciously engage with the system. Through dozens of narratives, the author elucidates how citizen engagement can and must be at the center of development agenda that nations must pursue while giving us a view from the grassroots and from the lens of a policy advocate. Touching upon issues that everyone from students of development studies to policy planners, from activists to program implementers, from politicians to average citizens can relate to, this volume raises as many questions as the clues it provides to what citizen engagement is all about.
Author(s): R. Balasubramaniam
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Grassroots Research And Advocacy Movement
Year: 2015
Language: English
Pages: 288
Tags: Society / Social Welfare & Social Services
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD
I. Understanding development
Who defines development?
“Will I get my firewood?” and other questions
Development with dignity
Measuring development
Innovation in the development sector
II.Voices from the grassroots
An identity for Akkamma
Leadership lessons from Kempaiah
Learning from first generation school-goers
The Spirit of Partnership
Can you truly empower me?
A lesson in self-reliance
Women, leadership and democracy
III. Governance, democracy and citizenship
What does ‘good governance’ mean to people?
Empowered engagement versus enforced engagement
Renegotiating citizenship
Where everyone is a victim
A social transformation led by India’s Prime Minister
IV. Information indeed is power – people and their right to information
A walk for information, a walk for power
A revelation of contradictions and hope
Blending with the villages and their issues – some reflections
Ningamani, the citizen
The cities and the villages
The culmination, the new beginning
Beyond the campaign
V.Citizen engagement and the fight against corruption
The reality of corruption
Understanding corruption, and what it takes to fight it
A nation rises against corruption
From the streets of Mysuru
The political dimensions of the campaign
VI.Citizen engagement towards making democracy work
What is the will of the people?
The onus is on the voter
Making Democracy Work – ‘The premise
A people’s view of free and fair elections
Making the right choice
Shoring up the decaying political influence
Role of the manifesto
VII.Perspectives on policy
Valuing life
Malnutrition – a national shame
FDI in retail – a death knell for Rathnamma
Overcoming a poor understanding of poverty
What does financial inclusion include?
VIII.An unending movement
The inception within
The growth of a movement
A battle for human rights
A grassroots initiative for policy research and advocacy
Making advocacy a community movement
EPILOGUE
GLOSSARY
ABOUT THE PUBLISHERS
