Social Action Coordinators Meeting, May 25-31, 2008, SJS, Rome

Social Action coordinators of the various assistancies met from May 25-31, at the Curia, Rome to discuss on a) the plan of International workshop on Advocacy; b) Reflect on the main decrees of GC 35 and outline the main elements of an strategic vision/plan at the assistancy and universal society level; c) To discuss on certain concrete issues, especially of the forth coming WSF 2009 at Belem, Brazil and d) To interact with Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, our new General.

Here are some of the important presentations which might be of some help to you in your reflections and sharing.

Identity - Summary Presentation by Higinio Pi Perez (CAS)

Response to Identity : by Brendan Mac Partlin (HIB)

Mission - Summary Presentation by Xavier Jeyaraj (CCU)

Response to Mission : by Elias Omondi (AOC)

Response to Mission : by Jim Stormes (MAR)

Response to Mission : by Andreas Gosele ((GER)

Governance - Summary Presentation by Alfredo Ferro Medina (COL)

Response to Governance : by Frank Turner (BRI)

Displacement

Telling about the plight of the displaced masses, be it in the name of "greater common good" or in the name of industrialisation, there are too few people who would bother to listen to the sad stories these people have to tell.

• Dams and Tribal people in India, Amrita Patwardhan
• Development Induced Displacement and Implications for land use policy, Prof. Amita Shah & Dr. Animesh Kumar
• Draft National Policy on Tribals: Suggestions for improvement
• Policies for Tribal development - Analysis and Suggestions, Naresh C. Saxena
• Displacement and the Land Acquisition Act 1894: Why are tribal areas
  not considered a part of our history?Walter Fernandes
• Draft Declaration Adopted At The National Convention Against
  Displacement & SEZs Held At Bhubaneswar during June 26-27, 2007
• Different state, same story on displacement and lack of rehabilitation in
  water projects in Orissa. Sudarshan Chhotoray
• Resettlement is still a mirage, Shripad Dharmadhikary
• Development Displacement : Whose Nation Is It? Smitu Kothari
• An Open Letter To Rajdeep Sardesai and Media, Ravikiran Shinde

For photos on this theme, click HERE.

Migration

Thousands are the men, women and children who migrate from villages to towns and cities, from one place to another in search of a better future; how their dreams are shattered and they left to grope in darkness. Read on to enter into their psyche.

• Articles will be added soon.

Special Economic Zones (SEZ)

The rich agricultural lands that fed whole families down the centuries have suddenly become prey to the greedy industrialists and over-ambitious politicians, who are ready to build their industries with the blood of peasants, all in the name of development and growth. Find below indepth studies on SEZ, the demon that is haunting West Bengal and several other states in the country.

• Draft Declaration Adopted At The National Convention Against
  Displacement & SEZs Held At Bhubaneswar during June 26-27, 2007
• SEZ Act 2005
• SEZ Act, Notification on 10th August 2006
• SEZ Act, Notification on 16th March 2007
• SEZ Act, Notification on Oct. 2007
• Functional SEZs prior to SEZ Act 2005
• SEZs with formal Approvals by the end of Oct. 2007
• SEZs notified till 3rd Oct. 2007
• SEZs approved in principle by end of Oct. 2007
• APDR Report on Nandigram

Globalization

There is perhaps no single area in today's world, where globalization has not put its icy hands; heralding the death-knell of traditional art and crafts, the market-mantra today is globalization with liberalization and free-market economy as its two wings. But who benefits ultimately? Read on!

• Articles will be added soon.