[FSUG-Bangalore] visit to Ambetkar Centre

[Nidhin Sasi]

> Fighting without empowering oneself is not effective. Currently people
do fight with external help from a political party or a social
organization, and external leadership and continue to remain powerless
even after struggles after struggles.

    As far as I considered Fighting itself was for empowering onself
.Oppressed sections of the society mostly had the "*help*" of
externalforces or group of people or political party and very few
times people like
Nelson Mandela, Ambedkar, Martin Luther King etc. came from those oppressed
sections to fight for them and make progress for them. But even after
struggles under people of such profound knowldge are these sections
empowered ?? These progress have been witnessed in othe former cases too
where the oppressed sections were helped by external force or political
party. Hence I believe the fighting & empowering comes with the profound
understanding from a historic perspective and as you said very correctly
power should be with the Oppressed sections but that shouldn't prevent them
from using the methods available for advance if there are any.


>They cannot claim power without knowledge.

     Can you pls elaborate the scientific basis of this conclusion? As I
have mentioned previousy knowledge is essential fopr empowerment and
claiming power. But how "*Only*" knowledge can lead them to empowerment and
power ? Shouldn't we look at the other aspects of their problems too or
should we restrict only to this 1 aspect - knowledge ?

As I raised the questions previously :

 "I completely accept your theory of what Free Knowledge is able to provide
to the deprived sections of the society, but would that be enough?
Can't we do extra if we can ?? Can't we use ICT which has far more
applications than we forsee to fight for their rights too ? Or is it that we
should only focus on Freeing knowledge and fighting for their rights would
end us nowhere ??? Can't we use this tool to its potential if it can be ??
If so HOW ???"






On 12/17/08, Nagarjuna G <nagarjun at gnowledge.org> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 2008-12-17 at 15:45 +0530, Nidhin Sasi wrote:
> >   Freeing knowledge would ofcourse increase the conscious of the
> > oppressed about their rights, but would that automatically give them
> > the basic rights? Most of the denial of their rights stems from the
> > fact that the resources are still captivated by a minority in the
> > society. Unless they fight for those rights, these rights would always
> > be alien for them though in the process though there might be progress
> > in their situation based on the intensity of different struggles. ICT
> > has revolutionised the world in such a way that human beings if have
> > access can attain most of the knowldge at their finger tips and also
> > establish communication with anyone in any part of the world.
> >   But the denial of the basic rights would still cause them obstacles
> > even to freely pursue this available Free Knowledge. Though we see
> > them laughing, singing, playing in the daylight and among the crowd
> > each of them might have different difficult situations in their homes
> > which are mostly connected to their lack of accessibility of their
> > basic rights.
> >     We can build good toilets and better infrastructure in their
> > locality if we go for fund drive, but would that give a solution to
> > their numeorus other problems they are facing ? Especially in a city
> > like Bangalore with high rates of inflation - what about the food
> > costs, health costs, transportation costs ? Most of the families at
> > the average 3 or 4 children or more, and I think AC3 kids are better
> > off than children in many other areas.
> >
> >
>
> Fighting without empowering oneself is not effective.  Currently people
> do fight with external help from a political party or a social
> organization, and external leadership and continue to remain powerless
> even after struggles after struggles.
>
> Sustainable social change does not come without power in the local
> hands.  They cannot claim power without knowledge.
>
> Nagarjuna
>
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