Every single day we get on with our lives making compromises and adjustments. We put up with unclean neighbourhoods, loitering poor children, corrupt public officials, rash drivers, nuisance beggars etc; trying hard to make our physical and moral senses immune to such picture-imperfect scenes. Over time, we develop a sense of detachment to these peripheral existentialities, focusing even harder on our professional & personal goals. For some, the liberation or 'moksha' comes either from 'moving abroad' or from moving to a well-kept 'gaited community' with minimal possibility of interaction with the system. Majority of us just learn to put up with the system, accepting it as it is. We damn the politicians for all the ills plaguing our society, engage in intellectual discussions (as I am doing now) and become arm-chair experts in how to solve the various problems facing our nation. The no-action-only-thinking paves the way for a nation sinking.
A lot of us want things to change around us, yet are unable to do anything about it. Deep inside us, we have developed a huge fear of the monstrous & gigantic system, ruling India at every level. All of us routinely agree that we would need active group participation to take on the system. A group participation requires leadership, which we have outsourced to the current politicians who are a part of the problems. Unable to break this vicious circle, we resign to our fate and close our doors (and minds).
No, this is not a rant against anyone. Leading a life with honest means in itself is a huge service to our corruption-ridden society. Yet, can you (or I) as an average person not do anything more for the society? Is it possible to do something absolutely alone, without the necessity of joining or forming a group? I believe so and that's what the 50-meter-initiative (FMI) is all about.
The idea is quite simple. Identify the area within a radius of 50 meters of your current place of residence. Take responsibility for at least one of the following issues listed below for that area -
1) Education - Weekend tuitions to poor children
2) Education - Ensuring that all children go to school by convincing them or their parents
3) Education - Weekend tuitions to the illiterate workers
4) Cleanliness - Interfacing with the local municipality office to ensure regular waste collection to keep your area clean.
5) Cleanliness - Talking to neighbours to ensure that they dispose their household waste at the proper place. Discouraging people to throw waste on roads
6) Healthcare - Ensuring access to the public health centers or the government hospitals to the needy
7) Healthcare - Educating the poor and illiterate people about family planning
8) Healthcare - Ensuring proper vaccinations for the new-born
9) RTI activism - Getting and spreading information about various developmental works done (or not done) by your local municipality
10) any more such little things that you can think of ...
Depending on time & energy, some of us may be able to take up more responsibilities, some of us may cover an area greater than 50 m (or less depending on the density). Covered area or number of responsibility does not form the heart of 50-m-initiative (FMI). The crucial thing is that an individual, all alone, must be able to take up a societal responsibility without waiting for a group to emerge. Additionally, if one is fortunate enough to live in a neighbourhood where there are absolutely no problems (an utopian world), one can always identify an appropriate area somewhere else.
To be clear, I am of course not against groups (or teams). Groups can achieve many things that may be difficult for an individual to achieve. But far too many of us just wait and have been waiting for a group to emerge before taking any action. With FMI, the intention is to do away with the waiting period, so that one can start from today (or this weekend).
Lastly, I may be accused of professing without practising currently. However, as mentioned before, FMI is an individual choice. Your choice to make a difference to your neighbourhood depends only on you, not on anybody else.
What do you think!
Don't think, just do!!
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3 comments:
Amazing!
I don't know if you have heard of this: http://satyameva-jayate.org/
the guy seems to be doing some good work.
While the initiative part of it sounds good, wouldn't it be more efficient for individuals to identify groups already working on some of these issues and join/support them?
I accept that one should not wait for groups to form, but at least in metros, more often than not, there will be groups existing, though not widely known.
If one wants to join an existing group/NGO, why not?
However, (I hope) a lot of people would like to take up something all alone without getting into any organizational structure. FMI can be a simple & easy way to engage oneself with society.
well, the idea is great and has the potential. But what if the same more educated/cleaned people going to perform the old way by being more greedy? I guess qualities in life need focus but that depends on many other things too!
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