Thoughts on the Right to Food Convention (Rourkela) – Part I
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Last week, I went to the Right to Food Convention in Rourkela, Orissa. Large “movement” conferences are often hit or miss – one, because given the primary aim to mobilize people, and the large number of attendees, the actual discussions/talks tend to be rudimentary (but long) – and personally speaking, I find the large numbers claustrophobic. Another issue is the prevalent level of agreement – with some issues (e.g., RTI) there’s an overriding political compulsion to be in overt agreement, which makes the whole discussion quite repetitive. However the RTF Campaign is an ongoing exercise in democracy, with a dynamic scope shaped by its diverse constituents – and extremely interesting to observe. Some thoughts - partly with the aim of clarifying my own thinking (a much misused benefit of a personal blog where editorial constraints don’t apply), and partly because I think this has some wider relevance. I’m going to break this into two parts – travel and the RTF Campaign (and Convention).
Thoughts on the Right to Food Convention (Rourkela) – Part I
Thoughts on the Right to Food Convention…
Thoughts on the Right to Food Convention (Rourkela) – Part I
Last week, I went to the Right to Food Convention in Rourkela, Orissa. Large “movement” conferences are often hit or miss – one, because given the primary aim to mobilize people, and the large number of attendees, the actual discussions/talks tend to be rudimentary (but long) – and personally speaking, I find the large numbers claustrophobic. Another issue is the prevalent level of agreement – with some issues (e.g., RTI) there’s an overriding political compulsion to be in overt agreement, which makes the whole discussion quite repetitive. However the RTF Campaign is an ongoing exercise in democracy, with a dynamic scope shaped by its diverse constituents – and extremely interesting to observe. Some thoughts - partly with the aim of clarifying my own thinking (a much misused benefit of a personal blog where editorial constraints don’t apply), and partly because I think this has some wider relevance. I’m going to break this into two parts – travel and the RTF Campaign (and Convention).