“Do or do not, there is no try.” – Master Yoda

They say change is the only constant in life. We understand reality from our experiences, but we do not observe how these experiences structure our perception. For me, two instances in particular have changed how I perceive reality and how an awareness of the changes around me has had a profound impact on my core values.

A captivating session got over, and the array of insights we came up with were brilliant. The insights alone made me ecstatic, when Mr Behar, an eminent individual and former chief secretary of the government of Madhya Pradesh, said, “We should be very careful with the words we use.” This started a line of self-enquiry in my mind about the words I use – and how some words, although primitive, had an insurmountable effect on others. This self-inquiry created an awareness which was incomprehensible to my ‘engineer way’ of understanding.

Comprehending the idea that I was listening to my own thoughts was, in a way, scary to start with. But it was also a unique and powerful experience. It was my first conscious experience. My mind was still and the clarity that ensued was incredible. I was hooked on to replicating the experience.

The next encounter was a boomerang – a ray of light clearing the cloud of confusion I was experiencing. It was a workshop on ‘transformational leadership’ by Dr Monica Sharma. The first question she posted to us was to introduce ourselves. There was a lesson to be learned in that we should be addressing ourselves as – ‘My name is..’ rather than ‘I am..’. This is because we are more than our names – an unique individual who’s standing for their own unique values.

The next question, that seemed like a no-brainer, was probably the most difficult question to answer. She asked me, “What values do you stand for?” This seems like a simple question, but I can assure you it really isn’t. When my turn came, I stood in front of the class and said, “My name is Roopesh Kumar, and I stand for authenticity in myself and others.” When I announced it to the class, there was surge of power in me. It was similar to finding a needle in a haystack, but I was able to channel my inner-being clearly. I was able to see that I had been making critical decisions from my stand. The third question was to declare the fears that were stopping us from taking courageous action. The hesitation to take action previously was as a result of the fears overcoming my inner being. Labelling them helped me become wary the next time my fears acted up.

Between the encounters mentioned above, there were several pieces of knowledge that I received in the fields of economics, politics and law. This helped me create several lenses by which I could look into a context.

Here, I would like to share my experiences in class with my friends who act as fantastic sounding-board. One fine day, I was discussing the issue of open defecation with my friend. He quickly suggested that it is a easy problem to solve. I was curious and quite surprised to hear that he had a solution to a problem. I knew that a lot of my peers had been working on the field to find a sustainable solution to this problem for a number of years. The solution he suggested was to build toilets in every household – and in addition, also build community toilets.

When I heard about his reasoning to the problem, I was, in a way, seeing myself, as I would have had similar kinds of solutions without an understanding of the socio-economic and the socio-political fabric in society in which we are working. To this end, I explained to him how an NGO, which was trying to build toilets in Madhya Pradesh, was unsuccessful in tackling open defecation. In that village, building toilets curtailed the possibility of women building a rapport with each other. Instead of bringing about a social and cultural shift, the NGO focused all its resources on quick fixes which eventually backfired. This real-life example of his idea which an NGO tried to implement made him realise that his solution to the problem was counter-intuitive and that the problem was actually quite complex.

In another similar discussion, we were discussing the problem of increasing population. Again, the suggestions were family planning, provision of condoms, and so on. I elaborated to them that the fundamental issue of population is related to the right of women to make choices. The response to that angle was remarkable, and we had a long conversation about this.

More than helping my friends understand the importance of context, I observed that I was personally able to identify flaws in the system and why a particular thinking might not work in the context we are working in. This shift in my perspective is a result of a slow metamorphosis. This has been steady – and the process has been sustainable due to collaboration with my cohort, and more importantly, the group work that I am involved in. It has helped me work more efficiently, and the team has consistently pushed me ahead to help me be in the position I am in. The challenges we face as a group have been incredible. I have learned a lot from my group – particularly in terms of practising powerful-speaking to capture the essence of my idea and successfully communicating it to the group.

In the field of social development, the reality is that change is a painstakingly slow process. This applies to both the self as well as the society. The realisation here is that development is not just extrinsic in nature – it starts from the self and expands outward. To do this by channeling my inner being took me some time to comprehend.

The changes are visible to myself and my friends and family who are observing the shifts in my perspective. One of the insights that was shared helped me observe my evolution. It was to look up to your role models and derive universal values from them. I sincerely hope that we will perspire to be in our positions – and express ourselves brighter than a million suns.

Published: 23 January, 2024

Days came and nights passed. Everything was moving but me. I was stuck in my cubicle with heaps of books around, preparing for the UPSC exams. I was in my own bubble – studying for the exams, being with myself or meeting people who I thought were ‘like-minded’. I was quite judgmental, labelling and putting people into boxes and categories.

Did I enjoy being like this? No! All of this was troubling me and I didn’t like this attitude, but I couldn’t help myself. At a certain point, staying with a large group of people became a phobia for me.

When I got a call from ISDM, I was happy and excited. But I was also scared of meeting so many strangers. However, I was tired of what I had been doing and wanted a change in my life. I think that the best part in me is the capability to see myself, analyse my strengths and areas of improvement. I constantly work towards becoming better. The decision to join ISDM was an opportunity for me to be open to people, create new experiences and learn.

While the initial ice-breakers helped me talk to people – which, otherwise would have been difficult – I still found myself uncomfortable in engaging meaningfully.

Of all the concepts that I learnt during the orientation week, ‘socio-emotional intelligence’ got me thinking about my feelings and emotions. I asked myself ‘why I feel what I feel’ and ‘how I can grow into a better person’. As the concept unfolded, I learnt how my emotional tension was pulling me away from connecting with people.

Through context presentations, I connected with the beautiful journeys of ‘ISDM-ites’ and how their life experiences shaped their thoughts and opinions. This helped me connect with people beyond knowledge-pieces, views and opinions. I could see my emotions being reflected in them.

Today, I can proudly say that I have moved ahead from where I started.

Has this been easy? Certainly not. It is very easy to fall back on old habits and be in the ‘comfort zone’.

There are extremely painful days when my perceptions are challenged – when I can no longer be with people or when I see my old self in others. But there are many more beautiful days when I can see a shift in myself and be my most authentic self. I can shed my ego and be more open to other’s opinions. I am moved by love!

Today, all is not perfect. When I see myself falling into that trap, I make a conscious effort not to. I certainly have changed!

“Shedding these old dry leaves of doubt and suspicion,

I have embraced the blossoming spring,

Where every emotion comes floating to me in a cool breeze,

I open my colored petals one after another with each gentle touch.

Let this breeze be there for eternity,

And the season of bloom never end.”

A ‘professional’ is someone who is part of a profession. So, what really is a ‘profession’ – and why are some areas of work defined as ‘professions’ (lawyer, doctor, etc.) and others as ‘vocations’ (cobbler, carpenter, among others)?

Technically a ‘profession’ is an area of work which fulfils some of the following requirements:

1. It requires a fairly formal, time-taking and (typically) tough process of preparation (generally academic).
2. It is bound by a code of ethics created and enforced by people within the profession.
3. Knowledge building and subsequent innovation is done by people within the profession for the profession itself – and not by people from outside the profession.

Being part of a profession becomes aspirational, because it has a certain exclusivity to it – much like the social clubs and groups we engage with. I am part of a club because I am really good at something (music, theatre, rock climbing, etc.) – and that differentiates me from the others who are not part of the club. Not many would aspire to join a club that anyone can join!

This is one of the big reasons why bright young individuals don’t want to enter the realm of teaching. Teaching is one of the most complex professions which demands a unique combination of educational perspective, understanding of curriculum and pedagogy, subject matter knowledge and a large amount of patience! Yet, the process and criteria for becoming a teacher is ridiculously low.

The same holds true if one wants to be a ‘social worker’. While the term has a technical definition, in the current context, it has become an all-encompassing term for any and everyone associated with social development or the social workspace.

Even though this profession is considered noble, people harbour a lot of pre-conceptions and assumptions about the profession. Stereotypes associated with social work can be particularly frustrating and hilarious at the same time. Here are some of the comments which people have made to me regarding the profession:

All That’s Required To Enter The Social Space Is Good Intent And A Good Heart!

That’s as good as saying that my love for cars automatically makes me a good automobile engineer! Or if I love suing people, then I am a great lawyer!

Just like engineering and law, becoming a relevant social worker should include strong academic preparation in the fields of development studies, social work, public policy, development management and others. Each of these areas requires a lot of technical hardwork, if one wants to develop the relevant knowledge and skill-sets required to deliver sustainable social impact and progress for the nation.

My Desire For A More Relaxed, Balanced Life Is Driving Me To The Social Sector!

One of the biggest challenges in the social sector is that it brings you face to face with the realities of life. A friend once told me that she couldn’t imagine working in the sector because it’s so disturbing.

It is this reality which will drive you to work harder than you ever have. This is because you can see that, at some level, your work is helping to improve the lives of the underserved and the underprivileged. Sleepless nights, crazy adventures, physical fatigue, friends unheard of in unseen places and immense satisfaction – you should expect all of this (and more) in the social space! At a personal level, the social sector has demanded more from me than the corporate space.

Wow – You Must Be Such A Nice Human Being To Be Working In This Sector!

People everywhere have the same level of complexities, insecurities, strengths and failings.

In the corporate sector, if money is the prime motivator, you can build a fairly successful career by staying indifferent to your job. However, to stay in the social sector for a long time, a passion for social change and genuinely connecting with the people you are working with/for are necessary preconditions.

However, under no circumstance does this make one a saint. One should choose to work in this space only if they really want to work here and the work gives them happiness. Reasons like guilt (‘we have got so much, we must give back’) and social power (‘if I won’t do it, who will’) are useful but not necessarily sustainable reasons to work in this sector.

If You Are A Social Worker, Why Do You Want Money? Isn’t Satisfaction Enough?

Just like anyone else, social workers also live in a social reality. Therefore, it is to be expected that they also have to deal with individual, family and social expectations, while having their own desires – and why shouldn’t they!

The choice of working on the toughest problems facing large sections of society is challenging enough. On top of that, why should a huge financial sacrifice be part of the initiation as well?

The complexity of issues that this sector faces is mindboggling. It really needs the brightest minds to come and work here. Therefore, we need to find ways of attracting the right talent, rather than trying hard to keep them away.

Many people have made a conscious choice of working in this sector for their personal reasons. This in turn reflects what they want to do and where they want to work. Hence, the choices of these people may not necessarily subscribe to the stereotypical notions mentioned above.

Just like we call people ‘banking sector professionals’ and ‘legal professionals’, can’t we just be called ‘development sector professionals’? It just has a much more pleasing and ‘professional’ ring to it!

It takes much more than just a simple desire to balance your life, if you want to participate in such activities.

Collaboration, not competition, is the emerging philosophy in the social development sector. However, given the celebration (and glorification) of the benefits of competition specially from the corporate sector and the competitive culture imbibed in us by our schooling system, it becomes an almost impossible task to switch tracks to a different life philosophy in mind and in practice. 

This article has been originally posted on Youth ki Awaaz

We’ve constantly been told that competition is what exclusively leads to innovation, helps improve efficiency, builds an outcome orientation, brings about human progress but is it really true in all contexts? Does everything need to be a zero-sum game? Let’s try and explore the need for collaboration and a collaborative work ethic specially in the social sector:

• Magnitude of the Problem (Absolute and Relative): ~27 Cr Indians live under extreme poverty (2012, $1.25 per day PPP), 10 Lakh youth are entering the workforce every month (Labour Ministry) looking for productive job opportunities, ~48% of Indian students can’t read books meant for 3 classes below (despite near universal enrolment), Infant mortality of 40 out of 1000 births (2013, Niti Aayog),  India ranks 131 out of 185 countries on the Human Development Index (UNDP), India ranks 97 out of 118 countries on the Global Hunger Index (International Food Policy Research Institute)..the numbers are staggering. The humongous scale and magnitude of the issues clearly denotes that they cannot be solved either by individuals or organisations working in isolation.

• Holistic Model of Development: The development sector largely works in an issue based manner with organisations focussing on sectoral (education, rural development, health, environment etc.) interventions to bring about improvements in societal and human conditions. This is partly due to the availability (or lack thereof) of financial resources and technical expertise (while we agree that every sector is important, where do we get the money and the knowledge to deal with different issues?). However human beings and their lives cannot really be split into these sectors. It’s the same person who has an education, health, livelihood or an addiction issue and thereby its imperative for different organisations working in a geography on different issues to come together to pool their physical, financial and knowledge resources to devise a holistic model of development and work together to deliver it. Working in this kind of a collaborative ecosystem would be more sustainable and amenable to scale. It would also help deal with the issue of these problems being “wicked”! (e.g. working only on education in a rural area in the absence of meaningful livelihood creation might lead to excessive migration and the abandonment of social structures)

• System’s view of stakeholders: When dealing with social issues, it’s important to clearly define and understand the overall family of stakeholders being effected by your actions (Who are the various people/organisations which might be directly or indirectly effected by this intervention and thereby might want a say in how its designed and implemented?). Its helps view issues from a broader systemic standpoint thereby creating the possibility of designing interventions which are more inclusive, based on a wider dialogue, accepting of the concerns of a larger system of stakeholders and thereby having a larger chance of success. Interventions like this would require a deep understanding and appreciation of the need to collaborate and take various people ahead together

• Social construction of knowledge in context: Development sector work requires a social construction of knowledge because there is a need for collective meaning-making, in context. This, therefore, means that while there may be a broad Theory of Change about something, it will play out the way it will because people make their own meaning about it. Development Management has a role to play in being able to facilitate the meaning-making process and ensuring that appropriate, contextually relevant outcomes become possible.

Besides the more obvious instrumental reasons for Collaboration, one should not overlook the basic intrinsic reason behind encouraging this work ethic – just the fact that a collaborative society would potentially be a more peaceful and harmonious society based on the efforts of better human beings!

Its clear that the need for collaboration is based on both a number based practical need as well as a conceptual underpinning of how we could potentially look at approaching development issues to ensure good quality sustainable social impact at scale. Am not sure it is an option any more. If we are serious about improving lives and social conditions then it’s imperative that we join hands and collaborate. Else we stand the danger of becoming an irrelevant self-perpetuating sector at the risk of losing its reason for existence.