Eco Foundation for Sustanaible Alternatives (EFSA)
Socios
IN, efsa.org.in
In the present century, the rights based approach has primarily been instrumentalised or operationalized through the entitlements identified through the legal frameworks. While some of these entitlements have reached the meant beneficiaries, some others have got entangled with the implementation issues. At times lack of resources and lack of required infrastructure are recognized as the key factors responsible for such gaps.
However, lack of responsibilities or complete absence thereof of the key groups, individuals and institutions, including that of traditional institutions such as family and community, is one of the key factors that are not imparted the due recognition. The sight of individual and collective responsibilities is completely lost in the wake of the entitlements against state.
It is in this context that the need to sensitize and capacitate a range of stakeholders on the responsibility framework becomes eminent and immediate. This is particularly important and urgent from the point of view of the vulnerable groups as well as in the context of environment. It is proposed to evolve a set of resource material and build capacities of those engaging with the promotion of well being of vulnerable groups and environment protection on the need and ways of adopting the responsibilities framework.
Eco Foundation for Sustainable Alternatives (EFSA) India has been engaging with the responsibility framework as part of its partnerships with global alliances and networks including Alliance for responsible and Sustainable Societies (ARSS). A number of interactions, studies and deliberations has further evolved the concept of responsibility in Indian context and made it more relevant for South Asian context that is marred with present of many types of vulnerabilities.
Developing education resources, especially curricula for law and social sciences students on responsibility and its application, is at the core of the work that is underway in India. A strong component of association between law and responsibility is continuously being delved upon. However, the socio economic context of South Asia, that is mired with a range of vulnerabilities emanating from caste, class, gender and ethnic identities, provides for the canvas upon which the ‘rights and responsibility framework’ is being explored, examined and evolved. That means, not only the academic fraternity is being drawn into the deliberations, parallel advocacy with the policy makers is also being built towards complementing rights approach by responsibility. Close collaborations have been developed with the academic institutions, policy makers and the civil society organisations in India as well as rest of South Asia.