Lok Satta

When Vaidya came back to India last fall she started working with an organization called Lok Satta (www.loksatta.org). Basically they work to promote and improve democracy in India. Their projects are pretty extensive but include trying to make the government more efficient and responsive, reduce coruption, ensure a free and fair electoral process, make political parties themselves more democratic and accountable, ensure rights to information, and more. Seems rather daunting in any political system. And if you know anything about India's political system... Well, one might just think "why bother?"

But they totally kick ass. They do amazing work and have astounding results. They've only been around for seven or eight years and their tangible, real accomplishments are increadible.

They've gotten the government to take up a toilet construction programme that has resulted in nearly 2 MILLION toilets being constructed in the last three years. Now, for "westerners" that may seem strange but considering the lack of infrastructure and desperate need for sanitation, that is HUGE.

They've been able to release the criminal records of the people running for election so the voters know who on the ticket has been convicted of murder, rape, armed robbery, etc. (Now, I've been working in the criminal justice field and believe that criminal records aren't the best way in almost anything to determine who is good/bad, but a HUGE percentage of politicans here are not just "criminals" but total thugs, drug lords, mafia kings, etc.)

They've worked with local, grassroots groups to do amazing things like build a road in half the time, for less money and lay down water pipes in the process. They've worked for political funding reform, proportional representation, direct election of the heads of states, water use committees, school education committees, regulation of energy, elimination of short delivery at gas stations, voter registration, women's empowerment, the strengthening of local governments, election watches, and more!

And they do it in a very positive, proactive, empowering way. One of my frustrations with "social justice" work in the US (and elsewhere) is that it is very complaint-focused. We talk and talk and talk (to each other, to the media, to politicans, at conferences, in reports, etc.) about the problem and why it is just so problematic. And we do a lot of planning as well. And often it is just very negative, disheartening and depressing.

I'm not about to idealize anything (particularly an organization I've known for two days that works within a political system I'm a total, and literal, foreigner to!) and I don't want to demonize social justice work in the US (which is so wide ranging and has its own phenomenal-ness) but I just wanted to rave about what seems to be a great organization doing really great things here and what about it I find great.

They are positive, they make real, good change, they empower the grassroots to be their own advocates and, in general, Lok Satta is very inspiring and well... it rocks! Check their site out if you'd like.