The Hindu : In pursuit of a dream world

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

In pursuit of a dream world

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD July 9. Who wouldn't like to live in an ideal society? A society perfect in terms of sanitation, education and health. People in the Old City are being encouraged to dream of a "Sunehra Hyderabad''.

A serious effort in this direction got underway here on Monday under the auspices of the `Save the Children', a U.K.-based NGO, and Mahita.

Children, youth, women, religious and local leaders from 65 bastis of Yakutpura, Karwan, Bhavaninagar, Chandrayangutta and Rajendranagar gathered to identify their strengths and build on them.

Martin Kelsey, programme director, Save the Children, said a new concept -- appreciative inquiry -- was evolved to facilitate the community to achieve their dream world. In the traditional approach, solutions to problems often eluded as one tended to blame each other.

On the contrary, `appreciative inquiry' believed in participatory approach so that community realised the shared dream. "Focusing on the positive would energise them for the future,'' Mr. Kelsey said.

Save the Children, which is working in 11 States in India, tried this method successfully in Nagaland. The participants would interact with their basti people and come out with an action plan that would help translate their dream into reality.

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In pursuit of a dream world