PASCHIMANCHALA
Rourkela, 13.06.02 -19.06.02
Five day workshop on "Community Informal Care and Welfare System" concluded

Jharsuguda: A five-day workshop on 'Community Informal Care and Welfare Systems' from May 27th to 31st 2002, has been successfully organised at Cox Colony of Jharsuguda, Orissa. According to Professor Manohar Pawar of Charles Sturt University, Australia, the main focus of the workshop was to accelerate community development by establishing proper co-ordination among different communities. Presiding over the workshop he said, 'Such workshops can have a better impact on society, if conducted in rural areas instead of metro-cities or big towns'. Twenty five participants from different places took part in the workshop and were guided about ways to accelerate community development through the practice of different community care systems. In past, communities in India had various care systems which can still be applicable today. Through the program, Communities' Informal Care and Welfare Systems, every effort is being made to lay foundation for people's empowerment.

Social Development the primary focus with empowerment of today's communities, the first phase began at Wagga Wagga, Australia, where social scientists and academics from ten Asia Pacific countries participated in a workshop and prepared a training manual. In the second phase nongovernment organisations concerned for Community Care and Welfare Systems are being activated. 'In this connection two workshops had been successfully organised at Patna, Bihar and Battambang, Cambodia; and the third one is at Jharsuguda'.

The project has been awarded the Quality Life Award by the Association of Commonwealth Universities and supported by the Japan Foundation Asia Center. Besides Dr. Pawar, to give direction to the workshop were: Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Director, Arogyam Centre for Health and Development, Patna, Dr. Bipin Jojo of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and Mr. Basant Minj, Secretary, Rural Action and Human Interest (RAHI).