Organization for Development Education (UNNATI)
Location: Jodhpur, India Setting: Urban Established: 1990 Staff: 25
Subject Areas
Human Rights: Poverty, Community Action, Forced Migration, Environmental Law
Community Development: Social Responsibility, Community Empowerment, Infrastructure Development
Women’s Empowerment: Advocacy and Rights; Capacity Building
Organization Objectives
UNNATI aims to create an inclusive society where all stakeholders, particularly the vulnerable Dalits ("Untouchables"), participate with full empowerment and gain equal access to and control over services, resources, and institutions. Its goals are to:
- Advocate for oppressed groups while mobilizing and empowering them to take equal partnership in and control of civic and social affairs
- Promote grassroots democratic participation and strengthen local governance institutes and leadership
- Assist communities in designing disaster preparation and mitigation strategies to lessen the impact of natural disasters in vulnerable areas
Program Information
1. Social Inclusion and Empowerment
UNNATI seeks to promote social justice and inclusion through advocacy, education, and the empowerment of Dalits. UNNATI works with partner organizations to manage Dalit Resource Centers (DRCs). Dispersed throughout UNNATI’s target area, DRCs are centers of information and advice regarding laws and human rights. Staff members and volunteers impart relevant information to Dalits in rural areas while serving as a reporting center for discrimination and atrocities.
Opportunities
- Develop outreach/educational materials for DRCs
- Help design human rights training modules and workshops
- Teach basic English to DRC staff members
- Conduct case studies on past Dalit cases undertaken by UNNATI and create materials including the background, procedure, and outcome of these cases
- Help explore livelihood opportunities for underserved Dalit populations
Requirements
- Strong writing/documentation and communication skills
- Background in human rights, counseling, education, or legal work
- Experience in outreach, marketing, publication design a plus
- Interest in governance and civic leadership
- Basic to Intermediate Hindi is helpful
2. Promoting Democratic Participation and Good Governance
UNNATI seeks to empower marginalized sections of society to participate in local governance through the management of a Panchayat (local governance) Resource Center, capacity building workshops, trainings, and stakeholder meetings in 350 villages throughout western Rajasthan. In addition, UNNATI runs a one-hour weekly radio program in Marwari (a local language), which deals with local governance issues and accepts call-in questions and concerns.
Opportunities
- Research the Panchayat system for a greater understanding of governance issues in Rajasthan
- Attend Gram Sabhas (community meetings) with UNNATI staff
- Assist in designing outreach materials for governance programs and community mobilization
- Conduct case studies on specific UNNATI-targeted villages and document the effects of good governance training on the Panchayat.
Requirements
- Strong writing/documentation and communication skills
- Background in human rights, counseling, education, or legal work
- Experience in outreach, marketing, publication design a plus
- Interest in governance and civic leadership
- Basic to Intermediate Hindi helpful
3. Community-Based Natural Disaster Planning
In collaboration with the Indian Government, for the past three years UNNATI has been working with communities in natural disaster-prone areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan to create plans of disaster preparedness, dealing especially with health, water, livestock, and property management.
Opportunities
- Visit field centers to gather information on rural beneficiaries
- Assist with writing and formatting the annual report
- Research and document qualitative and quantitative results of existing projects and gain comprehensive community feedback
- Conduct needs assessments for future projects
- Interview community members for project feedback
Requirements
- Strong writing/documentation and communication skills
- Background in human rights, counseling, education, or legal work
- Experience in outreach, marketing, publication design a plus
- Interest in governance and civic leadership
- Basic to Intermediate Hindi helpful
Program Supervisor (All Programs)
Interns will be supervised by Swapni Shah, the Program Manager in the Jodhpur office.
Note: Responsibilities offered to each participant will be proportionate to their level of experience. Participants who are new to development work may predominantly support and assist current project agendas, while those with much applicable experience may be able to assume greater responsibility. Research projects are strongly encouraged by this organization to support each program’s objective because minimal resources are currently allocated for research.
Working Conditions
UNNATI's main office is located on the outskirts of Jodhpur. The office is large and comfortable with running water, electricity, and a small kitchen. There are ample printed and computerized resources available for learning. UNNATI's working hours are from 9am to5pm, Monday through Saturday. An organization vehicle transports staff members from central Jodhpur to the office each morning and returns them to the city in the afternoon.
Participants should bring a small digital audio recorder for recording interviews when necessary so that information can easily be referenced and clarified later. If possible, it is also strongly recommended that participants bring their own laptops as office computers are limited and in high demand for staff members. For those interested in assisting with the development of new organizational materials, they should bring their own equipment as appropriate (i.e. photo/graphic design software for the development of brochures; camera for photo documentation).
Organizational Background
UNNATI has completed 21 years of providing educational support in Gujarat and 12 years in Rajasthan. During 1990-95, UNNATI played the role of a capacity building support institution. The key thematic areas of support were participatory planning, evaluation and organizational management.
During 1995-2000, along with the above a shift was made to address a variety of emerging issues i.e. rising communalism, drought management, adverse impact of liberalization. Thus UNNATI began to play a pro-active role in development education, in addressing major macro issues, focusing the activities on research, documentation and advocacy.
The Gujarat Chapter of Charka, an organization that interfaces between developmental work and media for publicizing positive development initiatives in the mainstream regional newspapers was launched.
UNNATI also became a member of Network of Collaborating regional Support Organisations (NCRSOs). NCRSO is an informal network of support organizations in India committed to promote participation and gender equity in social development. The network is being coordinated by PRIA New Delhi and it continued till 2000.
After the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and 2002 communal riots, UNNATI was involved in relief and rehabilitation. From 2001 to 2005 most of the energy was put on the rehabilitation work.
Prior to this in 1999 with the help of three external evaluators a formal review was undertaken. The main purpose of this review was to identify strategic issues and recraft the strategy with a view to achieve greater focus and relevance in the coming years. Finally in 2006 an internal strategic reviewed was undertaken and three program centers were developed.
Site Team Comments
Nurez, we feel like UNNATI would be a good fit for you because of your background
and interest in public health and disaster management. UNNATI is currently doing
monitoring and evaluation of their Community-Based Natural Disaster Planning project and we feel like you can be an asset to them in this process.
Wow, someone thinks I can do some good. That's really exciting... and scary at the same time.
Most of you, since you are after all friends and family, know me and know about my journey from the bar business to public health and disaster management.
This trip will be part of my Masters program. It will fulfill the practicum component. I'll record all of my adventures and the program I create and implement and then come back and with the assistance of my Capstone Chair present it in the Fall as my Capstone Project.
Ok, think that's enough for a first post. See you guys soon.
