LESSON
Lesson Learned: Active democracy and political participation of tribal communities in the Indian Himalayas
When people are encouraged to claim their rights and entitlements, there is a risk that they will not be successful or that the services they are seeking will not materialize, and this risk must be taken into account. It is inevitable that not all those who apply for government schemes and entitlements will receive them and it is also possible that promised services may not materialize, or that louder voices may prevail. In order to mitigate negative examples they may see, put in place an active process for sharing success stories.
Project Name
Project Partner
Pragya
Project Description
The project’s principal objectives were to enhance civic participation among Himalayan tribes and empower marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities and nomads); and to engage with governance issues and democratic dialogue. To this end, the project aimed to build a supportive environment for enhanced democratic participation through supporting state and non-state actors. The project consisted of 10 core components creating a continuum of involvement from awareness of rights to access to those rights, supported by the training and mobilization of relevant support actors and those who could make the rights a reality. The project design was logical and very much tuned to the needs of the beneficiaries and other stakeholders in this challenging region. There were no delays in project delivery, since it had been designed with the seasonal obstacles relevant to the target region in mind.
Report
Evaluation Date
October 2012
Theme
Country