Campaign, Communication and Advocacy
A select set of campaigns, networks and advocacy programmes where BUILD is an active and constituent member.
Slum and Housing Issues :-
The ‘Aawas Adhikar Sanyukta Kruti Samitee’ (AASKS), a forum (BUILD is a founding constituent) comprising of several political parties, trade unions and non-government organizations started in the aftermath of massive demolition drive started from 27th December 2004 onwards in Mumbai rightly coined as man-made Tsunami which had coincided with the Tsunami that struck in 26th Dec. 2004, have been struggling on housing issues. BUILD took the initiative to call all the city level NGOs, CBOs, academics and concerned citizens to respond to the massive inhuman eviction by the government. Various activities carried on by AASKS are: Demonstrations, Brainstorming Session, Workshop, Discussion (JNURM), Public Meeting, Awareness Programme on SRA Scheme, Information Dissemination Programme, taking part on the Draft Housing Policy of Government of Maharashtra, started a campaign against the abolition of Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA) and other activities veered around housing and related issues. Public Hearing with slum dwellers who were facing displacement from the airport side was also conducted. Over two hundred Awaas members met scores of MLAs to give petition against the efforts of repealing of ULCRA Act on 15th March, 07. It was part of campaign Awaas has been making against ULCRA repealing by collecting thousand of signatures and organizing public and street meetings to create awareness among the people.
Aapli Mumbai Campaign: - It is the network fighting for the basic amenities of slum dwellers and also for the realization of their housing and other rights. Discussion on SRA Scheme, Draft Housing Policy and other related issues, signature campaign against the repealing of ULCRA Act, Public Meetings.
Mumbai IInititive for Human Rights Education (MIHRE):- The idea of MIHRE came into being at a National Human Rights Education Workshops organized by the International Human Rights Education Consortium (IHREC) in Mumbai in October 2003. IHREC is very much part of MIHRE and work with proximate relationship. It was felt during the deliberations that an initiative was needed to promote human rights education in schools, colleges and universities in Mumbai. Several meetings were held during 2003 to 2004 to crystallize the groups thought and ideas to give shape to MIHRE. So, advocates, activists, and academicians who had been working for facilitating and strengthening human rights education in Mumbai and inculcating human rights culture in other places, came together and brought MIHRE into existence. MIHRE organizes workshop on Human Rights for teachers, students for both college as well as for university students, discussions on human right issues, campaigned against Communal Violence Bill.
Peace-Mumbai:- Many in World Social Forum (WSF) 2004 which was held in Mumbai raised their collective voices against the Imperialist war designs and vowed to strengthen peace efforts. Some of Mumbai based organizations who were actively involved in issues like on conflict-peace, security-justice and gender issues felt strongly to reenergize themselves in order to reiterate the notion of peace and justice and national security. In order to understand the inter-linkages between the myriad issues impinging on peace processes in our region Peace-Mumbai was brought into being in Mumbai on February 24-26, 2006. It vowed to deal with the issues of militarization, nuclearization, communalization, scourge of terrorism and other conflicts in South Asia and tried to concretize action strategies and sought to achieve much-needed peace and justice in South Asia and elsewhere. Issues addressed are Farmers Suicides at Vidharba, Terrorism - Mumbai blast, Malegaon blast etc. Conference on Peoples Foreign Policy at South Asia level, held West Asia Conference (West Asia, War, Imperialism and Terrorism) in Delhi, Muslim Minority Socio-Economic Status in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Mumbra, Programmes related to Nuke Issues including Nuke Deal and its Implications, Solidarity Meeting, demonstrations, fact-finding teams and reports, press-club meets, email and signature campaigns, etc.
Mumbai Paani:- Water is increasingly becoming a crisis issue everywhere, its commoditization is on and privatization of water resources for the last 10-15 years. In Mumbai, the K-East ward has been selected for water privatization through a Water Distribution Improvement Project (WDIP) which will be replicated in all the other wards. In January 2006, an agreement was signed with Castalia, French consulting firm based in New Zealand to develop a pilot project for privatization of the water system in K-East. This consultancy has been funded through a US$ 692,500 (approx Rs. 2.6 crore) grant by the Private Public Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), a multi-donor agency run by the World Bank. In order to resist such people’s inimical policy Mumbai-Paani came into existence comprising various voluntary organizations and .individuals through consultations, Conventions, Releasing of Fact Sheet, Public Meetings, Consultations Participation to Stakeholder Meeting on Water Privatization, organized by MCGM where Mumbai Paani opposed their bid pf privatization where some cases were put against its members.
People’s Media Initiatives (PMI):- PMI was formed in Baroda in 1998. A couple of committed social activists joined hands to highlight the issues concerning oppressed and the marginalized through innovative interventions in the mass media. From this small and humble beginning PMI has graduated into an all India body with active chapters in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Orissa. Since its inception, PMI took various issues confronting tribals, dalits and working class. During Gujarat Riots (genocide) PMI took initiative in mobilizing secular, democratic forces and individuals against a powerful state led by Narendra Modi. Accordingly, a meeting was organized at Sabarmati Ashram, which was attacked by communal goons of RSS but the process of solidarity amongst secular forces began. Film Show, Press Conference and other ways to reach tut to different sections of the society.
Coalitions for Nuclear Disarmament of Peace (CNDP): It is coalition of 200 organizations and individuals which came into being after the nuclear test in May 1998 by both India and Pakistan . Since then it has been making its presence felt through various programmes and campaigns against nuclear weaponization bid by both the countries.
Paani Haq Samiti: It is Mumbai based networks comprising NGO’s CBO’s and concerned individuals, fighting for the rights of the all people over water and they must adequate water without any cut-off date as the policy was made to deprive post 1995 slum dwellers from genuine access to water. Through discussion, debates, demonstrations, public meeting, dissemination of literature people have been struggling for their rights to access to potable water. Their core assertion is that water is necessary ingredient of life so it should not treated as commodity as they are hell-bent to privatize the water supply system. Water is life and Right to Life is very much enshrined in our constitution.
Right to Food Campaign:- Ration Kruti Samiti (Maharashtra level) and Anna Adhikar Abhiyan (National level) BUILD is an active member in both the networks to campaign on Right to Food. Area level meetings, ration shop surveillance and monitoring, reserach and studies, demostrations, campaigns through email and signatures, state level and national meets are the main programme focus. A study was conducted on the situational analysis of food insecurity in the city of Mumbai.
Jan Swastha Abhiyan:- Right to Health is a national campaign and BUILD is active at the city level. Monitoring the health services and delivery systems of the government, campaigning, awareness buildings on patients rights, conferences, consultations and recommendations on government policies are the key components.
Homeless Collective:- This is a network of city-level NGOs and CBOs where BUILD plays a vital role and doing first hand study and research on the conditions of the homeless in the city. Campaigning on Right to Shelter, identity and livelihood, social security and protection, voting rights are the main highlights of this network. Recommendation on fomulation of policy on Right of the Homeless is a key component. (Choiceless on the Streets a first time study on the Need Assessment of the Homeless in the city of Mumbai, 2011 will be released soon).
National Forum for the Urban Poor (Affiliated to World Assembly of Inhabitants):- NFUP is a network of more than 100 grassroot non-political and secular NGOs, CBOs and social activists working for the betterment of urban poor on the issues of evictions and housing rights in different parts of India. BUILD is an active constituent of this forum.