Communities of Change...
Creating a Culture of Entrepreneurship
There
is an urgent need today, to create equitable access to opportunities
that provide decent and attractive work for all sections of the society,
particularly the under-privileged communities. The emerging Indian
economy is characterised by un-paralleled dynamism owing to a new wave
of technology and market transitions, as well as structural changes in
the macro-economic environment. Rural communities, especially the
backward and the vulnerable ones struggle in this new economy to adapt
from traditional to new occupations. Those running small businesses or
trying to make a living in the informal sector find it increasingly
difficult to survive.
Micro-enterprises have the potential to
address these challenges and create livelihood opportunities in large
numbers. Our belief in the instrumental role they play is strengthened
with each interaction and every unique story that unfolds before us in
projects undertaken by the Development Alternatives Group and our
partners in rural India. Each entrepreneur is a potential innovator and
agent of change. And yet, their work is inextricably connected to other
actors and their actions locally, in the macro-economy and perhaps even
globally. Our aim therefore, is to initiate change that is systemic in
nature and capable of unleashing entrepreneurship at scale.
It is essential for local narratives to move
from ‘necessity-based entrepreneurship’ to ‘opportunity-based
entrepreneurship’, supported by an eco-system that provides equitable
access to information, resources, market linkages and finance that
enables individuals and communities to realise their dream of changing
their lives.
A recent trip to the Basque Country in Spain
reaffirmed the power of collective action; visible in communities such
as the Mondragon Cooperatives where sustained local transformation
through a people's movement helped establish a multi-billion Euro
presence in the global business arena. The area has evolved from a
declining, dying region to an economically progressive and resilient
one.
In order to capture latent entrepreneurship
opportunities, we need to strategically engineer a transition from a
‘linear, directed action based approach to entrepreneurship’ to a
scenario in which ‘systemic solutions are co-created among communities
and critical stakeholders’. Communities in the poverty stricken
Bundelkhand region of Central India, where we work, show us a glimpse of
this future. ‘Micro-movements’ that drive these change processes have
emerged and are beginning to create a culture of entrepreneurship among
the communities.
In this edition of the newsletter, we bring
you stories from such 'micro-movements’. Going forward, the Development
Alternatives Group is committed to multi-dimensional approaches, made
possible by constructive communities who through collective will and
effort, attract resources and enable their equitable application,
thereby enhancing local value and creating jobs to become self-reliant.
■
Kanika Verma
kverma@devalt.org
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